Michigan State University
Michigan
Field Hockey Drops 1-0 Overtime Decision To Michigan
10/16/2004 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Oct. 16, 2004
ANN ARBOR, Mich.- -
Complete Release in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader
Under an icy and steadily-falling rain, Michigan State field hockey (13-2; 3-1 Big Ten) fell to Michigan (11-4; 3-1 Big Ten), 1-0, in overtime in Ann Arbor on Saturday, Oct. 16. Although MSU dominated throughout the game and posted twice as many shots as U-M, the Spartans were unable to stop an unassisted overtime goal that gave U-M the win.
"I am proud of my team," said MSU head coach Michele Madison. "They did everything we asked of them, defensively, until the last second of the game. Offensively, we really fought."
The longstanding rivalry between MSU and U-M has been particularly heightened in recent years, as U-M handed the Spartans some key losses in 2003. Both teams were energized for the well-matched battle and carried that enthusiasm onto the field from the start of the game.
MSU controlled the ball throughout the contest, but was unable to capitalize on scoring opportunities, as U-M's goaltender Beth Riley posted an impressive 10 saves to deter Spartan efforts.
Juniors Michelle Huynh-Ba and Breanna Harpstead were strong in the neutral zone, seizing MSU possession from U-M in several instances. Senior Michelle Carstens provided additional solidity for MSU and managed to stop a breakaway attempt by standout Wolverine forward Jessica Blake, just before Blake entered the scoring arc with 23:24 remaining in the first half.
Moments later, MSU senior forward Veerle Goudswaard drove the ball into Wolverine territory and fired off a shot that Riley reached to stop.
Another U-M breakaway sent Wolverine sophomore forward Mary Fox down the field and toward Spartan junior goaltender Christina Kirkaldy. But junior midfielder Jessica Miller drove Fox out of the scoring arc to protect the Green and White net.
Back in Wolverine territory, senior forward Annebet Beerman shot a would-be goal, but Riley dove to the wet turf and stretched across her net to stop the ball.
Back-and-forth play persisted and the game was scoreless at halftime. After an unsatisfying first half, MSU took the field, ready to execute in the second.
Just after play recommenced, Michigan stood ready to gather momentum from a penalty corner opportunity at 33:12, but U-M failed to net a goal. Moments later, another Wolverine penalty corner situation marked another fruitless scoring opportunity for the Maize and Blue.
Soon thereafter, MSU elicited a penalty corner opportunity after a scramble in front of Riley's net. Unable to score, play continued and another Spartan penalty corner arose almost immediately. Despite the cohesive efforts between members of the MSU squad that put Beerman in position to score, her shot went wide.
Increased frustration on both benches did not slow efforts on either end of the field. But as time on the clock dwindled, both MSU and U-M upped their aggression and the speed of play increased, as a result.
The intensity level rose as Goudswaard took off on one breakaway after another, only to be stopped by U-M. At one point, it seemed assured that Goudswaard would score and the crowd of spectators rose to its feet while Spartan fans interchanged chants of "Go Green, Go White!" with "We want a goal!"
U-M darted in front of Goudswaard to prevent a goal and, in a controversial call by the officials, U-M stepped up for a penalty corner with less than five minutes remaining in regulation. Still, MSU held off the Wolverines.
While Michigan State seemed to be on the attack throughout the entire game, the Spartans were unable to convert that authoritative style of play onto the scoreboard and the game moved into overtime.
Both squads came out strong in overtime, but U-M took control of the ball early, attempting to change momentum in its favor after 70 minutes of MSU domination. Just around the ten-minute mark, U-M's senior captain Adrienne Hortillosa slammed an unassisted shot into the left side of State's net to secure a Wolverine win.
"It was a tough loss," said Madison. "But the positive thing about a loss is that you know what you need to work on, in order to win next time."
Michigan State returns to East Lansing for an Oct. 22 contest against Iowa, the only undefeated program in the Big Ten, set for 4 p.m. After that, MSU will host its final contest before the Big Ten Tournament, in an Oct. 24 matchup against Indiana.
