No. 4 Michigan powers past Buck stickers

By Benjamin Singer

Daily Sports Writer

Frustration turned into elation with 55 seconds left on the clock in the Michigan field hockey team's 2-1 victory over Ohio State, yesterday.

The fourth-ranked Wolverines controlled the tempo the entire game but didn't have the goals to show for it. In the final minute, freshman April Fronzoni's goal on a 2-on-1 breakaway completed Michigan's come-from-behind victory over its Big Ten rival.

"It was all just a reaction," Fronzoni said. "Right before that, I looked at the clock and I said we have 1:12, what am I going to do if the ball comes down? Next thing I knew, I had the ball."

In one of the rare second half moments where Ohio State had possession of the ball, junior Courtney Reid broke up the Buckeye's play to switch back to the more familiar scene of Michigan on the attack.

The long pass from junior Ashley Thomas to Fronzoni set-up the golden opportunity as sophomore Molly Powers was on the other side of the field in case Fronzoni needed help.

"I was ready for the rebound, the pass, whatever," Powers said. "That goal was going in, that's all I know."

Fronzoni saw Powers in the corner, but still went for the shot herself.

"I knew if it didn't go in, (Powers) would tap it in," Fronzoni said. Ohio State first took the lead when its scoring leader, Mariana Solarzano got her eighth goal of the year on a corner with 15:57 to go in the first half.

By the end of the first half, Michigan was bombarding Blanton with shots but coming up short every time. Michigan's control of the game continued through the second half as Ohio State didn't have a shot on goal after halftime.

"It was a matter of not getting frazzled and not getting impatient and sticking with what we do well," Pankratz said. "The mentality is difficult when you plug away and plug away and it doesn't fall. I was happy that we just stayed with it to the end."

The first sigh of relief came for the Wolverines on their 14th corner attempt when Powers deflected in freshman Kristi Gannon's attempted shot with 13:36 to go in the game.

Hard luck then hit Ohio State in the form on an injury as Solaranzo left the game for good with a knee injury with 8:53 remaining. But with Michigan always on offense, her departure may not have had such a strong impact on the final outcome.

"We had the momentum at that point and we just tried to continue," Pankratz said.

"She's incredibly dangerous on corners, so if anything there was a little bit less stress on giving up a corner on our defensive end."

After Fronzoni's go-ahead goal, the Wolverines celebrated almost as though the game were over, but Ohio State called time to plan for the final 55 seconds.

"We would have probably called a time out if Ohio State hadn't to get everyone calmed," Pankratz said.

A conservative offense by Michigan simply played keep-away from the Buckeyes as the clock expired.