Redshirt-junior midfielder Kendal Anderson shoots the ball in a field hockey game for MSU. Photo courtesy of MSU Athletic Communications.
—On a Thursday afternoon in College Park, Md, the MSU field hockey team fell to the Michigan Wolverines 2-1 in double overtime in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.
Senior midfielder Kristin Matula put in the first goal of the game for both teams in the 20th minute of the match, putting the Spartans up 1-0. It was Matula’s eleventh goal of the season and her sixth in the last eight games.
The Spartans clung to the 1 goal lead for the majority of the game as Michigan could not score on a single one of their shots. That was, until the 68th minute when U-M converted one of their seven second half penalty corners. MSU goalkeeper Sierra Patton was able to stop the initial shot from junior Katie Trombetta, but graduate student Esther de Leijer was able to put the ball back in and tie the game 1-1.
With neither team able to score, the Spartans and Wolverines went into overtime. Both teams had scoring opportunities, but were unable to get their two overtime shots to fall, so another extra frame was needed to determine the winner.
In double overtime, the Spartans were able to get two shots off, but neither found the back of the net. In the 90th minute, Michigan converted on their lone shot in the second overtime. Sophomore midfielder Leah Cardarelli caught a pass from freshman Meg Dowthwaite and was able to pull Patton out of position and put in a backhanded shot. The shot marked Cardarelli’s first goal of the season.
Patton receives the loss in this game, but recorded a season-high 10 saves in the contest.
With the loss, the Spartans are eliminated from the Big Ten tournament and finish the season with an 8-12 overall record.
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