Week #11: Wolverines Set to Host Big Ten Tournament
11/4/2014 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 4, 2014
THIS WEEK
Thursday, Nov. 6 -- vs. Rutgers - Big Ten Tournament First Round (Phyllis Ocker Field), 3 p.m.
| BTN Plus | Tournament Central | Bracket 
2014 Big Ten Tournament Schedule
Thursday-Sunday, Nov. 6-9
Phyllis Ocker Field (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
Thursday, Nov. 6 • Quarterfinals (BTN Plus)
Game 1 -- No. 1 seed Maryland vs. No. 8 seed Ohio State, 10 a.m.
Game 2 -- No. 4 seed Penn State vs. No. 5 seed Michigan State, 12:30 p.m.
Game 3 -- No. 2 seed Michigan vs. No. 7 seed Rutgers, 3 p.m.
Game 4 -- No. 3 seed Northwestern vs. No. 6 seed Iowa, 5:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 7 • Semifinals (BTN)
Game 5 -- Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 1 p.m.
Game 6 -- Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner, 3:45 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 9 • Championship Game (BTN)
Game 7 -- Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, 1 p.m.
• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter
• Game Day Information: Phyllis Ocker Field Information | Big Ten Tournament
• Feature State-of-the-Art Field Hockey Home the Site of B1G Tourney This Week
• Q&A: Marcia Pankratz
The No. 12-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team (12-6, 6-2 Big Ten) will host the 2014 Big Ten Conference Tournament this week at Phyllis Ocker Field. The No. 2-seeded Wolverines will open play against No. 7-seeded Rutgers (9-9, 2-6 Big Ten) in the first round at 3 p.m. on Thursday (Nov. 6). That game will be streamed live via on BTN Plus. Both semifinal matches and the championship game will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
BIG TEN TOURNAMENT NOTES
• Michigan will look to reclaim the Big Ten Tournament title and capture its sixth in school history. The Wolverines won back to-back tournament crowns in 1999 and 2000 and again in 2004 and 2005 before most recently capturing the 2010 title. U-M has advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game in 11 of the last 17 seasons.
• The Big Ten will announce its award winners for the 2014 season on Thursday (Nov. 6). The Wolverines have won 19 individual awards since 1997, including two last season when Rachael Mack was named Big Ten Player of the Year and the unanimous selection as Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year. At least one Wolverine has been picked for the All-Big Ten first team each year since 1995. Last season, Michigan had three players on the All-Big Ten teams; Rachael Mack and Ainsley McCallister earned first-team selection, while Lauren Thomas was named to the second team.
• The University of Michigan has previously hosted just two Big Ten Tournaments -- in 2000 and 2006. The Wolverines captured their second straight conference tournament crown in 2000 with a 3-2 victory over Penn State.
• The Wolverines own an impressive 145-46 record at Phyllis Ocker Field since its 1995 inauguration, including a perfect 8-0 mark during the 2013 campaign. This season, the Wolverines completed the home portion of their regular-season schedule with a 7-3 mark in Ann Arbor, outscoring its opponents 28-10 at Ocker Field.
Michigan vs. the Big Ten Tournament Field ...
Rutgers: Michigan is 3-0 in the all-time series against Rutgers, dating back to 1992. In this year's regular-season meeting, Michigan edged the Scarlet Knights, 3-2, on its facility dedication day. Eliza Stein netted the game-winning goal at the 47:41 mark, while Carly Bennett posted a first-half goal before assisting on the game-winner. Rutgers will make its Big Ten Tournament debut.
Maryland: Michigan trails, 1-14, in the all-time series against Maryland. The Wolverines' lone victory in the series came in the 2001 NCAA Championship game. Maryland claimed a 2-0 shutout in the regular-season meeting in 2014. Goalkeeper Sam Swenson earned seven saves in the Wolverine cage. Maryland will make its Big Ten Tournament debut.
Northwestern: Michigan trails in the all-time series against Northwestern, 30-23. The Wolverines halted a two-game Northwestern winning streak in the series with a 2-1 come-from-behind victory in the regular-season meeting. Emy Guttman scored the game-winner at 56:03 on a late penalty-corner tip. Goalkeeper Sam Swenson posted four saves. Michigan owns a 2-1 advantage in Big Ten Tournament meetings against Northwestern.
Penn State: Michigan trails in the all-time series against Penn State, 24-17, but the Wolverines have claimed each of the last two meetings. In the regular-season meeting, Michigan overcame a two-goal halftime deficit to edge the Nittany Lions, 3-2, in overtime. Carly Bennett netted both of U-M's second-half tallied, before Ainsley McCallister scored the game-winner at the 74:12 mark. PSU owns a slim 6-5 advantage against Michigan in Big Ten Tournament play. The teams have met five times in the championship game. PSU owns a league-best six tournament titles, while U-M ranks second with five crowns.
Michigan State: The Wolverines own a 37-25-6 advantage in the all-time series against the Spartans, dating back to 1973, but have dropped each of the last two meetings, including a 2-1 decision in this year's regular-season meeting. MSU scored twice late in the first period in that meeting and despite a Leslie Smith goal midway through the second, U-M could not overcome the deficit. Michigan has dropped all three previous Big Ten Tournament games against the Spartans.
Iowa: Michigan trails in the all-time series against Iowa, 40-21, but has won seven of the last eight against the Hawkeyes, including a 3-1 decision in this year's regular-season meeting in Iowa City. Sammy Gray scored two late penalty-corner goals -- her first collegiate multi-goal effort. Head coach Marcia Pankratz was a two-time NCAA All-American during her collegiate career at Iowa (1982-85). Michigan holds a narrow 5-4 advantage in Big Ten Tournament games against the Hawkeyes but fell to Iowa, 1-0, in last year's first round.
Ohio State: The Wolverines own a 34-26-2 advantage in the all-time series against the Buckeyes, dating back to 1977, and have won each of the last four meetings, including a 2-1 decision last weekend in Columbus, Ohio. Ainsley McCallister scored both U-M goals in that contest, including the game-winner at 68:27. The Wolverines are 7-4 against the Buckeyes in Big Ten Tournament competition.
WOLVERINE BITES
• Fifth-year senior Ainsley McCallister scored both U-M goals, including the game-winner at 68:27, at Ohio State (Nov. 2) to record her second career multi-goal effort -- and second in as many games. She boasts four goals and an assist in the Wolverines' last two games. She boasts career highs with 17 assists and 27 points and, with five goals, needs just one more marker to match her previous best.
• With her 17 assists, McCallister moved to seventh among U-M's all-time single-season leaders, where she is tied with Catherine Foreman (2001) and needs two more to reach the sixth spot, currently held by Selina Harris (19, 1996). She also upped her career assist total to 34 and ranks fourth among U-M's all-time leaders in the category. She needs four more to reach the third spot, currently held by Adrienne Hortillosa (38, 2001-04).
• Fifth-year senior Leslie Smith also ranks high among the Wolverines' career assist leaders with 29, gaining sole possession of the sixth spot after assisting on the game-winner at Ohio State (Nov. 2). With 30 career goals and 89 career points, she is close to cracking the top 10 in both career categories, needing six goals and two points to reach each respective No. 10 spot.
• Smith saw her scoring streak halted at six games, ending with her spectacular second half against Michigan State (Oct. 24). She leads the Wolverines with a career-best 12 goals this season. Her previous best was nine goals, which she recorded last season. Smith has scored in 10 of 17 games this year.
• Freshman Veerle Lubbers ranks second on the Wolverine team with nine assists this season and has tallied a helper in five of the last six games. Lubbers, U-M's primary stick stopper, has matched the program high for assists by a freshman, tying Catherine Foreman (1998-2001) and Aline Fobe (2011), who both similarly tallied nine in their rookie campaigns.
• Junior Lauren Thomas owns two helpers on the season, assisting on the Wolverines game-winning tallies at Indiana (Oct. 3) and against Northwestern (Oct. 17). Thomas, U-M's sweeper, owns seven career goals and eight assists.
• Fifth-year senior Sammy Gray posted her first-ever multi-goal game with two markers in the second half at Iowa (Oct. 10). With her two goals, she doubled her career high in the category.
• The Wolverines have matched or outshot their opponent in every game since their season opener. U-M has held its opponents to single-digit shots in each of the last nine games. Michigan has held three teams to just two shots this season -- William & Mary (Sept. 6), Central Michigan (Sept. 7) and Iowa (Oct. 10).
• Michigan has not allowed more than two goals in each of its last 17 games. Freshman Sam Swenson owns a 1.35 goals-against average -- fourth best in the Big Ten -- and a .697 save percentage.
• Swenson recorded a career-best seven saves in U-M's loss against Maryland (Sept. 26). Her previous best was six, which she recorded in the Wolverines' overtime win at Penn State (Sept. 19). Swenson did not allow a goal for a stretch of 230 minutes played, spanning five games (Sept. 6-19). She has recorded each of U-M's 12 wins and boasted complete-game shutouts against William & Mary (Sept. 6) and Providence (Sept. 12).
• Junior Shannon Scavelli and sophomores Eliza Stein and Courtney Enge all own career highs in all three major statistical categories this season, most notably Scavelli, who ranks second on the team with seven goals. Sophomore Sina Lampe also boasts a career high with two goals.
• Sophomore/freshman Carly Bennett recorded her second career multi-assist game at Iowa (Oct. 10). She leads the U-M freshmen in scoring with four goals, five assist and 13 points.
• Twelve different Wolverine players have scored a goal this season, including sophomore Courtney Enge, sophomore/freshman Carly Bennett, freshmen Morgan Malone and Veerle Lubbers, who have all scored their first collegiate goals. Bennett, Malone and Lubbers have also all registered their first collegiate assists this season.
• Michigan saw its home winning streak halted at 15 games with its loss against Maryland last Friday (Sept. 26). The Wolverines' previous home loss had been Oct. 5, 2012, against Northwestern. U-M went a perfect 8-0 home record last season at Ocker Field.
• Nine Michigan players have earned their first collegiate playing time this season: junior/sophomore Parker Procida, sophomore/freshmen Casie Ammerman, Carly Bennett, Morgan Dever, Allie Sardo and freshmen Veerle Lubbers, Morgan Malone, Sam Swenson and Katie Trombetta.
LAST TIME OUT
The Wolverines closed out the regular season with a 2-1 road victory at rival Ohio State last Sunday (Nov. 2). Fifth-year senior Ainsley McCallister scored both Wolverine goals on second-half penalty corners, tipping in the game-winning goal with just 1:33 remaining in regulation. Freshman goalkeeper Sam Swenson earned four saves in the U-M cage. [ Full Recap ]
UP NEXT
Sat-Sun., Nov. 15-16 -- NCAA First/Second Rounds (Campus Sites)
Communications Contact: Leah Howard (734)763-4423
