MUNCIE, Ind. — Being in the right place at the right time
paid dividends for the No. 7 Michigan field hockey team this
weekend. Precision passing and immaculate positioning helped the
Wolverines to a Hoosier State sweep, as they defeated Ball State
4-0 yesterday in Muncie and No. 17 Indiana 4-1 at
Bloomington’s Mellencamp Pavilion on Friday.

After just five minutes yesterday, Michigan senior Jessica Blake
found the back of the net with a shot from the middle of the
circle. Sophomore Mary Fox took a shot that was blocked by a Ball
State defender, but Blake was in perfect position to corner the
rebound. Taking a quick sidestep to the left side of the goal, she
was able to put it past helpless Ball State goalkeeper Tracy
Bannister to help the Wolverines draw first blood.

The Cardinals battled throughout the first half, but
Michigan’s central defense was unbreakable, with seniors Kate
Dillon and Katy Moyneur denying the Ball State offense any chance
to even the score. The few shots that the Cardinals were able to
slip past the Wolverines’ defense were swiftly turned aside
by sophomore goalkeeper Beth Riley.

Meanwhile, Michigan continued to pressure Bannister and the Ball
State defense by spreading the field — using the speed of
Blake, Fox, and sophomores Katie Morris and Jill Civic to create
scoring chances. The Cardinals were able to prevent Michigan from
extending its lead in the first half, but the Wolverines’
halftime discussion helped them rededicate themselves to the
fundamentals they have been working on in practice. It paid off
with a second half explosion.

“We had started a little slow today,” Dillon said.
“But we came together at halftime and discussed what we
needed to work on and get better at. We really executed on
everything we said that we were going to in the second
half.”

Blake began the Wolverines’ three-goal rally with a slap
shot from the top right of the circle. Once again there was nothing
Bannister could do, and Cardinals’ coach Annette Payne called
a timeout, hoping to rally her players before the game was beyond
their reach.

The revival lasted a mere three minutes until Michigan senior
Adrienne Hortillosa ended all hopes of a Cardinal comeback with a
shot from 10 yards out into the lower left corner. After passing
the ball to Blake, Hortillosa received the return pass and turned
it to the goal.

Michigan’s final goal came when Blake passed it across the
goalmouth to a streaking Morris, who tipped it in. The assist
brought Blake’s point total for the game to six, and her
season total to 33 — more than halfway to former Wolverine
Julie Flachs’s single-season record of 64 — with more
than half a season to go.

On Friday, Indiana challenged Michigan for the entire 70 minutes
in a game that was much closer able to mount numerous threats, but
the Wolverines found themselves in position for easy goals, a focus
point for them in practice.

“In the circle you want to make sure everyone is in the
right positions,” Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz said.
“We frame up the goal, and cover the rebounds, so it worked
out that they were in the right positions. Sometimes the ball goes
there, and that is nice to see.”

The Wolverines took an early lead when Fox tipped in an errant
shot by Blake. After a corner taken by Wolverines’ sophomore
Kara Lentz, the ball came out to Blake, who fired a shot that was
headed wide right before Fox tapped it past Indiana goalkeeper
Katie Kanara.

Indiana’s best chance of the first half came when
sophomore Lydia Schrott was tripped inside of the circle. Sophomore
Mallory Reabold took the penalty stroke, but Riley stood tall and
denied Indiana a chance to pull within one.

Michigan’s second goal was almost a carbon copy of its
first. Hortillosa took the ball from sophomore Kara Lentz’s
penalty corner, slid the ball to junior Lori Hillman, who shot it
to Kanara’s left. After an Indiana defender fumbled with the
clearing pass, Civic was there to put it in.

Civic scored her second goal of the contest after another
corner. Hillman drove deep into the circle, and shot it across the
goalmouth to Civic, who redirected it into the goal. From there the
Wolverines appeared to be sitting comfortably, but Indiana pulled
within two when senior Morgan Miller rocketed the ball past
Riley.

Miller’s goal came off of a textbook penalty corner.
Schrott passed to freshman Meredith Brown who set up Miller’s
fourth goal of the season.

It was only 1:26 before Michigan answered, reversing the
momentum that Miller’s goal had created. Blake took the ball
near the top of the circle and lifted it into the upper left corner
of the goal.