Michigan State University Athletics
Field Hockey Releases 2016 Schedule
6/14/2016 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State field hockey head coach Helen Knull has released the schedule for the upcoming 2016 season. The Spartans' 19-game regular season schedule features 12 home games at Ralph Young Field, six road games and one neutral site game.
"We are under 80 days away from opening the 2016 season, and I cannot wait to get back out on Ralph Young Field with the team," said head coach Helen Knull. "This offseason, the squad saw gains on and off the field that we look forward to showcasing from East Lansing to College Park."
MSU has 11 non-conference games to go along with an eight-game Big Ten slate. The Spartans face a competitive slate in 2016, as nine opponents finished in the top 30 RPI last season, including five 2015 NCAA Tournament qualifiers (Kent State, Louisville, Maryland, Michigan, Stanford).
The Spartans start the season with a pair of exhibition games vs. Michigan and the University of Toronto on August 20 at Ralph Young Field before kicking off the regular season on the road with two games on the campus of Kent State, one against the host Golden Flashes on August 26 and the other vs. Villanova on August 28.
Michigan State then has a seven-game homestand during the month of September, starting with four consecutive non-conference opponents before opening up Big Ten play in East Lansing on September 16 vs. in-state rival Michigan.
"We start the preseason a little differently as we welcome Michigan and the University of Toronto to East Lansing," said Knull. "I am excited to welcome an international team to help us prepare for opening weekend when we head to Kent State. As always, the conference schedule is going to be rigorous and challenging but that's why we love to be a part of the Big Ten Conference and are ready to compete and challenge for a Big Ten Championship."
From there, five of the final six weekends of the season will split a conference and a non conference game with the regular-season finale coming at home vs. Stanford on October 30.
The Big Ten Tournament will take place in College Park, Maryland, from November 3-6.
