Field Hockey Travels to Northwestern
10/30/2010 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Oct. 30, 2010
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EAST LANSING, Mich.-The No. 11 Michigan State field hockey team (13-4, 2-3 Big Ten) will travel to Evanston, Ill. to face Northwestern (11-6, 3-1 Big Ten) for the second time this season on Sunday, Oct. 31. It will be the Spartan's second consecutive televised appearance, with game time scheduled for 1 p.m. ET on the Big Ten Network. The conference tilt will serve as the final game of the regular season for both teams.
Last Time Out
The Spartans played their final regular-season game at home on Saturday, Oct. 25 when they faced Big Ten opponent, Indiana. MSU prevailed over the Hoosiers, 2-0 and were led by senior forward Jantine Steinmetz's two goals. Sophomore Kristen Henn tallied the lone assist in the game as the Spartans captured their second conference victory of the season.
First Time Around
The Spartans and the Wildcats met the first time this season on Oct. 17 when Michigan State hosted Northwestern in a match that did not count towards conference standings. The Spartans topped NU in a thrilling match, 2-1. Down 1-0 going into the second half, sophomore midfielder Kristen Henn was able to knock in the equalizer for the Spartans off of a pass from senior forward Jantine Steinmetz. With less than three minutes left in regulation Steinmetz was found senior Amanda Huck near the cage where she was able to deflect in the game-winning goal.
Looking at Northwestern
The Wildcats are led by defending Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week Chelsea Armstrong, who tallied all four goals in NU's 4-2 victory over Iowa. Armstrong leads the Big Ten in shots (113), goals (23) and points (57). Northwestern will face Penn State on Friday before welcoming the Spartans on Sunday. Freshman midfielder Katherine Jamieson will face her older sister Megan Jamieson, a back for the Wildcats, for the second time this season.
Second Half Scoring
Michigan State continues to bring momentum into their second half of play, as the team has scored most of their goals in the second thirty-five minutes. The Spartans recorded both of their goals against Indiana in the second half, with Steinmetz?s first goal coming after less than 30 seconds of play. Steinmetz scored her second tally of the game at 64:36. MSU has scored 29 out of their 47 goals this season in the second half and have shot at their opponent's cage 128 times after the intermission. The Spartan defense has also been stepping up during the second thirty-five minutes of play, with freshman goaltender Molly Cassidy recording 52 of her 83 saves in the second half.
Leading the Way
The Spartan offense is led by senior forward Jantine Steinmetz. After her two-goal performance against the Hoosiers, Steinmetz now has nine goals and eight assists this season. Behind Steinmetz is senior forward Sabine van den Assem, who has tallied nine goals and four assists. Following the dynamic seniors is sophomore midfielder Kristen Henn who has scored nine times and assisted on two goals. Henn and Steinmetz both have three game-winning goals each which are good for the team high. Thirteen different Spartans have scored this season.
MSU's defensive corps have had an impressive season as well. Senior back Joelle van Ierland has tallied two defensive saves, two goals and eight assists so far in 2010. Sophomore back Corey Block has also recorded a defensive save for the Spartans. In her debut season, freshman goaltender Molly Cassidy has recorded a GAA of 1.64, a save percentage of .740, and has five career shutouts. All five of Cassidy's shutouts have been at home. The Michigan State defense has also contributed to the Spartans' goal production with sophomore back Adelle Lever and junior back Holly Sherman each recording one goal each alongside van Ierland's two. Sherman also has two assists this season.
On the Road Again
Michigan State's Sunday game at Northwestern will be their eighth road game of the season. The Spartans are 2-3 on the road and 2-0 in neutral site games. MSU has scored 25 of their 47 goals this season in away games. In their travels, the Spartans have traveled as far as Berkley, Calif. this season and have stayed as close to home as Ann Arbor, Mich. MSU posted an impressive 9-1 record in East Lansing this year, and have tallied both of their conference wins on their home turf. Michigan State will return back to Evanston next week from Nov. 4-7 to compete in the Big Ten Tournament.
Wrapping it Up
Michigan State is ranked 11th in the Kookaburra/NCFHA Division I National Coaches Poll this week. The Spartans have been ranked as high as sixth in 2010. This season, the Spartans have recorded a 5-3 record against ranked opponents. MSU has posted wins over No. 9 Wake Forest (3-1), No. 10 Duke (1-0), No. 19 Stanford, (3-2), No. 12 James Madison (1-0) and No.13 Boston University, (6-1).
No. 5 Ohio State and No. 12 Michigan both currently sit atop the Big Ten rankings with records of 4-1 in conference play. Michigan State is third in the conference in goals scored with 45 and is second in shots attempted with 268 and average of 15.76 a game. Cassidy leads the Big Ten with five shutouts and is third in saves (66). Van Ierland is tied for second with her two defensive saves. Steinmetz, van den Assem and Henn's nine goals a piece puts them tied at fifth.
Post-Season
MSU's 2010 regular season will come to a conclusion following the match against Northwestern. They will return back to Evanston Nov. 7 to compete in the 2010 Big Ten Tournament. The Spartans captured both the Big Ten Title and Tournament in 2009 for the first time in program history.
