Field Hockey Arrives In Louisville
11/20/2002 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Nov. 20, 2002
Amidst a group of Spartan well-wishers, the Michigan State field hockey team boarded a bus that would take them to the airport and their first NCAA Final Four appearance. The Spartans, who are currently 23-2 on the season and the third-seed in the tournament, will play No. 2-seed Wake Forest at 7:30 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 22) at Trager Stadium in Louisville, Ky.
Prior to leaving for Louisville, some of the Spartans shared their thoughts on the upcoming weekend:
Coach Michele Madison
On the possibility of an All-Big Ten final game with Penn State...
"They're a very good team, and they had a really touch bracket with Princeton and Michigan, so they earned their right there, that's for sure."
On the road to the Final Four...
"I think they for sure saw it as a character builder and they were able to win under pressure and pull it out. That's the key. The regulations, the weather, everything was a challenge, and they just rose to the challenge and kept playing and kept giving more until they won it."
On the preseason goal of making it to the Final Four...
"Yes, that was the goal to get to the Final Four and we achieved it. So now it's what kind of goal can we set and reach within five days. So ours is really just stick with the goal we always had, and that was to play the best hockey we can possibly play. We practiced basics today. We went back to passing and receiving which we started with. It helps we know because that's the backbone, we have to play our game to get us further and play on Sunday."
Senior Jenny Sanders
On how the program has changed in her four years... "I'm kind of speechless. I've been here for four years and it's such a different program now. We're having so much fun and every game is just exciting. We just go out there and play, and we don't feel any pressure because we enjoy what we're doing so much."
Junior Alexandra Kyser
On advancing to the program's first Final Four...
"I'm very excited. I'm just trying to focus my energy on the game, instead of all the stuff that's going to go on around it and just focus on that. It's really exciting to walk around campus and have people recognize you; that you are doing something really good in your sport. My main thoughts are that I'm really excited."
Senior Julia Adams
On going to the Final Four as one of the three seniors on the team...
"We're all so excited, especially me, Jenny and Cynthia. It's been four years of hard work for this and it's very exciting."
On playing her final games as a Spartan...
"We (seniors Jenny Sanders and Cynthia Martin) are all kind of thinking about it, but whatever happens, we reached our goal of going to the Final Four, so we're ending on a positive note. We had an amazing season, and last year, too (winning the Big Ten regular season title). So it's ending positive, no matter what happens this weekend, and that is a really good experience."
Senior Cynthia Martin
On playing harder - being a senior...
"I don't know if it has to do with being our last two games. I think everybody's going to play as hard as they can, no matter what. We've come so far and it would be a shame to not play your best."
On rethinking goal now that they have reached the Final Four
"We are going to reevaluate. Our next is goal is to try to play for the National Championship That's what we want to do. So we'll take one game at a time and just try to win the next one."
On how the past two tournament games have built confidence...
"I think it just shows that we should have confidence in ourselves because we can play through snow and crazy fans and come out with wins. So it gives us confidence to know that if we go to overtime or if we go to strokes we're a strong enough team to come through it."
On thinking ahead of possibly facing Old Dominion this weekend (Michigan State opened the season at Old Dominion, falling 3-2 in overtime to the Monarchs)...
"We're trying not to think about that. You never know, Penn State could win and it could be a Big Ten final if we beat Wake Forest, but right now we're just concentrating all of our energies on Wake Forest so we don't get ahead of ourselves and lose focus."
Sophomore Annebet Beerman
On the emotions going through her head...
"I'm kind of nervous, but I'm really excited, on the other hand, too. I think we have a pretty good chance against them, so I'm really excited to go."
Sophomore Christina Kirkaldy
On going to the Final Four... "I think it's a great accomplishment for the team, and they've earned it. They worked really hard the entire season, and we pulled together as a team. We kept playing through pretty much everything that could've happened with little upsets here, but we just kept playing."
