Field Hockey Holds on Late to Defeat Miami

Sunday, October 10

Oxford, Ohio

1 p.m.

Michigan State University

(7-3, 0-3B10)

Miami (Ohio)

(7-9, 4-0MAC)

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
Michigan State	2	1	0	1	4
Miami University	0	0	1	2	3

Isa van der Weij vs. Iowa on Oct. 8, 2021

Photo by: Jim Pivarnik - MSU

10/10/2021 4:05:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score Box Score (PDF)

OXFORD, Ohio – In its final non-conference game of the season, the Michigan State field hockey team used three first-half goals to build an early lead in a 4-3 win over Miami Sunday afternoon in Oxford, Ohio.

A timely goal by senior Maddie McDonough late in the fourth quarter proved the difference after the Redhawks chipped away at the MSU advantage over the final 30 minutes of play, as the Spartans moved to 7-3 with the victory. Miami fell to 7-9 after Sunday's defeat.

For fourth time in its last six games, MSU found the back of the net within the first five minutes of action when senior Isa van der Weij set up freshman Ellie Rutherford for the opening goal at the 3:24 mark.

The Green and White would add another goal later in the first frame, as junior Hannah Jarvie scored her second of the season in the 13th minute off an assist from fellow junior Merel Hanssen.

Hanssen registered a goal herself in the 27th minute, as the unassisted tally increased the MSU lead to 3-0 and gave Hanssen her sixth goal of the campaign.

Miami came out of halftime looking to erase its three-goal deficit and were able to do so at the 39:28 mark, as Claudia Negrete Garcia assisted on a Reese Wearren goal.

Negrete Garcia brought the contest within one in the 47th minute, as the Redhawks' leading scorer beat MSU senior goalkeeper Jade Arundell on a penalty stroke opportunity and cut the Spartans lead to 3-2.

Michigan State got an insurance goal at the 56:23 mark, as McDonough scored on an assist from Hanssen to make it 4-2. The Spartans ended up needing that insurance 13 seconds later, as Negrete Garcia took the ball 50 yards on the restart and shot it past Arundell, making it a one-score game once again.

Arundel and MSU held on for the final three minutes, earning the goalie her third win of the season after a 10-save performance. Isabelle Perese made four saves in the losing effort.

"Our focus today was to play on the front foot and set the tone," said MSU head coach Helen Knull. "We definitely did that today and came out to score early. We defended well today and made some good adjustments from Friday. We are going to enjoy this win on the bus ride home, then our focus will shift to Indiana."

For Hanssen, her two assists were a career high, while Rutherford's early tally broke a three-game drought for the rookie. On the Miami side, the two goals from Negrete Garcia were her fourth multi-goal contest of the season.

The Spartans resume their Big Ten slate on Friday, Oct. 15 at Indiana, followed by a trip to No. 6-ranked Northwestern on Sunday, Oct. 17.