The No. 8 MSU field hockey team followed last Sunday’s tough loss against No. 7 Syracuse with a 1-1 showing this weekend in Virginia.
The Spartans earned a 4-1 victory Saturday against No. 13 James Madison, but fell short Sunday against No. 5 Virginia, 3-0.
Head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof said his team played pretty well overall and is ready to begin Big Ten play this week.
“We got beat by a good team today,” van de Kerkhof said of Virginia. “Our nonconference schedule has allowed us to be tested and be prepared for every situation we face in the Big Ten.”
The Spartans fell behind 1-0 early against James Madison but tied the score before halftime when junior Angela Pagura redirected a shot into the net. MSU regrouped at halftime and came out strong in the second half, getting an early goal from junior Jantine Steinmetz and adding two more scores to earn a 4-1 road win.
“We turned things around near halftime,” van de Kerkhof said. “We were one behind, then we tied it and then took control of the game.”
MSU faced a difficult test Sunday against the Cavaliers and was shut out for the first time of the season. Virginia scored an early goal less than three minutes into the match, then added two more before the end of the half, giving them an advantage they would hold for the rest of the game.
“The early goal might have surprised us,” van de Kerkhof said. “We were a much-improved team coming out in the second half.”
Nevertheless, MSU (5-3) had to settle for a 1-1 showing against elite competition this weekend and looks to receive a boost from playing its first home game of the season this weekend. The Spartans will battle No. 18 Northwestern at 3 p.m. Friday.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
