'M' stickers split with tough Eastern foes

By Fred Link
Special to the Daily

CHESTNUT HILL, Mass. - The Michigan field hockey team traveled east this weekend looking for respect. With two tough games against Northeastern and No. 7 Boston College, the No. 8 Wolverines hoped to establish themselves as one of the elite field hockey teams in the country.

After beating a Northeastern squad that was ranked No. 7 in the preseason poll on Saturday, the Wolverines faltered, losing 2-1 to the Eagles yesterday.

Against Boston College, Michigan controlled play for most of the game, but the Eagles scored two goals a little more than two minutes apart in the second half to hand the Wolveines just their second loss of the year.

"We are a good team," Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz said. "We're in the top 10, and we deserve to be there. They were a little bit better than us."

Michigan took the lead midway through the first half, when Loveita Wilkinson fired a shot off of a penalty corner past Boston College goaltender Jill Dedman.

JOSH KLEINBAUM/Daily Jeanne Shin (front) and Ashley Reichenbach (background) and the Michigan field hockey team went to Boston this weekend to try to find national respect. The eighth-ranked Wolverines accomplished that mission, beating Northeastern and losing a 2-1 decision to Boston College.

The Wolverines controlled play for the rest of the half, but couldn't put another shot past Dedman.

A little more than 10 minutes into the second half, Boston College pulled even, when forward Julianne Marrone brought the ball up the right sideline and found Katie Gentile alone in front of Michigan goaltender Katie Oakes. Gentile tipped the ball past Oakes, and the Eagles were back in the game.

Two minutes and 11 seconds later, after a scramble off to Oakes' right, Marrone found herself alone and fired a shot past Oakes to give the Eagles a 2-1 lead.

Despite controlling play for most of the game, the Wolverines made two mistakes and found themselves trailing.

"We had poor execution in defense and they got two goals," Pankratz said.

After the Eagles scored their second goal, the momentum shifted and the Wolverines struggled to generate the same kind of chances that they had in the first half.

"We got a little bit away from our game plan in the second half," Pankratz said. "We got a little bit frazzled and angry instead of just playing."

With a little more than a minute left, Michigan had one last chance to win, when Michigan forward Kelli Gannon's shot from about 10 yards out was turned aside.

"We did dominate the match," Pankratz said. "But sometimes that happens in field hockey, where you dominate the match - outshoot them - and you don't win.

"We had two post saves, a cross ball that hit the post and a lot of missed opportunities on shots. And when those don't fall you can't win. Sometimes those fall and sometimes they don't."

In Saturday's contest against Northeastern, the Wolverines took advantage of their opportunities in the first period, scoring three goals en route to a 4-1 victory.

Wilkinson opened the scoring against Northeastern less than two minutes into the game. Northeastern came back to tie it four minutes later, but goals by Lindsay Babbit and Gannon gave the Wolverines a two-goal lead at the half.

Michigan freshman Jessie Veith put the game out of reach, scoring 15 minutes into the second half.

Even with yesterday's loss, the Wolverines felt they had played well enough to earn respect from Easterners, which could help them to gain an NCAA berth.

"This was the first time that we've come and played Boston schools," Michigan defender Ashley Reichenbach said. "We didn't come out with a win (against Boston College) but I think we played good hockey this weekend. I think people now have a good impression of us. It's definitely big to play well out east, and maybe at the end of the season that will help us out."

Despite their disappointment with the loss, Pankratz said the Wolverines need to put it behind them and prepare for the start of the Big Ten season.

"It was a big game for us," Pankratz said. "If we could have won it would have changed where we are. But, our season starts Thursday. Big Tens is really our focus and we play Michigan State on Thursday. Hopefully we can learn from this match and get into our game for Thursday."

09-21-98