Following a 7-0 blowout over Southwest Missouri State on Sunday, Michigan field hockey coach Marcia Pankratz couldn't help but be excited.
"This team is head and shoulders above where (it was) last year at this time in the season," Pankratz said.
Southwest Missouri, which at times had as many as eight freshmen on the field, was no match for the overall team speed and talent of the more experienced Wolverines, who outshot Southwest Missouri, 42-2.
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| JONATHAN SUMMER/Daily Freshmen Tamra Geryk and Courtney Reid and the Wolverines stuck it to both opponents last weekend, recording two victories. Friday, Michigan squeaked by Kent State in overtime, 3-2, and Southwest Missouri fell on Sunday, 7-0. |
Babbitt started off the scoring at 28:29 of the first half when she took a centering pass from Jeanne Shin and maneuvered her way around the goalie for an easy tap-in goal.
Weinstein followed Babbitt at 10:47 by stickhandling her way down the field, blowing past defenders, and slamming a hard shot to the back of the cage.
Then Flachs took control of the game. Flachs recorded a natural hat trick with her first goal coming off a penalty corner from Johnson and Widder at 5:17 to make the score 3-0.
Flachs followed that with another goal on a corner, and then capped off her day with a third goal at 5:34 of the second half.
She weaved between several defenders before slapping a backhand shot past the goaltender. Wilkinson and Laface finished off the scoring for the Wolverines.
"This was a really big game for us," Flachs said.
"After Friday's game, we came out on fire today, which allowed us to give valuable playing time to our younger players."
Though not heavily tested, the Wolverines again got a solid performance in goal by Amy Helber, who recorded the shutout.
The team's confidence has picked up tremendously since its sweep on the West Coast, and that improvement is starting to show in its play.
After winning a tough, who-wants-it-more battle with Kent State on Friday, and in blowout fashion on Sunday, the Wolverines look like they are ready for the upcoming Big Ten schedule.
They also look like they might be ready to make some noise nationally.
"Perennial East Coast powers don't always give the Midwest schools the respect that they deserve," Pankratz said.
If Michigan continues the improvement it has shown early in the season, schools around the country will be in for a tougher match than they have been against past Wolverine teams.
Michigan's next game will be Wednesday at Ball State. The conference season begins for Michigan against Iowa on Sept. 26.
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