Field Hockey Travels to Miami (Ohio) for September Showcase

Sept. 18, 2008

EAST LANSING, Mich. -

Gametracker: |

Elissa
Rolf van
Amanda
Angie

This Week
Michigan State travels to Miami (Ohio) this weekend for the Miami September Showcase. The Spartans face the host Red Hawks on Friday, Sept. 19 at 3 p.m., and Pacific on Saturday, Sept. 20 at 1 p.m. Michigan State holds a 10-4-1 all-time record against Miami (Ohio) and a 5-1-0 record against Pacific.

Last Week
The 10th-ranked Spartans traveled to New England for two games. On Saturday, Michigan State posted a 2-0 shutout of 18th-ranked Boston University. Junior Angela Pagura (Columbus, Ohio) and freshman Chantae Miller (East Amherst, N.Y.) recorded goals in the game, and Elissa Unger (Reading, Pa.) made a season-high seven saves in goal. The Spartans topped New Hampshire, 6-1, the following day, recording a season-high 36 shots. Six different players scored for Michigan State. Junior Floor Rijpma (Bunnik, The Netherlands) and classmate Jeamie Deacon (Wexford, Ireland) both recorded goals and assists in the game.

Scouting the Spartans
Unger was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 15, the first weekly award of her career. She recorded her first shutout of the season on Saturday against 18th-ranked Boston University. Unger recorded 11 saves, played all 140 minutes and recorded a .917 save percentage on the weekend. She has a .690 save percentage and 1.50 goals against average (GAA) so far this season. Unger is second in the Big Ten in save percentage, tied for third in saves with 20, and is fourth in GAA. She ranks 25th nationally in GAA, and is ranked 44th in save percentage ... Senior Gwen Riley (Louisville, Ky.) leads the team in scoring with 10 points, and Rijpma and Deacon are tied for second with eight points each. Deacon is tied for 11th nationally in assists per game, and Riley is tied for 20th ... Michigan State leads the Big Ten in shots per game, and is tied for second in both goals and assists per game ... MSU is ranked 11th nationally in scoring average with 3.47, is tied for ninth in goals per game with 3.50, and is tied for ninth in winning percentage ... Deacon is tied for second in the Big Ten in assists, and Riley is sixth.

Scouting the Red Hawks
Miami (Ohio) is 5-1 on the season, with their only loss coming against Northwestern (3-1). Last weekend the Red Hawks posted two wins against Central Michigan and Colgate. Sophomore Tricia Clark and senior Elizabeth Gilroy recorded goals in a 2-0 shutout of the Chippewas Saturday. On Sunday, Miami (Ohio) posted a 1-0 win over Colgate, with senior Danielle Gaynor scoring the only goal. Freshman goalkeeper Abbey Huck made six saves in the win. The Red Hawks have outscored their opponents 23-5 this season. Huck has three shutouts, a 1.03 GAA and a .840 save percentage. Gilroy leads the team in goals (four) and points (11), while Gaynor is second in goals with three and points with eight.

Scouting the Tigers
Pacific (1-6) is coming off an 8-0 loss to No. 4 Iowa last weekend. Sophomore Christina Niccum made 11 saves in goal for the Tigers. The day before, Pacific earned its first win of the season with a 3-0 shutout of Robert Morris. Junior Katy McDonough started the scoring with an unassisted tally, and classmate Kim Keyawa added a goal just over three minutes later. Senior Ashley Niccum finished the scoring in the second half with an assist from McDonough. Christina Niccum made three saves and earned her first shutout of the season. Keyawa and Ashley Niccum lead the team in goals (two) and scoring with four points.

Connections
Former MSU assistant Ashley Egland is in her first year as assistant coach for Pacific ... Sophomore Amanda Huck's (Emmaus, Pa.) younger sister, Abbey, is the starting goalkeeper for the Red Hawks. This will be the first time the sisters face each other.