Michigan Wolverines field hockey


The Michigan Wolverines field hockey team is the intercollegiate field hockey program representing the University of Michigan. The school competes in the Big Ten Conference in Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The Michigan field hockey team plays its home games at Phyllis Ocker Field on the university campus in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Michigan has won an NCAA Championship as well as eight Big Ten regular season titles and five Big Ten tournaments since the creation of the field hockey program in 1973. The team is currently coached by Marcia Pankratz.

History

Field hockey has been a varsity sport at the University of Michigan since 1973. From 1978 to 1988 and again from 1992 to the present, Michigan has played in the Big Ten Conference. Between 1989 and 1991, the team played in the Midwestern Collegiate Field Hockey Conference. The team won a number of major championships during the late 1990s and early 2000s, beginning with a Big Ten regular season title in 1997 and a Big Ten tournament championship in 1999. This streak of successes under head coach Marcia Pankratz culminated with the team's first and to date only national championship in 2001. The achievement was the first NCAA title won by a women's sports team at the University of Michigan, and was also just the second time a Midwestern university had claimed the championship after Iowa had done it first in 1986.

Season-by-season results

YearHead CoachOverallPct.Conf.Pct.Conf.
Place		Conf.
Tourn.		Postseason
1973Phyllis Weikart1–3–1–––––
1974Phyllis Ocker2–8–––––
1975Phyllis Ocker5–6–––––
1976Phyllis Ocker8–3–––––
1977Phyllis Ocker7–8–3–––––
1978Candy Zientek11–8–––5th–
1979Candy Zientek13–8–1–––2nd–
1980Candy Zientek11–8–––T7th–
1981Candy Zientek11–8–1–––6th–
1982Candy Zientek13–33–23rd––
1983Karen Collins9–73–74th––
1984Karen Collins1–13–50–7–3T5th––
1985Karen Collins1–14–21–8–16th––
1986Karen Collins9–11–11–8–1T5th––
1987Karen Collins11–6–32–6–25th––
1988Karen Collins6–10–41–6–1T4th––
1989Patti Smith9–9–23–74th––
1990Patti Smith12–7–23–6–14th––
1991Patti Smith9–94–65th––
1992Patti Smith10–83–7T4th––
1993Patti Smith13–74–64th––
1994Patti Smith9–114–65thT5th–
1995Patti Smith12–94–64thT5th–
1996Marcia Pankratz7–112–86thT5th–
1997Marcia Pankratz16–67–3T1st2nd–
1998Marcia Pankratz15–67–32nd2nd–
1999Marcia Pankratz20–77–33rd1stNCAA Runner-Up
2000Marcia Pankratz19–46–01st1stNCAA 2nd Round
2001Marcia Pankratz18–54–23rdT3rdNCAA Champion
2002Marcia Pankratz18–46–01st2ndNCAA 1st Round
2003Marcia Pankratz17–65–1T1st3rdNCAA Final Four
2004Marcia Pankratz17–65–1T1st1stNCAA 2nd Round
2005Nancy Cox16–83–3T3rd1stNCAA 2nd Round
2006Nancy Cox11–94–2T2ndT5th–
2007Nancy Cox16–76–01st2ndNCAA 2nd Round
2008Nancy Cox8–123–35thT5th–
2009Marcia Pankratz7–142–45th5th–
201015–75–1T1st1stNCAA 1st Round-
201115–75–11st2ndNCAA 2nd Round-
201215–74–2T2nd2ndNCAA 1st Round-
201312–84–2T3rdT5th–-
201413–76–2T2ndT3rd–-
201518–57-1T2ndT2ndNCAA Quarterfinal-
201612–85-3T3rdT3rdNCAA First Round-
201721-38-01st1stNCAA Final Four-
201814-77-2T1st3rdNCAA Second Round-

Season-by-season results through the end of the 2018 season

Coaching Staff

As of February 22, 2018

Awards and accolades

National championships

Michigan has accumulated a total of 11 appearances in the NCAA tournament, including three Final Fours. In 2001, the Wolverines won their first NCAA championship by defeating Maryland in the final by a score of 2–0. The victory made them the first women's team at the university to win a national championship, as well as the second field hockey team from the Midwest to earn the title, after Iowa in 1986.
YearCoachOpponentScoreRecord
2001Marcia PankratzMaryland Terrapins2–018–5

Conference championships

Michigan has won Ten conference titles, all of them in the Big Ten Conference and all but one under the leadership of head coach Marcia Pankratz.

All-Americans

SeasonPlayerRemarks
1996Michelle Smulders
1997Julie Flachs
1997Loveita Wilkinson
1998Kelli Gannon
1998Loveita WilkinsonSecond selection
1999Kelli GannonSecond selection
1999Ashley Reichenbach
2000Catherine Foreman
2000April Fronzoni
2000Kelli GannonThird selection;
Second first-team selection
2000Courtney Reid
2001Catherine ForemanSecond selection

SeasonPlayerRemarks
2002April FronzoniSecond selection
2002Kristi Gannon
2002Stephanie Johnson
2002Molly Powers
2003April FronzoniThird selection;
Second first-team selection
2003Kristi GannonSecond first-team selection
2003Stephanie Johnson
2004Lori Hillman
2004Adrienne Hortillosa
2005Lori Hillman
2006Mary Fox

SeasonPlayerRemarks
2007Lucia Belassi
2007Paige Laytos
2010Paige LaytosSecond selection
2010Rachael Mack
2010Meredith Way
2011Bryn Bain
2011Rachael MackSecond selection
2012Rachel MackThird selection
2012Ainsley McCallister
2013Rachael MackFourth selection
2014Ainsley McCallister
2015Lauren Thomas
2015Sam Swenson
2016Katie Trombetta
2017Katie TrombettaSecond Selection
2017Meg Dowthwaite
2017Sam SwensonSecond Selection

Awards and accolades through the end of the 2014 season

Stadium

Michigan has played its home games at Phyllis Ocker Field Hockey Field since its construction in 1995. The field is named after Phyllis Ocker, a former University of Michigan educator, field hockey coach, and athletics administrator. Between the end of the 2013 season and the start of the 2014 season, Ocker Field underwent substantial renovations that included the installation of a blue AstroTurf 12 playing surface and a permanent 1,500-seat grandstand, which tripled the stadium's capacity. These renovations also included the installation of floodlights, a video scoreboard, and a new support building that provides for locker rooms, training facilities, coaches' offices, and meeting space as well as a press box and broadcasting booth. The support building was built on the footprint of the former South Ferry Sports Services Building, which had provided similar accommodations since its construction in 1997. A new spectator plaza that includes restrooms, concession facilities, and ticket and marketing booths was also constructed during the 2013–14 renovations.
Built partially on the site of Regents Field, the home of the Michigan football team between 1893 and 1905, Ocker Field was constructed in 1995 jointly with the Michigan Soccer Field. In 1997, the South Ferry Sports Services Building was constructed adjacent to the field, providing locker rooms, training facilities, and storage space for both the field hockey and women's soccer teams. In 2003, Ocker Field's AstroTurf playing surface was upgraded at the cost of $500,000, a sum that was raised from donations from friends and alumni of the field hockey program. Between the 2003 and 2013–14 renovations, the stadium had a seating capacity of 500. In 2010, both the men's and women's soccer teams left the Michigan Soccer Field for the new U-M Soccer Stadium, and football practice fields outside Al Glick Field House have since been built adjacent to Ocker Field. Before the construction of Ocker Field, the Michigan field hockey team had played at four other venues on campus: Michigan Stadium, Ferry Field, the Tartan Turf, and Oosterbaan Fieldhouse.