Field Hockey Returns Home for Matchups with No. 19 Rutgers, Bellarmine

No. 19 Rutgers at Michigan State
Date: Friday, Sept. 16
Time: 1 p.m.
Live Stats
Watch Live: B1G+
Location: East Lansing, Mich. (Ralph Young Field)

Bellarmine at Michigan State
Date: Sunday, Sept. 18
Time: 1 p.m.
Live Stats
Watch Live: B1G+
Location: East Lansing, Mich. (Ralph Young Field)

Michigan State Game Notes

EAST LANSING, Mich. — Michigan State field hockey is set for a pair of home matchups this weekend, opening Big Ten play against No. 19 Rutgers on Friday, Sept. 16 before taking on Bellarmine on Sunday, Sept. 18. Both games will take place at 1 p.m. at Ralph Young Field.

LAST TIME OUT
The Spartans return to Ralph Young Field after two weeks away, following road games at UC Davis (Sept. 2) and Stanford (Sept. 4) and a bye week for the team's annual alumni game. Michigan State topped UC Davis, 5-2, and fell to Stanford, 0-1 in a shootout. Senior forward Hannah Jarvie scored her first two goals of the season in the win at UC Davis, while Georgia Davies, Ellie Rutherford, and Merel Hanssen each added a goal. Graduate goalkeeper Monique Jardell has played every minute in goal so far this season, recording a .789 save percentage and 0.92 goals against average. She made a season-high six saves at Stanford.

SPARTANS IN THE NCAA TOP 10
Michigan State ranks ninth in the NCAA in scoring average, averaging 3.23 goals per game. The Spartans also rank ninth in scoring margin at 2.31 goals. Davies is currently tied with Brown's Mikayla Walsh for second in assists per game, averaging 1.25.

B1G ACTION BEGINS FRIDAY
The Spartans are set for their first conference matchup of the season, hosting Rutgers on Friday, Sept. 16. Six additional Big Ten teams will begin conference play Friday. The conference currently has seven teams ranked in the NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll.

SCOUTING RUTGERS
The Scarlet Knights, the 2021 Big Ten Tournament champions, enter Friday's matchup 3-3 and rank 19th in the NFHCA Division I National Coaches Poll. Last week, Rutgers topped No. 25 Monmouth, 1-0, on the road (Sept. 9) before falling at home to No. 17 Princeton, 1-4, on Sunday, Sept. 11. Rutgers' win at Monmouth was its second top-25 win of the season, as the Scarlet Knights grabbed a 1-0 overtime victory over No. 15 UConn on Sept. 2. Rutgers has faced five ranked opponents this season. Graduate student Marique Dieudonne leads all scorers for the Scarlet Knights, logging four points (2 g). Rutgers topped the Spartans on Oct. 29 last year, 3-0, and leads the all-time series, 9-8-1. Head coach Meredith Civico is in her 11th season at the helm. Rutgers will be Michigan State's second top-25 opponent of the season. The Spartans topped No. 21 American, 3-1, on Aug. 26.

SCOUTING BELLARMINE
The Knights post a record of 0-6, dropping their last two contests. Bellarmine fell to James Madison, 0-3, on Sept. 10, and lost to Indiana, 3-6, on Sept. 11. Forwards Marit van der Bend and Amber Hofenk Jerembo lead the team in scoring with three goals each. Sunday's meeting will be the first between the Spartans and Knights. Head coach Devanny Boisvert is in her fourth season leading the program and 10th overall.

UP NEXT
Michigan State continues conference play with road games against No. 6 Penn State and No. 3 Maryland next weekend. The Spartans face the Nittany Lions on Friday, Sept. 23 at 6 p.m., and take on the Terrapins on Sunday, Sept. 24 at 1 p.m. Both games will stream on B1G+.