The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
September 16, 2019 — 3B

Wolverines draw Nebraska-Omaha

Eight minutes in, disaster 
struck 
for 
the 
Wolverines. 
They’d fight. They’d keep their 
composure. But they’d never 
recover. 
In that pivotal eighth minute 
of the Michigan men’s soccer 
team’s match at University 
of 
Nebraska-Omaha 
Friday, 
Maverick 
forward 
Aaron 
Uribe hit a header over senior 
goalkeeper 
Andrew 
Verdi. 
The shot set the Wolverines 
back a goal early, gave Omaha 
momentum 
and 
furthered 
a 
tense 
environment 
for 
Michigan in their first road 
game of the season. 
The Wolverines dominated 
the 
Maverick 
throughout 
the rest of the match — in 
possession, in shots on goal, 
in corner kicks and in general 
flow of play. But that control 
didn’t translate to goals, and 
the Wolverines (2-2-1) drew 
Omaha (0-3-2), 1-1, in a gritty 
battle that ended with two 
overtime periods. 
“We need to do a little bit on 
game management and giving 

our team a chance to win and 
not have to chase the game so 
early,” said Michigan coach 
Chaka Daley. “It’s not good to 
be down.”
From the first whistle, the 
Wolverines led Omaha in shots 
on goal — ultimately taking 25 
to the Maverick’s nine. The gap 
between shots on goal and the 
score indicates issues closing 
out opportunities in the final 
third 
of 
the 
field. 
“I don’t think 
we were at our 
best,” 
Daley 
said. “We had 
some good stuff 
from 
time 
to 
time throughout 
the game, but 
we 
carried 
possession 
to 
a 
ridiculous 
amount and carried chances, so 
I was a little disappointed one 
wouldn’t sneak in for us.” 
But only one did. In the 74th 
minute, senior forward Jack 
Hallahan beat a defender on the 
right wing and served a cross in 
the penalty box to sophomore 
forward Derick Broche, who 

headed the ball into the net. 
The game-tying goal came 
in the midst of a chippy game, 
with yellow cards plauging 
each roster — including four for 
the Wolverines. 
In the 72nd minute, an 
Maverick 
player 
fouled 
a 
Wolverine, and multiple other 
players stepped to his defense. 
To ease tensions, the referee 
issued yellow cards to players 
on both teams. 
But 
Daley 
insists 
the 
physicality 
of 
the 
game 
was 
typical. 
In 
fact, 
he 
says, it showed 
Michigan’s 
frustration with 
their plethora of 
missed chances. 
 
“It 
was 
just both teams competing,” 
Daley said. “The guys were 
just looking after each other. 
With the amount of possession 
we 
had, 
it 
was 
definitely 
unfortunate, but we’ll get back 
to the drawing board, get some 
recovery and get ready for 
Tuesday.”

Beall solid as Michigan fells WSU

Being a goalkeeper is one of the 
most high-pressure jobs in sports. 
Nothing between the player 
and the net –just a pair of gloves 
between the player and a soccer 
ball hurtling forward, often at 
upwards of 50 miles an hour. An 
intimidating task, to say the least.
Not so for Hillary Beall on 
Friday.
The junior goaltender was 
steady as a rock between the posts 
Friday, anchoring the Michigan 
women’s soccer team on its way to 
a 2-1 defeat of No. 13 Washington 
State. The win over the Cougars 
marks 
the 
Wolverines’ 
first 
against a ranked opponent this 
season, an encouraging sign as 
the team heads into Big Ten play 
Thursday.
“Hillary really just came up big 
for us,” Michigan coach Jennifer 
Klein said. “She’s been solid all 
throughout the season, and she’s 
been coming up with some big 
saves.
“I think it all comes down to 
her training and her experience 
as a goalkeeper, and she’s done 
a great job for us more than 
anything.”

The Wolverines got off to 
a quick start, scoring twice in 
the first four minutes. The first 
goal came off the foot of junior 
midfielder Sarah Stratigakis, who 
lifted the ball over the head of 
Washington State goalkeeper Ella 
Dederick in the second minute to 
put Michigan on the board.
The Wolverines were quick 
to strike again. In the 4th 
minute, sophomore midfielder 
Meredith Haakenson found the 
goal on a cross 
from 
junior 
midfielder Nicki 
Hernandez, 
faking left to 
beat 
Dederick 
before 
putting 
the ball in the 
net, 
extending 
Michigan’s lead 
to 2-0. 
“We just had 
great 
energy 
to start the game,” Klein said. 
“Really, it was just being prepared 
for their directness and how they 
move the ball.”
The match was fairly evenly-
paced throughout. Though the 
Wolverines finished the game 
on top, the Cougars had more 
shots, notching 12 on the match 

to Michigan’s eight. Washington 
State continued to threaten late 
into the game, finally beating 
Beall in the 71st minute on a 
header just past her outstretched 
fingertips to get on the board. 
The Wolverines held steady, 
though, with Beall lights out in 
the net for the rest of the night. 
She recorded 12 saves on the 
match, a career best for the junior, 
a native of Laguna Beach, Calif. 
The 
hours-long 
trip 
to 
Pullman, 
Wash. 
for the game – and 
the 
three-hour 
time 
difference 
from Ann Arbor 
– proved to be 
no 
problem 
for 
Michigan, which 
benefited 
greatly 
from its training 
leading up to the 
game.
“I thought we 
did a great job of finishing the 
game strong and finding a way 
to get a result on the road against 
a very dangerous and difficult 
opponent,” Klein said. “I thought 
the team did a great job handling 
the travel. I don’t think it really 
affected us.”
It certainly didn’t affect Beall.

Anna Spieker has mastered 
staying 
collected 
under 
pressure. 
As the clock began to count 
down in regulation on Friday, 
the sophomore goalkeeper saved 
a shot from No. 3 Connecticut’s 
senior forward Seva Boker. 
During the block a Michigan 
defender fouled resulting in 
a corner penalty — putting 
Spieker and the Wolverines’ 
defense to the test. 
A series of consecutive corner 
penalties ensued as the No. 11 
Michigan women’s field hockey 
team attempted to fend off the 
Huskies at the start of the fourth 
quarter (2-1).
“We talk about it a lot before 
the game,” Spieker said. “We 
have a specific kind of defensive 
structure going into the corner, 
so we study them. We know 
exactly who’s going to shoot. We 
anticipate what they’re going to 
do.” 
Connecticut took its shot, 
and the Wolverines blocked 
it. Yet, this block came strings 
attached, tying it to another 
corner penalty for the Huskies. 

“It’s 
always 
a 
stressful 
situation,” said Spieker. “But, 
I have full confidence in our 
corner defense.”
Connecticut again aimed for 
the goal and again fell short. 
Spieker, calm and collected, 
saved the shot. Though, in 
mirroring 
the 
first 
corner 
penalty’s play, the Wolverines 
allowed the Huskies another 
consecutive 
corner penalty. 
“Anna’s 
an 
experienced 
player, 
and 
she’s 
smart 
and 
poised,” 
said Michigan 
coach 
Marcia 
Pankratz. “We 
have enormous 
confidence 
in 
her being back 
there. We trust her.” 
Despite this faith in Spieker, 
tensions in the stadium built 
with each corner penalty, as the 
probability of an impending goal 
increased. 
For 
the 
third 
time, 
Connecticut readied itself to 
score, as the Wolverines again 
prepared their defense. The 
Huskies’ senior back Antonia 

Tiedtke 
carefully 
took 
her 
third shot. Spieker, living up to 
the trust placed in her, saved 
it. Connecticut collected the 
rebound quickly and impulsively 
took another shot at Spieker — 
missing wide. 
“I am confident, but I do get 
nervous and jittery,” Spieker 
said. “I just try to flush it out and 
be confident in what I can do.” 
This 
calm 
and 
collected 
attitude 
under 
pressure coupled 
with 
careful 
preparation 
gives 
Spieker 
her mastery over 
corner penalties, 
a 
game-winning 
skill for Michigan 
on Friday night. 
The 
Wolverines 
prevented the Huskies from 
scoring 
a 
goal 
that 
would 
have ultimately tied the game. 
Michigan won 3-2. 
“I thought Anna played quite 
well today,” Pankratz said. “Our 
team’s defense was solid and 
organized.
“I just couldn’t be more proud 
of our team and how hard we’ve 
played defensively.”

Anna Spieker and the No. 
11 Michigan defense were in a 
tough spot.
With 13 minutes remaining 
and a one-goal lead on Friday, 
the 
sophomore 
goalkeeper 
faced three consecutive penalty 
corner attempts from No. 3 
Connecticut 
(4-1). 
Spieker 
stayed focused, making two 
more saves to preserve the 
Wolverines’ lead, en route to a 
3-2 victory over the Huskies.
“Anna’s 
an 
experienced 
player,” said Michigan coach 
Marcia Pankratz. “We have 
enormous confidence in her 
being back there.”
Added Spieker: “It’s always a 
stressful situation going into it 
but I have full confidence in our 
corner defense that we’re going 
to do well.”
The Wolverines (3-2) opened 
the scoring five minutes into 
the second quarter. After a shot 
by sophomore midfielder Sofia 
Southam was saved, Michigan 
was awarded a penalty corner. 
Southam received the pass off 
of the corner and took a shot, 
which was deflected in by 
senior midfielder/forward Fay 
Keijer for her first goal of the 

season. The Wolverines tacked 
on another goal with 1:30 left 
in the half on junior midfielder 
Kayla Reed’s second goal of the 
season.
Halfway through the third 
quarter, Connecticut cut the 
lead to 2-1 with a top-shelf goal 
out of Spieker’s reach, giving 
the Huskies some momentum. 
They got another prime scoring 
chance with time expiring in the 
third. A high shot forced Spieker 
to make an impressive save, 
deflecting the shot and kicking 
it out from in front of the net.
After keeping Connecticut 
scoreless 
on 
the 
three 
consecutive 
corners, 
the 
Wolverines 
regained 
momentum and played well 
defensively, leading to more 
scoring opportunities. With just 
under five minutes left in the 
game, freshman forward Sarah 
Pyrtek took a one-timer off of 
a rebound and potted a much 
needed insurance goal, giving 
Michigan a 3-1 lead.
With a two-goal lead, the 
Wolverines 
played 
a 
more 
defensive-minded game. The 
Huskies had difficulty breaking 
through for a while, but in the 
last minute a cross got past 
Spieker, allowing an unmarked 
Connecticut player to score an 

easy goal.
“Unfortunate goal,” Spieker 
said. “We should’ve been there 
defensively probably a little 
better. That goal needs to be 
marked.”
Despite the goal, Michigan 
continued its strong defensive 
play 
when 
the 
Huskies 
threatened as time expired, 
giving them no space to get 
a shot off. The win gave the 
Wolverines their best win of 
the young 2019 season and 
a 
confidence 
booster 
going 
forward.
“I’m very excited about the 
win,” Pankratz said. “UConn 
is an excellent team and I just 
couldn’t be more proud of our 
team and how hard we’ve played 
defensively. 
“Even though we’ve had a 
couple of losses early we just 
keep instilling that it’s a process 
and we’re trying to get better 
every day. We’re just trying to 
instill confidence in all of the 
players. I thought they played 
with that today beautifully.”
With Spieker and the rest of 
the Michigan’s defense playing 
at this caliber, the team looks 
poised to take the confidence 
that it gained from this game 
into the fast-approaching Big 
Ten season.

Spieker makes statement

Sophomore goaltender Anna Spieker leads Wolverines past third-ranked Huskies, 3-2, in Friday night upset

ABBY SNYDER
Daily Sports Writer

MEGAN CHAPELLE
Daily Sports Writer

JACK KINGSLEY
Daily Sports Writer

LILY FRIEDMAN
Daily Sports Writer

FILE PHOTO/Daily
Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz said she has “enormous confidence” in goaltender Anna Spieker after Friday’s win.

KATELYN MULACHY/Daily
Sophomore goaltender Anna Spieker stayed collected under the pressure of UConn’s corner penalties.

I just try to 
flush (nerves) 
out and be 
confident.

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Junior goaltender Hillary Beall anchored the Michigan women’s soccer team in its 2-1 win over Washington State.

I thought we 
did a great job 
of finishing the 
game.

FILE PHOTO/Daily
Michigan coach Chaka Daley insisted the physicality of Friday’s draw with Nebraska-Omaha was typical.

We’ll get back 
to the drawing 
board, get some 
recovery.

