Michigan State University
Michigan
Michigan Edges Spartan Field Hockey Team, 1-0
10/6/2005 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Oct. 6, 2005
EAST LANSING, Mich. - In an evenly played game, a small lapse by the Michigan State defense was all visiting Michigan need to edge the Spartan field hockey team, 1-0, Thursday night in East Lansing. In an already emotionally heightened game, a 30 minute delay due to the late arrival of an official added to the anticipation. Both teams came out attacking, but it was the Wolverines who were able to capitalize on an early corner at 4:41, a goal that would prove to be the game winner. The loss drops Michigan State's record to 8-5 overall and 0-3 in the Big Ten.
"We started out the first 15 minutes of the game just all over them," head coach Michele Madison stated. "We were tackling back, we were right on top of it. We got a penalty corner early and we had to put it away right at that moment. We didn't put it in. They go down and get a penalty corner and we put it in for them. That's tough luck."
Michigan's goal came at the stick of Erin Dallas, on a backside rebound off a penalty corner that barely eluded a diving MSU goaltender Christina Kirkaldy and another Spartan defender. U of M held the penalty corner advantage 4-3, as well as out shot State 10-7. Kirkaldy made eight stops on the day.
"I thought we moved the ball well, I thought we defended well," Madison added. "We just have to have the mentality to finish."
The Spartans will look to regroup, taking a break from conference play, when they travel to Ann Arbor to face Connecticut at the neutral site Saturday, Oct. 8 at noon. MSU and Connecticut have not met since 1996, with the Huskies beating State, 2-0.
