Mack Carries Michigan Past RedHawks in Overtime

Friday, October 8

Ann Arbor, Mich.

4:00 PM

Michigan

(8-5)

Miami (Ohio)

(8-5)

OT 2

Miami

Michigan

10/8/2010 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

Box Score

Oct. 8, 2010

• Boxscore | Notes & Quotes

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Ocker Field)
Score: #15 Michigan 4, Miami 3 (OT)
Records: U-M (8-5), Miami (8-5)
Next U-M Match: Sunday, Oct. 10 -- vs. Iowa (Iowa City, Iowa), Noon CDT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Freshman Rachael Mack (Bromsgrove, England/Bromsgrove School) scored once in regulation and again in overtime to help the No. 15-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team claim its third OT win of 2010 in a 4-3 victory over Miami (Ohio) on Friday afternoon (Oct. 8) at Ocker Field.

Miami was first to light up the board at 15:01 in the first half. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Haley Jones (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) came out of the net to pressure an oncoming MU attacker. Mary Hull took a shot, which was blocked by Jones' pads. Miami's Emily Gruesser one-timed the rebound into the back of the cage.

At 20:29, Michigan responded with junior Bryn Bain (Berlin, N.J./Eastern Regional) marking an assist on redshirt junior Katie Adams' (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) tying goal. Bain fired the ball toward the Miami cage from outside the circle. Adams followed the ball through the RedHawk defenders and helped put it into the back of the goal, locking the score at 1-1.

Michigan claimed the lead two minutes after evening the score. Positioned on the right side of the field, Mack sent the ball to the center, where freshman Michelle Roberts (Pocomoke, Md./Pocomoke) finished the play with a shot from the right side of the goal.

Before heading into the intermission, Michigan tacked on a third goal from a penalty corner. Adams pushed the ball into play to redshirt senior Paige Laytos (Litiz, Pa./Warwick), who stick-stopped for Mack. Mack's shot went low past the RedHawk goalie to the left corner. After the first 35 minutes of play, Michigan owned the lead, 3-1.

Miami responded early in the second half, bringing the score within one on a penalty-corner goal from Hull. Miami scored again at 30:50 in the second half as Christine Brightwell lifted the ball over Jones and a Michigan defensive blockade. Michigan was unable to respond before regulation expired and the game was sent into overtime.

With 55 seconds remaining in extra time, Mack tallied the game-winner. Junior Jess Allen (Gibbsboro, N.J./Eastern Regional) carried the ball down field and crossed it to Mack, who was stationed on the left side, where she beat the RedHawk keeper and hit the ball into the right post for a sudden-victory win.

Michigan is on the road this Sunday (Oct. 10), returning to Big Ten play at Iowa. The game will be televised live on the Big Ten Network at noon CDT.

GAME SUMMARY

By Periods	1	2	OT	F
Miami	1	2	0	3
Michigan	3	0	1	4

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- MU, Emily Gruesser, 15:01 (unassisted)
1st -- U-M, Katie Adams, 20:29 (Bryn Bain)
1st -- U-M, Michelle Roberts, 22:25 (Rachael Mack)
1st -- U-M, Mack, 32:52 (Paige Laytos, Katie Adams)
2nd -- MU, Mary Hull, 38:25 (Christine Brightwell)
2nd -- MU, Gruesser, 65:10 (Brightwell)
OT -- U-M, Mack, 84:05 (Jess Allen)

Shots: U-M 12, MU 7
Saves: U-M 3 (Haley Jones), MU 2 (Sara Mueller)
Defensive Saves: U-M 0, MU 0
Penalty Corners: U-M 10, MU 4

N O T E S

• Michigan is now 3-0 in overtime games, all 4-3 wins. The Maize and Blue won its first game of the season, 4-3m in overtime over James Madison on Sept. 10 and beat Albany, 4-3, in double overtime on Sept. 18.

• In the three overtime games, Michigan has outshot its opponent, 15-1, and had a 9-1 penalty-corner advantage.

• Mack tied a season high with five points on the day. She also had two goals and an assist in the James Madison win.

• Michelle Roberts scored her first goal as a collegian in the win over Miami. Michigan now has 10 different goal scorers this season.

• Jess Allen assisted on the game-winning goal for her first helper of the season. The Maize and Blue now has 13 different players that have a point on the year.

• Paige Laytos recorded her seventh assist of the year. Laytos has 22 career assists and is just one helper away from tying Shelley Johnson (1996-97) for 10th place on Michigan's all-time assist list.

• Michigan improves to 14-2 all-time against Miami and is now 57-26-5 all-time against the MAC.

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Marcia Pankratz
On Michigan's fitness ... "Fitness helps a lot. You can see the field is only six on six and it's hard. It's harder than it looks. It's hard to be scored on when they catch you at the end and then you go into overtime. I thought we battled and stayed strong and that was really impressive."

On today's game ... "Miami is a tough team to play against. They are very gritty. They're a hard team to play against. I thought we weathered the storm. You've got to be able to win games that are ugly and I was impressed with our ability to do that."

On Michigan's success ... "I think the players have confidence, they're fit, they're better, and they're working harder. I think they really know that train hard, play as a team, be positive, do all the right things and then good things happen. Luckily, that's what's happening so far."

On the Big Ten Conference ... "It's a great conference this year. Everyone is really even, so you have to perform each game -- all 70 minutes. It should be fun. That's why you compete, to play against big teams and big games."

U-M Freshman Forward Rachael Mack
On today's game ... "I think today was a pretty gritty game. I think that as a team we weren't playing our best hockey, but we stuck together and kept working for each other. I think it's those games that really pick us up as a team and I think that's what made us win the game today."

On the success so far this season ... "We've been playing really well lately. We've been training well and I think that since the beginning of the season we've just gone upwards. I think that if we just keep training things will get better."

Contact: Kent Reichert (734) 763-4423