Four months ago, the Michigan field hockey team walked off the field in Chapel Hill in defeat after a heartbreaking overtime loss in the national championship game. The Wolverines’ title hopes were dashed by the host Tar Heels, putting an end to a COVID-altered season.
On Friday, the 2021 Michigan team got a chance to exact its revenge at the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Iowa City. The second-ranked Wolverines drew No. 1 North Carolina in their season-opener and didn’t let the opportunity go to waste. Michigan staved off the Tar Heels comeback to secure a 3-2 win.
Freshman Alana Richardson netted the Wolverines’ first goal of the season early in the game and Michigan never looked back. Upperclassmen Tina D’Anjolell and Sarah Pyrtek buried a rebound and tallied an empty-net goal, respectively, propelling the offense to a three-goal performance against the Tar Heels’ stout defense. Senior goalkeeper Anna Spieker saved two North Carolina shots to preserve Michigan’s wire-to-wire lead.
Despite being outshot 11-7 and out-cornered 4-1, the Wolverines held on and secured revenge in the title game rematch. With the win, Michigan firmly cements itself at the center of the 2021 national championship conversation.
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