Women's Soccer Hosts Indiana, Purdue
9/29/2010 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Sept. 29, 2010
EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's soccer team looks to improve its Big Ten record when it hosts Indiana and Purdue this weekend. Friday's game is slated to begin at 4 p.m. while Sunday's is at 12 noon; both will be held at DeMartin Stadium.
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Scouting the Spartans
Michigan State comes into the weekend with a 5-3-1 overall record and 0-1-0 in the Big Ten. The Spartans are coming off a tough 1-0 loss to Penn State in their Big Ten opener last Sunday (Sept. 26). Jill Flietstra made six saves against the Nittany Lions, but her three-game shutout streak was ended with a PSU penalty kick, which stood as the lone goal of the game. The junior enters the weekend with a 0.75 GAA and a save percentage of .854. Laura Heyboer and Olivia Stander remain neck-and-neck on the scoring charts with five goals apiece. Megan Pines and Annie Steinlage are boasting three assists each, which puts them in the team lead in that category.
Looking at the Hoosiers
Indiana enters Friday's competition with a Big Ten record of 0-2-0, and 4-6-1 overall. Orianica Velasquez and Carly Samp lead in goals (5), and assists (3). Lauren Hollandsworth currently tops Indiana goalkeeping; in eight games played, the senior owns a 1.38 GAA and a .708 save percentage.
A Peek at Purdue
The Boilermakers head into this weekend's competition with a 4-5-2 overall record and are 0-0-1 in the Big Ten. With three goals apiece, Kellie Philips and Lauren Montenegro are leading Purdue scoring. Katie Leinert and Liz Secue sit atop in assists, with three each. Carianne Betts dominates Boilermaker goalkeeping, posting a 1.07 GAA and a .783 save percentage in 12 games played.
Big Ten Luminaries
Laura Heyboer and Olivia Stander continue to make appearances in the Big Ten statistical rankings. Both forwards are currently sitting atop the conference in goals (5) and are tied for second in goals per game (.56). With six this season, Jill Flietstra is best in the Big Ten in shutouts and shutouts per game (.67). Flietstra also ranks second in the conference in saves (41) and fifth in save percentage (.854).
NCAA Notes
MSU is currently tied for 9th place in the NCAA statistics in shutout percentage, thanks to Jill Flietstra's six shutouts in nine games so far this season.
Climbing the Ladder
Junior Laura Heyboer continues to climb the all-time scoring charts. The forward currently sits in fourth place in career scoring with 84 points, and now stands alone in fourth with 34 career goals. She also has 16 career assists, tying Lauren Hill and Leah Hutko for 11th on the all-time list.
Jill Flietstra is currently in eighth for career saves with 118, and is tied in overall shutouts with 13. The junior is also tied for eighth in career wins (16); five of which have come in her nine starts this season.
Head Coach Tom Saxton needs five wins to reach the 200-win plateau. He is in his 20th season as the head coach at Michigan State.
Big Ten Pundits
MSU was picked fourth in the 2010 Big Ten preseason poll of coaches. Penn State was selected as the league favorite for the eighth consecutive season, followed by Ohio State, Wisconsin, and the Spartans. Following MSU in the poll, in order, is Purdue, Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Indiana, Northwestern, and Iowa.
Players to Watch
Spartan senior Cara Freeman and juniors Laura Heyboer and Jill Flietstra were named to the Big Ten's "Players to Watch" list. Three student-athletes were selected from each school.
The Spartan Staff
Michigan State head coach Tom Saxton is in his 20th season in command of the women's soccer program. He entered the season with a 190-157-34 record, and is coming off back-to-back NCAA Tournament appearances in 2008 and 2009. He has Associate Head Coach Tammy Farnum returning for her 14th season and assistant Stacy Heller for her seventh, both after four-year careers in Green and White
