Terps topple Michigan for tournament victory

Sunday, the bells tolled on the Michigan field hockey team's Cinderella postseason run, as it fell 2-1 to Maryland in the finals of the NCAA Div. I Field Hockey Championships in Boston.

The Wolverines fell behind the Terrapins at halftime, 2-0, and were unable to recover despite an early second-half goal by forward Jessica Rose.

Michigan, the Big Ten Tournament winner, made it to the championship game via a 4-3 upset win against previously unbeaten Connecticut in the semifinals. Maryland emerged victorious in a 2-1 double-overtime battle against Iowa, the Big Ten regular-season champion, to reach the final game.

After a season that saw Michigan (20-7, 7-3 Big Ten) finish third in the conference, the Wolverines caught fire in the postseason, upsetting Penn State and Iowa to win the Big Ten Tournament.

"I'm so proud of this team," Wolverines field hockey coach Marcia Pankratz said in a statement released on the Michigan Sports Information web site. "With such great leadership we were able to make a great run in our first-ever tournament."

— by Brad Stratton