Field Hockey Wraps Up Regular Season With Two Games
10/30/2008 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Oct. 30, 2008
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This Week
Michigan State hosts Penn State on Friday in the last home game of the regular season at 4 p.m. The Spartans then close out the regular season on Sunday when they travel to Central Michigan for a noon game
Series History
Penn State leads the all-time series, 22-8. In 2007, the Spartans posted a 3-2 win over the Nittany Lions in State College, Pa. Jeamie Deacon (Wexford, Ireland) scored two of MSU's goals and Elissa Unger (Reading, Pa.) made three saves in the win.
The Spartans hold a 36-14-4 all-time record over the Chippewas. Last season, Central Michigan posted a 3-2 win over then fifth-ranked fifth MSU, scoring with less then two minutes remaining in the game. Gwen Riley and Jantine Steinmetz recorded goals for Michigan State.
Last Week's Action
Eighth-ranked Michigan State fell to No. 10 Iowa, 4-3 in overtime. It was the fourth overtime game of the year for the Spartans, and the second straight. Deacon had a hand in each of the Spartans goals, including recording two goals for five points. Unger made five saves in goal, while MSU recorded 14 shots to Iowa's nine and held a 7-3 advantage in penalty corners.
Scouting the Nittany Lions
Penn State (13-4, 5-0 Big Ten) clinched the Big Ten regular season title with a 3-0 win over Michigan last Sunday. It was their fifth title in school history. Senior Jen Beaumont made nine saves in goal for the team's ninth shutout this season. She was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Monday for her efforts, the second time she has received the honor this season. Sophomore Daneen Zug, freshman Jessica Longstreth and senior Allison Scola all tallied goals for Penn State.
Zug leads the team with nine goals this season and is second with 21 points. Scola holds the team lead in points (24) and assists (12), and is second in the Big Ten in assists. Beaumont holds a .94 goals against average (GAA) and a .831 save percentage. She leads the conference in shutouts, GAA and save percentage.
Scouting the Chippewas
Central Michigan (6-10) is coming off a sweep of Missouri State. The Chippewas have won three straight and five of their last seven games. Senior Samantha Sandham recorded a goal and two assists, junior Tara Schiltz posted two goals and junior Melinda Curran made 12 saves in the two games against Missouri State.
Sandham is the school's all-time assists leader (32) and has 100 career points. She is just the third player to accomplish the milestone in program history. Sandham leads the team in goals (11), assists (7) and points (29). Senior Amanda Lucik is second on the team with 13 points this season. She is the sister of Michigan State redshirt freshman Angie Lucik. Curran owns a 5-5 record on the season and two shutouts. Michigan State and Central Michigan have faced eight of the same opponents this season, with the Spartans recording a 5-3 record and the Chippewas posting a 2-8 mark.
Scouting the Spartans
Deacon's second goal on Saturday was off a penalty stroke, the second one she has taken this season. Her five points against Iowa propelled her into the team lead in points (32). She is tied for second on the team in goals (11) and is tied for the team-lead in assists (10). Deacon is 17th nationally in points per game, 35th in goals per game and 21st in assists per game. She is second in points, tied for seventh in goals and tied for sixth in assists in the Big Ten ... Junior Floor Rijpma (Bunnik, Netherlands) leads the team with 14 goals and is tied for second in points (31). She is ranked 23rd nationally in goals per game and is 30th in points per game. Rijpma is also second in the Big Ten in goals and goals per game ... Freshman Chantae Miller (East Amherst, N.Y.) has 11 goals and nine assists for 31 points. She leads all freshmen in the conference in goals, assists and points. Miller is 30th nationally in points per game and 49th in goals per game ... Senior Gwen Riley (Louisville, Ky.) is tied for the team lead with 10 assists and is fourth in points (24). She is tied for sixth in assists in the Big Ten ... Unger has a .730 save percentage and 1.74 goals against average (GAA). She is second in the Big Ten in save percentage, is third in GAA and fourth in saves (65). Unger ranks 17th nationally in GAA, and is 35th in save percentage ... Michigan State is ranked sixth in scoring margin (2.37), fifth in points per game (10.88) and fifth nationally in goals per game (3.88). MSU is tied for 13th nationally in winning percentage ... The Spartans rank first in shots (340) and in goals scored (66), and is second in scoring margin in the conference.
Up Next
Michigan State will travel to Bloomington, Ind. for the Big Ten Tournament. Matchups and game times will be released late Sunday, after the conference regular-season concludes.
