Late Penalty Strokes Sink Field Hockey at No. 6 Northwestern

EVANSTON, Ill. – After seeing the home team convert on a pair of penalty strokes in the final 10 minutes of the game, Michigan State was unable to pull off the upset against No. 6 Northwestern, falling by a 6-2 score in Big Ten field hockey action on Sunday afternoon at Lakeside Field.

The Spartans shifted to 7-5 overall and 0-5 in conference play, while the Wildcats moved to 12-4 on the season and 3-3 in the Big Ten standings.

In a game where senior Lia Sinisi had a goal and an assist, the Green and White converted no almost half its scoring chances, but Northwestern's Bente Baekers registered a hat trick and tallied six of the Wildcats' 28 shots. The hosts also held the edge in penalty corners, 11-4, over the Spartans.

Northwestern opened the scoring in the 13th minute, as Clara Roth buried a rebound off a Maddie Zimmer shot.

Junior Hannah Jarvie answered in the final seconds of the first quarter after sophomore Emma O'Neill hit Sinisi on an outlet pass, as Sinisi then forwarded the ball to Jarvie near the 25-yard line, who went on a breakaway before firing a shot past Annabel Skubisz.

Baekers gave the Wildcats the lead once again in the opening minute of the second frame, after a steal allowed her to sprint in on senior goalkeeper Jade Arundell and sneak a shot by the Spartan netminder.

The 19th minute saw Roth extend the NU edge with her second tally of the game, finding a hole near the right post.

MSU cut into the lead in the 27th minute, as Sinisi passed the ball back to junior Celina Riccardo, who then had a shot blocked before Sinisi picked up the loose ball and beat Skubisz on a tough angle in close.

Baekers was awarded a penalty stroke in the 52nd minute, converting on her opportunity to add an insurance goal for Northwestern, firing a low shot that got under a diving Arundell.

Northwestern not done scoring, as Casey Joye tallied a goal in the 55th minute after deflecting a Maren Seidel entry. Baekers then scored on her second penalty stroke of the game in the 55th minute, giving the Wildcat forward her fourth hat trick of the season on a shot to Arundell's right side.

Skubisz received the win after making two saves for the Wildcats, while Arundell had her third-straight performance with 10-plus saves, recording 12 stops in the losing effort.

Sinisi registered her first multi-point contest since the Spartans' season opener at Kent State, another one goal, one assist performance, while Jarvie's tally was her third of the campaign.

Michigan State returns home on Friday, Oct. 22 for a 3 p.m. meeting with No. 8 Maryland in the team's annual Pink Game. The Spartans then host No. 5 Penn State on Sunday, Oct. 24, with that Senior Day contest airing on the Big Ten Network at 2 p.m.

Late Penalty Strokes Sink Field Hockey at No. 6 Northwestern

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Team Stats

Lia Sinisi

Hannah Jarvie

Ellie Rutherford

Maddie McDonough

Players Mentioned

Jade Arundell

Hannah Jarvie

Emma O'Neill

Celina Riccardo

Lia Sinisi

Players Mentioned

Jade Arundell

Hannah Jarvie

Emma O'Neill

Celina Riccardo

Lia Sinisi