Friday, September 26
State College, Pa.
4 PM
Michigan State University
at
Penn State
Photo by: Miami RedHawks Athletics
Field Hockey Hits Road to #20 Penn State, Bucknell
9/24/2025 3:45:00 PM | Field Hockey
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State field hockey wraps up a nearly month-long road trip this weekend when it travels to face No. 20-ranked Penn State and Bucknell.
Friday afternoon's contest against the Nittany Lions will be televised nationally on Big Ten Network. Sunday's game at Bucknell will stream on ESPN+.
SERIES HISTORY
MSU trails in the all-time series with Penn State, 10-39 and is 5-15 all-time when facing the Nittany Lions on the road. Penn State has won the last 17 meetings between the two sides. Michigan State's last victory came on October 31, 2009, on the road in a 5-1 win.
Michigan State leads the all-time series against Bucknell, 2-0, with the last meeting between the two schools occurring on September 4, 1990, in East Lansing. MSU was victorious, 2-1. The first meeting was in 1987 with the game being played at Kent State, making this MSU's first-ever trip to Bucknell.
ABOUT PENN STATE
Penn State enters the weekend at 4-3 (0-1 B1G). The Nittany Lions dropped both of their games last weekend, including a 3-1 loss to B1G fore Maryland in regulation, and a 3-2 overtime loss to Lafayette.
Penn State's offense is spearheaded by junior midfielder Natalie Freeman and freshman forward Joji Purdy. Freeman and Purdy are tied for the team-high with three goals and seven points apiece.
Sophomore Aby Deverka is Penn State's top goalkeeper, starting in all seven games for the Nittany Lions. Deverka enters the weekend boasting a .543 save percentage and made a season-high six saves against Delaware earlier this season.
ABOUT BUCKNELL
Bucknell comes into the weekend 3-4 overall after a 1-1 record last week in which it fell to Delaware, 3-1 but bounced back five days later against Patriot League opponent Colgate, winning 5-0.
The Bison attack is guided by senior defender Kira Leclercq and sophomore forward Reese Czajkowski. Leclercq leads Bucknell in most offensive categories including goals (5), shots (21), shots on goal (10) and points (12). Czajkowski is second on the team in goals (3), points (6), shots (12) and shots on goal (4). Leclercq has scored five goals in Bucknell's last four games.
Junior goalkeeper Sarah Althouse is Bucknell's top netminder, starting in all seven of Bucknell's games. Althouse enters the weekend with a .750 save percentage and 1.61 goals allowed against, making 33 saves on 44 shots faced.
LAST TIME OUT
Michigan State went 0-2 last weekend, dropping its Big Ten season opener at #8 Michigan, 5-0, before heading to Oxford, Ohio and falling 3-1 to Miami.
MSU and Michigan played to a 0-0 tie through one period last Friday before the Wolverines put two goals on the board in the second period.
The Spartans scored late in last Sunday's contest at Miami when Maddie Lawlor scored off a penalty corner in the 57th minute.
FAMILY CONNECTIONS
Michigan State freshman Ella Tambroni is a native of State College, Pa. and her father, Jeff Tambroni, is the head men's lacrosse coach for the Nittany Lions.
Tambroni's mother, Michelle Frates Tambroni, was a first team All-American on the Penn State field hockey team in 1990. She was the 1989 Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Player and helped the Nittany Lions to two NCAA semifinals.
Ella's sister, Madison, is a senior on the 2025 Penn State squad, while their other sister, Carissa (James Madison '25), is an assistant coach at Cornell.
ONES TO WATCH
Several Spartans were named to Watch Lists prior to the 2025 season:
Graduate students Tatum Johnson and Maddie Lawlor were named to the NFHCA Watch List. Johnson is in her first season back from a season-ending knee injury in 2024 and has contributed 4 points (1g, 2a) for the Spartans in her final season of eligibility. Lawlor is one of seven Spartans to score two goals this season and is in her fifth year at MSU.
In addition to Johnson and Lawlor, sophomore Lilian Knorr was named as a B1G Player to Watch. Knorr started all 18 games for MSU as a freshman in 2024 and tied for the team-best in points by a first-year player (10, 4g, 2a). Knorr has started in six games for MSU this season tallying an assist against Merrimack.
EVEN DISTRIBUTION
Michigan State has had 11 different goal-scorers through seven games this season. Seven Spartans are tied for the team high in goals scored with two each.
Caro Schafer, Gracie Burns, Caroline Horace, Brynn Shaffer, Katelyn Dulin, Maddie Lawlor and Bianca Pizano have each scored twice. Schafer is the team-leader in points (7) with Burns, Horace and B. Shaffer close behind (5).
Schafer and Alexa Shaffer are tied with three assists apiece this season.
In 2024, MSU had seven players register two or more goals scored and 10 different goal scorers overall.
IN THE RANKINGS
Michigan State ranks in the Top 35 nationally in five different stats:
Penalty Corners Per Game: #13 (7.86)
Assists Per Game: #22 (2.43)
Points Per Game: #30 (7.57)
Goals Per Game: #33 (2.57)
Scoring Average: #33 (2.57)
Sophomore Caro Schafer is the primary inserter on the Spartan penalty corner. MSU has scored nine goals immediately following penalty corners thus far in 2025.
Junior goalkeeper Lyra Gavino ranks #38 nationally in saves per game (4.67) and is #2 in the Big Ten.
UP NEXT
Michigan State returns home for the first team in nearly a month next week when it welcomes Rutgers (10/3) and Maryland (10/5) to Ralph Young Field.
Friday afternoon's contest against the Nittany Lions will be televised nationally on Big Ten Network. Sunday's game at Bucknell will stream on ESPN+.
SERIES HISTORY
MSU trails in the all-time series with Penn State, 10-39 and is 5-15 all-time when facing the Nittany Lions on the road. Penn State has won the last 17 meetings between the two sides. Michigan State's last victory came on October 31, 2009, on the road in a 5-1 win.
Michigan State leads the all-time series against Bucknell, 2-0, with the last meeting between the two schools occurring on September 4, 1990, in East Lansing. MSU was victorious, 2-1. The first meeting was in 1987 with the game being played at Kent State, making this MSU's first-ever trip to Bucknell.
ABOUT PENN STATE
Penn State enters the weekend at 4-3 (0-1 B1G). The Nittany Lions dropped both of their games last weekend, including a 3-1 loss to B1G fore Maryland in regulation, and a 3-2 overtime loss to Lafayette.
Penn State's offense is spearheaded by junior midfielder Natalie Freeman and freshman forward Joji Purdy. Freeman and Purdy are tied for the team-high with three goals and seven points apiece.
Sophomore Aby Deverka is Penn State's top goalkeeper, starting in all seven games for the Nittany Lions. Deverka enters the weekend boasting a .543 save percentage and made a season-high six saves against Delaware earlier this season.
ABOUT BUCKNELL
Bucknell comes into the weekend 3-4 overall after a 1-1 record last week in which it fell to Delaware, 3-1 but bounced back five days later against Patriot League opponent Colgate, winning 5-0.
The Bison attack is guided by senior defender Kira Leclercq and sophomore forward Reese Czajkowski. Leclercq leads Bucknell in most offensive categories including goals (5), shots (21), shots on goal (10) and points (12). Czajkowski is second on the team in goals (3), points (6), shots (12) and shots on goal (4). Leclercq has scored five goals in Bucknell's last four games.
Junior goalkeeper Sarah Althouse is Bucknell's top netminder, starting in all seven of Bucknell's games. Althouse enters the weekend with a .750 save percentage and 1.61 goals allowed against, making 33 saves on 44 shots faced.
LAST TIME OUT
Michigan State went 0-2 last weekend, dropping its Big Ten season opener at #8 Michigan, 5-0, before heading to Oxford, Ohio and falling 3-1 to Miami.
MSU and Michigan played to a 0-0 tie through one period last Friday before the Wolverines put two goals on the board in the second period.
The Spartans scored late in last Sunday's contest at Miami when Maddie Lawlor scored off a penalty corner in the 57th minute.
FAMILY CONNECTIONS
Michigan State freshman Ella Tambroni is a native of State College, Pa. and her father, Jeff Tambroni, is the head men's lacrosse coach for the Nittany Lions.
Tambroni's mother, Michelle Frates Tambroni, was a first team All-American on the Penn State field hockey team in 1990. She was the 1989 Atlantic 10 Most Outstanding Player and helped the Nittany Lions to two NCAA semifinals.
Ella's sister, Madison, is a senior on the 2025 Penn State squad, while their other sister, Carissa (James Madison '25), is an assistant coach at Cornell.
ONES TO WATCH
Several Spartans were named to Watch Lists prior to the 2025 season:
Graduate students Tatum Johnson and Maddie Lawlor were named to the NFHCA Watch List. Johnson is in her first season back from a season-ending knee injury in 2024 and has contributed 4 points (1g, 2a) for the Spartans in her final season of eligibility. Lawlor is one of seven Spartans to score two goals this season and is in her fifth year at MSU.
In addition to Johnson and Lawlor, sophomore Lilian Knorr was named as a B1G Player to Watch. Knorr started all 18 games for MSU as a freshman in 2024 and tied for the team-best in points by a first-year player (10, 4g, 2a). Knorr has started in six games for MSU this season tallying an assist against Merrimack.
EVEN DISTRIBUTION
Michigan State has had 11 different goal-scorers through seven games this season. Seven Spartans are tied for the team high in goals scored with two each.
Caro Schafer, Gracie Burns, Caroline Horace, Brynn Shaffer, Katelyn Dulin, Maddie Lawlor and Bianca Pizano have each scored twice. Schafer is the team-leader in points (7) with Burns, Horace and B. Shaffer close behind (5).
Schafer and Alexa Shaffer are tied with three assists apiece this season.
In 2024, MSU had seven players register two or more goals scored and 10 different goal scorers overall.
IN THE RANKINGS
Michigan State ranks in the Top 35 nationally in five different stats:
Penalty Corners Per Game: #13 (7.86)
Assists Per Game: #22 (2.43)
Points Per Game: #30 (7.57)
Goals Per Game: #33 (2.57)
Scoring Average: #33 (2.57)
Sophomore Caro Schafer is the primary inserter on the Spartan penalty corner. MSU has scored nine goals immediately following penalty corners thus far in 2025.
Junior goalkeeper Lyra Gavino ranks #38 nationally in saves per game (4.67) and is #2 in the Big Ten.
UP NEXT
Michigan State returns home for the first team in nearly a month next week when it welcomes Rutgers (10/3) and Maryland (10/5) to Ralph Young Field.
Players Mentioned
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