Michigan State University Athletics
Field Hockey Prepares for Big Ten Tournament
11/3/2010 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 3, 2010
Listen to Spartan Sports Podcasts:
Rolf | Molly
EAST LANSING, Mich.-The No. 10 Michigan State field hockey team (14-4, 3-3 Big Ten) will travel to Evanston, Ill. to participate in the Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament. They will kick off their campaign to defend their 2009 tournament title by facing off against Northwestern (11-8, 3-3 Big Ten) for the third time this season. Game time is set for 10 a.m. on Thursday Nov. 4th.
Last Time Out
The Spartans concluded their 2010 regular season when they defeated Northwestern, 3-2, in Evanston on Oct. 31st. Freshman goaltender Molly Cassidy recorded 12 saves in Michigan State's third conference win. Michigan State was able to get on the board fairly early when senior forward Sabine van den Assem netted her tenth goal of the season at 6:45 off of a pass from junior back Angie Lucik. Neither team was able to get on the board again in the first half, but the Wildcats dominated the Spartans in shots, 10-2. Northwestern was able to rally back and secure a 2-1 lead until senior back Joelle van Ierland knocked in the equalizer. Senior forward Jantine Steintmez secured MSU's victory when she reverse chipped in her fourth game-winning goal of the season at 63:22.
Round Three
Prior to MSU's Oct. 31st meeting with Northwestern, the Spartans and the Wildcats met on Oct. 17 when Michigan State hosted NU in a non-conference game. The Spartans topped NU in a thrilling match, 2-1. Down 1-0 going into the second half, sophomore midfielder Kristen Henn was able to knock in the equalizer for the Spartans off of a pass from senior forward Jantine Steinmetz. With less than three minutes left in regulation Steinmetz was found senior Amanda Huck near the cage where she was able to deflect in the game-winning goal.
Wrapping up the Big Ten
Michigan State completed the 2010 season in fourth place with a 3-3 record. The Spartans posted victories over Northwestern (3-2), Indiana (2-0) and Iowa (1-0). They fell to Penn State (4-1), Ohio State (5-1) and Michigan (2-1). Ohio State and Michigan clinched a share of the conference title with identical 5-1 records, but Ohio State was named the top seed in the tournament thanks to their 2-1 win head-to-head victory over the Wolverines. Following Michigan in third place is Penn State, which finished the season with a record of 4-2. Northwestern also had a 3-3 Big Ten record this season, but the Spartans edged them in the standings by defeating the Wildcats on Oct. 31. Indiana claimed sixth place at 1-5, and Iowa finished last after failing to produce a conference win.
Steinmetz and van den Assem's ten goals apiece are good for sixth in the Big Ten. Henn's 3.88 average shots is the fifth best in the conference. Freshman goaltender Molly Cassidy's five shutouts put her at second in the Big Ten and she is also in second with 89 saves. Overall, Michigan State is tied with Ohio States with a total of six shutouts. The Spartans are also third in goals scored (50) and goals allowed (29).
Big Ten Tournament History
The Michigan State field hockey team has captured the Big Ten Tournament title three times in the history of the program, with their most recent title coming in 2009. Last season, MSU hosted the Big Ten Tournament in East Lansing and received the top seed and a bye in the first round. In the second round of play, the Spartans blanked Iowa, 5-1 to advance to the finals. MSU edged Indiana, 3-2, in the championship game to capture the tournament title and become just the second team in conference history to finish the regular season undefeated and win the Big Ten Tournament. Coach Rolf van de Kerkhof was named the 2009 Big Ten Coach of the year for the first time in his career.
The Spartans also were the Big Ten Tournament Champions in back to back years, in 2002 and 2003. They captured their 2002 title in Columbus, Ohio when they shut out Michigan in the finals, 3-0. Michigan State's 2003 Big Ten Tournament title came after the Green and White downed Penn State, 5-3, on the Nittany Lion's home turf in the championship game.
Leading the Way
The Spartan offense is led by senior forward Jantine Steinmetz. Steinmetz has recorded ten goals and eight assists so far this season. In MSU's most recent victory over Northwestern, the Amstelveen, Netherlands native tallied her fourth game-winning goal, which is good for the team's best. Behind Steinmetz is senior forward Sabine van den Assem, who has also tallied ten goals this season. Van den Assem has recorded four helpers as well. Following the dynamic seniors is sophomore midfielder Kristen Henn who has scored nine times and assisted on two goals. While these three talented forwards have led MSU throughout most of the season, a total of thirteen different Spartans have scored this season.
MSU's defensive corps have had an impressive season as well. Senior back Joelle van Ierland has tallied two defensive saves, three goals and eight assists so far in 2010. Sophomore back Corey Block has also recorded a defensive save for the Spartans. In her debut season, freshman goaltender Molly Cassidy has recorded a GAA of 1.66, a save percentage of .754, and has five career shutouts. All five of Cassidy's shutouts have been at home. She has had a career high 14 saves against No. 20 Stanford and recently recorded 12 saves against Northwestern in MSU's thrilling 3-2 victory. The Michigan State defense has also contributed to the Spartans' goal production with sophomore back Adelle Lever and junior back Holly Sherman each recording one goal each alongside van Ierland's three. Sherman also has two assists this season.
 Freshman midfielder Katherine Jamieson  | |
On the Road Again
Michigan State will travel back to Evanston a mere four days after they were last there to face the Wildcats. The Spartans are 3-3 on the road and 2-0 in neutral site games. MSU has scored 28 of their 50 goals this season in away games. In their travels, the Spartans have traveled as far as Berkley, Calif. this season and have stayed as close to home as Ann Arbor, Mich. MSU posted an impressive 9-1 record in East Lansing this year, and have tallied two of their conference wins on their home turf.
Second Half Scoring
Michigan State continues to bring momentum into their second half of play, as the team has scored most of their goals in the second thirty-five minutes. Both van Ierland and Steinmetz scored their goals in the second half against Northwestern. MSU has scored 31 out of their 50 goals this season in the second half and have shot at their opponent's cage 136 times after the intermission. The Spartan defense has also been stepping up during the second thirty-five minutes of play, with freshman goaltender Molly Cassidy recording 53 of her 89 saves in the second half. Penalty Strokes
Sabine van den Assem's penalty stroke in the tilt against Ohio State on Oct. 15 was the second stroke opportunity the Spartans have had this season. Senior forward Jantine Steinmetz recorded MSU's only goal against Michigan in this manner when the Spartans visited Ann Arbor on Oct. 1. Michigan State lost the contest against the Wolverines, 2-1. Both penalty strokes wound up being the only tallies for the Spartans in their losses to Big Ten rivals, Ohio State and Michigan.
Shut Out
Goaltender Molly Cassidy has recorded five shutouts over her debut season. Two of her shutouts came over ranked opponents with a 1-0 win over No. 10 Duke and a 1-0 victory against No. 12 James Madison. Cassidy has a good feel for the Ralph Young Field, since all five of her shutouts occurred at home. She posted the rest of her shutouts against Providence (1-0), Iowa (1-0), and Indiana (1-0). Cassidy has recorded a GAA of 1.66 and a save percentage of .754. Her 89 saves are good for second in the Big Ten and she is tied for second with five shutouts.
Conference Laurels
Freshman goaltender Molly Cassidy has been awarded five Big Ten Player of the Week awards this season for her outstanding defensive performances, Cassidy was named both the Big Ten Freshman and Defensive Player of the Week for her first career shutout over No. 10 Duke (1-0) on Aug. 29th and recording 14 saves in MSU's 3-2 victory over No. 20 Stanford. She was most recently named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Nov. 1st after posting 12 saves and helping propel Michigan State to a 3-2 victory over Northwestern. Freshman Katherine Jamieson also picked up a Big Ten Freshman of the Week award after scoring the game-winning goal on Sept. 3 against California as the Spartans defeated the Golden Bears, 4-3.
It's All in the Family
Senior forward Amanda and junior goaltender Abbey Huck are the two sisters on the Michigan State field hockey team. The sister's hail from Emmaus, Pa. Amanda has recorded two goals this season and Abbey posted three saves when she played in MSU's 10-0 victory over Pacific. Freshman forward Katherine Jamieson will face off against her older sister, Megan, for the third time this weekend when the Spartans matchup Northwestern. Megan is a senior back for the Wildcats.
Ranked Opponents
Michigan State is ranked 10th in the Kookaburra/NCFHA Division I National Coaches Poll this week. The Spartans have been ranked as high as sixth in 2010. This season, the Spartans have recorded a 5-3 record against ranked opponents. MSU has posted wins over No. 9 Wake Forest (3-1), No. 10 Duke (1-0), No. 19 Stanford, (3-2), No. 12 James Madison (1-0) and No.13 Boston University, (6-1).
