Michigan Dominates Rival OSU to Capture Big Ten Tournament Title

Saturday, April 24

Iowa City, Iowa

11:00 AM CT

Michigan

(13-2, 6-0)

Ohio State

(7-9, 2-5)

Ohio State

Michigan

(Big Ten Conference)

Michigan Dominates Rival OSU to Capture Big Ten Tournament Title

4/24/2021 3:37:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

By: Leah Howard

» No. 2 Michigan defeated Ohio State, 4-0, in the Big Ten Tournament championship game to claim the conference's NCAA automatic qualifier.
» U-M broke the game open with three goals in the second quarter; Halle O'Neill scored twice off the penalty corner, while Lora Clarke and Sofia Southam also tallied goals.
» U-M swept the Big Ten regular-season and tournament titles for the fifth time in program history and second time in four seasons.

Site: Iowa City, Iowa (Grant Field)
Event: Big Ten Tournament (Championship game)
Score: #2 Michigan 4, Ohio State 0
Records: U-M (13-2), OSU (7-10)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, April 24 -- NCAA Selection Show (NCAA.com), 10 p.m.

IOWA CITY, Iowa -- Senior Halle O'Neill scored twice on the penalty corner as the No. 2-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team cruised to a dominant 4-0 win over rival Ohio State to capture the Big Ten Conference Tournament title on Saturday afternoon (April 24) at Iowa's Grant Field. The Wolverines have won 10 consecutive games, earning shutouts in eight over the stretch.

It was Michigan's seventh Big Ten tournament title in program history -- tied for the most in conference history -- and marked just the fifth time U-M swept both the Big Ten championship and tournament crowns. Michigan previously achieved the feat in 2000, 2004, 2010 and 2017.

After a scoreless first quarter, the Wolverines broke it open with three goals in the second. Freshman Lora Clarke provided U-M's first and game-winning goal at the 18:58 mark after sophomore Sarah Pyrtek stripped the ball from a Buckeye player inside the OSU defensive 25. She fed it to Clarke, 2-on-1 and alone in the circle, and the rookie hammered it to the lower-right corner of the cage. It was her second marker of the season.

O'Neill tallied her first of two goals at 24:11, nailing the penalty-corner direct shot to the far post, and junior Sofia Southam tacked on one more five minutes later, at 29:40, in the waning seconds of the half with a tip goal -- her second tally of the tournament. Junior Kathryn Peterson whipped a hard pass into the circle, and Southam got her stick on it in front of the cage, redirecting it past the Buckeye goalkeeper.

O'Neill, who was named the tournament's MVP, added fourth-quarter insurance with her second penalty-corner goal -- her third this season -- at the 48:50 mark, off the insert from Peterson, who earned her second assist of the game. Southam and junior Katie Anderson joined O'Neill on the All-Tournament Team.

Michigan outshot the Buckeyes, 10-6, and outcornered them, 5-4. Junior goalkeeper Anna Spieker posted two saves for her ninth complete-game shutout this season, while Ohio State's Abby Danson stopped two of four U-M shots on goal.

With today's win, Michigan earned the Big Ten's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA Selection Show is slated for 10 p.m. tonight on NCAA.com.