Season Review: 2018 Michigan Field Hockey

• Team Captains: Maggie Bettez, Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort, Emma Way
• Record: 14-7 overall, 7-1 Big Ten Conference (T-1st place)
• Big Ten Tournament: Semifinals
• NCAA Tournament: Quarterfinals

The University of Michigan field hockey team, despite losing five starters from last year's squad that set a program record for wins, were back on top in 2018. Behind some new faces, some familiar faces in new positions and some breakout performances from veteran players, the Wolverines posted a 14-7 record en route to a repeat Big Ten regular-season title and a spot in the NCAA quarterfinals.

After starting the season with a 1-3 record, the Wolverines claimed 13 of their last 17 games, posting a stellar 7-1 record in conference play -- in a year that the Big Ten qualified a record five teams to the NCAA Tournament -- and a perfect 9-0 mark at Phyllis Ocker Field. Under 19th-year head coach Marcia Pankratz, Michigan qualified for its 15th NCAA Tournament appearance and advanced to the quarterfinals for the third time in four seasons.

Team Highlights

• Michigan repeated as Big Ten regular-season champions after posting a 7-1 league record, sharing the top spot with Maryland. Among its notable conference wins, Michigan used a late penalty stroke to edge Penn State, 1-0, on the road (Sept. 21), earned a 3-2 decision against Northwestern (Sept. 28) and took an early lead and made it stick in a 2-1 decision at Iowa (Oct. 5).

• The Wolverines clinched their share of the Big Ten regular-season crown with a 2-1 double-overtime win in the regular-season finale against Ohio State (Oct. 21). Michigan trailed late until junior Meg Dowthwaite scored a tip goal with less than seven minutes remaining in regulation to even the score. Despite fighting through a player disadvantage for the first 5:20 of overtime before sophomore Kayla Reed netted the game-winner at 87:37 off a baseline carry that deflected off an OSU defender.

• Michigan went 9-0 at Ocker Field in 2018, outscoring its home opposition 35-8. The perfect home record was highlighted by victories over a trio of ranked opponents: No. 17 Rutgers (3-1, Sept. 14), No. 10 Northwestern (3-2, Sept. 28) and No. 21 Ohio State (2-1, Oct. 21). It was the first time Michigan went unbeaten at home since 2013 -- the last year before a complete renovation of the field and stadium.

• Michigan went 3-0 in overtime contests this season -- with all three wins coming at Ocker Field. U-M has had significant success in seven-on-seven play over the last few seasons, with wins in its last nine overtime games and 13 over its last 14, stretching back to the 2015 season.

• Michigan advanced to the NCAA quarterfinals for the 11th time in program history and third time in four seasons after beating Saint Joseph's, 3-2, in the opening round. The Wolverines fell to eventual NCAA champion North Carolina, 5-2, in the quarterfinals -- in a game that was closer than the final score indicated. U-M outshot the Tar Heels, 12-3, and outcornered them, 7-0, in the second half.

• Fifteen Wolverines scored at least one goal this season, including five -- Kathryn Peterson, Kate Burney, Sofia Southam, Tina D'Anjolell, Katie Anderson and Maya Gompper -- who tallied the first of their careers. Michigan's freshmen -- both true and resdhirts -- combined for 17 goals in 2018.

Field Hockey

Individual Highlights

• Senior Emma Way was named the 2018 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and became the 12th Wolverine in program history to earn All-America first-team honors -- and the third in four seasons. She boasted a career-best 19 goals in her final collegiate season, leading the Big Ten and ranking 11th nationally with 0.90 goals per game. Way finished her career with 42 goals, 21 assists and 105 points and ranks seventh among U-M's all-time career leaders in goals and points.

• Junior Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort also garnered the first All-America honor of her career with selection to the third team. Michigan's field general in the midfield, Fernandez Lacort owns four career goals, including this season's only and game-winning goal at Michigan State, and 17 assists -- as the primary stick stopper on the Wolverine corner unit.

• Junior Meg Dowthwaite posted 10 markers and four assists to hit double-digit goals for the second straight season. She posted four game-winning tallies, including the late stroke goal in U-M's 1-0 decision at Penn State (Sept. 21) and the go-ahead marker late in the first half at Iowa (Oct. 5). Dowthwaite boasts 34 goals already in her collegiate career. She was named to the National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA)All-Great Lakes Region second team.

• Senior Maggie Bettez and sophomore Halle O'Neill also earned individual honors in 2018, with Bettez garnering All-Big Ten second team and NFHCA All-Great Lakes Region first team honors and O'Neill earned selection to the all-region second team. The duo spent the bulk of the season together in the backfield, which held opponents to 1.62 goals per game and 9.3 shots per game.

Honors and Awards

Emma
Way

Guadalupe
Fernandez Lacort

Maggie
Bettez

Meg
Dowthwaite

Halle
O'Neill

Anna
Spieker

National Field Hockey Coach Association
All-America (First Team): Emma Way
All-America (Third Team): Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort
All-West Region (First Team): Maggie Bettez, Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort, Emma Way
All-West Region (Second Team): Meg Dowthwaite, Halle O'Neill

Big Ten Conference
Offensive Player of the Year: Emma Way
All-Big Ten (First Team): Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort, Emma Way
All-Big Ten (Second Team): Maggie Bettez
Sportsmanship Award: Anna Spieker
All-Tournament Team: Anna Spieker, Emma Way

Big Ten Player of the Week
Offensive: Emma Way (Sept. 17), Kayla Reed (Oct. 22)
Freshman: Kathryn Peterson (Sept. 17)

Academic All-Big Ten
Maggie Bettez, Sr., Sport Management
Clare Brush, Jr., Economics
Kate Burney, So., LSA Undeclared
Leah Cardarelli, Sr., Movement Science
Marleise Emrhein, Sr., Education
Maya Gompper, So., LSA Undeclared
Abbey Hutton, So., Microbiology
Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort, Jr., General Studies
Kragen Metz, So., Business Administration
Emma Tamer, So., LSA Undeclared
Kate Walker, Jr., Economics
Emma Way, Sr., Communication