Michigan State University Athletics
Spartans Gear Up For Final Road Trip
10/27/2006 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Oct. 27, 2006
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State will play its final conference game of the regular season against Ohio State in Columbus on Saturday at 12 p.m., before squaring off against Ohio University in its final regular-season game on Sunday in Athens, Ohio, at 1 p.m.
Playing The No. 5
Michigan State will face No. 5 Ohio State for the 49th meeting between the two schools. The Spartans are 14-31-3 against OSU in all-time meetings. Last season, Michigan State upset then-No. 8 OSU in East Lansing, 3-2. The Spartans have defeated the Buckeyes in the last five meetings between the two schools. The last time Michigan State was bested by Ohio State was a 3-2, double-overtime loss in 2000.
• OSU is led by Anne Wilkins for the 11th season; during that time she has led the Buckeyes to a 121-78 record in her first 10 seasons.
• The Ohio State offense includes four players with 20-plus points. Leading the bunch is Linda Haussener with 33, followed by Yesenia Luces (31), Saskia Mueller (29), and Michaela O'Malley (21).
• Anchoring the Buckeye defense is Lindsay Quintiliani, who has played in each of the Buckeyes' games, start-to-finish, posting a 13-2 record, including five shutouts.
Closing Out Regular-Season Play
The Spartans will close out the regular season on the road against the Ohio University Bobcats. Michigan State has won seven of the eight meetings between the two schools, including a 2-1 win last season in East Lansing.
• The Bobcats are led by first-year head coach Neil Macmillan. He has led the team a 10-7 record (7-2 MAC) so far this season. The team will come into the weekend on a three-game win streak following a win over Kent State.
• Ohio University is led is scoring by junior Torrie Albini with 10 goals and eight assists for 28 points.
• Jessie Martin has appeared in each of the Bobcats 17 games, with 1183:07 in goal. She has a 1.66 goals-against average and four shutouts this season.
Two-For-Two Review
Michigan State defeated Central Michigan, 2-0, with an overpowering offense led by freshman Floor Rijpma and senior captain Ashley Pernicano in Tuesday's game against Central Michigan. Rijpma posted the game-winner for the Spartans at 17:43, with Pernicano adding another goal for MSU at 53:43 for the final margin.
In the final home game of her career, Pernicano scored the only goal of the game, as Michigan State defeated No. 13 Indiana, 1-0. The Spartans played a tough defensive second period of the game to preserve their 1-0 lead from the first half. Senior goalkeeper Stephanie Yuhasz tallied her fourth shutout this season, posting four saves in the win.
Senior All-Stars
Michigan State senior Ashley Pernicano is one of 38 Division I seniors invited to compete in the 2006 NFHCA Division I Senior All-Star game in Winston-Salem, N.C., on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 7:30 p.m. Pernicano leads Michigan State in points with 24 on 10 goals and 4 assists. She tallied the lone goal against Indiana, to give Michigan State its first conference win of the season. In addition, the goal was the 20th career goal for Pernicano.
Award Winner
Senior Stephanie Yuhasz was honored twice this week for her efforts against CMU and Indiana. The Spartan keeper was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, in addition to being named the Womensfieldhockey.com, Division I Player of the Week. Yuhasz tallied four saves in each of the games, blanking both opponents to up her shutouts for the season to four.
