The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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56 THE WOLVERINE SEPTEMBER 2021 OLYMPIC SPORTS in the final kilometer before finishing with a time of 21:27.4. She will look to carry that momentum into her sec- ond season in Ann Arbor. • Fifth-year senior Kathryn House — The Chicagoan has plenty of ex- perience, having been a member of U-M's 2018 Big Ten champion cross country team. She has also competed in two NCAA Championships during her career. In this past spring's event, she concluded the race 84th overall — notching her first top-100 finish at the national championships — and second on the team with a 21:24.6 time. Don't Miss: At Penn State National Open (State College, Pa.) Oct. 15. FIELD HOCKEY First Event: Vs. North Carolina in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge (Iowa City, Iowa) Aug. 27. Season Outlook: Defending na- tional runner-up U-M, which has made it to the national semifinals two out of the past four years, gets a crack at reigning national champion North Carolina in a rematch of last year's na- tional title game right out of the gate. The Wolverines will aim to re- peat as Big Ten regular-season and tournament champs in a year they host the NCAA Championships. The schedule doesn't do them any favors, with four opponents having earned a bid to last year's tournament, but U-M has experience on its side, with all six of its top point scorers, plus its starting goalie, set to return. Top Three Athletes: • Fifth-year senior midfielder Halle O'Neill — She moved to center midfield last season after three seasons at center back and shined in her new role. A National Field Hockey Coaches Association (NFHCA) first-team All- American and first-team All-Big Ten standout, O'Neill slotted third on the team in goals (three) and second in assists (five). She was named the Big Ten Tournament MVP and an NCAA All-Tournament Team selection. • Senior goalkeeper Anna Spieker — Last season, she became just the second All-America goalkeeper in U-M history, and was named second- team All-Big Ten after starting 17 games in the cage. She ranked third nationally with both a .836 save per- centage and 0.60 goals-against aver- age, the latter mark standing as the U-M single-season record. • Junior forward/midfielder Sarah Pyrtek — A second-team All- Big Ten honoree last season, Pyrtek started all 18 games at forward and led the Wolverines in scoring with seven goals (three more than anyone else on the team), three assists and 17 points. Her year was highlighted by scoring the tying goal to force over- time against UNC in the national title game, a theme of her career in which she's scored four tying or go-ahead goals in 28 appearances. Don't Miss: At Penn State (State College, Pa.) Oct. 29. MEN'S SOCCER First Event: Vs. Detroit Mercy (Ann Arbor, Mich.) Aug. 26 Season Outlook: The Wolverines finished third in the Big Ten during 2020's delayed season that took place this spring, posting a 6-4-1 overall record and 5-3-1 mark in conference play and losing to a ranked Penn State squad in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals to conclude the year. They've got plenty of experience returning, and have the chance to build on what they did in 2020, a season that included the program's 200th win. In fact, all but two of the 12 players who scored a point remain on the roster — the exceptions being joint leading point-scorer Jackson Ra- gen (five goals) and midfielder Carlos Tellez (one assist). U-M ranked top three in the Big Ten in shots, points, goals and assists. In addition, ju- nior Owen Finnerty, who started 10 matches on the year and notched four shutouts, will add continuity in goal. Top Three Athletes: • Fifth-year senior midfielder Marc Ybarra — The returning Big Ten Mid- fielder of the Year is one of five Wol- verines to be using their extra year of eligibility. A first-team All-Big Ten hon- oree, Ybarra tied for the team's lead in scoring with 10 points, including a team-high six assists and two goals. He has 22 assists and six goals, including three game-winners, for his career. • Fifth-year senior defenseman Joel Harrison — The Canadian, who was picked No. 53 overall by the Vancouver Whitecaps in the 2021 MLS SuperDraft, has unfinished business at U-M, fol- lowing a standout year that was cut short in 2020. Harrison suffered a sea- son-ending injury at Indiana March 27, following what had been a stellar cam- paign to that point. He was solid and consistent on U-M's backline — play- ing on a unit that allowed 1.27 goals per game (fifth-best in the Big Ten) — and earned a first-team All-Big Ten nod. • Sophomore midfielder Bryce Blevins — The Plainfield, Ill., native Last season, senior Anna Spieker became just the second All-American field hockey goal- keeper in U-M history, after ranking third nationally with both a .836 save percentage and 0.60 goals-against average. PHOTO COURTESY U-M ATHLETICS