Spartans Head West to Open 2024 Season

Michigan State at UC-Davis, Cal
at UC Davis	Friday, Aug. 30 \| 3 pm ET/ 12 pm PT Aggie Field Hockey Facility
at Cal	Sunday, Sept. 1 \| 4 pm ET/ 1 pm PT Underhill Field
Live Stats	at UC-Davis \| at Cal
Live Webstream	vs. UC-Davis
Game Notes	Michigan State
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QUICK STRIKES FOR THE WEEK AHEAD ...

• Michigan State kicks off the 2024 season on the road in California, taking on UC Davis and Cal in the opening weekend of play for all collegiate programs.

• Live statistics links can be found for both games on the field hockey schedule page at MSUSpartans.com. Friday's contest at UC Davis will have a live video webstream.

• The Spartans are looking to improve on a 4-12 regular season in 2023. MSU returns 15 letterwinners from a year ago, including two of its top four scorers in Ellie Rutherford (4-1-9) and Emma O'Neill (3-1-7).

• UC-Davis was 2-14 a year ago and went 1-7 in America East play. The Aggies boast seven seniors, and head coach Austin Pile is starting his third season on the sideline after a lengthy tenure as an assistant at Cal.

• Shellie Onstead is in her 29th season at the helm of the Cal program and has led the Golden Bears to 11 conference titles. Cal was 12-8 and qualified for the NCAA Tournament a year ago after posting a 5-3 mark in America East. Cal is one of the newest members of the Atlantic Coast Conference and will compete for that league's championship this fall.

• MSU will be led on the field by five returning seniors or grad students - Ellie Wheatley (grad), and seniors Jillian Bonczewski, Maddie Lawlor, Emma O'Neill, and Ellie Rutherford. Grad transfer Tatum Johnson (LaSalle) will miss the season with injury. Lawlor returns to the active roster after losing her 2023 campaign to an injury.

• Eight freshmen join the Spartans in 2024, from three different countries and three different states.

• The Spartans serving as captains are Emma O'Neill, Ellie Rutherford, and Ellie Wheatley.

• On Wednesday, the Big Ten announced its annual "Players to Watch" list - seniors Ellie Rutherford and Maddie Lawlor made the list, along with freshman Carmen Pucheta.

• Helen Knull begins her 14th season as the head coach at Michigan State and 18th season on the Spartan staff overall. She is the longest-tenured coach in program history and owns the second-most wins of any mentor since the start of the program in the 1972 season. She owns a 96-148 mark entering the 2024 campaign. She returns her entire staff, which includes Associate Head Coach Tamara Durante and assistant coaches Erin Shanahan and Matt Michie.

• MSU played a pair of exhibitions last week against in-state rivals Central Michigan and Michigan.

• Michigan State opens the home portion of its schedule next weekend with Friday and Sunday games against Vermont and Ohio, both starting at 1 pm. Vermont and Ohio will play a neutral-site contest at Ralph Young Field.

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Players Mentioned

Jillian Bonczewski

Tatum Johnson

Maddie Lawlor

Emma O'Neill

Carmen Pucheta

Ellie Rutherford

Ellie Wheatley