Sunday, September 20
East Lansing, Mich.
12:00 PM
Michigan State University
1
vs
2
UC Davis
Spartans Drop Decision to Aggies, 2-1
9/20/2015 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Sept. 20, 2015 
EAST LANSING, Mich. â€" Michigan State was overcome by UC Davis, 2-1, at Ralph Young Field on Sunday. The Spartans move to 3-5 on the season and look to bounce back as the season shifts into Big Ten play next week.
The lone first-half goal came from MSU junior forward Megan Fenton. A pass along the right sideline from redshirt sophomore Lauren Bonness led Fenton out in front of the defense. Fenton's shot, a strong cross-field stroke, bounced in the far side of the net to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead.
UC Davis was first to strike in the second half, scoring in the 40th minute to tie the game 1-1. The goal came from UC Davis' leading scorer, Jamie Garcia, with an assist credited to Hannah Drawbridge.
UC Davis took the lead just five minutes later as Kat Jackson found the back of the net for the first time this season. Jackson's goal was assisted by Courtney Hessler.
MSU out-shot the Aggies 9-5, including a 6-0 edge in corner opportunities.
Redshirt junior goalkeeper Sierra Patton moves to 3-5 along with the Spartans, recording just one save in the contest. Patton has recorded 560 minutes in net for MSU this season, and she ranked second in the Big Ten in saves (30) and third in the conference in saves per game (4.29) heading into Sunday's game.
League play will progress next weekend as Michigan State travels to Penn State on Friday, Sept. 25, and then to Maryland on Sunday, Sept. 27.
Penn State sits at 3-4 so far this season, with a 0-1 mark in the conference after a loss to Michigan. The Nittany Lions went 16-6 overall and 5-3 in the Big Ten in 2014, good for fourth in the league and a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Maryland is currently 4-3 overall, including a 1-0 start in Big Ten play with a win over Northwestern. The Terrapins came away as regular-season conference champions in 2014, finishing 19-4 overall and 7-1 in conference play.
The lone first-half goal came from MSU junior forward Megan Fenton. A pass along the right sideline from redshirt sophomore Lauren Bonness led Fenton out in front of the defense. Fenton's shot, a strong cross-field stroke, bounced in the far side of the net to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead.
UC Davis was first to strike in the second half, scoring in the 40th minute to tie the game 1-1. The goal came from UC Davis' leading scorer, Jamie Garcia, with an assist credited to Hannah Drawbridge.
UC Davis took the lead just five minutes later as Kat Jackson found the back of the net for the first time this season. Jackson's goal was assisted by Courtney Hessler.
MSU out-shot the Aggies 9-5, including a 6-0 edge in corner opportunities.
Redshirt junior goalkeeper Sierra Patton moves to 3-5 along with the Spartans, recording just one save in the contest. Patton has recorded 560 minutes in net for MSU this season, and she ranked second in the Big Ten in saves (30) and third in the conference in saves per game (4.29) heading into Sunday's game.
League play will progress next weekend as Michigan State travels to Penn State on Friday, Sept. 25, and then to Maryland on Sunday, Sept. 27.
Penn State sits at 3-4 so far this season, with a 0-1 mark in the conference after a loss to Michigan. The Nittany Lions went 16-6 overall and 5-3 in the Big Ten in 2014, good for fourth in the league and a bid to the NCAA Tournament.
Maryland is currently 4-3 overall, including a 1-0 start in Big Ten play with a win over Northwestern. The Terrapins came away as regular-season conference champions in 2014, finishing 19-4 overall and 7-1 in conference play.
Players Mentioned
Forward
/ Field Hockey
Forward/Midfield
/ Field Hockey
Goalkeeper
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