The Wolverine

October 2021

The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports

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54 THE WOLVERINE OCTOBER 2021 BY RYAN TICE M arcia Pankratz and her Michigan field hockey team went into their season opener — a national champion- ship game rematch from only 110 days prior, since COVID-19 pushed last season back to the spring — not at full strength. In addition to the typical injuries a team has to deal with, which held two players out according to the veteran coach, there were four standout Wolver- ines competing at the Junior Pan Ameri- can Championships. Seniors Kathryn Peterson and Sofia Southam, and fresh- man Abby Tamer helped America claim a bronze, while sophomore Pilar Oliveros was on the silver medal-winning Uru- guayan team. Southam (10 goals, one assist) and Tamer (two goals, two assists) are among the top three on the team in points since returning, despite the missed time, with Southam No. 1 and Tamer tied for third. Peterson (four points, four starts) and Oliveros (three starts, one goal) have also proven to be key components for U-M. In Iowa City at the ACC/Big Ten Chal- lenge, in not only a championship re- match but a No. 1 vs. No. 2 showdown according to the preseason polls, Michi- gan opened the campaign by overcoming two fourth-quarter goals from three- time defending NCAA champion North Carolina to get revenge with a 3-2 win. "Our team was really excited to get a rematch with North Carolina," Pan- kratz explained. "We felt it was really a nip-and-tuck game in the national championship, going down in over- time on a pretty tough call. I think they were looking forward to playing them again. "We had six players who weren't in the game for us. The rest of the team really stepped up and played great. They went toe to toe with them, took it to them, and I couldn't have been more proud of them." The coach admitted her team "felt we were worthy of that title" they lost out on in heartbreaking fashion last May, which added to the motivation. "We are never shy to take on a chal- lenge, and I was excited with how well our team played in that first game," she said. U-M also faced No. 11 Wake Forest on opening weekend down six players and posted a 2-0 shutout. After the Wolver- ines topped Central Michigan 8-0, they ascended to the No. 1 ranking for the first OLYMPIC SPORTS UPDATE Field Hockey Ascends To The Nation's Top Spot For The First Time Ever Field hockey won the Wolverines' first NCAA title in a women's sport in 2001, but had not attained the No. 1 national ranking until this season, after opening the year with shorthanded wins over No. 1 North Carolina and No. 11 Wake Forest. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY NATIONAL RANKINGS FOR FALL OLYMPIC SPORTS As of Sept. 20 Team Record Ranking Field Hockey 6-0 1 Women's Cross Country — 9 Women's Soccer 7-1-1 21 Men's Cross Country — 24 Volleyball 7-2 RV

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