Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Central Michigan
Miller, Fletcher Earn the Shutout for Michigan State
10/10/2017 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Final Stats | PDF Box: MSU 3, CMU 0
Overview:
The Michigan State field hockey team defeated Central Michigan University in dominant fashion, 3-0, Tuesday afternoon in Mount Pleasant, Michigan.
The Spartans improve to 7-7 on the season while sitting at 1-3 in Big Ten play. CMU falls to 0-14 on the year and 0-3 in the Mid-American Conference.
MSU dominated the shot count on the afternoon, tallying 38 shots to just six from the Chippewas. The Green and White earned 10 penalty corners compared to one earned by CMU.
Freshman goalkeeper Mairi Fletcher spent the first half in net for the Spartans, collecting one save on the afternoon.
Senior goalkeeper Katie Miller replaced Fletcher in net for the second half of play, assisting in the shutout for the Green and White.
How it Happened:
The Spartans took an early lead in the game, when redshirt senior midfielder Kendal Anderson netted the first goal of the game, taking advantage of a loose ball in front of the net. The redshirt senior chipped the ball in, sliding it past the left glove of the Chippewas' goalkeeper, off a senior forward Grace Santi helper.
In the 20th minute, senior forward Sophie Macadré had a huge scoring opportunity, taking the ball coast to coast along the right side of the field with just the goalkeeper standing in between the senior and the net. The goalkeeper made a diving save and was able to knock the ball out of the circle, stopping the senior from scoring.
The Spartans earned four consecutive penalty corners over a three minute span in the 29th minute. On the fourth attempt, senior forward Sophie Macadré fired a shot in off the rebound and found the back of the net, giving the Spartans a 2-0 lead. Macadré capitalized after junior forward Madison O'Neill hit the left post off the initial shot, sending the ball ricocheting across the net and into the stick of the senior.
The second half was heavily controlled by MSU, although the Spartans would not find the back of the net until the 62nd minute. MSU earned its ninth penalty corner of the afternoon, with redshirt senior back Simone Vagnoni capitalizing on the penalty, earning the third goal for MSU. Vagnoni scored her fourth goal of the year, firing the shot from the top of the circle. Macadré and junior back Bailey Higgins both registered an assist on the Vagnoni goal.
Key Performances:
Anderson netted her seventh goal of the season for the Spartans. The Shaker Heights native is tied for team lead in goals with seven.
Macadré registered her seventh goal of the year, tying for team-leader alongside Anderson. The New Zealand native also tallied one assist in the game.
Santi tallied her first assist of the year, dishing the helper on the Anderson goal. Santi added four shots and two shots on goal on the afternoon.
Vagnoni earned her fourth goal in 2017 in the 62nd minute for the Spartans. The senior captain added six shots, four of which were on the goal to round out a solid performance on the day.
Higgins recorded one assist for the Spartans and had a solid day as a part of the Spartan backline.
Fletcher and Miller split time in net for MSU, with Fletcher earning one save on two shots and Miller assisting in the Spartan shutout.
Quotable:
"I was pleased with how we came out in the first half and possessed the ball into our attacking 25," said head coach Helen Knull. "We struggled to make adjustments after the half and played a lot more reactive, which we need to overcome before our next challenge Friday against Rutgers."
Up Next:
The Spartans return home Friday to host No. 18 Rutgers in a Big Ten battle. That match is scheduled to begin at 4 p.m. at Ralph Young Field in East Lansing and will be broadcast on the Big Ten Network.
