Wolverines Blank Villanova in Home Opener

Saturday, September 10

Ann Arbor, Mich.

1:00 PM

Michigan

(4-1)

Villanova

(0-5)

Villanova

Michigan

Fay Keijer

9/10/2016 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

Box Score PDF Boxscore Photo Gallery

By: Leah Howard

» Michigan opened its home schedule with a 3-0 win against Villanova -- its third shutout of the season and second in as many games.
» Fay Keijer scored two goals -- early in the first and second halves -- and Esther de Leijer added an insurance tally late for the first goals of their Michigan careers.
» Michigan outshot the Wildcats, 25-5, and outcornered them, 15-3.

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Phyllis Ocker Field)
Score: #6 Michigan 3, Villanova 0
Records: U-M (4-1), UC (0-5)
Next U-M Match: Friday, Sept. 16 -- at Michigan State (East Lansing, Mich.), 6 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- After two weeks on the road to kick off the 2016 season, the No. 6-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team kicked off the home portion of its schedule with a commanding 3-0 decision against Villanova on Saturday afternoon (Sept. 10) at Phyllis Ocker Field. It was the Wolverines' third shutout win of the season and second in as many games.

Michigan got its offensive production from its pair of Dutch newcomers. Freshman Fay Keijer netted the first two goals of her collegiate career, scoring an early tally in each half, while graduate student Esther de Leijer added a late insurance goal in the second -- also her first goal in the Maize and Blue.

Keijer's first goal -- the game-winner -- came on the Wolverines' second push into the Villanova circle at the 6:45 mark. Junior Katie Trombetta fed the ball up and into the circle, and it ricocheted off a defender's stick and to the front of the cage, where Keijer dove for it and chipped a reverse-stick shot into the cage.

She added her second marker less than three minutes into the second half, at 37:17, on a penalty-corner tip from the left side. Freshman Meg Dowthwaite swept a low direct shot, and Keijer again laid out to get her stick on it, redirecting it over the pads of Wildcat goalkeeper Erika Miller.

The Wolverines continue to pour on the pressure deep in Villanova territory, drawing eight second-half penalty corners, until breaking through with another goal at the 60:45 mark. It was again Dowthwaite with the initial corner sweep to the right side, where de Leijer tipped it just past the Wildcats' sprawling goalie. Keijer and de Leijer are the fifth and sixth Wolverines to score goals already this season.

Michigan outshot the Wildcats, 25-5, and outcornered them, 15-3, in the contest. Junior goalkeeper Sam Swenson earned two stops -- both in a narrow two-minute stretch in the second half -- while Villanova's Miller posted 13 saves.

The Wolverines will square off against a pair of in-state rivals next weekend, traveling to East Lansing, Michigan, to face Michigan State at 6 p.m. on Friday (Sept. 16) before hosting Central Michigan at 1 p.m. on Sunday (Sept. 18) at Ocker Field.