Fourth-ranked stickers rip opponents in Iowa

By Benjamin Singer

Daily Sports Writer

Recently just to score against the Michigan field hockey team has been a moral victory for opponents.

The fourth-ranked Wolverines (3-0 Big Ten, 12-1 overall) blanked Iowa, 4-0, Friday and then finished off nonconference foes Southwest Missouri, 4-1, the next day. Both games took place at Grant Field, the Hawkeyes home field.

Michigan has only given up two goals in its past five games. Even more impressive for the defense is it hasn't allowed more than five shots on goal per game in its past seven competitions.

"It's a testament to the overall defense of the team from the forwards down to the defense," Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz said.

There has been little shortage of offense as well. For the eighth time in ten games, at least one Michigan sticker had a multi-goal game.

"There are a bunch of us that play forward," senior co-captain Regan Wulfsberg said. "On any given day, one of us can step it up."

The deep roster means that someone will be open for goals.

"If people start to key in on one particular person, someone else will pick up the load," Pankratz said. "That's great for us because we're very versatile and balanced."

Wulfsberg had two goals against Southwest Missouri. But this time the other co-captain Kelli Gannon started the offense for Michigan with a penalty shot at 12:57. She added two assists to raise her all-time point tally to 112, second on Michigan's all-time list.

Junior goalie Maureen Tasch faced only four shots, but still got a little help from her teammates. After she dove out of the net for a ball that got past her, junior defender Catherine Foreman made a stop in net and was credited with a save.

"Catherine Foreman has been playing as well as she ever has," Pankratz said.

Foreman also had two assists, as did senior Courtney Reid.

The stifling defense gives the offense more freedom.

"It's good to know that you can take risks," Wulfsberg said.

But Michigan's offensive explosions often come late in the game making the beginnings a tense competition.

In the Iowa game, Michigan had to hold onto a slim 1-0 lead until Gannon scored with 6:28 remaining in the game. Two more goals quickly followed - one from Gannon and one from her freshman sister Kristi Gannon.

"We should be starting off quicker and at a higher tempo," Kelli Gannon said.

Kelli Gannon's goals in the Iowa game moved past Julie Flachs for second on the team's all-time point list with 108.

Despite Gannon rising on Michigan's scoring list, an unlikely candidate had the game winner. Junior defender Ashley Thomas scored her second-career goal with six minutes gone in the first half.