MSU's Late Rally Falls Short to No. 18 Rutgers

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State field hockey's late rally fell short Sunday afternoon, dropping a 3-2 decision to No. 18 Rutgers at Ralph Young Field.

Junior Cara Bonshak led the Spartans on the offensive end, finishing with a goal and an assist. Freshman Nienke Bloemsaat, who came into the contest with four defensive saves, record her fifth goal of the season and added a pair of defensive saves for the Green and White.

MSU tallied nine total shots on the day along with three penalty corners, while Rutgers added 16 shots and seven penalty corners.

Sophomore goalkeeper Jade Arundell improved her season save total to 123 with seven saves on the day. Arundell, who came into the game leading the Big Ten in saves, added yet another trio of highlight reel saves for the Spartans. Arundell passed her season total from a season ago (122) in today's game.

10' | Jade goes full stretch to keep the score at 0!

MSU 0
RU 0#GoGreen🏑💚 pic.twitter.com/hWi3fyMine
— MSU Field Hockey (@MSUfieldhockey) October 20, 2019

Rutgers, who ranks No. 18 in the latest Penn Monto/NFHCA Coaches Poll, got on the board first at the 27^th minute. Milena Redlingshoefer used a few nifty passes from Gianna Mancini and Tayla Parkes to put the Scarlet Knights on the board off a penalty corner.

The Scarlet Knights entered the half leading 1-0, with five shots and three penalty corners. MSU finished the half with four shots on just one corner. Rutgers added to its lead three minutes into the second half with another penalty corner goal, this time from Alanna Gollotto from Redlingshoefer and Parkes.

35' | OFF THE REBOUND! Cara Bonshak gets her first goal of the season to put the Spartans on the board!

MSU 1
RU 2#GoGreen🏑💚 pic.twitter.com/KX4JNlARXQ
— MSU Field Hockey (@MSUfieldhockey) October 20, 2019

MSU fought back in the third period, collecting four shots and a goal from Bonshak off a goalie deflection, her first of the season. Rutgers answered right back at the 48^th minute, receiving a penalty stroke after a shot went off a Spartan defender inside the circle. Austyn Cuneo capitalized on the stroke, sending it past a diving Arundell to go up 3-2.

55' | GOAL BY BLOEMSAAT! MSU cuts the lead to 1!

MSU 2
RU 3#GoGreen🏑💚 pic.twitter.com/HDp1DWnxP7
— MSU Field Hockey (@MSUfieldhockey) October 20, 2019

Nienke Bloemsaat, who added her fifth and sixth defensive save of season in the loss, cut the Scarlet Knights lead to one at the 55^th minute, off a direct shot penalty corner with assists from Osinga and Bonshak, her seventh assist of the year. The Spartans attacked and came away with multiple opportunities in the last five minutes of the game, but couldn't capitalize to give the 18^th-ranked Scarlet Knights the 3-2 win.

Up Next
MSU heads east to College Park, Md. to take on No. 2-ranked Maryland on Friday, Oct. 25 at 5 p.m. The Spartans return home Sunday, Oct. 27 to face Central Michigan at 1 p.m.

Notes
-Bonshak recorded her first goal of the season and second of her career for the Spartans.
-Bloemsaat's two defensive saves pushes her total to six on the year, a Big Ten best.
-Bonshak added her seventh assist of the season, all from penalty corners
-Arundell added seven saves in the contest to push her total to 123 on the season
-After not giving up a penalty stroke all season, MSU awarded strokes in its last two games

Next Event

Team Stats

Cara Bonshak

Nienke Bloemsaat

Aisha Osinga

Celina Riccardo

Players Mentioned

Jade Arundell

Nienke Bloemsaat

Cara Bonshak

Players Mentioned

Jade Arundell

Nienke Bloemsaat

Cara Bonshak