Notes & Quotes: Michigan 3, #19 Ohio State 2
10/5/2008 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
N O T E S
With the victory, Michigan improved to 29-22-1 in the all-time series against Ohio State. U-M has won 15 of the last 20 meetings against the Buckeyes.
Senior Sarah Wilhite earned an assist on Michigan's game-winning tally in the final four minutes of play to extend her point streak to 11 straight games. The streak is the longest for a U-M player in four seasons, dating back to the 2004 campaign when Jessica Blake kicked off the season with at least one point in the Wolverines' first 11 matches, tallying 17 goals and five assists over the stretch.
Sarah Wilhite also brought her season assist total to 15 with her game-winning helper. It is already the most assists by a Wolverine player in seven seasons, dating back to All-American Catherine Foreman's 17 helpers in 2001. Michigan's single-season assist record is 22, held by Foreman (1999), Courtney Reid (1999, 2000) and Shelley Johnson (1997).
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Nancy Cox
On today's game and Michigan's effort... "It was a tremendous team effort today. You look around at where we've been and how we've made our travels this fall, and this group of young women have done exactly what we're asking them to do -- embrace the process every day and we'll continue to move forward. That is challenging for young people when they're accustomed to tremendous success. This, today, is tremendous success for this team. So, I am incredibly proud of the effort. It was a gritting performance from both teams today."
On sophomore Alicia Mayer... "Alicia is a warrior, but she understands that she's a warrior within the context of 19 other young women. What you saw here today is exactly what she brings every day at practice. For her to elevate her level of play today and she really did. Ohio State is a very solid team defensively, and Alicia was running through tackles from them. When they were stopping and breaking up the play, she was staying low and ground over the ball and winning her one on ones. That's what we need all of our forwards to do; they can take a page out of Alicia's playbook. She had a big part of the success we had today."
On turning away several OSU penalty-corner opportunities... "We have to get better at our defensive positioning and our footwork in the circle and our defensive third. So, I guess I know what we'll be working on this week. Our defensive penalty-corner unit with Sarah Wilhite, Stephanie Hoyer and Michaela McDermott -- our three senior captains -- back there you're going to ride your seniors, and they did an excellent job of executing, particularly in the last corner of the first half. That was plain moxie by Sarah Wilhite -- how she read it and how Hoyer dropped back into the zone."
U-M Sophomore Forward Alicia Mayer
On Michigan's victory... "I was a huge game. It was Ohio State, our rival. I just think we came into it with the attitude that there was no way we were going to lose. We gave it our all, and we did it for our seniors and for our team. We really needed this win. We have really emphasized that the Big Ten is the start of a new season, and we're going to really play Michigan hockey now. It's a completely different mindset coming into Big Tens, because we're the defending champs. We're going to do everything we can to remain the Big Ten champs."
On U-M's response to OSU's early goal... "After we got the ball back, [Stephanie] Hoyer looked at me and said 'Okay, here we go,' and that's exactly how I felt. I got the ball in the circle and remembering hearing the coaches yell at me to shoot it. So, I shot it. It wasn't the prettiest thing, but it went in."
On her game-winning tally... "That was all Sarah Wilhite -- such great hustle. She dove for the ball at the end line. So, really, that goal was all about her. She put all that effort in, and I just happened to get my stick on the ball, keep it in bounds and just shot it. I knew the goal was somewhere in that direction, and I just shot it."
On Michigan's resiliency despite being outshot and outcornered... "I knew we were in the game. Sometimes we have our little breakdowns here and there, but we never ever think that we're out of a game. We could be losing by three goals, but I still don't feel like we ever think we're out of a game. We keep coming back. If we need a goal, we think, 'Okay, let's go get a goal.' That's how we play Michigan field hockey."
On building on recent momentum... "We saw the way we can play compared to how we have played. I think we'll bring that into every game. We're starting to click more. There is always something to work on, but we know what we're capable of and we brought that today. Even if we're not all playing our best, if we can play as a team, we'll make it."
U-M Senior/junior Goalkeeper Paige Pickett
On the Wolverine win... "It's huge. I starting tearing up after the game I was so happy. It's always a battle with Ohio State. It's one of the biggest rivalries in the nation. We were very pumped up, and, at halftime, we all needed to keep each other up. We kept doing that on the field too; we kept encouraging each other."
On the U-M defense in front of her... "I think Ohio State had some very fast forwards. So, we managed that through organization. I talk a lot during the game, and it's all about lining up your defense, having them line the midfield and so on. If everybody is where they need to be on the field and marked up, then the ball can't get to us. That's what we really focused on. Everyone did a great job and played where they needed to be."
On getting back into the starting lineup... "This season has been a big struggle for me. I started off with an injury. I feel so happy to be out there with my team. It just shows that no matter what year you are or how long you've been playing, anything can happen -- you can be on the field or you can be on the bench. It's a battle every day. I've worked my butt off to get back out there, and I'm so happy that I was could do what I was able to do for the team today."
