Michigan
(14-2, 8-0Big Ten)
Northwestern
(12-5, 5-2Big Ten)
Michigan Blanks No. 8 Northwestern to Claim Outright Big Ten Title
10/20/2017 7:17:00 PM | Field Hockey
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (Phyllis Ocker Field)
Score: No. 4 Michigan 1, No. 8 Northwestern 0
Records: U-M (14-2, 8-0 Big Ten), NU (12-5, 5-2 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Oct. 22 -- at Louisville (Louisville, Ky.), noon
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Senior Katie Trombetta broke a scoreless tie in the closing 10 minutes of regulation to propel the No. 4-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team to a 1-0 win against No. 8 Northwestern and the outright Big Ten Conference regular-season championship on Friday afternoon (Oct. 20) in front of 526 fans at Phyllis Ocker Field. It was also the Wolverines' 11th consecutive win.
The Wolverines completed their Big Ten slate with a perfect 8-0 record; no other team had fewer than two conference losses. Michigan owns nine Big Ten regular-season titles in program history and have now won five outright -- 2000, 2002, 2007, 2011, 2017.
» Michigan defeated No. 8 Northwestern, 1-0, to claim the Big Ten regular season outright with a perfect 8-0 conference record.
» Katie Trombetta netted the game-winner on a direct penalty-corner shot, which deflected off a Wildcats defender, at the 60:49 mark.
» Sam Swenson earned four saves to claim her seventh complete-game shutout and U-M's ninth during its 11-game winning streak.
Michigan converted on a late penalty-corner opportunity, with Trombetta's direct shot ricocheting off a Wildcats defender and high into the cage. Junior Maggie Bettez and sophomore Guadalupe Fernandez Lacort earned assists for the insert and stop, respectively. It was Trombetta's third goal of the season.
The Wolverines kept up the pressure after the go-ahead goal, drawing three more corners, including two with less than two minutes remaining in regulation. Northwestern drew a late corner of its own, however, and played it out with time expired. The direct shot was blocked, play was whistled dead and despite its extended protest, Northwestern was out of video referrals and could not ask the umpires to review it.
It was the fifth time in consecutive series meetings that the Michigan-Northwestern game was decided by just one goal.
Michigan outshot the Wildcats, 13-8, and outcornered them, 8-3. Senior goalkeeper Sam Swenson earned four saves for her seventh complete-game shutout -- and U-M's ninth over the last 11 games -- while Northwestern goalie Annie Kalfas stopped three of four Michigan shots on goal.
Michigan (14-2, 8-0 Big Ten) will travel to Louisville, Kentucky, to face No. 7 Louisville at noon on Sunday (Oct. 22) at Trager Stadium. The game will be streamed live on ESPN3.
Team Stats
Trombetta, Katie (3)
Assisted By: Fernandez Lacort, G. , Bettez, Maggie
direct corner shot, deflected off defens
60:49
