Field hockey falls short

BOSTON - Tenths of seconds determined the fate of the Michigan field hockey team. Maryland edged Michigan in the NCAA Championship game yesterday, preventing them from becoming the first Michigan women's team to win a national title.

With less than one second to play in the first half, Maryland freshman forward Carisssa Messimer took a pass from sophomore forward Dina Rizzo and scored to give the Terrapins a 2-0 lead they would never relinquish.

Though the Wolverines will settle for second place in the NCAA Tournament, Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz feels the Wolverines gave Maryland all they had to offer.

"We're proud of our team for continuing to fight after going down 2-0," Pankratz said. "They fought really hard to come back and make it interesting. It was a good hockey game, right down to the last second. What I'm most proud of is that we just we

MARJORIE MARSHALL/Daily Michigan Field Hockey forward Jocelyn LaFace takes control of the ball during the NCAA finals in Boston yesterday.

nt out and played as hard as we could. We're very disappointed, of course, because our players are all champions - they want to win - and to lose the last game is a tough one."

Despite the second-place finish, this year as a whole has been the best ever for the Wolverines. This was the first time Michigan had made the NCAA Tournament in the field hockey team's 26-year history. The Wolverines' 20-win season surpasses their old record of games won in a season by four. The seniors leave a team that went 7-11 when they were freshmen with a 20-7 record, and as runners-up to the national champions.

"I'm sure as time goes by, the seniors will reflect on what an awesome accomplishment it was to come in here and play in the championship," Pankratz said. "For the program, I think it was a huge stepping stone."

Defender Ashley Reichenbach, midfielder Erica Widder, forward Jocelyn LaFace, and goalkeeper Kati Oakes are the three seniors who leave the program after turning it into one of the nation's elite teams.

"I couldn't have written the story any better than it has happened - slightly," Reichenbach said. "It's been a great four years and I have been able to be a part of something that's evolved and done a 360.

We've got a lot to be proud of and I'm so excited for the rest of the team."

Maryland outplayed Michigan - especially in the first half, when the Terrapins outshot the Wolverines, 11-2. But their final shot on goal - which officially came with one second left in the half, seemed to kill any hopes of Michigan winning the game.

Though the goal hurt, there were still 35 minutes left to play, and Michigan had to try to forget the goal during halftime.

The Wolverines "tried not to dwell on it anymore," Pankratz said. "You want to try to regain momentum going into the beginning of the second half. You just have to go on and make adjustments, I thought we did a great job of that."

Though there is a seven-minute break between halves, Reichenbach thought halftime allowed Michigan to get over the goal and come out without losing a step.

"Hockey is a fast-moving game. You don't have time to dwell on anything," she said. "We just came back, stuck to our game plan and regrouped."

Maryland came out of the gate dominating offensively, earning three penalty-corner opportunities. But each Maryland shot was denied by Oakes. Since their three corners failed, the Terrapins found another way to capitalize.

Just more than 10 minutes into the game, Maryland forward Keli Smith found herself in the arc head-to-head with Reichenbach. Smith cut right, blew past Reichenbach and zipped the ball past Oakes to give the Terrapins a 1-0 lead.

After halftime, the determined Michigan squad got its offense rolling. Just 1:04 into the second half, freshman Jessica Rose took the game into her own hands. After receiving a pass from Jessie Veith, Rose cut Maryland's lead in half.

"I was kind of out of position on the play," Rose said. "I got the ball under control, and I saw the goalie approaching me. The ball "was out of my reach, and I just dove. It went in. It was great."

The Terrapins' ball-handling ability was incredible, it was just too much for Michigan to overcome.

"Their individual skills were extremely strong," Pankratz said.

After Rose's goal, the Terrapins went into a preventive defense, and no other goals were scored.

Michigan is a young team, and though its top two defenders and starting goalie are graduating, Pakratz's expectations for next season are high.

With sophomores-to-be like Rose and Molly Powers - who scored the game winning-goal against Connecticut, Pankratz expects her team to be a force.

"These freshmen only know going to the Final Four," Pankratz said. "It's a great foundation to continue to build for the program in future years."

11-22-99