Wolverines Secure B1G Road Win at Indiana

Friday, October 3

Bloomington, Ind.

4:00 PM

Michigan

(8-3)

Indiana

(7-3)

Michigan

Indiana

Shannon Scavelli

10/3/2014 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

Box Score PDF Boxscore

By: Leah Howard

Site: Bloomington, Ind. (IU Field Hockey Complex)
Score: #15 Michigan 3, Indiana 2
Records: U-M (8-3, 3-1 Big Ten), IU (7-3, 0-3 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Oct. 5 -- at Louisville (Louisville, Ky.), 1 p.m.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The No. 15-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team netted the game-winning goal midway through the second half before clamping down on defense, holding on to claim a 3-2 win at Indiana on Friday afternoon (Oct. 3) at the IU Field Hockey Complex.

Fifth-year senior Leslie Smith's (Hummelstown, Pa./Hershey HS) took advantage of back-to-back corner opportunities to score the game-winner -- her third of the season -- at the 51:42 mark, flicking a high shot over Hoosier goalkeeper Maggie Olson into the netting. Junior Lauren Thomas (Aylesbury, England/Aylesbury HS) and fifth-year senior Ainsley McCallister (Ann Arbor, Mich./Huron HS) earned assists for the stop and the insert, respectively.

With its one-goal advantage reestablished with 18 minutes remaining, Michigan's defense took over and, despite a few Hoosier attacks into U-M territory, did not allow another shot for the remainder of the game. Michigan dominated possession over the final five minutes, drawing a late corner opportunity that was stopped by Olson, before freshman Katie Trombetta (Holbrook, N.Y./Sachem East HS) stymied the Hoosiers' last quality opportunity to push the ball down the field with a steal at the defensive 25 to hold play deep in their end.

The teams traded goals early in the first and second halves. Junior Shannon Scavelli (Yorktown Heights, N.Y./Lakeland Shrub Oak HS) scored both of U-M's earlier goals for her second multi-goal effort of the season.

The Wolverines struck immediately in the contest, drawing a quick corner on their first attack into the IU circle and converting it at the 1:06 mark. Scavelli got her stick on Smith's direct shot in front of the cage and redirected high into the top right corner.

Indiana responded quickly, however, knotting the score at one apiece just three minutes later, at 4:22, on an odd-man rush deep in the Wolverine defensive 25. Nicole Volgraf received the ball all alone on the left side of the circle and, as freshman goalkeeper Sam Swenson (Harrogate, England/Ashville College) stepped out to challenge her, drove a shot to the far post, where Hannah McDermott tipped it into the open net.

The Wolverines continued to pressure the Indiana circle, outshooting the Hoosiers, 10-4, and outcornering them 6-0, in the first half, but could not finish on several scoring opportunities. Perhaps their best chance came when Scavelli stole the ball near the defensive 25 to receive a breakaway chance late, but Olson made the stop. Fifth-year senior Sammy Gray (Wilmette, Ill./North Shore Country Day School) also put the ball in the cage on a corner in the final minute, but the shot was deemed too high.

Scavelli earned another steal early in the second half and made it count, snagging the ball at the top of the circle, carrying into open space and launching a high shot into the netting at 37:19.

But Indiana again answered quickly just four minutes later, at 41:20, taking advantage of a flurry around the Wolverine circle to get the ball to Syndey Supica, who sailed a high shot from the top of the circle past Swenson. The Hoosiers had a chance to take the lead with a penalty corner -- their only of the contest -- several minutes later, but Swenson made the blocker save.

Michigan outshot the Hoosiers, 15-6, and outcornered them, 9-1, in the contest. Swenson earned two saves to secure her eighth win of the season, while IU's Olson earned eight stops.

The Wolverines will wrap up the road trip on Sunday (Oct. 5), traveling to Louisville, Ky., to face No. 12 Louisville at 1 p.m. The game will be streamed live on MGoBlue.com.

GAME SUMMARY

By Periods	1	2	F
Michigan	1	2	3
Indiana	1	1	2

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Shannon Scavelli, 1:06 (Leslie Smith)
1st -- IU, Hannah McDermott, 4:22 (Nicole Volgraf)
2nd -- U-M, Scavelli, 37:19 (unassisted)
2nd -- IU, Sydney Supica, 41:20 (unassisted)
2nd -- U-M, Smith, 51:42 (Lauren Thomas, Ainsley McCallister)

Shots: U-M 15, IU 6
Saves: U-M 2 (Sam Swenson), IU 9 (Maggie Olson)
Defensive Saves: U-M 0, IU 1
Penalty Corners: U-M 9, IU 1

NOTES

• With today's win, U-M improved to 14-7 in the all-time series against Indiana. The Wolverines have six straight in the series.

• Junior Shannon Scavelli matched a career high with two goals. She previously netted two goals in U-M's home win against Providence (Sept. 12). She also owns a career best with seven goals this season, bettering her previous high of six from last year.

• Scavelli and fifth-year senior Leslie Smith share the team lead this season with seven goals apiece.

• With her first-half assist, Smith upped her career total to 28 and moved to fifth among U-M's all-time leaders in the category. She is tied with Kelli Gannon (1997-2000) and Mary Fox (2003-06). She needs three more to reach the fourth spot, currently held by Jennifer Lupinski (31, 1992-95).

• Fifth-year senior Ainsley McCallister earned her career-best and team-leading 10th assist of the season in the second half. She previously recorded nine helpers last season. She boasts 27 career assists and shares the eighth spot among U-M's career leaders.

• Junior Lauren Thomas earned her first point of the season with her second-half assist. Thomas, U-M's sweeper, owns seven career goals and seven assists.

• Michigan has not allowed more than two goals in each of its last 10 games. Freshman goalkeeper Sam Swenson boasts a 1.28 goals-against average, ranking among the top-two leaders in the Big Ten.

QUOTES

Michigan Head Coach Marcia Pankratz
On earning Big Ten road wins ... "It's a very competitive conference. Every team is high quality, and certainly Indiana has a great team. They are very quick; their fast break and counter attack is really dangerous. Sydney Supica in the backfield plays with a lot of confidence; they all play with a lot of confidence. We definitely talked a lot at halftime about shoring up the counter attack, and I think we did a lot better job in the second half. It was a big weekend for them with all their alumni in town. It was an important game. I'm very happy and proud of our team to pull out a win."

On Shannon Scavelli's goals and steals ... "We were working on that all week long with our forwards. Shannon is a very smart and talented player; she has great hands. She scored on the first corner, which was a beautiful play with her and Leslie [Smith]. Then to steal one right off of Indiana's best player -- and Sydney [Supica] is a wonderful player -- and really pick her pocket and bury it, that's a highly-skilled play."

On the Wolverine defense shutting down IU late ... "It speaks to the experience of our backfield. Lauren [Thomas] does a good job organizing back there. Sammy [Gray] had a solid game. Mackenzie [Ellis] was in during the first half, then Leslie [Smith] was back there as well. The four of them did a wonderful job. They're experienced, smart and just shut them down. It was nice to see."

On Katie Trombetta ... "She is a quality player. We're excited to get her more and more minutes. She's certainly one of the players of the future for us. She's a mature player, very poised, smart and skilled. That steal was a big play late in the game, and then she had the wherewithal, as a freshman, to keep possession down the stretch and kill the clock."

U-M Junior Shannon Scavelli
On the Wolverines ability to stay poised in close games ... "I think we do a great job with staying poised. You have to have the mindset of playing a full 70 minutes. Obviously, it's not ideal to be in that situation, but it's a great trait of our team to really know that the game isn't over until the last whistle blows. We'll always keep playing as hard as we can."

On the forwards growing in confidence ... "As a team this year, we're just doing whatever we can to win. We have some many people who are stepping up and scoring. It makes it more difficult for other teams. They might mark up, Ainsley [McCallister] for example, who is a great distributor, but there are so many other people who can step up. It makes our team dangerous and harder to scout."

On U-M's strong defense helping the forwards ... "We have some great veterans back there, and that helps everyone feel more confident. On the forward line, it gives us a little more leeway to make those high-risk runs and pressure harder, because we know we have these great defenders behind us. If we don't happen to receive the ball or make the pass, we have them behind us ready to step up and defend."