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Thursday, July 5, 2018
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com SPORTS

FILE PHOTO / DAILY
The Michigan field hockey team looks to continue its success from a year ago where it advanced to the Final Four 
Season Preview: ‘M’ Field Hockey

When 
then-junior 
forward 
Emma 
Way 
tipped 
a 
pass 
between the legs of Northwestern 
goalkeeper Annie Kalfa on Nov. 12 
— completing a hat trick — it all but 
sealed the Wolverines’ 18th win in 
a row. Minutes later, it was official: 
for the first time since 2003, the 
Michigan field hockey team was 
going to the Final Four.
And though the Wolverines 
met their demise in the NCAA 
semifinals 
against 
Maryland, 
the Final Four run capped off 
Michigan’s best season in years 
— a season few saw coming at 
the beginning of it. After years of 
relative mediocrity, the Wolverines 
put everyone on watch.
This year, after losing two key 
pieces to a defense that last season 
served up 16 shutouts and finished 
second in the country in goals-
against average, Michigan will 
have to retool its identity if it wants 
to build on last season’s result. 
But with a wealth of young talent 
and the continued development of 
returning players, the Wolverines 
have the pieces to contend again.
Gone are midfielder and back 
Katie Trombetta — the 2017 Big Ten 
Player of the Year — and goalkeeper 
Sam Swenson, named the 2017 Big 
Ten Defensive Player of the Year. 
Instead, sophomore Halle O’Neill 
and senior Maggie Bettez will 
anchor the Wolverines’ defense.
As a true freshman, O’Neill 

didn’t expect to start right away, 
but it soon became clear that her 
presence bolstered the back line. 
Her performance was good enough 
to earn her a spot on the U21 
National Team. Bettez, meanwhile, 
also 
turned 
heads 
with 
her 
aggressiveness in the backfield— 
and 
while 
their 
contributions 
were 
relatively 
unsung, 
their 
development could provide the 
foundation 
for 
another 
elite 
defensive unit. With sophomore 
goalkeeper Sidonie LaPlante — who 
has just three career appearances 
— facing the daunting task of 
replacing Swenson, a strong back 
line could go a long way.
The offense, meanwhile, returns 
its most prolific goal-scorers in 
senior Emma Way and junior 
Meg Dowthwaite. The tandem 
led Michigan in the postseason 
— Dowthwaite’s overtime goal 
in the NCAA Round of 16 against 
Syracuse broke a scoreless tie, and 
Way’s hat trick provided all the 
offense the Wolverines needed 
in their quarterfinal against the 
Wildcats. Dowthwaite was an All-
Big Ten First Team selection last 
season.
And while the midfielders are 
Michigan’s 
least-experienced 
group, they have the potential to 
develop into one of the conference’s 
top 
units. 
Junior 
Guadalupe 
Fernandez Lacort — who co-led the 
team in assists last season — and 
sophomore Kayla Reed return as 
starters, and with 10 midfielders 
on 
the 
roster, 
coach 
Marcia 

Pankratz will have a lot of depth to 
experiment with.
Among those midfielders are 
two notable incoming freshmen 
in Kathryn Peterson and Sofi
 
Southam. Peterson, ranked the No. 
8 recruit in the nation, is a versatile 
passer who is strong offensively 
and defensively. Southam — like 
Fernandez Lacort a product of 
Argentina — was selected for the 
elite USA Field Hockey U21 Junior 
National Camp.
The 
Wolverines 
once 
again 
face a tough schedule that will 
give them the opportunity to test 
themselves against the top teams 
in the country. Among the slate is 
a rematch with the Terrapins — a 
perennial Big Ten powerhouse — as 
well as games against Connecticut 
and North Carolina, the other 
Final Four teams. Michigan upset 
the Tar Heels last year, but the 
Huskies — the eventual national 
champions — served up one of 
the 
Wolverines’ 
three 
losses. 
Michigan’s schedule also features 
four other tournament teams in 
Wake Forest, Northwestern, Penn 
State and Stanford, all four of which 
it defeated in 2017.
Though the Wolverines lost 
several top players, last year’s Final 
Four squad also featured several 
standout 
underclassmen 
who 
will now have the chance to step 
up and lead the team. If they can 
build on last season and take their 
games to the next level, Michigan’s 
graduation losses might soon be 
forgotten.

ARIA GERSON
Daily Sports Writer

‘M’ hires new assistant 
coach Yvonne Sanchez

On Monday, the Michigan 
women’s basketball opted to 
go with a veteran of the game 
with the team’s hiring of its 
latest assistant coach, Yvonne 
Sanchez.
Sanchez has been coaching 
for 
23 
years, 
whether 
in 
an assistant or head coach 
position. 
Starting 
her 
coaching career in her native 
state of New Mexico, she 
served for six years as an 
assistant coach at New Mexico 
State before working at San 
Diego State for a 
brief stint before 
transitioning to 
the University of 
New Mexico.
In 
Alberquerque, 
she 
was 
an 
assistant 
for 
eleven 
years 
before 
being 
promoted 
to 
head 
coach 
in 
2011, where she 
led the Lobos to a Women’s 
Basketball Invitational berth 
twice before leaving in 2016.
After a year’s absence from 
coaching, she returns to the 
profession but this time as the 
Wolverines’ assistant coach — 
specializing in coaching the 
guards. After the departure 
of 
first-team 
All 
Big 
Ten 
guard 
Katelynn 
Flaherty, 
development in the position 
would help mend the hole left 
by Michigan’s all-time leading 
scorer.
What 
Sanchez 
brings 
is 
something Michigan has had 
trouble with over the past 
couple seasons — experience 
in creating stability for late-
season finishes.
“When filling this assistant 
coaching position, I thought 
it was really important to 
bring in someone with a lot 
of experience — whether that 
was as a head coach or an 
assistant coach,” said Kim 
Barnes Arico to MGoBlue. 
“Yvonne brings a ton of both 
with her to Michigan. She is 
well-respected amongst her 
peers as well as recruits. I 

think she has an outstanding 
personality 
and 
connects 
well with people all over the 
country.”
The 
Wolverines 
saw 
a 
successful 
season 
with 
a 
return 
to 
the 
NCAA 
Tournament for the first time 
since 
the 
2012-13 
season. 
However, 
their 
berth 
was 
threatened by a lackadaisical 
finish, where they lost four of 
their last six regular season 
games. With Sanchez, they 
look to fix that and improve 
in the development of guards. 
With a recruiting class that 
has two point guards in the top 
100 — including 
five-star recruit 
Amy 
Dilk 
— 
development of 
the 
first-years 
will be essential 
for success.
“She 
will 
bring 
another 
dimension in all 
aspects of our 
program, 
from 
recruiting 
to 
working 
with 
our 
point 
guards,” 
Barnes 
Arico told MGoBlue. “I had 
an opportunity to work with 
her about 15 years ago on 
the All-American committee 
and have followed her career 
ever since. They had a ton of 
success at New Mexico during 
her time there, reaching a 
Sweet 16, growing such a large 
fan base, and recruiting some 
great players. We are excited 
to have her join us in Ann 
Arbor.”
With the hiring of Sanchez, 
the 
program 
has 
taken 
a 
step forward to stability and 
consistency that should push 
Michigan to the next step 
after they saw their season 
end in the second round of the 
tournament.
“I am excited and honored 
to be able to work at a 
phenomenal place like the 
University 
of 
Michigan,” 
Sanchez said. “Kim and her 
staff have done an incredible 
job in Ann Arbor, their success 
is on the rise, and I am looking 
forward to working with such 
an incredible team of staff and 
players.”

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL

TIEN LE
Summer Managing Sports Editor

“The program 
has taken a 
step forward to 
stability”

