Field Hockey Returns Home to Take on Penn State, No. 18 Rutgers

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EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State field hockey returns to Ralph Young Field on Friday, Oct. 18 to take on Penn State for Senior Day. After their Friday matchup, the Spartans welcome No. 18 Rutgers to Ralph Young Field on Sunday, Oct. 20 at 12 p.m.

The Spartans are off to a 6-7 start to the 2019 season, with wins over St. Francis, Kent State, Ball State, Miami (Ohio), UC Davis and Ohio. Six of MSU's seven losses have come to ranked opponents (No. 12 Louisville, No. 3 UConn, No. 7 Northwestern, No. 8 Iowa, No. 9 Michigan and No. 20 Wake Forest. MSU looks for its first B1G win of the season this weekend, after an 0-4 start and losses to No. 7 Northwestern, No. 8 Iowa, No. 9 Michigan and Indiana.

Spartan Seniors

Kelsey Keener | Millerstown, Pa.
Kelsey has not missed a game in her four years at Michigan State, playing in all 73 games with 49 starts. Keener has tallied eight goals and seven assists in her Spartan career and was named a Big Ten Preseason Player to Watch in 2019. An Academic All-Big Ten selection in 2017, Keener is graduating with a degree in kinesiology.

Makenzie Brown | Glasgow, Scotland
A co-captain on this years team, Brown has appeared in 70 games for MSU and earned her first career goal in 2016 against Ohio State. Brown was named a Big Ten Preseason Player to Watch in 2019 and was an Academic All-Big Ten selection in 2017 and '18. Brown is graduating with a degree in interdisciplinary studies.

Hannah Ackers | White Haven, Pa.
Hannah appeared in 35 games for the Spartans in her career, with 23 starts. Ackers recorded her first career goal against Old Dominion in 2017. An Academic All-Big Ten Selection in 2017, Ackers is graduating with a degree in human biology.

Scouting the Nittany Lions
After an 0-6 start, including five losses to top-25 opponents, the Nittany Lions have won three of their last five, including a 3-2 double overtime win over No. 8 Northwestern on Oct. 11.
Penn State is 2-2 in conference play, with its two losses coming to two top-10 teams in Maryland and Iowa.
Anna Simon leads the Nittany Lions in scoring with seven goals and a staggering 56 shots through 12 games. 10 different Nittany Lions have scored on the season, including four players with two goals each. Brie Barraco has started in all 12 games wiht 66 saves.
All-Time Series Penn State leads, 32-10
Michigan State Streak 6 wins from '01-'04
First Meeting Oct. 4, 1987
Last Meeting Sept. 23, 2018
Last MSU Win Oct. 31, 2009 (5-1)
Last Penn State Win Sept. 23, 2018 (8-0 at Penn State)
Largest MSU Win 3-0 (Sept. 27, 2002)
Largest Ohio Win 8-0 (Sept. 23, 2018)

Scouting Rutgers
No. 18 Rutgers holds a 6-6 record with two-ranked wins (No. 24 Maine, No. 6 Princeton). The Scarlet Knights are 1-3 in conference action with their lone win coming over Indiana.
Austyn Cuneo and Katie Larmour lead the Scarlet Knights with four and five goals, respectively. Cuneo, who has played in just nine games, leads the team with six assists and 14 points. Gianna Glatz holds a 1.51 GAA with 52 saves and two shutouts in 12 games.
All-Time Series MSU leads, 8-5
Michigan State Streak 8 wins from 1991-2016
First Meeting Sept. 26, 1986
Last Meeting Sept. 21, 2018
Last MSU Win Oct. 14, 2016 (4-3)
Last Rutgers Win Sept. 21, 2018 (5-1 in Piscataway)
Largest MSU Win 12-1 (Sept. 14, 2002)
Largest Rutgers Win 5-1 (Sept. 21, 2018)

Last Time Out
The Spartans picked up a 1-0 win over Ohio on Friday, Oct. 11 at Ralph Young Field. Senior Kelsey Keener scored a tip-in goal in the first quarter that proved to be the game-winner and her first of the season. Sophomore goalkeeper Jade Arundell continued her double-digit save streak with 10 and her third shutout of the season. MSU battled on the road at No. 20 Wake Forest on Oct. 13, before falling 3-1 in a rainy battle. Aisha Osinga scored a lob goal for the Spartans in the loss.

Spartan Leaders
Junior Lia Sinisi leads the Spartans on the offensive side with six goals, while freshman Nienke Bloemsaat has added four goals, two assists and four defensive saves. Sinisi recorded her first career goal in MSU's season opener against St. Francis on Aug. 31. Bloemsaat has started in 12 of 13 games for the Spartans as a defender, recording all four goals on penalty corners.. Cara Bonshak leads the Spartans and is tied for fourth in the Big Ten in assists with six, while Keener has one goal and three assists to her name. Arundell leads the Big Ten with 103 saves in 13 games. Her 8.3 saves per game ranks seventh in the NCAA and first in the Big Ten. Osinga has collected four goals on the season with three game-winning goals, which is tied for first in the Big Ten. Osinga leads the Spartans with 24 shots and 15 on goal. Meredith Ross comes in to the weekend with three goals and an assist. Redshirt junior Maggie Cole recorded her first goal in the Green and White in the season opener vs. St. Francis (Aug. 31).

MSU at the Top in Defensive Saves
Michigan State field hockey is among one of the nation's best in defensive saves with 7. Among the 63 teams with Division I field hockey, MSU ranks No. 6 in th NCAA. MSU is tied with Maryland for the most defensive saves in the Big Ten. Bloemsaat is tied for the lead in the Big Ten with four saves to her name. She is tied for fifth in the NCAA with six others who have four saves. Sophomore Maddie McDonough has been a heavy defensive presence with Bloemsaat on the back line of defense. McDonough has two defensive saves on the year, including a layout save against No. 20 Wake Forest on Oct. 13. Bonshak recorded her first defensive save of the season on Sept. 29 against No. 8 Iowa.

Tough Schedule
MSU has faced six opponents that currently rank inside the top-25, including No. 5 Louisville, No. 3 UConn, No. 8 Northwestern, No. 6 Iowa, No. 11 Michigan and No. 20 Wake Forest. (Oct. 15 poll). Three of MSU's next five opponents are currently ranked inside the top-25 of the Penn Monto/NFHCA Coaches Poll rankings, including No. 18 Rutgers, No. 2 Maryland and No. 21 Ohio State (Oct. 15 poll). Six Big Ten opponents are ranked, including (10) Northwestern, (6) Iowa, (9) Michigan, (18) Rutgers, (21) Ohio State and (2) Maryland. Of the six, the Spartans play host to Rutgers (Oct. 20) and Ohio State (Nov. 2). MSU also travels to No. 2 Maryland on Oct. 25.

Arundell on Top
Arundell leads the Big Ten with 108 saves in 13 games (8.3spg) in goal for the Spartans. Her 8.3 saves per game rank sixth in the NCAA and first in the Big Ten. Indiana goalkeeper Sachi Ananias is second in total saves with 72 on the season. Arundell, who compiled 122 saves last year in her freshman season, recorded a career-high 15 saves on Oct. 6 at No. 9 Michigan. Arundell compiled 41 saves over a three-game span against No. 7 Northwestern, No. 8 Iowa and No. 9 Michigan. Arundell's .761 save percentage ranks 2rd in the Big Ten and ranks 17th in the NCAA. Arundell's 8.5 saves per game lead the Big Ten and her three shutouts are tied for third.

Next Up
MSU travels to College Park, Md. to take on No. 2 Maryland on Oct. 25 before returning home for a pair of home matches with Central Michigan (Oct. 27, 2 p.m.) and Ohio State (Nov. 2, 1 p.m.)

Field Hockey Returns Home to Take on Penn State, No. 18 Rutgers

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Players Mentioned

Hannah Ackers

Jade Arundell

Nienke Bloemsaat

Cara Bonshak

Makenzie Brown

Maggie Cole

Kelsey Keener

Meredith Ross

Lia Sinisi