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After loss to Michigan, field hockey defeats Kent State 4-2

October 14, 2012
Allie Ahern, sophomore forward, sends the ball up-field during Sunday's game against Miami on Sept. 2, 2012, at Ralph Young Field.  Sunday's victory was the second home win for the Spartans at Ralph Young Field. James Ristau/The State News
Allie Ahern, sophomore forward, sends the ball up-field during Sunday's game against Miami on Sept. 2, 2012, at Ralph Young Field. Sunday's victory was the second home win for the Spartans at Ralph Young Field. James Ristau/The State News —
Photo by James Ristau | and James Ristau The State News

After a rough week of athletics, the No. 19 MSU field hockey team finally gave the Spartan faithful something to cheer about as the Spartans took home a 4-2 victory against Kent State on Sunday.

The weekend for the field hockey team, however, was not all smiles as they went down, 3-2, in an overtime heartbreaker to Michigan on Friday.

All looked well for the Spartans (9-7 overall, 2-2 Big Ten) on Friday, as they jumped out to an early 1-0 lead, thanks to a goal by sophomore forward Abby Barker before two minutes passed in the game.

With less than 15 minutes remaining in the first half, Barker struck again, as she gave the Spartans a 2-0 lead off an assist from sophomore forward Heather Howie. That lead would hold as they walked into halftime, but the second half held a different story for the Spartans.

The No. 16 Wolverines (9-5, 2-2) came out of halftime with a new attitude as they poured the shots on junior goaltender Molly Cassidy.

After batting in two goals in the first five minutes of the second half to tie the game, the game went into overtime.

During overtime, it was all Wolverines, as they took four shots to the Spartan’s zero, and eventually put in the game-winning goal four minutes in.

After the tough loss, the Spartans had to regain focus as they faced Kent State on Sunday.

It was a Homecoming game for head coach Helen Knull, as she returned to her alma mater to play a team she once led to four NCAA tournament berths. The joy of returning to campus wasn’t the only reason Knull had to smile, as her Spartans defeated the Golden Flashes 4-2.

The game was a true team effort from the Spartans, with four different players scoring goals and three different players contributing with assists. Sophomore back Jenni Smith scored the first goal of the game, as well as her first of the season, just more than seven minutes into the game. Smith then went on to assist the next two goals, scored by Howie nine minutes into the game and sophomore midfielder Becky Stiles 14 minutes into the game.

Going into halftime, the Spartans had a 3-1 lead, and that comfortable cushion stayed intact the remainder of the game, as the Spartans took home the 4-2 victory, with Barker scoring the fourth goal of the game.

The Spartans continue to leg five of their six-game road trip as they take on No. 9 Northwestern (14-2, 3-1) at 4 p.m. on Friday in Evanston, Ill.

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