Michigan defeats Miami, 3-2, in hard fought, physical win

As the Michigan field hockey team stepped onto the turf of Ocker field Sunday, it was ready for a fight. The Wolverines came into the game carrying a six-game winning streak, including a win against their rival Michigan State. They weren’t planning on letting Miami University spoil their run.

In an intense game against the RedHawks (5-5), No. 8 Michigan (7-1) fought through the physicality of the game to score goals in spite of penalties, and walk away winners.

Throughout the first quarter, the ball didn’t seem to stop moving between the ends of the field. Wolverines redshirt junior back midfielder Claire Taylor and redshirt senior back midfielder Pilar Oliveros made tight passes, playing a crucial role in giving Michigan’s offense a chance to score. And their efforts were finally rewarded when Taylor assisted graduate midfielder Erin Reilly on a penalty goal, putting her team up early, 1-0. 

“It was awesome, especially because we’ve been working on corner reps so much during practice,” Reilly said. “Claire Taylor is an awesome stick stopper, and she pushes it out for me the same way every time, so all I needed to do was take a deep breath and hit it in.”

The Wolverines’ good vibe continued into the second quarter, with a penalty-corner goal from Oliveros, assisted by sophomore stopper Abby Burnett. Michigan was up 2-0 going into halftime, showing its grit and skill amid the action of the game. 

Pressured after Reilly’s and Oliveros’ goals, the RedHawks played with urgency, forcing Michigan turnovers that gave them chances to score. With both teams playing under a sheet of tension, penalties on both sides were a defining characteristic of the game. This took a toll on Michigan when graduate forward Lora Clarke received a 10 minute yellow card penalty, putting her out during the end of the second quarter and the beginning of the third. 

“I have to keep my emotions even keeled, and I’ll take responsibility for that,” Clarke said. “Moving forward, I think it’s a good lesson, we need to maintain our composure throughout the remainder of the game.”

With the penalties continuing on into the third quarter for both squads, a yellow card was called on Miami forward Henriette Schlueter, and a green card was issued to Wolverines sophomore back Abby Burnett. In this moment, Miami found the momentum it was looking for. Coming off of a penalty shot, the RedHawks scored, cutting their deficit to 2-1. 

While both teams played with increased energy for the remainder of the third quarter,  Michigan regained its two-point lead after sophomore forward Juliette Manzur netted her second goal of the season, making the score 3-1.

In a final attempt to even the score, Miami received a yellow card. However, it didn’t phase the RedHawks one bit as they scored a goal off of a penalty shot right after, forcing the Wolverines to remain competitive going into the fourth quarter. 

Both teams took things to another level going into the fourth. Miami frantically attempted to catch up, but Michigan’s defense held strong, keeping the score at 3-2. Both teams fought hard towards the end, resulting in a few frantic plays, and frustrations with the referees. As the clock ran out, Michigan was relieved to have earned a victory. 

“This team is a bunch of fighters,” Reilly said. “We fought hard all 60 minutes and never let up. We played through every bit of adversity and came out on top.” 

Through the penalties and physicality, the Wolverines proved they can hang in a dog fight. They pushed through to win with impressive assists, working together to move the ball past the RedHawks’ fierce defense and keep their win streak alive in the process.

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