» No. 7 Michigan scored two goals in the final 62 seconds, including the game-winner with eight seconds left, to rally past Stanford, 3-2, in Palo Alto.
» Abby Tamer scored the winning goal at 59:52 after tipping Eva Bernardy’s hard pass from the midfield; it was her second late game-winner this season.
» U-M scored three unanswered goals in the second half; Juliette Manzur and Esmee de Willigen both scored off the penalty corner — the latter with the tying goal at 58:58.
PALO ALTO, Calif. — The No. 7-ranked University of Michigan field hockey team scored twice in the final 62 seconds to rally past Stanford, 3-2, on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 14) at the Cardinal’s at Laird Q. Cagan Stadium. The Wolverines scored three unanswered goals in the second half to extend their win streak to four straight games.
Graduate student Abby Tamer scored the game-winning goal at 59:52 — with just eight seconds left in regulation and 54 seconds after Michigan evened the score after trailing for all but four minutes of the contest.
With the clock winding down, the Wolverines worked the ball around the back to sophomore Eva Bernardy, who hammered a hard pass into the circle from about 35 yards out. Tamer, camped out in front the cage, slid on a knee to get her stick on the ball and redirect high into the top right corner. It was Tamer’s fourth goal this season and second game-winner — and mirrored her first on a tip goal with 27 seconds left against Wake Forest (Aug. 31).
Michigan tied the game off a penalty corner at the 58:58 mark. Tamer rocketed the direct shot from the top of the arc, and junior Esmée de Willigen lunged to tip it in from the right post for her second goal of the season.
It was the Wolverines’ second corner goal of the second half after breaking through at 38:24 to get on the scoreboard. Michigan took advantage with Stanford a defender down after a false start. Junior Juliette Manzur inserted and then banged in the rebound on her reverse when the ball kicked toward the left post. It was her third goal this season.
Stanford had largely dominated the third quarter to that point, and Michigan had turned away back-to-back-back Cardinal corners five minutes earlier. The same happened in reverse to the Wolverines in the second quarter. Michigan controlled the tempo and the ball for much of the frame, but it was Stanford which scored out of a scrum near the right post to double its lead at the 23:00 mark.
The Cardinal got on the board early, at 3:01, after converting on the game’s first corner with a second-effort goal after the initial shot was blocked in front. Stanford led the game for the next 56 minutes before the late Michigan comeback.
In all, Michigan outshot the Cardinal 14-10 and outcornered them 6-4. Junior/sophomore Hala Silverstein and graduate student Caylie McMahon played a half each, and combined for the win with a save apiece. Stanford goalkeeper Daisy Ford stopped three of six U-M shots on goal.
Michigan (4-1) will kick off Big Ten Conference play next Friday (Sept. 19) when it hosts in-state rival Michigan State at 6 p.m. at Phyllis Ocker Field. The Wolverines will also host James Madison at 1 p.m. on Sunday (Sept. 21). Both games will be streamed live on B1G+.
