Weekly Release #7: Michigan Looks to Extend Big Ten Streak
10/9/2008 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Sunday, Oct. 12 -- at Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.), 1 p.m.
Live Stats Indiana Website
Tuesday, Oct. 14 -- vs. Central Michigan (Phyllis Ocker Field), 3 p.m.
Live Stats Central Michigan Website
The University of Michigan field hockey team (6-6, 2-0 Big Ten) will hit the road to face Big Ten rival Indiana on Sunday (Oct. 12) in Bloomington, Ind., before heading back to Ann Arbor to host Central Michigan on Tuesday (Oct. 14). The match against the Hoosiers is slated for a 1 p.m. start at the IU Field Hockey Field, while Tuesday's match against the Chippewas at Phyllis Ocker Field begins at 3 p.m.
With their victory over Ohio State in Big Ten play last Sunday (Oct. 5), the Wolverines extended their conference winning streak to nine straight games dating back to the 2006 campaign. Michigan's last Big Ten loss came against Ohio State on Oct. 29, 2006. U-M captured the regular-season 2007 Big Ten title with a perfect 6-0 conference record.
MICHIGAN BY THE NUMBERS
NCAA Stats | Big Ten Stats | U-M Stats: Through 10/5/08
Team Leaders
| Name | GP | G | A | P |
| Sarah Wilhite | 12 | 6 | 15 | 27 |
| Meredith Way | 12 | 9 | 5 | 23 |
| Alicia Mayer | 12 | 6 | 3 | 15 |
| Name | GP-GS | W-L | GAA | SV% |
| Christi Barwick | 9-6 | 4-3 | 2.30 | .641 |
WOLVERINE TO WATCH
| Bryn Bain, Freshman Midfielder Freshman Bryn Bain(Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional HS) netted her second goal of the season in the opening minutes of Michigan's home contest against Temple (Oct. 3), blasting a direct shot from the penalty corner to the back of the Owl cage. As one of the Wolverines' primary strikers on the Wolverines' successful penalty-corner unit, Bain is bound to add to her season goal total. She has appeared in all 12 on Michigan's contests, earning her first collegiate start against the Owls and has converted on half of her shots on goal this season. |
WOLVERINE BITES
On a Roll -- The Wolverines' victory over then No. 19-ranked Ohio State (Oct. 5) was their first over a ranked opponent this season. U-M's six losses on the season have all come against ranked opposition, including four against teams ranked in the nation's top four. Michigan has won its last three contests, including two against Big Ten opposition, to pull its season record to 6-6.
Scoring Frenzy -- Eleven different U-M players have recorded a goal this season, while 13 have tallied at least one point. The breadth of scoring is already greater than each of the last two seasons when the Wolverines received goals from 10 or fewer players. While scoring has been spread wide across the U-M team, Michigan's leading duo of senior Sarah Wilhite(Hummelstown, Pa./Hershey HS) and sophomore Meredith Way(Newmanstown, Pa./Warwick HS), who both own career-high single-season statistics, combine for just under half (15/39) of the Wolverines' goals.
The Mayer of Ann Arbor -- Sophomore Alicia Mayer(Selinsgrove, Pa./Selinsgrove HS) scored a pair of goals in Michigan's 3-2 victory against Ohio State last Sunday (Oct. 5), tallying the game-tying marker two minutes after the Buckeyes' first marker before netting the gamewinner -- the first of her career -- with just 3:33 remaining in regulation. The multi-goal effort was Mayer's second of the season. After entering the season with no career goals and no career assists, the U-M sophomore ranks third among the Wolverines' leading scorers with 6-3-15 totals.
Sensational Sophomores -- The Wolverines' sophomore class has accounted for half of the Wolverines scoring this season as Meredith Way, Alicia Mayer, Zara Saydjari(Skowhegan, Maine/Skowhegan HS) and sophomore/freshman Katie Adams(Hudson, Ohio/Hudson HS) all boast multiple goals and combine for 19 of Michigan's 39 markers. Factor in freshmen Jess Allen(Gibbsboro, N.J./Eastern Regional HS) and Bryn Bain(Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional HS), and the Wolverine underclassmen account for 64 percent (25/39) of Michigan's goals.
We're Going Streaking -- Senior Sarah Wilhite has tallied at least one point in each of the Wolverines' last 11 games, posting team-leading 6-15-27 totals over the stretch. Last weekend, Wilhite contributed to three U-M tallies, assisting on two of Michigan's three goals vs. Temple (Oct. 3) before making a diving pass to sophomore Alicia Mayer for the Wolverines' game-winning goal in the closing minutes vs. Ohio State (Oct. 5). The point 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.
Lending a Helping Hand -- With 15 assists already on the season, senior Sarah Wilhite has already tallied the most helpers by a Wolverine in seven seasons, dating back to two-time All-American Catherine Foreman's 17 assists in 2001. Michigan's single-season assist record is 22, held by Courtney Reid (1999, 2000), Foreman (1999) and Shelley Johnson (1997). Wilhite has averaged 1.25 assist per game, and if she continues the torrid pace, she would end the season with 28 helpers.
Leading the Way -- Sophomore Meredith Way has tallied at least one point in seven of 12 Michigan games this season, including the six of the last nine. Through just 12 games, the Wolverine midfielder already owns career highs in goals (9), assists (5) and points (23) after entering the 2008 campaign with two career markers and two career assists. She ranks as Michigan's leading goal scorer and second in total points.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Indiana -- Michigan owns an 8-5 advantage in the all-time series against Indiana, and the Wolverines have won eight-of-nine meetings since the Hoosiers reinstated their program in 2000. Michigan knocked off IU 1-0 last season in overtime as Paige Laytos scored the game-winning tally at 79:03 to net Michigan its sixth Big Ten title -- fourth over a six-year span. Indiana owns a 6-5 record this season and is winless in conference competition with a 0-2 mark. The Hoosiers claimed a 1-0 overtime win against Central Michigan in their most recent outing on Sunday (Oct. 5). For more information on Indiana, visit www.iuhoosiers.com.
Central Michigan -- The Wolverines hold a 26-14-2 advantage in the all-time series against Central Michigan and have won 17 straight dating back to the 1990 campaign. In last season's meeting between the two intrastate rivals, Kelly Fitzpatrick netted the game-winning goal less than three minutes into the overtime frame, pacing the Wolverines to a 3-2 victory -- U-M's third overtime win over a four-game stretch. The Chippewas enter the weekend with a 1-8 record on the season and have lost their last five contests, including a 1-0 overtime defeat against Indiana in their most recent outing last Sunday (Oct. 5). For more information on Central Michigan, visit www.cmuchippwas.com.
2008 STX/NFHCA DIVISION I PRESEASON POLL
After picking up a pair of home victories last weekend, the Wolverines linger just outside of the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) poll released Tuesday (Oct 7). The next STX/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll will be released next Tuesday, Oct. 14, and the poll is available on the NFHCA's site.
Rank, Team (first-place votes) Record Points 1. Maryland (20) 10-1 911 2. Syracuse (25) 12-0 907 3. Wake Forest (2) 10-2 814 4. North Carolina 9-2 799 5. Iowa 10-2 696 6. Michigan State 11-1 664 7. James Madison 10-1 649 8. Connecticut 10-1 622 9. Duke 8-3 579 10. Virginia 10-3 519 11. Louisville 7-4 459 12. Princeton 9-1 451 13. Penn State 7-4 359 14. California, Berkeley 8-2 264 15. Boston College 7-4 223 16. Rutgers 10-2 200 17. Drexel 9-3 146 Massachusetts 8-3 146 19. Providence 8-5 100 20. American 5-5 66
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Friday, Oct. 17 -- vs. Michigan State (Phyllis Ocker Field), 3 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 19 -- vs. Kent State (Phyllis Ocker Field), 1 p.m.
Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423
