Season Review: 2017 Michigan Field Hockey

• Team Captains: Carly Bennett, Sam Swenson
• Record: 21-3 overall, 8-0 Big Ten Conference (1st place)
• Big Ten Tournament: Championship
• NCAA Tournament: Semifinals

The University of Michigan field hockey team posted one of its most successful seasons in program history in 2017, posting a 21-3 record -- a program-record for wins -- en route to the Big Ten Conference regular-season and tournament titles and a spot in the NCAA semifinals.

Under 18th-year head coach Marcia Pankratz, who was named the 2017 Big Ten Coach of the Year, Michigan started on a high, sweeping the ACC/Big Ten Challenge for the first time in 16 appearances at the annual opener, but within the next two weeks, suffered back-to-back losses at home to fall to 3-2 on the season. The Wolverines did not lose again for two months, reeling off a program-best 18 straight wins to claim both Big Ten titles for the fourth time and reach the NCAA Final Four for the first time in 14 years.

Field Hockey

Team Highlights

• The Wolverines posted a perfect 8-0 Big Ten Conference record to claim outright ownership of the regular-season crown -- their ninth in program history. Among its notable conference wins, Michigan blanked Penn State, 3-0, on the road (Sept. 24), used a last-second goal in double overtime to defeat Maryland, 3-2 (Sept. 29), and tallied a late corner goal to dispatch Northwestern, 1-0, to capture the outright title at Ocker Field (Oct. 20).

• Michigan also captured the Big Ten Tournament title with a 1-0 decision over Penn State (Nov. 5) -- behind a late goal from graduate student Esther de Leijer (who had broken her hand just two weeks earlier) and nine saves from senior goalkeeper Sam Swenson. It was the Wolverines' sixth Big Ten tournament title in program history and first since 2010. It was also Michigan's fourth time sweeping both conference titles.

• Michigan advanced to the NCAA Final Four for the fourth time in program history and first time since 2003. The Wolverines hosted an NCAA first/second-round site, opening play with a dramatic 1-0 overtime decision against Syracuse -- who captured an NCAA title on Ocker Field two seasons earlier -- before defeating Big Ten rival Northwestern, 3-0, for the third time over a four-week period in the quarterfinals.

• The 2017 Wolverines were the winningest team in program history with their 21-3 season record. It was just the second 20-win season in program history, joining the 1999 squad that went 20-7 en route to NCAA runner-up honors. U-M's .875 win percentage this year ranked second nationally to NCAA champion UConn (23-0). Michigan also posted a program-record 18-game winning streak that spanned two months (Sept. 10 to Nov. 12). Over the streak, Michigan outscored its opposition, 61-6.

• U-M claimed both of their ACC/Big Ten Challenge games for the first time in 16 appearances at the annual kickoff event, defeating No. 1 North Carolina, 3-2, and No. 15 Wake Forest, 5-4 (Aug. 26-27). It was Michigan's second season-opening win over the top-ranked Tar Heels in as many seasons.

• Defense proved the Wolverines' greatest strength again in 2017. With a defensive unit anchored by All-Americans Katie Trombetta and Sam Swenson, Michigan ranked second nationally with a 0.81 goals-against average and .821 save percentage and allowed just 7.46 shots per game this season. U-M boasted a program-record and nation's best 16 shutouts, accounting for 76 percent of its 21-game win total, and grew stronger as the season wore on, earning 15 shutouts over an 18-game stretch late in the year.

• Michigan also posted a 3.08 goals-per-game average, ranking 11th nationally and trailing Big Ten foe Penn State by just 0.01. With 74 total goals on the season, Michigan recorded its most goals since 2004 when it tallied 76 markers in 23 games. Fourteen different Wolverine players recorded goal, including 10 with multiple tallies and seven who tallied their first collegiate markers.

• The Wolverines wrapped the home portion of their 2017 campaign with an 11-2 mark at Phyllis Ocker Field, including wins in their last 10 appearances at home. Michigan led the nation in total attendance (7,268) and ranked second in average attendance (559).

Field Hockey

Individual Highlights

• Senior Katie Trombetta was named the 2017 Big Ten Player of the Year and the Big Ten Tournament MVP and became 11th Wolverine player in program history to earn All-America first-team honors. Michigan's defensive anchor and field general, Trombetta also played a major role on its attack-corner unit, posting four goals and a career-best 11 assists this season. She graduates as a two-time NFHCA All-American.

• Senior Sam Swenson, who became Michigan's first All-America goalkeeper with her second-team nod in 2015, repeated the feat this season after posting a 0.80 goals-against average and .816 save percentage -- both figures ranked second nationally as did her .864 win-loss percentage in the cage. Michigan led the nation with 16 shutouts, including 13 complete-game efforts by Swenson. She was named the 2017 Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-Big Ten first-team selection.

• Sophomore Meg Dowthwaite boasted a breakout season on the forward line, leading the squad with 19 goals and 46 points -- the most goals and points for a Michigan player in four seasons -- en route to NFHCA All-America second team honors. She wasn't the only Wolverine to record career-high offensive stats; junior Emma Way (13) and graduate student Carly Bennett (10) also reached double digits in goals.

• Michigan welcomed a big group of nine newcomers to Ann Arbor this fall, and three made major contributions to the Wolverines' success. Sophomore Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort and freshman Kayla Reed started all 24 games in the midfield, while freshman back Halle O'Neill started all but the season opener. The trio combined for 12 goals and 16 assists and were big components of the Wolverines' attack and defensive corner units.

• The Wolverines' coaching staff of head coach Marcia Pankratz and assistants Ryan Langford and Lucia Belassi White, who completed their seventh season together this fall, were named tops in the NFHCA West Region. Pankratz, in her 18th season at Michigan, was also named the Big Ten Coach of the Year for the sixth time in her career.

Honors and Awards

Katie
Trombetta

Sam
Swenson

Meg
Dowthwaite

Esther
de Leijer

Guadalupe
Fernandez Lacort

Emma
Way

Marcia
Pankratz

National Field Hockey Coach Association
All-America (First Team): Katie Trombetta
All-America (Second Team): Meg Dowthwaite, Sam Swenson
All-West Region (First Team): Meg Dowthwaite, Esther de Leijer, Sam Swenson, Katie Trombetta
All-West Region (Second Team): Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort, Emma Way
West Region Coaching Staff of the Year: Marcia Pankratz, Ryan Langford, Lucia Belassi White
Defensive Player of the Week: Sam Swenson (Sept. 27), Katie Trombetta (Oct. 25)

Big Ten Conference
Player of the Year: Katie Trombetta
Defensive Player of the Year: Sam Swenson
Coach of the Year: Marcia Pankratz
All-Big Ten (First Team): Meg Dowthwaite, Sam Swenson, Katie Trombetta
All-Big Ten (Second Team): Esther de Leijer
Sportsmanship Award: Casie Ammerman
Tournament MVP: Katie Trombetta
All-Tournament Team: Sam Swenson, Katie Trombetta

Big Ten Player of the Week
Offensive: Meg Dowthwaite (Oct. 9)
Defensive: Katie Trombetta (Oct. 9, Oct. 23), Sam Swenson (Aug. 28, Sept. 18, Sept. 25)
Freshman: Kayla Reed (Oct. 9), Halle O'Neill (Oct. 2)

Academic All-Big Ten
Casie Ammerman, Gr., master's in sport management
Maggie Bettez, Jr., sport management
Clare Brush, So., LSA undeclared
Leah Cardarelli, Jr., movement science
Esther de Leijer, Gr., master's in kinesiology
Marleise Emrhein, Jr., secondary education
Morgan Malone, Sr., art and design
Kate Walker, So., LSA undeclared
Emma Way, Jr., communication