Field hockey to host Michigan today
Rebounding after a winless weekend for the field hockey team is easier when its next opponent is Michigan, said sophomore Paulina Lee.
The Wolverines and the Chippewas will take the field at 3 p.m. today at the CMU Field Hockey Complex.
“I feel like anytime we are playing against a Big Ten contender, we always play really well,” Lee said. “These types of games tend to bring out the best in our team. I think it is going to be a very competitive game and I hope we can play really well against them.”
The Wolverines will be the third Big Ten opponent the Chippewas have faced this season, and the team has developed a track record of matching up against such teams.
CMU traveled Sept. 20 to Columbus, Ohio, and lost 1-0 to No. 20 Ohio State. On Oct. 11, the Chippewas traveled to East Lansing and lost to No. 8 Michigan State 2-0.
The Wolverines are solid across the field and have a tough offensive and defensive attack, said coach Cristy Freese.
“What I think about Michigan in terms of a team is that they are a good well-rounded team,” Freese said. “They have strong defenders in the backfield, and they have got people up front that can score, so they are pretty well-rounded. They are very well-coached and they played Michigan State really tough this weekend and lost 2-1. They will be a challenge for us.”
Playing defense
The defense allowed just 14 goals in nine games, while the offense scored 12 goals. However, last weekend, the team allowed 10 goals in two games and the offense contributed with two goals in the same two-game span.
“I think our defense needs to get back and sort of close down the passing lanes for Michigan,” Freese said. “We also need to try to generate some offense off of fast breaks or penalty corners.”
Last weekend, CMU’s defense was missing senior Lizl Gericke on Sunday against Ohio, and the team allowed five goals for the third time this season.
“One of the problems this past Sunday against OU was that we had a senior defender down due to injury,” Freese said. “We are hoping that if we can get her back for the Michigan game or hopefully for the games this weekend, that will settle our defense down.”
Lee said she thinks the non-conference game against the Wolverines could serve as a solid start to the final week of the season.
“This is our last week of regular competition and then we go to the MAC Tournament. We just need to focus and get things done that we need to get done,” she said.
