Michigan
Syracuse
No. 3 Seed Michigan Set to Host NCAA First, Second Rounds
11/8/2017 9:53:00 AM | Field Hockey
» Michigan, the No. 3 seed at the 2017 NCAA Tournament, will face Syracuse in the first round at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday (Nov. 11) at Phyllis Ocker Field.
» The Wolverines swept the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles for the fourth time in the program history after edging Penn State, 1-0, in the tournament final last Sunday (Nov. 5).
» Michigan has won each of its last 16 games, outscoring its opposition, 57-6, over the stretch with 13 shutout wins, including an active four-game shutout streak.
THIS WEEK
NCAA FIRST, SECOND ROUNDS (Tournament Central)
Saturday, Nov. 11 -- vs. Syracuse (Phyllis Ocker Field), 11:30 a.m.
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The No. 3-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team (19-2) will host one of four NCAA first/second-round sites for the 2017 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championship on Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 11-12) at Phyllis Ocker Field in Ann Arbor, Michigan.
The Wolverines will open tournament play against No. 13 Syracuse (12-6) at 11:30 a.m. on Saturday, while the other first-round match will pit No. 10 Northwestern (14-6) against No. 8 Louisville (14-7) at 2 p.m. The winners will advance to the second-round game, which is slated for a 2 p.m. start on Sunday.
2017 NCAA TOURNAMENT FIRST/SECOND ROUNDS
Sat.-Sun., Nov. 11-12
Phyllis Ocker Field (Ann Arbor, Mich.)
Saturday, Nov. 11
Game 1 -- Michigan vs. Syracuse, 11:30 a.m.
Game 2 -- Louisville vs. Northwestern, 2 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 12
Game 3 -- Game 1 winner vs. Game 2 winner, 2 p.m.
NCAA TOURNAMENT NOTES
• The Wolverines are making their 14th NCAA Tournament appearance in program history and third in as many seasons. U-M owns a 15-12 record in NCAA Tournament play and has advanced to the semifinals in three of its 13 previous appearances, twice playing in the national title game. In 2001, the Wolverines captured the first NCAA championship for a Michigan women's team in U-M athletics history.
• Michigan is 9-4 in the first round of the NCAA Tournament and is 12-10 during the first weekend of NCAA Tournament play. U-M has won six out of its last nine NCAA first-round matches.
• Twenty-two of Michigan's 27 NCAA Tournament games have been decided by just one goal, with U-M carrying a 13-9 record in those contests. Ten of the Wolverines' 13 first-round games have been decided by a single marker, while all but one of U-M's eight quarterfinal matchups have been determined by a single goal.
• With its 14 NCAA Tournament appearances, Michigan ranks fourth among Big Ten Conference schools in the category. All of U-M's appearances have come over the last 19 years -- since 1999. Only Maryland (19) and Penn State (15) boast more over the same stretch.
• Michigan will host an NCAA first/second round site for the fourth time in program history and first time since 2007. U-M also hosted in 2001 and 2004. In the three previous instances, Michigan claimed its first-round matchup, while in 2001, it advanced to the semifinals en route to its NCAA championship.
Michigan vs. the NCAA First/Second Round Field
Syracuse: Michigan and Syracuse have met just four previous times with an even series split at 2. When the teams last met in 2009, Syracuse earned a narrow 2-1 decision. The teams have never before faced off in the NCAA Tournament.
Northwestern: Michigan trails in the all-time series against Northwestern, 31-27, but has won five of the last six meetings, including four in a row and two this season. Senior Katie Trombetta netted the game-winning goal with just 9:11 remaining to secure U-M's 1-0 win and an outright Big Ten regular-season title just three weeks ago (Oct. 20) at Ocker Field. The Wolverines also defeated Northwestern, 2-0, in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals in East Lansing, Michigan, last Friday (Nov. 3). Despite their longstanding rivalry, the Wolverines and Wildcats have never met in the NCAA Tournament.
Louisville: Michigan leads the all-time series against Louisville, 10-3, and defeated the Cardinals, 6-2, in this year's regular-season matchup (Oct. 22). Five different Wolverines players scored goals in the contest, including two from graduate student Carly Bennett. It would be the first time that Michigan has met Louisville in the NCAA Tournament play.
WOLVERINE BITES
• U-M extended its winning streak to 16 games with its 1-0 win against Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament championship last Sunday (Nov. 5). It is the longest winning streak in program history. Over its current win streak, Michigan has outscored its opposition, 57-6, and recorded 13 shutouts.
• The Wolverines lead the Big Ten -- and are ranked top 10 nationally -- in nearly all team offensive and defensive statistical categories. Most notably, Michigan ranks eighth in goals per game (3.29), fifth in scoring margin (2.50), second in goals-against average (0.69) and first in save percentage (.844). The team's 14 shutouts also lead the nation, while its .905 winning percentage ranks second.
• With 69 goals through 21 games this season, Michigan has already recorded its highest goals total since 2004 when it tallied 76 markers in 23 games. Fourteen different Wolverine players have recorded goals this season, including 10 with multiple tallies and seven who have tallied their first collegiate goals.
• Michigan earned the Big Ten's automatic bid to the NCAA Tournament after capturing the conference tournament title with a 1-0 decision against Penn State last Sunday (Nov. 5) -- behind a late goal from graduate student Esther de Leijer and nine saves from senior goalkeeper Sam Swenson. It was the Wolverines' sixth Big Ten tournament title in program history and first since 2010. Michigan also claimed the tournament crown in 1999, 2000, 2004 and 2005.
The Wolverines, who went 8-0 in conference play to capture the outright regular-season title, swept both the regular-season and tournament crowns for the fourth time in program history. Michigan previously achieved the feat in 2000, 2004 and 2010. With its nine regular-season crowns -- eight under head coach Marcia Pankratz -- Michigan boasts the second most of any Big Ten school behind Iowa with 11. The Wolverines previously won regular-season titles in 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010 and 2011. Five of their league titles have come in outright fashion.
• Senior Katie Trombetta was named the 2017 Big Ten Player of the Year last week, becoming the fifth different Wolverine to earn the league's top honor, while senior goalkeeper Sam Swenson claimed the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year -- the fifth different Wolverine to garner the defensive award. Head coach Marcia Pankratz was also named the Big Ten Coach of the Year for the sixth time in her career. U-M has claimed 22 Big Ten yearly awards since 1997 and has garnered multiple awards on six occasions. Swenson and Trombetta were also named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team last Sunday with Trombetta earning the tournament's Most Outstanding Player award.
• Michigan has recorded a school-best 14 shutouts this season -- 13 over its last 16 games. The Wolverines previously recorded 10 shutouts in two occasions -- in 1992 and, with senior goalkeeper Sam Swenson in the cage, again in 2015. Swenson now owns 21 complete-game shutouts and has contributed to 33 over her Michigan career -- also a program record.
• Senior goalkeeper Sam Swenson currently leads the nation with an .831 save percentage -- after stopping all 15 shots faced in Big Ten Tournament play -- and ranks second nationally with a 0.72 goals-against average. Of the 15 goals she's allowed this season, 10 have come off an attack corner and one off of a penalty stroke. Among active NCAA career leaders, Swenson also ranks first with a .785 career save percentage and second with a 1.02 career goals-against average.
• Sophomore Meg Dowthwaite has scored 18 goals through 21 games this season and currently ranks 15th nationally -- with a 0.86 goals-per-game average. Dowthwaite, who owns seven game-winners, also ranks 20th nationally with 2.05 points per game. She has scored in all but six games this season. Dowthwaite, like Swenson and Trombetta, was named to the All-Big Ten first team.
• Graduate Student Carly Bennett posted a career-best game in the Wolverines' 6-2 win at Louisville (Oct. 22), contributing to four of six U-M tallies with two goals and two assists. It was Bennett's third career multi-goal game. She added another marker at Central Michigan (Oct. 24) to up her season total to a career-best nine. Her previous best was seven, which she recorded last season.
• In addition to Dowthwaite and Bennett, junior Emma Way and sophomore Fay Keijer also boast career highs in goals, assists and points. Way ranks second on the Wolverine team with 10 goals, including three game-winners, and 10 assists. Keijer ranks fifth with six goals and three assists.
LAST TIME OUT
The Wolverines shut down Northwestern (2-0) and Penn State (1-0) last weekend in East Lansing to earn the program's sixth Big Ten Tournament title and its fourth sweep of both Big Ten season championships. Sophomore Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort netted the first and game-winning goal just 37 seconds into the game against the Wildcats, while sophomore Meg Dowthwaite added her 18th goal of the season near the end of the first half. In the championship game against the Nittany Lions, graduate student Esther de Leijer scored the game's only goal at 64:29, while senior goalkeeper Sam Swenson earned nine saves and U-M denied two PSU corners with time expired to secure the shutout. [ Recaps: Northwestern | Penn State ]
UP NEXT
Fri-Sun., Nov. 17-19 -- NCAA Semifinals/Finals (Louisville, Ky.), TBD
