EAST LANSING - Although the offense received the glory in the No. 12 Michigan field hockey team's 1-0 victory over the 11th-ranked Spartans last night, it was the defense that kept the game alive.
The Michigan defense was the first to hold Michigan State's offense scoreless this season, limiting the Spartans to only one shot on goal. A defensive stand in the last minute of regulation sealed Michigan's victory, preventing the Spartans from capitalizing on two penalty corners that could have tied the score and sent the game to overtime.
"Our defensive strategy was just to play our game, work with each other, really communicate, just let the ball do the work, and keep it to the outside," said senior captain Ashley Reichenbach, a stalwart of the Michigan defense. "That was the main point - to keep it to the outside, because their main strength was in the center. We just stuck to the game plan and it worked."
Although the Spartans' last-minute scoring opportunities added extra drama to the game, the Michigan defenders knew they could handle the situation.
"It was pretty scary," sophomore Catherine Foreman said, "but we had confidence we would get them out and luckily, we did."
Despite not seeing much action during the majority of the match, junior goalkeeper Kati Oakes maintained her focus and came through when the team needed her most.
"Today, the rest of the team was really high." Oakes said, "Michigan State had a lot of fans out there. I didn't have too much trouble" maintaining intensity.
A major factor in Michigan's defensive successes all year has been the experience of the unit. Led by Reichenbach, Foreman and Oakes, the Wolverines refuse to be intimidated by any offense they face.
"I think that our defense is very experienced, very smart," Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz said. "I think that they know to do the right thing."
This defensive leadership and experience will be crucial as Michigan continues conference play and faces some of the country's elite teams.
"This is exactly what we need to go into the Big Ten season," Reichenbach said. "We're just going to ride the wave and keep on going."
09-23-99
| Previous Article |
should be sent to: daily.letters@umich.edu | should be sent to: online.daily@umich.edu |