Michigan
Northwestern
U-M to Close Regular Season with Three Regional Matchups
10/18/2017 10:57:00 AM | Field Hockey
» No. 4 Michigan will close out the regular season with three West Region foes, hosting No. 8 Northwestern at 4 p.m. on Friday (Oct. 20) before facing No. 7 Louisville (noon, Oct. 22) and Central Michigan (4 p.m., Oct. 24) on the road.
» With a 7-0 conference record, the Wolverines have clinched at least a share of the Big Ten regular-season title; a win against Northwestern on Friday would give U-M an outright title.
» Michigan has won each of its last 10 games, outscoring its opposition, 40-4, over the stretch with eight shutout wins.
THIS WEEK
Fri., Oct. 20 -- vs. Northwestern (Phyllis Ocker Field), 4 p.m.
Free Admission | Live Stats | TV: Big Ten Network | BTN2Go
Sun., Oct. 22 -- at Louisville (Louisville, Ky.), Noon
Live Stats
Tue., Oct. 24 -- at Central Michigan (Mount Pleasant, Mich.), 4 p.m.
Live Stats | Live Video
• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter
• Game Day Information: Phyllis Ocker Field Information | Free Admission
The No. 4-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team (13-2, 7-0 Big Ten) will close out the regular-season portion of its 2017 schedule with three regional matchups over a five-day stretch. The Wolverines will wrap Big Ten Conference play on Friday (Oct. 20), hosting No. 8 Northwestern (12-4, 5-1 Big Ten) at 4 p.m. at Phyllis Ocker Field before taking to the road to face No. 7 Louisville (11-4) at noon on Sunday (Oct. 22) in Louisville, Kentucky, and Central Michigan (0-15) at 4 p.m. on Tuesday (Oct. 24) in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
PROMOTIONS
• Northwestern: Field Hockey Friday, Senior Day (more promotions)
WOLVERINE BITES
• Michigan clinched at least a share of the 2017 Big Ten title with its 3-2 win at Iowa on Sunday (Oct. 15) -- its ninth regular-season title in program history and first since 2011. The Wolverines, who are the lone undefeated program team with a 7-0 conference record, will have an opportunity to secure the title outright with a win Friday against Northwestern, who ranks second with a 5-1 league mark.
• With its nine regular-season crowns -- eight under head coach Marcia Pankratz -- Michigan boasts the second most of any Big Ten school behind Iowa (11). The Wolverines previously won regular-season titles in 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2011.
• The Wolverines will honor their six-member senior class -- Casie Ammerman, Carly Bennett, Esther de Leijer, Morgan Malone, Sam Swenson and Katie Trombetta -- prior to Friday's game against Northwestern. Over the last four years, the class contributed to a 56-22 record, two NCAA Tournament appearances and, now, a Big Ten title.
• While Michigan has claimed three of the last four series games against Northwestern since 2014, all four contests have been decided by just one goal with the last three going to overtime. Sophomore Meg Dowthwaite netted last season's overtime game-winner -- her second in consecutive games -- en route to a 3-2 decision in Evanston. The teams went to double overtime the previous year, with Lauren Thomas converting on a direct corner shot and Swenson earning a career-best 14 saves, including nine in overtime.
• U-M extended its win streak to 10 games with a pair of road wins this past weekend. It is the longest win streak since the Wolverines claimed 11 in a row during the 2015 season. Over its 10-game win streak, Michigan has outscored its opposition, 40-4, and recorded eight shutouts. U-M has only allowed 13 total shot attempts over its last five games.
• The Wolverines lead the Big Ten -- and rank top 10 nationally -- in nearly all team offensive and defensive statistical categories. Most notably, Michigan ranks sixth in goals per game (3.47), sixth in scoring margin (2.49), third in goals-against average (0.83) and third in save percentage (.817).
• With nine shutouts on the season, including eight over the last 10 games, Michigan is just one shy of matching its season record in the category. The Wolverines recorded 10 shutouts on two occasions -- in 1992 and, with senior goalkeeper Sam Swenson in the cage, again in 2015. Swenson owns 16 complete-game shutouts and has contributed to 28 over her Michigan career -- a program record.
• Swenson boasts a 0.88 goals-against average and .797 save percentage on the season, leading the Big Ten and ranking third and sixth nationally, respectively. Among the NCAA's active career leaders, Swenson also ranks second in GAA (1.08) and fourth in save percentage (.776). Of the 13 goals she's allowed this season, eight have come off an attack corner and another off a penalty stroke.
• Sophomore Meg Dowthwaite has scored 15 goals through 15 games this season and currently leads the Big Ten -- and ranks seventh nationally -- with a 1.00 goals-per-game average. Dowthwaite, who owns seven game-winners -- including both from last weekend -- also leads the conference and ranks eighth nationally with 2.47 points per game. She has scored in all but three games this season and boasts seven markers over the last five.
• With 52 goals through 15 games, Michigan has already surpassed its 2016 season goal total (46) -- in five fewer games. Fourteen different Wolverine players have recorded goals this season, including eight with multiple tallies and seven who have tallied their first collegiate goals.
• Junior Emma Way netted U-M's double-overtime game-winner against No. 15 Maryland (Sept. 29) – her second overtime game winner of the season. She has surpassed her career best with nine markers this season and also achieved new highs with eight assists and 26 points. She ranks fifth among the conference leaders with 0.60 goals per game.
• Michigan leads the nation with its 5,257 total attendance and ranks second with a 584 average attendance. The Wolverines have boasted two crowds of 900 fans or more. Michigan has ranked top three in average attendance in three of four years since renovating Phyllis Ocker Field and upping its stadium capacity to 1,500. U-M also led the nation in total attendance in 2015 with 5,443 fans.
SCOUTING THE OPPOSITION
Northwestern -- The Wildcats are 12-4 on the season and 5-1 in Big Ten play after using overtime to knock off Iowa, 5-4, on the road last Friday (Oct. 13) and double overtime to down UMass, 2-1, in its last outing on Sunday (Oct. 15). Northwestern's lone conference loss came at Penn State, 4-3, on Sept. 22. Pascale Massey leads the Wildcats with nine goals, while Puck Pentenga owns eight goals and 14 assists. Goalkeeper Annie Kalfas carries a 1.62 goals-against average and .745 save percentage. Michigan trails in the all-time series against the Wildcats, 31-25, but has claimed three of the last four meetings, including a 3-2 overtime decision in Evanston last season.
Louisville -- The Cardinals enter the weekend with an 11-4 record and have won each of their last seven contests, including a 3-2 decision against North Carolina in their only game last weekend. Minout Mink leads Louisville with eight goals, while All-America goalkeeper Ayeisha McFerran owns a 1.68 goals-against average and .710 save percentage. Michigan is 9-3 all-time against the Cardinals, but the teams have evenly split the last four games since 2009. U-M claimed a decisive 4-1 victory on Senior Day last season in Ann Arbor.
Central Michigan -- The Chippewas are currently 0-15 on the season, most recently falling to Michigan State (3-0, Oct. 10) and MAC rival Kent State (7-0, Oct. 13). Carly Brengosz, Alli Huddleson and Jasmine Banks have scored goals for CMU this season, while goalkeeper Lily Amadio carries a 4.17 goals-against average and .729 save percentage. Michigan owns a 35-15-2 advantage in the all-time series against Central Michigan and has won the last seven series meetings, including a 10-0 decision last season in Ann Arbor.
LAST TIME OUT
The Wolverines remained perfect on the road this season with a pair of conference wins at Indiana (2-0, Oct. 13) and No. 22 Iowa (3-2, Oct. 15) to clinch at least a share of the Big Ten regular-season title. Michigan held Indiana without a shot attempt and scored late in the first and second halves, before using a three-goal surge over a nine-minute window late in the first to dispatch the Hawkeyes. Sophomore Meg Dowthwaite scored in each contest; freshman Halle O'Neill, graduate student Esther de Leijer and junior Emma Way also scored. [ Recaps: Indiana | Iowa ]
UP NEXT
Sunday., Oct. 28 -- vs. TBD - Big Ten Quarterfinals (Phyllis Ocker Field), TBA
