Michigan’s defense defeats Ohio State in a 1-0 nailbiter victory

The No. 6 Michigan field hockey team knew it was in for a defensive showdown against No. 4 Ohio State. 

Sunday, in a rivalry match-up, the Wolverines  (8-1 overall, 2-0 Big Ten) defeated the Buckeyes (9-1, 1-1) due to freshman forward Cami Wiseman’s game-winning goal. But that one goal on the scoreboard wasn’t the main reason Michigan won. Even before the blow of the whistle to start the first quarter, the Wolverines knew they needed a strong defense and consistent intensity in order to leave the field victorious.

“Ohio State is always a very talented team, especially in the forward line, but also defensively, so we had to work on our strengths,” Wiseman said. “We have some amazing defenders in the backfield that could really lock down some of their better players.”

Despite the strength of Michigan’s defensive unit consisting of direct passes and numerous blocks, its offense struggled early on, getting only four shots off and zero goals by halftime. As the game progressed, though, the intensity increased along with it.

In the third quarter, the ball continued to bounce between the middle of the field, often getting interrupted between transitions leaving both teams scoreless and shotless. However, about seven minutes in, the Wolverines earned a penalty corner. They were blocked three times initially, until Wiseman picked up a rebound and dove to push the ball into the back of the Buckeyes’ net.

Although Michigan had taken the lead, the team knew that it must maintain its defensive composure to keep it — especially against a team as deep as Ohio State.

“The game is not over so anything could happen,” Wiseman said. “We’re up 1-0 but that’s not enough, we need to maintain ourselves, keep our cool and continue the game.”

While Wiseman’s goal was crucial for the Wolverines’ victory, their defense alongside redshirt freshman goalkeeper Hala Silverstein were the flames that fueled this fire. Michigan’s goalkeepers enter every game with hopes of a shutout since the start of the season, and they have been successful numerous times. However, with such a low-scoring game like Sunday’s, it can be very tedious for the defensive unit to achieve this goal. 

“Playing a 0-0 game for a majority of the game is always stressful,” Silverstein said. “It can be intense but I have a lot of trust in my defenders, so I had a good feeling about today and that we were going to come out on top and it was just the process of getting there.”

What the defensive unit found the most useful was good communication and organization. The Wolverines were extremely vocal on the field. When the ball entered their circle, they maintained a strong formation to keep the ball away from their goalkeeper at any cost, concluding the game with only four shots allowed on net. 

“Obviously the ball isn’t always coming at me, but my job as our goalkeeper usually involves communicating and just keeping us organized in the back, which I also have a lot to owe to my defenders today,” Silverstein said. “They did a great job, but we definitely work as a team to keep organized and if we can reduce the shots on goal that’s even better. If I don’t have to touch the ball, that’s great.”

On Sunday, it may have been Wiseman’s goal that made the difference on the scoreboard, but it was Michigan’s defense that earned it the rivalry win.

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