Central Michigan University Athletics
Field Hockey Heads To No. 8 Michigan
9/17/2016 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Andy Sneddon, CMUChippewas.com
MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - The Central Michigan field hockey team will look to right the ship on Sunday when it goes to Michigan for a non-conference game (1 p.m.) at the Wolverines' Ocker Field.
The Chippewas (1-5) will open Mid-American Conference play next Friday at home (noon) against Miami (Ohio). Michigan (5-1) is ranked eighth and is riding a four-game win streak. The Wolverines have allowed just two goals during that span.
"We know exactly what we need to work on in order to help us excel as best we can in MAC play," said CMU coach Molly Pelowski, who played at Michigan from 2000-04. "Obviously we're not overlooking Michigan. It's an important game for us; we have a very challenging schedule. Playing an in-state game against Michigan is a big game for us."
The Chippewas topped Quinnipiac, 2-1, in overtime two weeks ago for their first win. Last weekend, they fell to No. 6 Louisville and to Columbia. The Chippewas have two more ranked teams on their schedule, No. 16 Iowa (Oct. 7) and No. 15 Northwestern (Oct. 23).
The focus, Pelowski said, is internal and in making strides as the Chippewas prepare for Michigan, and then the MAC opener.
"You can't let the previous losses get in your head and you can't look at the rankings and the prestige of those top programs," she said. "We're coming into a place of where we're establishing our identity of who we are. Everything is still within sight.
"We have to win the game in our mind first. It's a mind game. We have the ability to execute, but we have to execute upstairs first."
