Field Hockey Schedule for 2019 Season Finalized
6/18/2019 1:51:00 PM | Field Hockey
EAST LANSING, Mich. --Â Michigan State field hockey head coach Helen Knull announced the schedule for the 2019 season on Tuesday, highlighted by 11 matches at home, including the traditionally strong Big Ten Conference slate and seven games against teams that played in the 2018 NCAA Tournament.
"There is a lot to be excited about with our 2019 schedule," Knull said. "The team had an excellent spring season and we are looking forward to competing on Ralph Young Field in 11 of contests. Our B1G Tournament format change will provide another week of regular season play and provide some single-weekend games in our challenging conference play."
The Spartans open the 2019 season on Saturday, Aug. 24 (1 p.m.) with its traditional preseason scrimmage against Michigan.
The team starts the regular season on Friday, Aug. 30 (1 p.m.) playing St. Francis (Pa.) in a tournament at Kent State. MSU will play host Kent State on Sunday, Sept. 1 (1 p.m.).
Michigan State opens up its home slate with a pair of games, hosting the University of California-Davis on Friday, Sept. 6 (6 p.m.) and then closing out the weekend on Sunday, Sept. 8 (11 a.m.) against the University of Louisville. Bowling Green will play UC-Davis on Thursday, Sept. 5 (1 p.m.) and Louisville plays UC-Davis on Monday, Sept. 9 (11 a.m.).
The Spartans host a pair of non-league opponents the following weekend, playing Miami (Ohio) on Friday, Sept. 13 (3 p.m.) and then hosting UConn on Sunday, Sept. 15 (11 a.m.).
MSU closes out a six-game home stand the following weekend, starting Big Ten Conference play on Friday, Sept. 20 (3 p.m.). The Spartans also host Ball State on Sunday, Sept. 22 (noon).
The final 10 games of the regular season feature five on the road and five games at home.Â
The Spartans play three-straight road Big Ten games, at Northwestern on Friday, Sept. 27 (4 p.m.), at Iowa on Sunday, Sept. 29 (1 p.m.) and at Michigan on Sunday, Oct. 6 (1 p.m.). The team plays at Wake Forest on Sunday, Oct. 13 (noon) and at Maryland on Friday, Oct. 25 (5 p.m.).
After a home game on Friday, Oct. 11 against Ohio (3 p.m.), Michigan State closes out the regular with four of its final five games at Ralph Young Field. MSU hosts Penn State on Friday, Oct. 18 (3 p.m.), Rutgers on Sunday, Oct. 20 (noon), Central Michigan on Sunday, Oct. 27 (2 p.m.) and closes out the regular season on Sunday, Nov. 2 (1 p.m.) against Ohio State.
The quarterfinals of the 2019 Big Ten tournament will begin on Thursday, Nov. 7, with three first round games (the top seed receives a bye). The Big Ten semifinals take place on Friday, Nov. 8, with the Big Ten title game set for Sunday, Nov. 10. All Big Ten tournament games will be played on the campus of Penn State in University Park, Pa. The 2019 NCAA tournament begins the weekend of Nov. 16-17 at host sites with the national semifinals and finals locked in for the weekend of Nov. 22-24 in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Michigan State returns 15 letterwinners and nine starters from last year's team, which finished 5-15 overall and lost to Maryland in the Big Ten Quarterfinals. Among the returnees are rising sophomores Isa van der Weij (11 points) and Aisha Osinga (six points), alongside seniors Kelsey Keener, Jillian Mahon, Makenzie Brown, Maggie Cole, and Meghan Cole. Goalkeeper Jade Arundell also returns for MSU after starting all 20 games in goal last season.
"We have a good mix of experience and youth and I think that will be a great benefit for our team this season," Knull said. "It's a very challenging schedule, but our sophomore class contributed on all lines of the field last year and they complemented our style of hockey. We have some key losses in terms of skill and leadership, but I think this schedule will help to prepare us for the competitive play we will see in conference."
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"There is a lot to be excited about with our 2019 schedule," Knull said. "The team had an excellent spring season and we are looking forward to competing on Ralph Young Field in 11 of contests. Our B1G Tournament format change will provide another week of regular season play and provide some single-weekend games in our challenging conference play."
The Spartans open the 2019 season on Saturday, Aug. 24 (1 p.m.) with its traditional preseason scrimmage against Michigan.
The team starts the regular season on Friday, Aug. 30 (1 p.m.) playing St. Francis (Pa.) in a tournament at Kent State. MSU will play host Kent State on Sunday, Sept. 1 (1 p.m.).
Michigan State opens up its home slate with a pair of games, hosting the University of California-Davis on Friday, Sept. 6 (6 p.m.) and then closing out the weekend on Sunday, Sept. 8 (11 a.m.) against the University of Louisville. Bowling Green will play UC-Davis on Thursday, Sept. 5 (1 p.m.) and Louisville plays UC-Davis on Monday, Sept. 9 (11 a.m.).
The Spartans host a pair of non-league opponents the following weekend, playing Miami (Ohio) on Friday, Sept. 13 (3 p.m.) and then hosting UConn on Sunday, Sept. 15 (11 a.m.).
MSU closes out a six-game home stand the following weekend, starting Big Ten Conference play on Friday, Sept. 20 (3 p.m.). The Spartans also host Ball State on Sunday, Sept. 22 (noon).
The final 10 games of the regular season feature five on the road and five games at home.Â
The Spartans play three-straight road Big Ten games, at Northwestern on Friday, Sept. 27 (4 p.m.), at Iowa on Sunday, Sept. 29 (1 p.m.) and at Michigan on Sunday, Oct. 6 (1 p.m.). The team plays at Wake Forest on Sunday, Oct. 13 (noon) and at Maryland on Friday, Oct. 25 (5 p.m.).
After a home game on Friday, Oct. 11 against Ohio (3 p.m.), Michigan State closes out the regular with four of its final five games at Ralph Young Field. MSU hosts Penn State on Friday, Oct. 18 (3 p.m.), Rutgers on Sunday, Oct. 20 (noon), Central Michigan on Sunday, Oct. 27 (2 p.m.) and closes out the regular season on Sunday, Nov. 2 (1 p.m.) against Ohio State.
The quarterfinals of the 2019 Big Ten tournament will begin on Thursday, Nov. 7, with three first round games (the top seed receives a bye). The Big Ten semifinals take place on Friday, Nov. 8, with the Big Ten title game set for Sunday, Nov. 10. All Big Ten tournament games will be played on the campus of Penn State in University Park, Pa. The 2019 NCAA tournament begins the weekend of Nov. 16-17 at host sites with the national semifinals and finals locked in for the weekend of Nov. 22-24 in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Michigan State returns 15 letterwinners and nine starters from last year's team, which finished 5-15 overall and lost to Maryland in the Big Ten Quarterfinals. Among the returnees are rising sophomores Isa van der Weij (11 points) and Aisha Osinga (six points), alongside seniors Kelsey Keener, Jillian Mahon, Makenzie Brown, Maggie Cole, and Meghan Cole. Goalkeeper Jade Arundell also returns for MSU after starting all 20 games in goal last season.
"We have a good mix of experience and youth and I think that will be a great benefit for our team this season," Knull said. "It's a very challenging schedule, but our sophomore class contributed on all lines of the field last year and they complemented our style of hockey. We have some key losses in terms of skill and leadership, but I think this schedule will help to prepare us for the competitive play we will see in conference."
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Players Mentioned
Goalkeeper
/ Field Hockey
Midfield
/ Field Hockey
Forward
/ Field Hockey
Midfield
/ Field Hockey
Forward
/ Field Hockey
Forward
/ Field Hockey
Forward
/ Field Hockey
Forward/Midfield
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