Patience is a virtue, and it’s one the Michigan field hockey team will need as it attempts to better last season’s national runner-up finish in the NCAA tournament.
The Wolverines’ first delay came Sunday afternoon in Piscataway, New Jersey; their attempt to lock up a NCAA berth was denied by Rutgers, which beat Michigan, 1-0, in the Big Ten tournament title game. The Scarlet Knights’ Tayla Parkes scored the game’s only goal in the second quarter, 24:03 into the game.
That forced the Wolverines (15-4) to wait until the at-large bids were announced for the 18-team field on Sunday night, though they were a lock to make it.