Women's Soccer Preview
10/11/2011 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
Oct. 11, 2011
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Senior forward Laura
The Particulars
Michigan State (10-4-1, 3-3-0 Big Ten) looks to bounce back after a tough 1-0 loss to Illinois in double-overtime. The Spartans welcome Michigan (8-4-2, 3-2-1 Big Ten) into DeMartin Stadium Wednesday, Oct. 12 at 4 p.m. Michigan State's contest with Michigan will be streamed live and can be seen on the Michigan State All-Access Player on msuspartans.com for a fee. The game will be replayed on the Big Ten Network on Thursday, Oct. 13, at 12:30 p.m.
A Week in Review
The Spartans stayed home and took on a resilient Illinois team at DeMartin Stadium, Saturday afternoon. MSU fell to the Illini 1-0 in a double-overtime defensive thriller. Jill Flietstra hauled in 11 saves for Michigan State, her best of the season. Illinois received the game-winning goal in the 102 minute after sophomore Vanessa DiBernardo sent a cross to senior Marissa Mykines who was able to send it into the left corner of the net for the lone goal of the game. Although the score was close, Illinois out-shot the Spartans 23-7 and led in corner kicks 8-2. Michigan State received great play from its defense, which were outnumbered in many instances.
A Glance at the Wolverines
Michigan heads into East Lansing with an 8-4-2 record to take on Michigan State. The Wolverines are coming off of a 1-0 loss against Big Ten foe Northwestern at home on Saturday, Oct. 8. Michigan played only one game over the weekend, as did Michigan State. Michigan will be down its leading scorer, sophomore Nkem Ezurike. She is suspended after she received her fifth yellow card of the season over the weekend against Northwestern. NCAA rules stipulate that if a player receives his or her fifth yellow card of the season, that player must sit out the following game. Ezurike leads the Wolverines in points (19) and in goals (seven) and is tied for eighth in the conference in both statistical categories. Michigan junior Haley Kopmeyer has started all 14 games in goal for the Wolverines. She comes into the matchup with a .83 goals against average and a .879 save percentage. Kopmeyer leads the Big Ten in save percentage with 87 total saves and 6.21 saves per game. Kopmeyer has recorded six shutouts on the season and is tied for the conference best with MSU goalkeeper Jill Flietstra.
A CLASS of Her Own
Senior forward Laura Heyboer was selected as a finalist for the 2011 Lowe's Senior CLASS Award in collegiate soccer. The prestigious accolade honors student-athletes who excel both on and off the field. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. Heyboer not only makes an impact in the MSU community, but is a strong leader on the soccer field. At the beginning of the season, Heyboer broke two school records and is now MSU's leading career scorer with 54 goals and also leads in all-time points with 130. So far this season, the forward has notched 15 goals and six assists for a total of 36 points.
Defensive Attitude
In the last three matches the Spartan defense allowed only two goals. Senior goalkeeper Jill Flietstra is second in the conference in goals against average (.71) and second in save percentage (.867). She also is tied for the conference lead in shutouts with six and shutouts per game. Flietstra is not the only Spartan that has raised her play on the defensive side. Four defenders have seen ample playing time during the Big Ten season; senior Katelin Chaklos, junior Kelsey Kassab, sophomore Annie Steinlage and sophomore Kelsey Mullen have all played critical roles in keeping the Spartans among the top of the Big Ten in defensive statistics.
Dynamic Duo
The combination of forwards Laura Heyboer and Olivia Stander has accounted for 25 of the Spartans' 29 goals this season. Heyboer leads the team in goals and is third in the Big Ten, with 15 on the season. Stander is second best on the team and sixth best in the conference with 10. Both Heyboer and Stander are near the top of the Big Ten in points and assists as well. Heyboer is tied for second in the conference in total points (36) and Stander is fifth best in total points (27). Stander ranks fourth in the conference in assists (seven) while Heyboer comes in tied for fifth with six. Both forwards continue to step up on the offensive side of the ball and are very dangerous for opposing teams while on the field together.
Rivalry of Late
The last four meetings between the Spartans and Wolverines have all ended in draws. A total of only two goals have been scored in the last three seasons, each coming in the same game, a 1-1 tie on Oct. 31, 2008. Michigan has not beaten the Spartans since 2003 and has not won in East Lansing since 1998. Michigan leads the all-time series record, 8-4-7.
Next up
Following the mid-week game against Michigan, the Spartans travel to Bloomington, Ind. to take on the Hoosiers (6-7-1, 2-4-0 Big Ten) Sunday, Oct. 16 at 1 p.m.
