Home sweet home for Spartans after lengthy nonconference trip

Ralph Young Field couldn’t have been a more welcoming site than it was last weekend for the No. 8 MSU field hockey team when it returned home from a difficult eight-game road stretch to start the season.

The Spartans earned their second straight split against two top 15 opponents last weekend in Virginia, as MSU knocked off No. 14 James Madison, 4-1, then fell short against No. 4 Virginia, 3-0.

After battling six ranked opponents away from home en route to a 5-3 start, head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof said he’s pleased with how his team handled a tough stretch leading up to Big Ten play, which begins this weekend.

“We did everything we had to in order to be tested and prepared for Big Ten play, and looking back, it’s been excellent,” van de Kerkhof said.

MSU opens Big Ten play with its first home game at 3 p.m. Friday against No. 18 Northwestern. The Wildcats are one of three Big Ten teams ranked in the Top 20.

Two of the Spartans’ three losses were in overtime, with the only regulation loss coming in Sunday’s game, in which the Spartans were shut out for the first time this year.

Players said they’re not dwelling on Sunday’s defeat but are looking forward to getting back on the field this weekend.

“We learn from every game and we learn from everything we do,” sophomore Holly Sherman said. “We all have fun from practicing and playing games and hope to do it on the field.”

The Spartans will be tested Friday against the Wildcats, who come in with an 8-2 record and their two losses coming against ranked opponents.

Players are just happy to avoid the long bus rides they’ve been accustomed to in the past several weeks.

“It will definitely be an extra lift,” senior Elissa Unger said. “It will be nice just to be at home and to have a day in between instead of the back-to-back games.”