As the MSU field hockey team embarks upon another NCAA Tournament journey, much of the spotlight will be on goalkeeper Christina Kirkaldy.
The sophomore netminder from Afton, N.Y., continually shuts down opponents and is one of the main reasons the No. 5 Spartans (16-4 overall, 5-1 Big Ten) are in the hunt for a national championship.
"Since the day she's been here, she's made the team better," MSU field hockey head coach Michele Madison said. "She gives the defense and the whole team a lot of confidence to attack because they know she manages the backfield. She's always ready to play; she's always ready to practice; she's ready for every ball."
Before jumping between the posts at MSU, Kirkaldy always had a passion for sports. Field hockey, however, wasn't in her sport-playing repertoire.
During middle school, it was natural to see her playing ice hockey, softball and basketball. But becoming skilled as a field hockey goalie was completely unexpected.
Kirkaldy played field hockey in middle school, although not as a goalie. She stumbled upon the position in a game of "pillow polo" one day in gym class. As she continuously prevented her classmates from scoring, the gym teacher, also the field hockey coach, invited her to try out.
"So I go and try out, and they put me in goal," Kirkaldy said. "I played on the JV squad, and then the varsity team took a vote, and they chose for me to come and play for them in eighth grade.
"I was starting goalie for varsity ever since. I really liked it because I could annoy people by not allowing them to score."
After earning four letters in field hockey, attending three National Hockey Festivals (1998-2000) and participating in the Eurotour Camp of Excellence in Barcelona, Spain (1998-2000), Kirkaldy migrated to MSU.
"I think she had in her mind that she was going to go outside of New York to play," Madison said. "She was supposed to go to Richmond first, and the coach there left, and since she was available again, we took her right away."
Last season, Kirkaldy helped the Spartans win their first Big Ten Tournament Championship and a trip to the NCAA Final Four. She also was named National Rookie of the Year by womensfieldhockey.com and team Rookie of the Year. She continued to garner recognition this season, claiming the Big Ten's Player of the Week award three times.
"I know (football) is the major sport on campus, and that's what gets all the attention," Kirkaldy said. "But it's nice when we get attention, too."
She said the recently renovated MSU Field Hockey Complex has given the team more recognition now that people notice them when passing the stadium.
"It'd be nice to get a little more attention because people don't really understand what we can do," she said. "It's really nice to hear about other women that are doing things, especially for girls in high school, so they have someone to look up to and be like, 'Oh, I wish I could be like that.'"
Not having someone to look up to herself hasn't kept Kirkaldy down. She has continued to pursue her dreams and aspirations - one of which is to be on the Olympic field hockey team. That might be possible, since just last year, she was named as a reserve on the U.S. under-23 team.
But for now, the Olympics are on hold, and so is everything else not involved with MSU field hockey.
As the Spartans prepare for the NCAA Tournament, Kirkaldy simply wants to concentrate on playing her game and guiding the Spartans to a championship.
"I'm a weird individual; hence, I'm a goalie," she said. "(Preparing for a game) depends on what mood I'm in that day. I'll listen to techno or heavy metal. I always pack my bag the same exact way after a game so that when I take it out, it fits my routine on how I put it on."
