Princeton University Athletics
Princeton Falls To Michigan In Field Hockey Final Four
November 16, 2001 | Field Hockey
Nov. 16, 2001
Kent, Ohio - Three second-half goals, including a penalty stroke by sophomore defender Stephanie Johnson with 5:57 remaining, propelled the seventh-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team to its second NCAA championship game in three seasons as the Wolverines downed No. 6 Princeton 4-2 on Friday (Nov. 16) in the first NCAA semifinal at Kent State's Dix Stadium.
After a fairly even first half, the Wolverines (17-5) peppered the Tiger defense with 13 second-half shots, including 10 on net, while holding Princeton to just four shots, including two that reached senior goalkeeper Maureen Tasch. Michigan outshot the Tigers in the contest 19-8 while outcornering them by an 11-3 margin.
Michigan found itself down by one goal less than 10 minutes into the game when Princeton's Emily Towsend picked up a loose ball and put it past Tasch. With the Tigers attempting their second penalty corner of the game, Cory Picketts put a shot on net, which was saved by Tasch and left in front between two U-M defenders and Townsend. Townsend picked up the ball and beat a sprawling Tasch on her left side to go up 1-0. The Wolverines answered just over 10 minutes later at the 13:29 mark when junior forward Jessica Rose put a rebound past PU goalkeeper Kelly Baril. Working out of its fifth penalty corner of the game, Johnson took the initial shot, which caromed to Rose on the right side for the score.
Early in the second half, the Tigers regained the lead at 2-1 just over five minutes into the stanza when Picketts lofted a pass from Ilvy Friebe over Tasch. The Wolverines responded immediately, scoring 40 seconds later, as junior forward Molly Powers took a pass from freshman midfielder Jessica Blake and shelved it over Baril.
The Wolverines took their first lead of the game with 25:15 remaining off the stick of sophomore forward April Fronzoni, who scored on an individual effort along the right goal line to put U-M up for good, 3-2.
Johnson gave Michigan a two-goal lead on her penalty stroke, which was set up by Powers. The Wolverines put a shot on net from outside the circle, which was let go by Baril and stopped by the left post. As the ball lay at the left post, Powers and Baril met at the ball, and a shot by Powers was batted down by a hand from the Tiger defense, setting up Johnson's insurance goal.
With the win, the Wolverines advance to the NCAA championship game to face the winner of the second semifinal between No. 1 Maryland and No. 3 Wake Forest.