Fifteen seconds into its match on Friday, the No. 16 Michigan field hockey team had its first corner against Maryland. In what the Wolverines hoped would be a comeback match, this was the strong offensive start they needed.
However, the corner did not result in a goal, signaling the start of a trend. Senior forward Kate McLaughlin’s reverse chip went high, soaring over the goal cage and out of bounds. Throughout the game, the Wolverines had nine total offensive corner opportunities, but failed to capitalize on any of them.
In the end, Michigan fell to the Terrapins 1-0, in a defensive battle.
“We had 20 shots and we had zero goals, that needs to change,” senior back Anouk Veen said. “But we also just need to keep our heads up high. We had a great game, we’re not back to zero.”
As Veen suggested, the Wolverines dominated play in the match, controlling possession, earning nine corners to Maryland’s two and outshooting the Terrapins 20-8. Michigan’s downfall was not talent or stamina, but its inability to score goals, specifically during corner opportunities.
In the final minutes of the third quarter, the Wolverines had two back-to-back corners. In the first, a defensive foul stopped the play before it had a chance to develop. The shot on the second opportunity hit the post and ricocheted out of bounds. Almost-goals like these defined Michigan’s corner play throughout the game.
“In the middle, we dominated all of the field play,” Wolverines coach Marcia Pankratz said. “But we didn’t score. We just need to execute the corners better.”
A corner penalty is one of the only times the offense has a true advantage — it’s often the difference between a win and a loss.
But converting corners into goals has been a struggle for Michigan all season. The Wolverines were just 6-7 overall after losing to Maryland. Yet when looking at shots taken and corners granted, Michigan has significantly outperformed its opponents. In total, it has had 32 more corners this season than its opponents have, and has outshot opponents 202-136.
The players and coaching staff emphasized that the Wolverines are making progress, despite what their record suggests.
“We’ve grown every weekend, like we started off not that strong, and then every weekend we’ve gotten better and stronger,” Veen said. “Today we played a great game. We completely outshot them. That gave us so much fire.”
The Wolverines have the means to generate corners. However, they have yet to prove that they can make the adjustments needed to capitalize on these opportunities. Whether or not Michigan can do this could determine if it can finish with a winning record.