After splitting a four-game road trip the last two weekends, MSU field hockey (7-6, 2-3 Big Ten) will look to rebound in a big way on Friday and Sunday.
The No. 15 Iowa Hawkeyes (9-4, 2-2 Big Ten) come into East Lansing Friday afternoon, and that is followed by a matchup against No. 8 Northwestern (10-4, 4-0 Big Ten) on Sunday. With only one more Big Ten game left after this weekend, two victories are essential if the Spartans want to improve their seeding in the Big Ten Tournament.
“We’re playing for seeding in the tournament,” head coach Helen Knull said. “We’re playing for getting wins over Iowa, Northwestern, and Michigan in terms of where they’re trying to finish in the league also.”
Even though five teams currently sit ahead of MSU in the Big Ten standings, three of those teams — Iowa, Northwestern, and Michigan— all remain on the Spartans schedule.
In order for MSU to make a jump in the standings and advance in the Big Ten Tournament, the Spartans must get back to their fundamentals, according to Knull.
“Basics, basics, basics and passing,” Knull said of what her team has to work on moving forward. “We didn’t pass on Sunday ... we were not receiving well, we were dribbling far too much. I mean, we are a team, and teams trust each other and teams pass to one another ... and that’s what we have to get back to.”
Senior back Jenni Smith , who is tied for sixth on the team with six points, reiterated what Knull said, but doesn’t think the Spartans are far off.
“Just cleaning up the basics,” Smith said. “I think everything’s there. The work ethic is there, chemistry is there. Just the little details, the small details, of our basic skills on and off the field.”
In the losses last weekend against Indiana and Ball State, the Spartans simply weren’t executing. Their passing and receiving wasn’t nearly as crisp and effective as it has been, and too many goals by the opponent have came off breakdowns on defense by MSU. However, the game against Ball State was the most alarming.
In what Knull described as MSU’s worst showing of hockey all year, the Spartans lost in overtime to a team they defeated 8-0 last year. To add more context to that loss, Iowa had played BSU earlier this year and notched an 8-0 victory, while outshooting the Cardinals 32-0.
“These games are huge,” Smith said of the upcoming opponents. “I think just having a really consistent week at practice, and then really focusing on how we practice is how we’re going to play this weekend.
“Two wins would definitely help us for the tournament ... These two games, we’re really pushing for,” she said.
MSU will take on the Hawkeyes at 3 p.m. on Friday at Ralph Young Field, followed by a game against the Wildcats on Sunday at noon.
