2015 Season Preview: Field Hockey
8/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Aug. 19, 2015
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2015 OUTLOOK
The NCAA Championship will be held in Ann Arbor for the first time, and the Wolverines' goal is to be among the final four teams to play on Ocker Field in late November. Head coach Marcia Pankratz, now in her 16th year at Michigan, has a team capable of achieving the feat with a good balance of veterans and talented newcomers.
Defense will again be Michigan's greatest strength with several returning veterans, including senior back Lauren Thomas, a three-time All-Big Ten and NFHCA All-West Region selection, and fifth-year senior back Mackenzie Ellis. Sophomore goalkeeper Sam Swenson, who started 17 of 20 games last year, will look to build off a successful rookie campaign. The trio helped hold Michigan's 2014 opposition to just 1.52 goals per game and 4.85 penalty corners per game. U-M held opponents to single-digit shots in 15 games last season, including 10 of the final 11 games.
The defensive unit will also benefit from the return of senior/junior midfielder/back Caroline Chromik, who started nearly every game in 2013 before injury sidelined her for all of 2014, veteran senior midfielder Jaime Dean and the continued evolution of sophomore midfielder/back Katie Trombetta, who carried a strong finish last fall into an outstanding spring season.
Michigan boasts several goal-scoring threats from the field, including senior forward Shannon Scavelli -- U-M's top returning goal scoring with seven goals and four assists last season -- junior/sophomore forward Carly Bennett, junior forward Courtney Enge and sophomore midfielder Veerle Lubbers, who paced U-M's scoring in spring exhibition play.
The Wolverines welcome six freshmen to the 2015 squad -- three forwards, one midfielder and two backs. The rookie class combined for three All-America citations and 10 all-state accolades during their prep careers. While all have potential to earn playing time this season, U-M will likely be most reliant on Maggie Bettez and Leah Cardarelli, high school teammates from Acton, Massachusetts, who both earned NFHCA High School All-America first team honors last year.
STUDENT-ATHLETES TO WATCH
Caroline Chromik -- Chromik experienced a breakthrough season as a sophomore in 2013, starting 16 of 20 games in the Wolverine backfield, before an ACL tear kept her on the sidelines for all last season. She was outstanding in her return to action last spring, earning high praise from Pankratz for not missing a step -- in fitness, confidence and decision making -- after such a long hiatus.
Veerle Lubbers -- Lubbers was an everyday starter in the Wolverine midfield as a rookie last year and, as the primary stick stopper on the corner unit, she ranked second on the team with 10 assists. After a terrific spring season in which she tallied three goals to lead the U-M offensive attack, Lubbers will look to take her game to another level in 2015.
Lauren Thomas -- The most decorated returning Wolverine and most experienced member of the U-M backfield, Thomas provides a dependable last line of defense in front of Swenson and is masterful in her ball distribution skills. She is a key component of Michigan's defensive corner unit, and with the graduation of last year's primary corner striker, Leslie Smith, she will take on a greater role on the offensive unit as well.
KEY COMPETITIONS
Host ACC/Big Ten Challenge (Aug. 29-30)
The Wolverines will officially kick off the 2015 season at home with the hosting off the 14th annual ACC/Big Ten Challenge, which has proven to be the premiere early-season field hockey tournament on the collegiate slate. The four participating schools -- U-M, Iowa, North Carolina and Wake Forest -- have combined to win 38 conference titles and 21 national championships. Michigan will host the event for the fourth time and first since 2011.
Sept. 18 vs. Penn State
The Wolverines will open the Big Ten portion of their schedule against perennial conference contender Penn State -- a team, like Michigan, which annually finishes among the league's top three. Michigan currently owns a two-game win streak in the series against PSU, claiming each of the last two meetings in overtime. Last year, U-M overcame a two-goal, second-half deficit to knock off the Nittany Lions, 3-2.
Host NCAA Championships (Nov. 20-22)
Michigan will host the NCAA Field Hockey Championship for the first time in school history. The Wolverines have previously served as a regional host for the NCAA first and second rounds on three occasions (2001, '04, '07). It will be the 16th NCAA Championship that Michigan has hosted on campus since 1932 -- covering eight different sports -- and the fourth since 2005, joining water polo (2005, '11) and men's gymnastics (2014). The Wolverines captured the NCAA title in 2001 -- the first national championship for a women's program at Michigan.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Marcia Pankratz
On the Wolverines' preseason to date ... "I think the team really came back ready to go. I've been very pleased with their level of fitness. They did a really nice job preparing over the summer. We've got great team dynamics that started back in the spring and is continuing to evolve with the addition of our new freshmen. They're positive, they're excited, they're working incredibly hard, and they're ready to attack the season."
On the U-M backfield ... "Our defensive unit is very experienced. That is a great place to start. We've got so many talented and experienced players returning, so they've really hit the ground running. We've got great versatility and some very good depth. That's really going to help us as the season goes on.
On Michigan's goal-scoring options ... "We're still navigating our goal-scoring options. It will be fun to see who steps up and really puts that on their shoulders. We have so many different weapons that it'll be hard for other teams to scout and defend. Our athleticism is very good. Player for player, we are athletic, fit and skilled at every position. They are all determined to work hard for Michigan and do their absolute best to win for Michigan."
2014 RECAP
The Wolverines posted their fifth straight winning season, earning a 13-7 record while tying for second in the Big Ten standings and reaching the conference tournament semifinals. Despite wins against several ranked opponents and listing 11th in the final regular-season RPI, Michigan just missed the 16-team NCAA Tournament field. Senior Leslie Smith, U-M's primary corner striker, led the Wolverines with a career-best 14 goals and 33 points, while fellow senior Ainsley McCallister, who led U-M with 18 assists, was named to the NFHCA All-America second team.
Communications Contact: Leah Howard
