Week #11: Michigan to Begin Postseason at Big Ten Tournament
11/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 1, 2016
» Carly Bennett, Emma Way and Courtney Enge lead the Wolverines with six goals apiece -- career bests for all three Wolverines; Bennett leads U-M in points with 17.
» Goalkeeper Sam Swenson ranks second in the Big Ten and 10th nationally with a 1.34 goals-against average; she has posted a 1.17 goals-against average and .833 save percentage over the last four games since returning from injury.
THIS WEEK
Thursday, Nov. 3 -- vs. Michigan State - Big Ten Tournament First Round (College Park, Md.), 10 a.m.
TV: Big Ten Network | BTN2Go | Live Stats | Tournament Central | Bracket 
• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter
The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team (11-6) will open postseason play this week at the 2016 Big Ten Tournament at the Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex in College Park, Maryland. The No. 3-seeded Wolverines will open play against No. 6-seeded Michigan State (8-11) in the first round at 10 a.m. on Thursday (Nov. 3) on Big Ten Network. The winner of that game will face the winner of Penn State/Indiana in the second semifinal match at 1 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 4).
2016 BIG TEN TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE
Thursday-Sunday, Nov. 3-6
Field Hockey & Lacrosse Complex (College Park, Md.)
Thursday, Nov. 3 • Quarterfinals (BTN/BTN2GO)
Game 1 -- #3 Seed Michigan vs. #6 Seed Michigan State, 10 a.m.
Game 2 -- #2 Seed Penn State vs. #7 Seed Indiana, 12:30 p.m.
Game 3 -- #1 Seed Maryland vs. #8 Seed Rutgers, 3 p.m.
Game 4 -- #4 Seed Northwestern vs. #5 Seed Iowa, 5:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 4 • Semifinals
Game 5 -- Game 1 Winner vs. Game 2 Winner, 1 p.m. (TV: BTN)
Game 6 -- Game 3 Winner vs. Game 4 Winner, 4 p.m. (TV: BTN2GO)
Sunday, Nov. 6 • Championship Game (BTN/BTN2GO)
Game 7 -- Game 5 Winner vs. Game 6 Winner, Noon
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 12 of the last 19 seasons.
• The Big Ten will announce its award winners for the 2016 season on Wednesday (Nov. 2). The Wolverines have won 20 individual awards since 1997, most recently in 2015 when Lauren Thomas was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Yea. 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 first team; Lauren Thomas was a unanimous selection for her third all-conference nod, while Shannon Scavelli and Sam Swenson were both honored for the first time in their careers.
• Maryland will serve as the host of the Big Ten Tournament for the first time -- and in its third year since joining the league.
Michigan vs. the Big Ten Tournament Field
Iowa: Michigan trails in the all-time series against Iowa, 40-23, but has won nine of the last 10 against the Hawkeyes, including a 2-1 overtime decision this season in Ann Arbor. U-M rallied from a halftime deficit, evening the game early in the second half, before Meg Dowthwaite netted the overtime game-winner. Sam Swenon posted a season-high 10 saves, including one on a penalty stroke late in the second half.
Head coach Marcia Pankratz was a two-time NCAA All-American during her collegiate career at Iowa (1982-85). Michigan holds a 6-4 advantage in Big Ten Tournament games against the Hawkeyes and claimed a 1-0 win in double overtime in the 2015 first round.
Maryland: Michigan trails, 1-17, in the all-time series against Maryland. The Wolverines' lone victory in the series came in the 2001 NCAA championship game. Maryland claimed a 3-2 overtime decision in the regular-season meeting this season after the Wolverines led at halftime and again late in the second half. Carly Bennett and Meg Dowthwaite posted goals, while Sam Swenson posted eight saves in goal. U-M fell to the Terps, 5-1, in last season's Big Ten Tournament final.
Indiana: Michigan is 15-8 all-time against the Hoosiers, but Indiana snapped a seven-game U-M win streak in the series with a 1-0 decision this season in Ann Arbor -- after scoring on a first-half penalty stroke. Michigan outshot the Hoosiers, 19-5, and outcornered them, 12-2, but could not capitalize. Michigan is 2-1 against Indiana in Big Ten Tournament play, earning a 3-0 win in the 2005 championship game.
Northwestern: Michigan trails in the all-time series against Northwestern, 31-25, but the Wolverines have used overtime to claim each of the last two series meetings, including a 3-2 decision this season in Evanston, Illinois. The Wolverines claimed a 3-2 overtime win in the regular-season matchup in Evanston, with Meg Dowthwaite netting the game-winner on a penalty-corner redirection. Sam Swenson earned five saves, including one on a Wildcat corner with time expired. Michigan and Northwestern are an even 2-2 in Big Ten Tournament meetings; in the most-recent tournament meeting, the Wildcats ended U-M's 2015 with a 2-1 overtime win in the semifinals.
Penn State: Michigan trails in the all-time series against Penn State, 24-16, and the Nittany Lions snapped a four-game U-M advantage in the series with a 3-1 win this season in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines could not overcome a sluggish start in the regular-season meeting, giving up two goals in the first seven minutes en route to a 3-1 defeat. The teams are an even 6-6 in Big Ten Tournament play and have met five times in the championship game. PSU owns a league-best six tournament titles, while U-M ranks second with five crowns.
Rutgers: The Wolverines own a perfect 6-0 advantage in the all-time series against Rutgers. U-M scored two in the first half and added a late insurance goal to claim the regular-season meeting, 3-1, in Piscataway, scoring all three goals off of penalty-corner opportunities. The Wolverines are 1-0 against Rutgers in Big Ten Tournament competition, earning a 3-0 win in the 2014 first round.
Michigan State: The Wolverines own a 39-25-6 advantage in the all-time series against the Spartans and have won each of the last two series meetings. Michigan used a big three-goal first half to claim a 4-1 decision in the regular-season matchup. Esther de Leijer tallied a goal and two assists. Michigan has dropped all three previous Big Ten Tournament games against the Spartans.
WOLVERINE BITES
• The Wolverines enter the postseason with a three-game winning streak, defeating nationally ranked opponents in each of their last three contests. U-M is 5-5 against ranked opposition this season with wins against North Carolina, Stanford, Iowa, Northwestern and Louisville. Michigan has faced a ranked opponent in seven of its last nine games -- and top-10 opponents in six of its last nine.
• Senior/junior Carly Bennett had a hand in three of U-M's four goals against No. 7 Louisville last Saturday (Oct. 29) to surge into Michigan's team lead for points (17) this season. She owns a career-best six goals and five assists -- one helper shy of her career high in that category as well.
• Sophomore Emma Way and senior Courtney Enge also own career highs with six goals apiece to share the Wolverine lead this season. Way earned her first multi-goal game with two in the regular-season finale against Louisville. Way owns two game-winning goals this season, while Enge boasts three.
• Freshman Meg Dowthwaite tallied overtime game-winning goals in back-to-back games against No. 16 Iowa (Oct. 16) and Northwestern (Oct. 10), earning Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors after each for her efforts. She scored on a reverse chip at the 82:29 mark against Iowa before knocking in a penalty-corner redirection at 76:48 at Northwestern less than a week later. She also assisted on Michigan's game-tying marker at the end of the first half against the Wildcats.
• The Wolverines are 2-1 in overtime games this season after defeating No. 16 Iowa, 2-1, and No. 10 Northwestern, 3-2, over the last three weeks of the regular season. U-M previously fell to then-No. 8 Maryland, 3-2, after sacrificing a late lead in regulation.
• Junior goalkeeper Sam Swenson currently ranks second in the Big Ten and is 11th in the nation with a 1.34 goals-against average. She has posted complete-game shutouts against No. 1 UNC, Villanova and Ohio State and contributed to shutout efforts against California and Central Michigan. She also lists 10th nationally with a .750 save percentage.
• Swenson has been stout since missing two games with injury, posting a 1.17 goals-against average and .833 save percentage over the last four games. She allowed just five total goals over the stretch, which featured three nationally ranked opponents and a pair of overtime games.
• Swenson tallied a season-high 10 saves in the Wolverines' win against Iowa, including a stop off a Hawkeye penalty stroke with less than 12 minutes remaining in regulation. Swenson's career high in saves is 14, which she posted last season at Northwestern.
• Twelve different Wolverine players have scored goals this season, including nine with multiple goals and four who have tallied the first of their collegiate careers.
• After entering the 2016 season with just one career assist, senior Sina Lampe already boasts a team-best six -- bulk of which came in a one-goal, four-assist effort against Central Michigan. It is the most assists recorded in a single game since Ainsley McCallister similarly posted four against Central Michigan in 2014.
• Head coach Marcia Pankratz earned her 250th career win with the Wolverines' 3-1 decision at Rutgers on Oct. 7. With a 253-115 record over 17 years at Michigan (1996-2004, '09-16), she ranks 12th among all-time NCAA Division I coaches with a .687 win percentage -- seventh among active coaches -- and ranks 21st in total wins.
• Michigan closed out the home portion of its 2016 schedule with a 5-2 record at Ocker Field, outscoring its opposition, 21-6. The Wolverines boast a stellar 159-51 record at its home facility since its 1995 inauguration. Michigan also posted an average attendance of 452 over its seven home games, ranking sixth nationally despite multiple conflicts with football games.
LAST TIME OUT
The Wolverines closed out their regular season with a 4-1 decision against No. 7 Louisville at Ocker field last Saturday (Oct. 29) -- U-M's third straight win over a ranked opponent. Michigan took the initial advantage late in the first half -- despite being outshot and outcornered in the frame -- but blew the game open with three goals in the second. Sophomore Emma Way tallied a pair of markers, while senior/junior Carly Bennett posted a goal and two assists. Junior goalkeeper Sam Swenson recorded six saves, including four in the first half. [ Full Recap ]
UP NEXT
Sunday, Nov. 6 -- NCAA Selection Show (NCAA.com), 10 p.m.
Sat-Sun., Nov. 12-13 -- NCAA First/Second Rounds (Campus Sites)
