Wolverines Down No. 18 Penn State in Big Ten Opener

Friday, September 18

Ann Arbor, Mich.

6:00 PM

Michigan

(5-2, 1-0Big Ten)

Penn State

(2-4, 0-1Big Ten)

Penn State

Michigan

Sina Lampe

9/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

Box Score PDF Boxscore Photo Gallery

By: Leah Howard

» Michigan scored all three of its goals on the penalty corner, including two in the first half, to claim a 2-0 halftime advantage.
» After Penn State scored midway through the second half, U-M responded with another goal just 2:10 later to reestablish its two-goal lead.
» Michigan held the Nittany Lions to just five total shots; goalkeeper Sam Swenson earned two saves.

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Phyllis Ocker Field)
Score: Michigan 3, #18 Penn State 1
Records: U-M (5-2, 1-0 Big Ten), PSU (2-4, 0-1 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Sept. 20 -- vs. Kent State (Phyllis Ocker Field), 2 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan field hockey team used penalty-corner execution and dominant defense to defeat No. 18 Penn State, 3-1, in its Big Ten Conference opener Friday evening (Sept. 18) in front of 671 fans at Phyllis Ocker Field. It is the Wolverines' fifth straight victory.

"What a great team win," said Michigan head coach Marcia Pankratz. "Everybody, from top to bottom, senior to freshman, played their hearts out today to beat Penn State. They played with great effort, speed and confidence. It was just a great team win for Michigan."

Michigan scored all three of its goals on the penalty corner, including ones early and late in the first half to build a 2-0 halftime advantage.

Freshman Lydia Sydnor set the game's early tone, using her speed to attack the PSU circle twice in the opening three minutes and draw the Wolverines' first corner of the contest. Sophomore Katie Trombetta scored on the ensuing direct shot, driving it to the left side of the cage past Nittany Lion goalkeeper Jenny Rizzo at the 3:28 mark. Sophomore Veerle Lubbers and graduate student Mackenzie Ellis earned assists on the stop and the insert, respectively.

Michigan struck again late in the first half, at 32:10, when junior Sina Lampe buried the rebound off a stopped Trombetta direct shot. The ball kicked out to Lampe on the left side of the cage, and she knocked it into the nearside corner for her first goal of the season.

While the Nittany Lions pushed into the Michigan defensive 25 several times, they struggled to get the ball into the circle. After Penn State controlled the first few minutes of the second half, the Wolverines regained the momentum before PSU took advantage of a scrum in front to pull within one midway through the frame at 54:07. Shay Cannon corralled a loose ball and knocked it past sophomore goalkeeper Sam Swenson.

The Wolverines responded immediately, however, reestablishing their two-goal cushion with a corner goal just two minutes later, at 56:17. Senior Lauren Thomas scored on the direct shot, sweeping the ball into the lower left corner. Lubbers and Ellis again earned assists on the stop and the insert.

Michigan outshot the Nittany Lions, 17-5, and outcornered the, 6-1. Swenson earned two saves in the Wolverine cage, while Rizzo stopped seven of 10 U-M shots on goal.

Tweet of the Game

Happy Wolverines! #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/0z8z1vSc8r

-- Michigan FieldHockey (@umichfldhockey) September 19, 2015

The Wolverines will close out their four-game homestand on Sunday (Sept. 20), hosting Kent State at 2 p.m. at Ocker Field. Admission is free for all regular-season home games.