Spartans hope to use Penn State game as springboard for tourneys

After wrapping up the Big Ten regular season championship with a win last Sunday against Michigan, the No. 8 MSU field hockey team faces no serious consequences in its final regular season match at Penn State this weekend.

“There’s no pressure on us regarding the Big Ten regular season standings,” head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof said. “We just have a chance to win and finish the regular season on a strong note.”

The Spartans plan to use this weekend’s match as a springboard to next week’s Big Ten Tournament, which runs Nov. 5-8 at Ralph Young Field on campus. After losing in the tournament semifinals last season, MSU has the scoring depth and the defense to push even deeper this season if it plays how it’s capable of playing.

The Spartans have won nine straight games dating back to Sept. 25, when they defeated Northwestern, 5-2, in their Big Ten opener, and the defense has been strong during that stretch. MSU has allowed just eight goals in those nine victories, while earning three shutouts.

“Everything’s finally coming together and the defense is playing really well,” junior midfielder Amanda Huck said. “We’ve been working really hard on communicating and picking up certain little things each week to work on.”

The Spartans’ senior leaders have come through during the past few weeks as midfielders Floor Rijpma and Jeamie Deacon have recorded five goals in the past five games and goalie Elissa Unger has recorded two shutouts during the same span.

In addition to good defensive efforts, the team has scored 29 goals during the nine-game winning streak and boasts plenty of scoring options. Van de Kerkhof said the back line of the defense has made some nice plays that have helped set up the attack.

One of the team’s top defenders, sophomore back Holly Sherman, was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for strong outings last weekend against Ohio State and U-M. Sherman and fellow defensive players reshirt sophomore Angie Lucik and redshirt junior Joelle van Ierland have improved slightly each week on the back end to anchor the Spartan defense.

Penn State enters this weekend at 1-4 in the Big Ten and has struggled to maintain the level of play from last year’s Big Ten championship season, but will test the Spartans nevertheless. Game time is set for noon Saturday.

“This is only the beginning and we’re very hungry,” freshman forward Manouk Vernij said. “First (we’re hungry) for the Big Ten tournament — that’s our next goal. Step by step we look to go even further.”