Field Hockey Adds Individual Postseason Honors To Banner Year
11/17/2003 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 17, 2003
East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State field hockey won two team championships in 2003 and now adds individual postseason honors to its repertoire. Senior co-captains Alexandra Kyser and Sophie Rosmalen and junior Annebet Beerman were named to the STX/NFHCA Division I All-West Region First Team, the organization announced today (Nov. 17). Sophomore goalkeeper Christina Kirkaldy earned second-team All-West Region honors.
Kyser earns the first regional award of her field hockey career. She was a unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection and was selected the Big Ten Tournament MVP for her three goals in Big Ten Tournament play. She has amassed 17 goals this season, five more than her previous career total of 12. She played in every MSU game in her four-year career, missing the only start of her career against Louisville earlier this season. She has posted five multi-goal games in 2003, including a hat trick in an 8-1 win over Southwest Missouri State on Sept. 13. She also posted a six-point effort against Stanford with two goals and two assists. Kyser has converted on three-of-four penalty corner opportunities and has four game-winning goals - against Stanford, Penn State, Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament and against Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. She was also selected to this season's NFHCA Senior All-Star squad and in 2002, she was named to the All-NCAA Final Four team.
For the third-straight season, Rosmalen has earned first team All-West Region honors. Along with Kyser, she was named to this year's NFHCA Senior All-Star squad. Although she had just one goal this season, she has been a leader by example with exceptional ball-handling skills. She made 21 starts and played in each game this season, missing the start against Indiana in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament after taking a ball to the head in the closing seconds against Ohio State to end the regular season. She had one goal and three assists on the season for five points, the lone goal coming in a 9-1 win against Providence. Rosmalen is a three-time All-West Region first team honoree and a three-time first team All-Big Ten selection. She was named to the All-Big Ten Tournament Team in 2001.
Beerman earns her third-straight All-West Region award. She was a second-team All-West Region honoree in 2001 and a first-team selection in 2002. Last season she earned third-team All-America honors. Beerman was a second-team All-Big Ten honoree this season, ranking sixth in the conference in scoring. She was a first-team All-Big Ten selection in 2002. Field Hockey Adds Individual Postseason Honors To Banner Year, cont.
In conference games only, she and teammate Veerle Goudswaard tied for first in scoring (14) and goals (6) in 2003. She played in all 22 games this season, starting in 21. The midfield/forward recorded two hat tricks on Oct. 18 against Hofstra and a natural hat trick against Ohio State when she scored the second, third and fourth goals of the game to lead MSU to its second Big Ten championship. She had 15 goals and nine assists for 39 points and took 94 shots on the season.
Kirkaldy earns All-West Region honors for the second time in her career as she was a first-team honoree in 2002. This season, she was a second-team All-Big Ten selection after earning three Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week nods throughout the 2003 season. She was selected to the All-Big Ten Tournament Team for her defense against Indiana, Penn State and Ohio State. She stopped 106 shots on the year and has allowed just 26 goals. She boasts a 17-5-0 overall record and a 5-1 mark in Big Ten action. Her season-high in saves came against Wake Forest on Sept. 21 when she made 19 saves, allowing five goals in the Spartans most distinct loss of the season. She also made 14 saves in a shutout win against Northwestern on Oct. 3. She has posted five shutouts this season - against Kent State, Indiana, Northwestern, Ohio State in the Big Ten Tournament and Louisville in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. Last season, she was womensfieldhockey.com's National Rookie of the Year.
Michigan State field hockey ended its 2003 campaign Nov. 16, falling to archrival Michigan in the national quarterfinals at the MSU Field Hockey Complex, 2-1. The Spartans won a share of the Big Ten regular season championship and the Big Ten Tournament title, en route to a 17-5 season.
