Early Maryland Goals Doom Michigan in Loss

Sunday, September 7

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

(1-3)

Maryland

(4-0)

Maryland

Michigan

9/7/2008 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

Box Score

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ocker Field)
Event: Michigan/Cardinal Invitational
Score: #2 Maryland 5, #9 Michigan 1
Records: U-M (1-3), MARY (4-0)
Next U-M Match: Friday, Sept. 12 -- at Ball State (Muncie, Ind.), 3 p.m.

Boxscore | Photo Gallery

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 9-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team could not recover from an early deficit, falling to No. 2 Maryland 5-1 on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 7) in front of 570 fans at Phyllis Ocker Field. After allowing five Terrapin goals in the opening half, U-M scored the lone goal of the second frame to avoid the shutout.

Maryland -- the Maize and Blue's third top-three opponent in four games -- posted significant advantages in the offensive categories, outshooting the Wolverines 31-5 and outcornering them 9-2. Senior/junior Paige Pickett(Dallas, Texas/Episcopal School of Dallas) earned 11 saves in the U-M cage -- her second-highest single-game total and most in 23 appearances -- turning away several penalty-corner direct shots and point-blank attempts.

Sophomore midfielder Meredith Way(Newmanstown, Pa./Warwick HS) scored Michigan's only goal -- her team-leading fourth of the season -- on the Wolverines' second penalty-corner opportunity of the game with less than four minutes remaining in regulation. The U-M striker wound up from the top of the circle and rocketed a shot to the lower right corner and past the blocker of replacement Terp goalkeeper Melissa Vassalotti. Senior/junior forward Heather Wiley(San Diego, Calif./Torrey Pines HS) and senior back Sarah Wilhite(Hummelstown, Pa./Hershey HS) earned assists on the stop and the push, respective.

Maryland scored twice in the opening 10 minutes of the contest to establish its insurmountable lead. Initiating the Terps' first penalty-corner opportunity of the contest with the insertion, Katie O'Donnell finished it moments later along the left goalpost where she redirected the direct shot from Susie Rowe behind Pickett at the 6:53 mark. Less than three minutes later, Nicole Muracco tallied what proved to be the game-winning marker on a sweeping shot from just inside the right side, sending the ball across the circle and into the bottom-left corner of the U-M cage.

The Wolverines first scoring opportunity came midway through the first half on a penalty-corner opportunity that forced Terp goalkeeper Alicia Grater to make a pair of quick saves. Maryland, however, responded by carrying the ball the length of the field on a three-player break, pulling Pickett out of the cage to challenge and finishing it with a tap-in shot into the open net.

With five minutes remaining in the half, Michigan nearly executed on a two-player break of its open. Senior forward Stephanie Hoyer(Englewood, Colo./Cherry Creek HS) and sophomore forward Zara Saydjari(Skowhegan, Maine/Skowhegan HS) raced up the field with a slight advantage over the nearest Terp defender. Hoyer dished the ball to Saydjari on the left sideline, inducing the defender to follow and entered the circle uncontested. With the goalkeeper out of position, Sayjdari's return pass just missed as Hoyer dove but could not quite get a stick on it.

Maryland closed out the half with a pair of quick goals to pad its lead to five. With the Terps pressing deep in the circle late, Pickett stopped a pair of back-to-back point-blank shots, but, with the Wolverines unable to clear, Meghan Dean slammed in the third attempt at 30:41. Three minutes later, a miscommunication in the U-M circle resulted in the final Maryland goal of the half as Sarah Scholl shuffled in a quick shot into the open net.

The Wolverines return to action next weekend, kicking off a four-game road swing with a pair of non-conference slates in Muncie, Ind. U-M faces host Ball State at 3 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 12) before squaring off against St. Louis at 1 p.m. on Saturday (Sept. 13).

GAME SUMMARY

By Periods	1	2	F
Maryland	5	0	5
Michigan	0	1	1

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- MARY, Katie O'Donnell, 6:53 (Susie Rowe)
1st -- MARY, Nicole Muracco, 9:25 (Sarah Scholl)
1st -- MARY, O'Donnell, 22:17 (Meghan Dean)
1st -- MARY, Dean, 30:41 (unassisted)
1st -- MARY, Scholl, 33:43 (O'Donnell)
2nd -- U-M, Meredith Way, 66:23 (Heather Wiley, Sarah Wilhite)

Shots: U-M 5, MARY 31
Saves: U-M11 (Paige Pickett), MARY2 (Alicia Grater 2, Melissa Vassalotti 0)
Defensive Saves: U-M 0, MARY 0
Penalty Corners: U-M 2, MARY 9

Contact: Leah Howard (734) 763-4423