Hala Silverstein is a goalkeeper for the University of.Michigan field hockey team. At 5-foot-2, she is the shortest player listed on the official team roster.
In the estimation of Michigan supporters and her teammates, however, Silverstein stands eight feet tall. Against Maryland in the Big Ten Conference semifinals, and against Northwestern in the Big Ten final last weekend, Silverstein withstood the slings and arrows of Olympians, national-teamers, and all-star caliber talent, backstopping the Wolverines to the 2024 Big Ten title and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division I field hockey championship.
Silverstein, two years ago, was a goalkeeper for a Pottstown Hill School (Pa.) team which won the 2022 PAISAA championship. She also played top-level club competition with the W.C. Eagles club program as well as age-group national teams at the U-16 and U-18 levels.
The Wolverines came into the Big Ten Tournament as a three seed, having lost to Northwestern on October 25 on an overtime goal. But Silverstein and a defense led by Abby Burnett, Angolie Norton, and Lora Clarke stopped Indiana 2-1, beat Maryland 3-0 in a penalty shootout after a 3-3 draw, then bested Northwestern 1-0 on a third-quarter goal by Alana Richardson.
Silverstein was, for me, the difference-maker. She was at her best yesterday on a 12th-minute stroke attempt by Olympian Ashley Sessa. The low flick went to Silverstein’s right, and she was able to get a touch on it to keep it out of the cage.
But it wasn’t just the saves she made, but it was her aggressiveness in coming off her line, forcing opposing shooters into missing the goal frame. Northwestern, in the final, had 16 shot attempts, but 12 of them hit the side goalboard, the outside of the netting on the goal frame, or skidded over the endline.
Thing is, the overall performance during the tournament was, seemingly, not enough for her to make the tournament’s all-tournament team.
Somehow, I have a feeling she’ll use that as motivation for when the Division I national tournament commences in earnest this Friday.
