Friday, October 25
East Lansing, Mich.
3 PM
Michigan State University
(8-8, 1-5)
2
vs
1
Iowa
(8-7, 1-5)
1
2
3
4
5
F
Iowa
0
0
0
1
0
1
Michigan State
0
0
1
0
1
2
Photo by: Emily Martin
Pucheta’s Overtime Goal Lifts Michigan State Past No. 16 Iowa, 2-1
10/25/2024 6:03:00 PM | Field Hockey
East Lansing, Mich. – Michigan State scored midway through the third quarter to take a lead before Iowa tied the game with just over two minutes left but the Spartans walked away with the win, scoring midway through overtime en route to a 2-1 win over the 16th-ranked Hawkeyes on a sun-drenched Ralph Young Field on Friday afternoon.
MSU improves to 8-8 overall and 1-5 in the Big Ten Conference, while Iowa drops to 8-7 (1-5 B1G).
"I'm really proud of them because Iowa scored with 2 1/2 minutes left on the clock, and I could feel the deflation from them," Head Coach Helen Knull said. "But they kept fighting, we had that fLurry of corners at the end, and they defended it very well. They executed the corner the way we wanted them to in overtime and put together a goal, so it was great."
The Spartans led 1-0 heading into the fourth quarter and the teams went back and forth over the first 10 minutes. MSU appeared to have taken a 2-0 lead with just under nine minutes left but a shot from Bianca Pizano was ruled to have been cleared off the line, leaving the game scoreless.
Iowa pulled its goalie with 2:42 to play and took advantage, tying the game with 2:12 left on a shot from Lieve van Kessel. The Hawkeyes had another chance left, getting a penalty corner with two seconds left and five more subsequent chances, before MSU cleared it and sent the game to overtime.
After a pair of shots from Iowa to open the overtime period, the Spartans controlled possession and were awarded a penalty corner. A shot from Maddie Lawlor was blocked, affording MSU another one. Off the insert from Emma O'Neill, Lawlor received the ball and passed to Carmen Puchata on the right side of the box. Pucheta's shot hit the right post and bounced in, giving MSU the 2-1 win.
"Our Penn State loss (last) Sunday was in overtime, and we led for the course of the game," Knull said. "We had our options, so today it's just, 'You have to keep believing even though they were losses,' and Penn State especially, we played really well. It was just an unfortunate goal at the end, so it's that part especially in the conference we've got everything to play for, we can still make the tournament with two games left, and that's where we are going to put our focus."
The Spartans had a pair of chances in the first half. A shot from Ellie Rutherford from the right wing was saved by Iowa goalkeeper. Early in the second quarter, MSU had another opportunity coming off a penalty corner. After the insert from Emma O'Neil, Rutherford picked up a loose ball and blasted a shot from the near side of the goal that was blocked by the Hawkeyes.
The second quarter ended in a flurry, with the Spartans getting a pair of penalty corners in the final minutes. A trio of shots off the first penalty with 54 seconds left were all blocked and a subsequential corner with one second left before the half resulted in a shot from Rutherford that hit off the crossbar as the teams went to the half scoreless.
Iowa out-shot MSU, 6-2, in the third quarter but it was the Spartans who capitalized and broke the scoreless tie. Caro Schafer inserted a penalty corner that was received by Rutherford and left for Lawlor. Her shot from the left of the circle rocketed through for a goal at 40:14.
The Spartans withstood four Iowa shots in the final five minutes of the quarter and went to the fourth leading 1-0.
Michigan State was out-shot by Iowa, 20-17, but the Spartans had a 13-12 advantage in penalty corners.
The Spartans play their final home regular season game on Sunday, Oct. 27, hosting Northwestern (1 p.m.) at Ralph Young Field.
MSU improves to 8-8 overall and 1-5 in the Big Ten Conference, while Iowa drops to 8-7 (1-5 B1G).
"I'm really proud of them because Iowa scored with 2 1/2 minutes left on the clock, and I could feel the deflation from them," Head Coach Helen Knull said. "But they kept fighting, we had that fLurry of corners at the end, and they defended it very well. They executed the corner the way we wanted them to in overtime and put together a goal, so it was great."
The Spartans led 1-0 heading into the fourth quarter and the teams went back and forth over the first 10 minutes. MSU appeared to have taken a 2-0 lead with just under nine minutes left but a shot from Bianca Pizano was ruled to have been cleared off the line, leaving the game scoreless.
Iowa pulled its goalie with 2:42 to play and took advantage, tying the game with 2:12 left on a shot from Lieve van Kessel. The Hawkeyes had another chance left, getting a penalty corner with two seconds left and five more subsequent chances, before MSU cleared it and sent the game to overtime.
After a pair of shots from Iowa to open the overtime period, the Spartans controlled possession and were awarded a penalty corner. A shot from Maddie Lawlor was blocked, affording MSU another one. Off the insert from Emma O'Neill, Lawlor received the ball and passed to Carmen Puchata on the right side of the box. Pucheta's shot hit the right post and bounced in, giving MSU the 2-1 win.
"Our Penn State loss (last) Sunday was in overtime, and we led for the course of the game," Knull said. "We had our options, so today it's just, 'You have to keep believing even though they were losses,' and Penn State especially, we played really well. It was just an unfortunate goal at the end, so it's that part especially in the conference we've got everything to play for, we can still make the tournament with two games left, and that's where we are going to put our focus."
The Spartans had a pair of chances in the first half. A shot from Ellie Rutherford from the right wing was saved by Iowa goalkeeper. Early in the second quarter, MSU had another opportunity coming off a penalty corner. After the insert from Emma O'Neil, Rutherford picked up a loose ball and blasted a shot from the near side of the goal that was blocked by the Hawkeyes.
The second quarter ended in a flurry, with the Spartans getting a pair of penalty corners in the final minutes. A trio of shots off the first penalty with 54 seconds left were all blocked and a subsequential corner with one second left before the half resulted in a shot from Rutherford that hit off the crossbar as the teams went to the half scoreless.
Iowa out-shot MSU, 6-2, in the third quarter but it was the Spartans who capitalized and broke the scoreless tie. Caro Schafer inserted a penalty corner that was received by Rutherford and left for Lawlor. Her shot from the left of the circle rocketed through for a goal at 40:14.
The Spartans withstood four Iowa shots in the final five minutes of the quarter and went to the fourth leading 1-0.
Michigan State was out-shot by Iowa, 20-17, but the Spartans had a 13-12 advantage in penalty corners.
The Spartans play their final home regular season game on Sunday, Oct. 27, hosting Northwestern (1 p.m.) at Ralph Young Field.
Team Stats
IOWA
MSU
Goals
1
2
Shots
20
17
Shots on Goal
11
4
Saves
2
10
Corners
12
13
Offsides
0
0
Fouls
0
0
Scoring Plays
Maddie Lawlor (5)
Assisted By: Ellie Rutherford , Caro Schafer
Blast from top of circle off corner
40:14
Lieve van Kessel (4)
Assisted By: Dionne van Aalsum
Blast from five yards out in front of go
57:48
Carmen Pucheta (4)
Assisted By: Maddie Lawlor , Emma O'Neill
From right side of box off pass from top
65:38
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
3
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
1
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
6
SOG
1
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
0
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
Players Mentioned
M
/ Field Hockey
F
/ Field Hockey
F
/ Field Hockey
M
/ Field Hockey
B
/ Field HockeySpartans All-Access | Senior Reflections
Tuesday, November 12
Inspiring The Spartans | Spartans All-Access
Wednesday, September 18
Spartans All-Access | Making Each Other Better
Wednesday, August 21
Spartans All-Access: Ashley Harlock
Thursday, November 02