Spartan Field Hockey Rebounds, Beats Ohio State 4-2

Oct. 7, 2007

EAST LANSING - Mich. - The Michigan State field hockey team improved to 11-4 (2-1 Big Ten) on the season as it beat Ohio State, 4-2, on Sunday afternoon. Although Ohio State still leads the all-time series 32-15-3, Michigan State has now won seven out of the last nine meetings with the Buckeyes over the past seven seasons.

MSU came out with authority as it scored two quick goals to start the game. In the fifth minute of the first half, Spartan sophomore Floor Rijpma scored her first goal of the game, as she received a pass from the left side, maneuvered around her defender and smashed the ball passed Ohio State goalkeeper Ali Ristas to put MSU on the board. The second goal for MSU came just over a minute later when junior Geraldine Raynor set up for a penalty corner. Raynor passed the ball to stopper Amy Schneider, who advanced it to the top of the circle where senior forward Kathy Elenz-Martin was waiting to put it into the net. Elenz-Martin converted for her seventh goal of the season at 5:55.

Ohio State answered at 15:23 with an unassisted goal from freshman Jena Cacciatore in front of the Spartan goal, her third of the year. But soon after, MSU senior Charlotte van der Laag scored an unassisted goal from the top of the circle, her fourth of the season, to put the Spartans up 3-1.

With time winding down in the first half , Ohio State cut into the lead as Linda Haussener scored her sixth goal of the year off a penalty corner to help the Buckeyes go into halftime down only one goal.

The second half was much the same for the Spartans, as they continued their dominance by outshooting OSU 9-2 and holding the Buckeyes scoreless the rest of the game. Not even a switch at goalkeeper for Ohio State could keep MSU out of the net. Just 11 seconds into the second half, Floor Rijpma scored her second goal of the day off of a pass from junior Michelle Ciliberti. Rijpma knocked it in from the left side, tying her for third on the team with her ninth goal of the season.

"It's great to bounce back from an the overtime loss to Michigan, and be in the win column today," said head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof. "We did an excellent job of executing the game plan early in the first half, resulting in two quick goals. There was great teamwork today, and that's a compliment to the whole team."

MSU has some time off, as it gets a week to rest before another Big Ten matchup against Penn State at Astroturf Field in University Park, Pa. Penn State leads the all-time series, 22-7, over the Spartans. MSU has dropped its last three contests against the Nittany Lions.