Field Hockey To Host Yale In Home Opener Thursday

Sept. 12, 2006

Weekly Notes 9-11
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EAST LANSING, Mich.- The Michigan State field hockey team is set to face Yale University in its home opener on Thursday at the MSU Field Hockey Complex at 3 p.m. MSU has won its last 10 home openers and was 6-1 at home last year. The Spartans will then travel to Kent, Ohio where they will meet up with No. 1 Wake Forest on Saturday before squaring off against host Kent State on Sunday.

Field Hockey Splits For The Weekend...

The Michigan State field hockey team suffered a tough loss to No. 13 James Madison University on Friday. The Spartans were knotted 1-1 with Dukes at the half, but a late second-half goal allowed JMU to come away with a 2-1 victory. Freshman Anne-Sophie van Rijswijk scored her second goal of the season at 4:50 to give Michigan State an early lead on assists from Amy Schneider and Charlotte van der Laag.

On Saturday MSU had a 1-0 lead after the first half and posted three goals in the second period to defeat St. Joseph's, 4-0. Van Rijswijk tallied two goals, including the game-winner less than six minutes into the game. Senior goalkeeper Stephanie Yuhasz had the first shutout of her career, with three saves in 70 minutes of play.

Up Next...

This weekend Michigan State will face three opponents in four days, beginning with its home opener on Thursday. The Spartans will face the Yale Bulldogs at 3 p.m. in East Lansing, before heading to Kent State for the weekend. MSU will face Wake Forest at 12 p.m. on Saturday, before meeting up with host Kent State on Sunday at 1 p.m.

For The Spartans

Michigan State freshman Anne-Sophie van Rijswijk leads the team in points following this past weekend's action. Van Rijswijk scored the lone MSU goal against James Madison, and followed it up with two more goals against St. Joseph's, including the game-winner for MSU. She has nine points and leads the team in goals scored with four.

Yuhasz Again

Senior goalkeeper Stephanie Yuhasz had another big weekend in goal for Michigan State. In Friday's tough loss to James Madison, Yuhasz had eight saves compared to the four by JMU. On Saturday against St. Joseph's, Yuhasz posted the first shutout of her career, a 4-0 victory, with three saves.

In The Record Books

Thursday will be the first meeting in history between the Yale Bulldogs and the Michigan State Spartans. Against Wake Forest, the Demon Deacons hold a 5-1 advantage over MSU. Against Kent State however, the Green and White are 17-5, most recently with the Spartans defeating the Golden Flashes 2-1 in 2005.