Spartan Field Hockey Hits the Road for B1G Matchups
10/14/2015 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
Series Notes
• Michigan State will hit the road for two Big Ten games, playing at Iowa on Friday, Oct. 16 at 3:30 p.m. ET before traveling to No. 16 Northwestern on Sunday, Oct. 18 at 1 p.m. ET.
• Friday's contest at Iowa will be televised live by the Big Ten Network. GameTracker links for both games can be found at msuspartans.com.
• The Spartans currently sit sixth in the Big Ten with a 5-9 overall record and a 2-3 record in conference play.
• The Hawkeyes are 8-6 overall, but just 1-3 in the Big Ten so far this season with a win over Rutgers and losses to Indiana and Northwestern, which was ranked No. 14 at the time.
• Junior Stephanie Norlander leads the Hawkeyes offensively, scoring 14 goals and recording four assists this season, good for a conference-high 32 points. Freshman Makenna Grewe and junior Chandler Ackers have each netted seven goals, helping the Hawkeyes to 42 goals and 128 points over 14 games.
• Junior Alexandrea Pecora has started all 14 games in net for the Hawkeyes, notching 52 saves and 28 goals allowed. Sophomore Katie Jones has seen just over 50 minutes in the cage for Iowa, allowing one goal and recording one save in that time.
• Iowa has faced five ranked opponents in 2015, posting a 1-4 record in those matchups.
• The Hawkeyes are coming off of a 4-1 win over winless Central Michigan.
• No. 16 Northwestern owns a 9-5 overall record, including a 2-2 mark in conference play. The Wildcats are coming off of a 3-2 loss to No. 9 Stanford, moving from No. 14 to No. 16 in the NFHCA weekly poll.
• The Wildcats will play host to No. 14 Michigan on Friday before facing Michigan State on Sunday at Lakeside Field in Evanston, Ill.
• Junior Isabel Flens leads NU's offense, netting 13 goals alongside four assists for a total of 30 points. Flens currently ranks No. 2 in the conference in the points category.
• Redshirt sophomore Lindsay von der Luft is the only NU goalkeeper that has seen time in the cage this season, playing all 982:17 minutes for the Wildcats. The redshirt sophomore has recorded 44 saves and allowed 21 goals this season.
Team Notes
• The Spartans currently sit sixth in the Big Ten with a 5-9 overall record and a 2-3 record in conference play.
• The Spartans are coming off of a 1-1 weekend, beating Indiana, 3-2, in an overtime contest on Friday before falling to Ohio, 4-1, in Sunday's non-conference matchup.
• The Spartans were tied with the Hoosiers, 2-2, at the end of regulation after goals from senior Heather Howie and sophomore Sophie Macadre. The game-winning goal was netted by redshirt junior Adrea Donaldson just 1:14 into overtime.
• Last Friday's game marked the second overtime game in three games for the Spartans, who have posted a 2-0 record in overtime games this season.
• Michigan State sophomore forward Sophie Macadre was named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, as announced by the conference on Monday, Oct. 6. Macadre leads the team in scoring with seven goals, and has added five assists for a team-high 19 points.
• Sophomore goalkeeper Katie Miller has started in the net for four-straight games, posting a 2-2 record along with the Spartans. Miller leads the conference in saves per game, notching 38 saves over five games for a 7.6 average per game.
• Michigan State leads the Big Ten in saves, recording 93 over 14 games. Both Miller and redshirt junior goalkeeper Sierra Patton are recognized in the top 10 in saves in the Big Ten, ranking seventh and ninth, respectively.
• MSU's scoring has been balanced, recording 16 first-half goals and 17 second-half marker, as well as one overtime goal and one in double-overtime.
• The Spartans have yet to be shut out in the 2015 season, with 11 athletes contributing to 34 total goals, good for fifth in the Big Ten alongside No. 14 Michigan.
• The Spartans have enjoyed depth in their lineup, with 14 athletes contributing points and 21 appearing in competiton this season. Eleven athletes have appeared in all 14 games.
• Michigan State has attempted 95 penalty corners this season, but has struggled to convert, scoring just nine goals off of corners. The Spartans have yet to attempt a penalty stroke this season.
• Howie has been selected to the Scottish Senior Squad as a result of her performance with the team last summer. Howie will join the team after graduation in December along with her sister, Ali, who is a member of the team.
• Up next, the Spartans will return home to face No. 14 Michigan on Sunday, Oct. 25 at 1 p.m. at Ralph Young Field. The in-state rivalry will serve as Senior Day, where Clarie Johnson, Heather Howie, Mallory Tyler and Victoria Radwell will be honored.
