Field Hockey Hosts No. 1 Iowa, Visits Miami

Michigan State (6-2, 0-2 B1G) vs. No. 1 Iowa (12-0, 4-0 B1G)
Date: Friday, Oct. 8
Time: 4 p.m. ET
Location: Ralph Young Field (East Lansing, Mich.)
Live Stats: SIDEARM Stats
Watch: B1G+
Game Notes: Michigan State | Iowa
Digital Program: PDF

Michigan State at Miami (6-8, 3-0 MAC)
Date: Sunday, Oct. 10
Time: 1 p.m. ET
Location: Miami Field Hockey Complex (Oxford, Ohio)
Live Stats: SIDEARM Stats

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Taking the field for the first time in two weeks, the Michigan State field hockey team returns with two games this weekend.

The Spartans will have a big matchup on Friday when No. 1 Iowa arrives at Ralph Young Field for Big Ten Conference action. MSU then hits the road Sunday for its final non-conference game of the season at Miami (Ohio).

Back-To-Back vs. No. 1 Teams
With the cancelation of last Sunday's game at No. 25 American, the Spartans will now be facing its second-straight No. 1-ranked opponent when Iowa comes to East Lansing. The top-ranked Hawkeyes moved into the No. 1 spot last week and are undefeated entering Friday. The last game for MSU came at then-No. 1 Michigan on Sept. 24, a 6-1 Wolverines win. UM has come in at No. 2 the last two weeks in the NFHCA polls.

Last Time Out
In the rivalry meeting with then top-ranked Michigan two weeks ago, MSU fell into an early 2-0 hole after the first five minutes but played stout defense the rest of the first half and used a late goal from junior Hannah Jarvie to head to the half down 2-1. Despite 11 saves by senior goalkeeper Jade Arundell, the Wolverines broke through again in the second half, scoring four times in the final 20 minutes to secure the victory.

Hanssen Breaks Out
Merel Hanssen had one goal and two assists over her first two seasons but has risen to be a top threat in the Spartans attack as a junior. After an assist in the opening weekend, the midfielder exploded for a seven-point (3g, 1a) weekend against Northeastern and Ohio. The Northeastern game started a five-game point streak for Hanssen, placing her at the top of MSU in goals (5) and points (13) while sharing the team lead in assists (3). Additionally, Hanssen's 1.62 points per game ranks 35th among NCAA leaders.

Spartans Among National Leaders
Entering Friday, Michigan State ranks fourth in the NCAA with 8.25 penalty corners per game. MSU also sits sixth nationally in defensive saves (6), goals per game (3.62) and points per game (9.62), while posting the seventh-best scoring margin (2.12). Individually, senior Monique Jardell is sixth in save percentage (.815) and 12th in goals against average (1.11).

Scouting Iowa
The top-ranked Hawkeyes are top-5 in multiple categories among Division I schools, holding the second-best scoring margin (3.44) and goals against average (0.50) in the nation. Iowa's 3.92 goals per game ranks third in the NCAA, its 3.00 assists per game and .833 save percentage both sit fourth, and the Hawkeyes' 10.83 points per game is fifth-best in the country. Individually, the team's leading scorer, Ellie Holley (23p, 8g, 7a), is 17th in Division I with 1.92 points per game, while goalie Grace McGuire has the second-best save percentage (.833) and goals against average (0.50) while playing every minute in net this season.

MSU-UI Series History
The Hawkeyes lead the all-time series by a 54-15-1 margin, taking the last seven meetings from the Spartans. The last MSU win over Iowa came Oct. 17, 2014, a 2-0 victory in East Lansing that concluded a three-game win streak for the Spartans over Iowa.

Scouting Miami
After a slow start to the campaign with a 1-5 record in their first six contests, the Redhawks have rebounded to sit at 6-8 and atop the MAC with a 3-0 mark. Miami's leading scorer is Claudia Negrete Garcia with 10 goals and four assists. Her 1.93 points per game ranks 16th in the nation, while her 0.79 goals per game is 21st among Division I leaders, with both averages ranking No. 1 in the MAC.

MSU-MU Series History
Michigan State enters Sunday with a 16-7-1 edge over Miami in 24 all-time meetings, but the recent history is more even, as the teams have split the last six contests. The most recent matchup between the two schools went to a sudden-victory shootout in East Lansing, as MSU pulled out a 3-2 win on Sept. 13, 2019 in a game that featured two goals from Aisha Osinga.

Up Next
The Green and White have two B1G contests next week, as they travel to Indiana on Friday, Oct. 15 to face the Hoosiers, then swing west to play at No. 6 Northwestern on Sunday, Oct. 17.

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Players Mentioned

Jade Arundell

Merel Hanssen

Monique Jardell

Hannah Jarvie