Michigan State Field Hockey Boasts Five All-Big Ten Athletes
11/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 6, 2003
State College, Pa. - Several Michigan State field hockey players earned All-Big Ten honors at the Big Ten Conference banquet at Penn State University today, with the Big Ten Tournament set to begin tomorrow at 10 a.m. Senior co-captain Alexandra Kyser (Columbus, Ohio/Bishop Watterson) was an unanimous first-team All-Big Ten selection. Classmate and co-captain Sophie Rosmalen (Oss, Netherlands/Titus Brandsma Lyceum) also earned first-team accolades. Junior Annebet Beerman (Maarssen, Netherlands/St. Bonifatius) and sophomores Christina Kirkaldy (Afton, N.Y./Afton Central) and Jessica Miller (Carlsbad, Calif./La Costa Canyon) earned second-team All-Big Ten honors.
Kyser, a four-year starter on defense for MSU, has 13 goals and nine assists on the season and 25 goals in her career. She is tied for ninth on the career goals list. She was named to the All-NCAA Final Four Team and was a team captain in 2002. She was named the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Week for the period ending Sept. 14. This is Kyser's first all-conference honor.
Rosmalen, a four-year starter at midfield/forward, has one goal and three assists for the season. She earned second-team All-America and first-team All-West Region honors in 2002. This is her second straight first team All-Big Ten honor as she was an unanimous selection in 2002.
Beerman, a three-year starter at the midfield/forward position, posted 15 goals and four assists throughout the regular season, earning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors for the period ending Nov. 3, after a natural hat trick performance against Ohio State to guarantee the Spartans a share of the Big Ten regular season title. She was a third-team All-America, first-team All-West Region and first-team All-Big Ten honoree in 2002. Last season she was also named co-Big Ten Tournament MVP.
Kirkaldy, a sophomore goalkeeper, anchored the Spartan defense this season and led MSU to its second Big Ten title in three years. She was named the Big Ten's Defensive Player of the Week three times this year. She has 97 saves and allowed just 20 goals in 2003 and ranks ninth on the career saves list with 206 goals in her two-year career. Last season, she was the starting goalkeeper on the team that advanced to the NCAA Final Four.
Miller, a sophomore midfielder, posted four goals and four assists on the year. She started in each of the Spartans' 26 games last season.
The sixth-ranked MSU field hockey team ended the regular season with a 13-4 overall record and a 5-1 mark in the conference. The Spartans capped the season with a 5-0 win over Ohio State to clinch a share of the regular-season Big Ten title.
MSU begins postseason action Friday, Nov. 7, against Indiana in Big Ten Tournament action. Game time is slated for 10 a.m.
