Michigan Downs No. 3 Louisville in Shootout, Advances to NCAA Championship Game

Friday, May 7

Chapel Hill, N.C.

4:00 PM

Michigan

(15-2)

Louisville

(14-6)

Louisville

Michigan

(Michigan Photography)

Michigan Downs No. 3 Louisville in Shootout, Advances to NCAA Championship Game

5/7/2021 9:28:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score Photo Gallery

» No. 2 Michigan defeated No. 3 Louisville, 2-1, in the NCAA semifinals on a clinching goal from Katie Anderson in the sixth shootout round.
» The Wolverines advance to the NCAA championship game for the third time in program history and first time since capturing the NCAA title in 2001.
» U-M extended its win streak to 12 straight games.

Site: Chapel Hill, N.C. (Karen Shelton Stadium)
Event: NCAA Tournament (Semifinals)
Score: #2 Michigan 2, #3 Louisville 1 (Shootout)
Records: U-M (15-2), UL (14-6)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, April 9 -- vs. #1 North Carolina - NCAA Tournament Final (Chapel Hill, N.C.), 7 p.m.

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Junior Katie Anderson converted in the sixth round of the shootout to propel the No. 2-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team to a 2-1 win against No. 3 Louisville in the NCAA Tournament semifinals on Friday afternoon (May 7) at North Carolina's Karen Shelton Stadium.

It was Anderson's second marker in the shootout after Louisville rallied from a two-goal deficit to force the sixth round. Junior goalkeeper Anna Spieker made a crucial stop to lead off the extra round, forcing the shot wide to the left, before Anderson finished to the right side, pulling the Cardinal goalie just out of position and squeezing it past the post. It was Michigan's second shootout win of the season.

The Wolverines (15-2) advance to the NCAA championship game for the third time in program history and first time since capturing the 2001 national championship -- the first by a women's program in Michigan Athletics history. Michigan will face two-time defending NCAA champion North Carolina (18-1) at 7 p.m. on Sunday (May 9) at Shelton Stadium. The game will be broadcast live on ESPNU.

After a scoreless first half, Michigan struck first -- while shorthanded -- on a penalty corner at the 34:34 mark in the third quarter. Freshman Anouk Veen buried the direct shot on a rocket to the lower-left corner of the cage -- her fourth marker of the season. Graduate student Clare Brush and junior Kathryn Peterson earned assists on the stop and insert, respectively.

Louisville put U-M on its heels for much of the fourth quarter. The Wolverines stopped five penalty corners over an eight-minute stretch but could not stop the sixth, as the Cardinals converted at 58:42 -- with just 1:28 remaining in regulation. It was just the third goal allowed by Michigan over its current 12-game win streak.

The Wolverines played shorthanded for 15 minutes after a 10-minute yellow card late in the third and a five-minute yellow late in the second overtime. Michigan appeared content to wind down the clock after the overtime card, but junior Kathryn Peterson put a near-miss shot on goal in the final 30 seconds and sailed the rebound high.

Louisville outshot the Wolverines, 8-7, and outcornered them, 8-4, in the game -- mostly due to the fourth-quarter onslaught. Spieker earned two saves in the U-M cage, while Cardinal goalkeeper Sam Minrath posted four stops.