Field Hockey Hosts Penn State, Wake Forest
10/7/2010 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Oct. 7, 2010
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EAST LANSING, Mich.-The No. 7 Michigan State field hockey team will open up a weekend set at home on Friday, Oct. 8 in a Big Ten matchup against No.16 Penn State (8-3, 2-1) at 3 p.m. The Spartans are currently 1-1 in the Big Ten, after defeating Iowa 1-0 and falling to No. 19 Michigan, 2-1, and are overall 10-2 on the season. MSU will also host No. 11 Wake Forest (7-5) on Sunday at 1 p.m. MSU's seniors will be honored in a pre-game ceremony on Sunday.
Last Time Out
The Spartans defeated Ohio University, 6-4, last Sunday in a nonconference home match. Senior forward Sabine van den Assem recorded her first career hat trick against the Bobcats, and added an assist as well. Sophomore midfielder Kristen Henn scored her seventh goal of the season and junior back Holly Sherman tallied her first goal of 2010. Senior forward Jantine Steinmetz secured MSU's tenth victory by scoring off of a pass from senior back Joelle van Ierland. Van Ierland also recorded her first defensive save of the season against Ohio. The contest against the Bobcats kicked off a stretch of three home matches in a row for the Green and White.
Senior Day
Sunday's contest against Wake Forest will serve as Senior Celebration Day for the Spartans. Michigan State will honor its eight seniors prior to their nonconference matchup, which will begin at 1 p.m. When the 2010 season concludes, MSU will lose four of its midfielders with the graduation of Amanda Huck, Julie Mackay, Angela Pagura and Sabine van den Assem. Forwards Jantine Steinmetz and Camille Dagorn are also part of the 2010 class, along with backs Meghan Magee and Joelle van Ierland. The seniors will be recognized with their families before the start of the game.
Perfect at Home
The Spartans will play a total of 10 games at home in East Lansing at the Ralph Young Field this season. Out of the six games that have been played on their home turf so far, MSU has walked away with a victory for all six of them. The Spartans extended their home winning streak when they downed Ohio, 6-4, last Sunday.
Ranked Opponents
The Michigan State field hockey team is ranked No. 7 in the nation by the Kookaburra/NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll The Spartans are slated to face two ranked opponents this weekend when they welcome No. 16 Penn State and No. 11 Wake Forest. MSU suffered its first lost to a ranked opponent when they fell to No. 19 Michigan last Friday, 2-1. Their record this season against nationally ranked teams is 4-1.
Around the Big Ten
There are a total of four Big Ten teams that are ranked in this week's national poll. Just ahead of No. 7 Michigan State is No. 6 Ohio State. Michigan checks in at No. 15 with No. 16 Penn State right behind them. Goaltender Molly Cassidy ranks second in the conference with 49 total saves and leads the Big Ten in shutouts with five. MSU is second in goals scored with 36, and averages 3.00 tallies a game. The Green and White still lead the Big Ten with fewest goals allowed a game, with only letting 14 sneak by (an average of 1.17 per match.)
Scouting the Nittany Lions
No. 16 Penn State enters the weekend after posting a win over nonconference opponent Monmouth University, 7-2 and downing Big Ten foe Iowa, 5-3. The Nittany Lions are 2-1 in the Big Ten after falling to Michigan 2-0 and routing Indiana, 1-0. In the match against Monmouth, forward Kelsey Amy tallied four of PSU's seven goals. Along with Amy, three other Nittany Lions scored and Jessica Longstreth recorded her eleventh assist this season. Goaltender Ayla Halus enters Friday's contest with a save percentage of .842 and a GAA of 1.20. Penn State leads the conference in both shots (18.6 per game) and corners, ( 9.7 per match.)
Glancing at Wake Forest
No. 11 Wake Forest comes to East Lansing with a weight lifted off it's collective shoulders. Last time out, the Demon Deacons defeated California 5-1 with the help of Faith Adam's hat trick; that victory snapped a four-game losing streak for the squad. The Spartans faced California in the beginning of the season and downed the Golden Bears, 5-1.
Wake Forest is the second ACC team MSU will face this season. The Spartans met Duke in the final game of the Champions Invitational Tournament and blanked the Blue Devils, 1-0, to capture the title. The Demon Deacons posted a 3-2 shootout victory over Duke when they faced them in the beginning of the season. The Spartans are 9-1 against nonconference opponents.
Players Mentioned
