BOONE, N.C. – Appalachian State University field hockey (7-3, 0-2 MAC) embarks on a two-game road swing this weekend in Michigan. The Mountaineers open their road trip against Central Michigan (2-8, 0-2 MAC) on Friday at 3 p.m. Appalachian then concludes its trip when it faces No. 9 Michigan (6-3) on Saturday at 2 p.m.
About the Mountaineers
The Mountaineers split a pair of games this past weekend, suffering a 2-0 setback to Miami in Mid-American Conference play on Friday before notching a 1-0 win over La Salle on Sunday. App State's sixth shutout of the season marked its seventh victory of 2019, which already ties its win total from a season ago. Appalachian remains the top MAC team in RPI rankings, sitting at No. 31 according to the national ranking metric.
In Sunday's win over La Salle, senior
Michelle Taylor became the eighth different Mountaineer to score a goal this season. Taylor's third-quarter strike helped App State earn its fifth one-goal victory of the season. The Mountaineers sport a 5-1 record in one-score games in 2019 after finishing 2-5 in one-goal contests in 2018.
Appalachian's defensive prowess also continues to shine, where the Mountaineers rank No. 1 in the nation in shutouts per game. App State has blanked opponents in 60% of its contests in 2019, allowing just 14 goals through 10 games this season.
Scouting Central Michigan (2-8, 0-2 MAC)
The Chippewas have dropped eight-straight contests after opening the season with a pair of three-goal victories. Central Michigan recorded home triumphs over Colgate and Saint Louis to open the season. CMU's schedule during its eight-game slide has included three losses to ranked Big 10 opponents, including Iowa, Ohio State and Michigan. In conference action, the Chippewas have suffered a pair of tight defeats. Longwood knocked off CMU 1-0 at home before Ball State shut out the Chippewas 2-0 in Muncie, Ind. Opponents have outscored CMU 39-12 while outshooting the Chippewas 227-73 so far this season. Freshman Alice O'Hagan leads CMU in most offensive categories, including goals (four), points (10), shots (23) and shots on goal (13). Head coach Catherine Ostoich enters her second full season as Central Michigan's head coach.
Scouting No. 9 Michigan (6-3)
Michigan has lost just one game this season in regulation, falling 4-2 to No. 1 North Carolina in its season opener. The Wolverines feature two wins over teams ranked inside the top 20 of the most recent NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll, defeating No. 20 Wake Forest on Sept. 1 before registering a 3-2 win over No. 3 Connecticut. Michigan's one-goal win over the Huskies remains Connecticut's only loss this season. The Wolverines have suffered two losses in shootouts this season, losing to No. 16 Stanford and No. 5 Northwestern in penalty strokes. Michigan's defense has allowed just over five shots per game, helping the Wolverines post four shutout victories in 2019. Three Michigan student-athletes – senior Fay Keijer, junior Kayla Reed and sophomore Kathryn Peterson – have all already reached double-digit point totals. Reed's five goals rank first on the team, while Keijer sits tied for first in game-winning goals (two) with freshman Sarah Pyrtek. Michigan head coach Marcia Pankratz enters her 20
th season in charge of the Wolverines. Pankratz helped lead her team to the 2001 national title.
Series History
Central Michigan –The Mountaineers hold a 4-1 record against the Chippewas since 2011, winning the past four games of the series. After a 6-0 defeat to CMU in 2011, Appalachian has outscored Central Michigan 17-3 in its four victories. All four of App State's wins over the Chippewas have come in Mid-American Conference competition, including App State's first MAC Tournament win in program history this past season.
Friederike Stegen secured a brace in the 5-2 tournament victory in 2018.
Michigan – Saturday's matchup in Ann Arbor, Mich., will be the first contest between the Mountaineers and Wolverines. App State's most previous contest against a Big 10 side came in 2014 against Ohio State.
What's Next
The Mountaineers play just one game over a weekend for the first time this season when they battle Longwood (5-4, 1-0 MAC) on Oct. 12. App State upset the Lancers 2-0 to advance to the MAC Tournament semifinals this past season.
