Women's Soccer Prepares To Host Big Ten Tournament
11/4/2002 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Nov. 4, 2002
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's soccer team will host the 2002 Big Ten Women's Soccer Tournament on Thursday-Sunday, Nov. 7-10, at Old College Field in East Lansing. This marks the first time in the nine-year history of the Big Ten Tournament that Michigan State will serve as tournament host.
"We've been looking forward to hosting the Big Ten Tournament for several years," said MSU head coach Tom Saxton. "Michigan State University and the women's soccer team are extremely excited for this opportunity. I expect this year's tournament to be another great competition. From looking at the quarterfinal pairings, there could be some very interesting matchups on Thursday. I expect a hard-fought tournament.
"The goal of our team all season has been to win at home. With the exception of one loss to Penn State, we are undefeated at home this year. It's up to us to continue to take advantage of the home field in this tournament. In our first game, we have an opportunity to avenge a road loss to Wisconsin earlier this season."
The fourth-seeded Spartans will open the tournament with a 6 p.m. contest vs. Wisconsin on Thursday, Nov. 7. The game will be the first night game in the history of Old College Field. Michigan State finished the regular-season with a 12-5-2 record, including a 5-3-2 mark in Big Ten games.
"The opportunity to play under the lights is an experience that the players on our team will never forget," said Saxton. "I expect a great atmosphere, but we must remained focus on the game and at the same time remember to enjoy the moment."
Penn State is the No. 1 seed in the tournament after posting a 9-1 record during the conference season. Michigan (7-2-1 Big Ten) and Purdue (6-3-1) occupy the No. 2 and No. 3 seeds, respectively. Indiana and Wisconsin tied for fifth with a 4-4-2 record, but Wisconsin won the tiebreaker and will be the No. 5 seed. Ohio State (4-5-1) occupies the No. 7 seed, while Illinois grabbed the eighth and final seed in the tournament with a 3-2 victory over Purdue on Sunday afternoon.
Thursday's action begins at 10 a.m. with No. 2 Michigan facing No. 7 Ohio State. At 12 noon, No. 3 Purdue will battle No. 6 Indiana. The Purdue-Indiana contest will be played on the practice field adjacent to Old College Field, while all other games will be on Old College Field. In the afternoon, No. 1 Penn State will play No. 8 Illinois. The day concludes with the 6 p.m. Michigan State-Wisconsin match-up under the lights. Friday's semifinal games are scheduled for 3:00 and 6:30 p.m. After taking Saturday off, the championship game of the 2002 Big Ten Women's Soccer Tournament will be played at 1 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 10.
Single day tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for students and children age 18 and under. Children age three and under are free. Three-day tickets are $18 for adults and $12 for students. Groups of 10 or more can buy single-session tickets in advance only at the rate of $4 per person. Tickets may be purchased at the gate or in advance at the MSU Athletic Ticket Office in Jenison Field House or by calling (517) 355-1610 or 1-800-GO-STATE.