Big Ten Network : Field Hockey Top Stories

Spartans thump Delaware, advance to play Virginia

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:46:00 +0000

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.- Michigan State used a four goal performance from senior Floor Rijpma (Bunnik, Netherlands) and lockdown defense to defeat Delaware 7-0 Saturday afternoon. With the victory, the Spartans advance to the round of eight for the second consecutive year. The Spartans will meet Virginia at 2 p.m. Sunday with a Final Four berth at stake. "It's nice when you are playing your best hockey during the tournament," said head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof. "We played our best game of the season today." The Spartans started the game strong with a goal from Rijpma just over a minute into the game. Rijpma was on the scoreboard again less than five minutes later when she took a beautiful pass from junior Jantine Steinmetz (Amstelveen, Netherlands) and rocketed it into the back of the cage giving the Spartans a 2-0 advantage. Rijpma completed her hat trick at the 11 minute mark when she beat the Delaware keeper off a pass from freshman Manouk Vernij (Bleiswijk, Netherlands). Vernij added a goal of her own at the 21 minute mark to give the Spartans a 4-0 lead entering halftime. The Spartans started the second half strong as well with Rijpma adding her fourth goal of the game less than five minutes into the second frame. Junior Joelle van Ierland (Den Dolder, Netherlands) added her first goal of the season at the 51 minute mark making the score 6-0 in favor of the Spartans. Senior Jeamie Deacon (Wexford, Ireland) closed the scoring for the Spartans when she scored off a penalty corner in the 69th minute capping off the 7-0 victory. "I feel like we are playing our best hockey of the season right now," van de Kerkhof said. "We got to rotate a lot of players today and keep everyone fresh and that will hopefully put us in a good position as we prepare for Virginia tomorrow." The Spartans, who improve to 18-3 on the season, will look to make their third Final Four in school history when they take on Virginia at 2 PM tomorrow in Charlottesville.

North Carolina eliminates Ohio State, 4-1

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:53:00 +0000

WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. - The No. 15 Ohio State field hockey team fell to North Carolina by a score of 4-1 in an NCAA First Round matchup Saturday. The Buckeyes conclude their season with a 13-7 record while UNC improves to 17-2. "North Carolina has such a fantastic team and they come from all different angles," Ohio State coach Anne Wilkinson said. "Second half we started putting things together. "Our seniors had this as a goal and have worked very hard to play in the NCAA tournament. I am so proud of them." North Carolina built a 3-0 lead in the first half. The Tar Heels got on the board when they worked deep into right corner where Kelsey Kolojejchick centered a pass to Danielle Forword who beat sophomore goalkeeper Ally Tunitis, starting her third game of the season, at 7:27. UNC earned a penalty corner nearly a minute and a half later but was denied as sophomore Jenn Sciulli covered the open net, making a big defensive save near the goal line. Despite a strong defensive effort on a Tar Heel penalty corner, UNC was awarded a penalty stroke which Illse Davids converted at 21:17. Tunitis made contact with the ball with her glove but was unable to handle it. Two minutes later, North Carolina upped its lead to 3-0 at 23:37, scoring on the penalty corner. In the first half, OSU's penalty corner defense of senior Rachel Hunter, junior Bri Doak, sophomore Aisling Coyle, Sciulli and Tunitis broke up 5-of-6 UNC attempts. The Tar Heels posted 10 shots with Tunitis making three saves. UNC's Kolojejchick put a Melanie Brill in the net at 44:50 in the second stanza to give the Tar Heels four goals. Ohio State got on board at 53:40 as junior Aisling McKeon ran the ball up the center after a penalty corner, beating senior goalkeeper Brianna O'Donnell who entered the game at 52:01. Sophomore Maria Briones raced down the field and ran into contact to draw the corner. Scoring on the UNC defense is a hard task as the Tar Heels have allowed just 10 goals this season. The goal scored by the Buckeyes was just the sixth game in which North Carolina has even allowed an opponent to score. Tunitis continued to defend the Buckeye goal well, making two big stops in the 62nd minute and four overall on the day. Notes: - The game vs. the Tar Heels marked the fifth time Ohio State has played in the NCAA tournament and fourth under head coach Anne Wilkinson. The Buckeyes are 1-5 all-time in the national tournament. - Ohio State was one of three Big Ten teams to make the NCAA tournament this season, making it the 10th time in the last 11 years the conference sent three or more teams. - Freshman Danica Deckard earned her first career start vs. North Carolina Saturday. The rookie from Selinsgrove, Pa., has played in 14 games this season.

No. 7 Wake ousts No. 13 Indiana in first round

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:50:00 +0000

WINSTON-SALEM, NC - The No. 13 Indiana field hockey team fell to No. 7 Wake Forest, 2-0, in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Kentner Stadium. The Hoosiers (14-7) ended the season winning nine of their last 12 games and advancing to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2005. IU finished in a tie for second in the Big Ten regular season standings and advanced to the Big Ten Tournament championship game, falling to Michigan State, 3-2. The Demon Deacons (13-6) scored at the 11:48 mark in the first half as Kim Romansky netted a goal on a penalty corner. WFU scored its second goal at the 58:58 mark in the second half as Aileen Davis tapped in the goal just in front of the cage. Wake Forest outshot Indiana, 10-6, however the Hoosiers held an 8-7 edge on penalty corners. Junior Alex Mann was amazing in goal tallying five saves in 70 minutes. Redshirt freshman Morgan Fleetwood and senior Meg O'Connell each tallied two shots, with one on goal apiece. Senior Haley Funk tallied one shot, on goal, on a penalty stroke in the first half. Redshirt sophomore Brenna Moeljadi also recorded one shot on the game.

Indiana, Michigan State, Ohio St. make 16-team field

Tue, 10 Nov 2009 20:31:00 +0000

Three Big Ten teams will represent the conference at the 2009 NCAA Division I Field Hockey Championships as Indiana, Michigan State and Ohio State were selected to the 16-team field Tuesday, marking the 10th time in the last 11 seasons the conference will send three or more teams to the national tournament. The NCAA Championships begin this weekend, with first-round games contested on Saturday and second-round games scheduled for Sunday. First and second round matchups will be played at various campus sites. Leading the Big Ten contingent is No. 6 Michigan State, which finished the 2009 regular season as the Big Ten Champion. Also winners of the Big Ten Tournament Championship, the Spartans (17-3) have now been selected to the NCAA Championships seven times since 2001 and own a 7-6 record in their six previous appearances. In first round action, Michigan State is 5-1 and has advanced to the Final Four in 2002 and 2004. In their opening round matchup, the Spartans will face the No. 11 Delaware Blue Hens, who finished the season 14-5 overall and won the Colonial Athletic Association Tournament. The match will be played in Charlottesville, Va., on the University of Virginia campus. The two teams previously met this year on Aug. 29, a match won by Michigan State, 7-2. Joining Michigan State will be Big Ten Tournament runner-up Indiana, which finished the season 14-6 and claimed the third-seed in the Big Ten Tournament. Indiana's inclusion into the NCAA Championships is the second in school history, with the first coming in 2005. The No. 13 Hoosiers, who own a 1-1 record in the NCAA Championships, will face the host team in their region, No. 7 Wake Forest, in the first round. Wake Forest finished the year 12-6 and has faced Indiana once already this season, a Sept. 13 contest that went the way of the Demon Deacons, 5-2. The third Big Ten squad to earn a spot in the NCAA Championships is No. 15 Ohio State, which finished the season 13-6 and was the No. 2 seed in last week's Big Ten Tournament. The Buckeyes make their fifth appearance in the national tournament, and third in the last five seasons. In its opening round game in Winston-Salem, N.C., Ohio State will face the No. 3 North Carolina Tar Heels, who finished the season 16-2 overall. This will be the second all-time meeting between the two teams, with the first coming in 1997. The winner of the Ohio State-North Carolina matchup will face the winner of the Indiana-Wake Forest matchup in the tournament's second round. The national semifinals will be held Nov. 20 and the national championship game on Nov. 22 on the Wake Forest University campus in Winston-Salem, N.C. The championship game will appear live on the CBS College Sports Network.

On sale: Big Ten Field Hockey Championship DVD

Mon, 9 Nov 2009 14:33:00 +0000

On sale: Big Ten Field Hockey Championship DVD

Michigan State tops Indiana, claims Big Ten title

Sun, 8 Nov 2009 15:03:00 +0000

After falling behind early to start Sunday's championship game of the 2009 Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament, the No. 1 seed Michigan State Spartans scored three times before halftime to win its third Big Ten Tournament Championship with a 3-2 victory over third-seeded Indiana. The win gives Michigan State the Big Ten's automatic berth into the NCAA Championship, which opens Nov. 14. Michigan State's Jeamie Deacon scored twice to help pace the Spartans (17-3), who previously won Big Ten Tournament titles in 2002 and 2003. Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Floor Rijpma scored the other Spartan goal. Michigan State will be making its third-straight trip to the NCAA Championships, seventh overall. Indiana's Haley Funk gave the Hoosiers an early 1-0 lead before Michigan State scored three unanswered. Morgan Fleetwood's goal cut the score to 3-2 in the second half, but Indiana (14-6) would get no closer. Michigan State earned a first-round bye after winning the Big Ten Championship and opened play in the Big Ten Tournament with a 5-1 win over No. 4 Iowa in the semifinals. Indiana won twice to get to the tournament final, winning in the quarterfinals with a 4-2 win over No. 6 Northwestern. In the semifinals, the Hoosiers defeated No. 7 Penn State 3-1. Michigan State goalkeeper Elissa Unger claimed Big Ten Tournament MVP honors, finishing the tournament with 14 saves and just three goals against. 2009 All-Big Ten Tournament Team Corey Brautigam, Indiana Morgan Fleetwood, Indiana Meghan Beamesderfer, Iowa Tricia Dean, Iowa Meredith Way, Michigan Jeamie Deacon, Michigan State Floor Rijpma, Michigan State Elizabeth Dobbs, Northwestern Berta Queralt, Ohio State Amy Bonenberger, Penn State Ali Meves, Penn State Tournament MVP: Elissa Unger, Michigan State

Hoosiers hold off Nittany Lions, 3-1

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 17:23:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Despite tying the score midway through the first half, the Penn State field hockey team couldn't fight all the way back, allowing two second half goals in a 3-1 defeat to Indiana in Friday's Big Ten Semifinals. With the win, the Hoosiers advance to face Michigan State in the Big Ten Championship Game. The Lions end their season at 7-13 highlighted by two wins over Ohio State, including one on Thursday which marked only the second time a No. 7 seed has ever won a game in the Big Ten Tournament. "I'm proud of the way we played," said head coach Charlene Morett. "We fought for 70 minutes and showed great competitive spirit. Give credit to Indiana, who played great around the goal. Our goalie, Ali Meves played great today as well." Freshman Kelsey Amy accounted for the Lions' lone score to finish with three for the tournament which is tied for 10th all-time in one Big Ten Tournament. Meves was strong in making three incredible saves to keep Penn State close. Indiana took the quick lead less than five minutes into the game when it converted its second corner attempt. After Katie Griswold's insert, Kelsey Kiper made a nifty pass to Morgan Fleetwood, whose shot beat Meves inside the right post at 4:48. The Hoosiers continued their relentless pressure, but couldn't beat the junior goalkeeper for a second time. After a number of golden opportunities, including a one-on-one chance by redshirt freshman Hannah Allison, the Nittany Lions made it 1-1 when Amy scored yet another goal off a penalty corner. This time, sophomore Jessica Longstreth made the insert to redshirt freshman Kristen Schaefer. Amy's blast was deflected by an Indiana defender high and past goalkeeper Alex Mann to make it 1-1 at 21:46. Penn State nearly fell into another hole with under eight minutes remaining in the first, but Meves came up with a pair of incredible saves in succession to keep the score knotteed at one. She first came out strong on Griswold, who was sprung in all alone. After making the stop on the end line, she somehow got back in position to make a stick save of a Kiper attempt. After over 13 minutes of scoreless second half play, Indiana retook the 2-1 lead at 48:47 when Brooke Borneman converted an odd man rush. Redshirt senior Jen Miller made a huge defensive save on the first shot, but couldn't stop the rebound as Borneman fifth goal of the season gave the Hoosiers the lead for good. Corey Brautigam scored an inusrance goal off a penalty corner attempt at 52:00 for the 3-1 final. Final shots were 11-4 in favor of Indiana while Meves and Mann each had three saves. Indiana held the 6-4 edge in penalty corners. The Nittany Lions end their season at 7-13, including three wins against ranked foes and two versus Ohio State. They also made history in becoming only the second No. 7 seed in Big Ten history to win a tournament game. Follow Penn State field hockey on Twitter: www.twitter.com/PennStateFH.

Spartans field hockey eliminates Iowa

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 15:14:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, MI - - The University of Iowa field hockey team lost at Michigan State Friday, 5-1, in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. The loss ends Iowa's tournament record ten-match winning streak. "We had a good second half but it was not enough,"" said Head Coach Tracey Griesbaum. "We dug ourselves too big of a hole. Meg (Beamesderfer) had a good game and so did Tricia (Dean) and Sarah (Drake). I was proud of how we came out in the second half." The top-seeded and regular season league champions scored four first-half goals and led at the break, 4-0. In the second half, the Black and Gold came out firing and put the pressure on the Spartans. Senior Tricia Dean scored for Iowa off a corner in the 46th minute to make the score 4-1. Junior Sarah Pergine was credited with the assist. The Hawkeyes kept the pressure on and controlled much of the second half but were unable to push across another score. No. 8 Michigan State added a late goal to defeat Iowa, 5-1. Today's match ends Iowa's run of three-straight Big Ten Tournament titles.

Hoosiers defeat Wildcats to advance

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 20:25:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The No. 18 Indiana field hockey team used a strong offensive effort to beat sixth seed Northwestern, 4-2, in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament in East Lansing, Mich. The Hoosiers (13-5) had goals from redshirt freshman Morgan Fleetwood (two), freshman Brooke Borneman and redshirt sophomore Brenna Moeljadi. Indiana didn't take long to get on the board as Fleetwood scored with 11:26 on the clock as she took a pass from sophomore Corey Brautigam and beat the keeper with a high goal. Close to 11 minutes later, Borneman got a pass from senior Meg O'Connell and beat Northwestern's keeper with a low goal to give the Hoosiers a 2-0 lead. The Wildcats (12-8) cut IU's lead in half as Stephanie Fortson scored off a deflection in front of the net to beat IU's Alex Mann with a high goal, putting Northwestern on the scoreboard, 2-1, with 29:29 on the clock. At the 46:40 mark, Fleetwood netted her second goal of the game as she took a pass from junior Kelsey Kiper and put it past Northwestern's keeper to give IU a 3-1 lead. Moeljadi scored Indiana's final goal at the 53:44 mark off a Hoosier corner to take a 4-1 advantage. The Wildcats were able to score one more time as Kaylee Pohlmeyer scored off a rebound with 66:43 on the clock, but IU maintained the two-goal edge for the 4-2 win. The Wildcats outshot the Hoosiers, 15-14. Fleetwood led IU with five shots for two goals. Moeljadi tallied three shots and one goal, while Borneman had one shot for one goal off the bench. Kiper tallied two assists, and O'Connell, Brautigam and Griswold recorded one assist apiece. Freshman Julia Raymakers tallied her second defensive save of the season, and Mann started in goal for the Hoosiers and registered six saves in 70 minutes.

Conference names all-Big Ten field hockey team

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 17:30:00 +0000

PARK RIDGE, Ill. – The Big Ten Conference office announced the 2009 All-Big Ten field hockey teams and individual awards Thursday, with 2009 conference champion Michigan State winning two individual honors. Spartan senior Floor Rijpma was a unanimous choice for Offensive Player of the Year while her coach, Rolf van de Kerkhof, was honored as Coach of the Year. Additionally, Ohio State's Berta Queralt was named the conference's Freshman of the Year, and Iowa senior Meghan Beamesderfer was crowned the Defensive Player of the Year. The wins for Rijpma and van de Kerkhof mark the second time Michigan State has won the Offensive Player of the Year and Coach of the Year awards, respectively. The Spartans won both awards in 2001. Beamesderfer is the second Iowa student-athlete to win Defensive Player of the Year in the last five years, as Heather Schnepf won the award in 2005 and 2006. Queralt gives Ohio State its first Freshman of the Year since 2003. Beamesderfer and Rijpma were unanimous choices for the All-Big Ten first team, along with Indiana midfielder Meg O'Connell. Joining the trio on the conference's first team were Indiana's Corey Brautigam, Iowa's Tricia Dean, Michigan's Meredith Way, Michigan State's Jeamie Deacon, Northwestern's Chelsea Armstrong, and the Ohio State trio of Aisling Coyle, Queralt and goalkeeper Lindsay Quintiliani. Deacon earns her third straight All-Big Ten first team citation, and Rijpma makes her second straight appearance, while Beamesderfer, Coyle, O'Connell and Way moved up from last year's second team. Named to the All-Big Ten second team were Indiana's Morgan Fleetwood, Michigan's Paige Laytos and Alicia Mayer, Michigan State's Jantine Steinmetz and Manouk Vernij, Northwestern's Elizabeth Dobbs and Courtney Plaster-Strange, Ohio State's Maria Briones, and Penn State's Laura Cahill and Bethany Marvel. The second team goalkeeper is Michigan State's Elissa Unger. Additionally, the conference named the field hockey Big Ten Sportsmanship Award honorees. The student-athletes chosen are individuals who have distinguished themselves through sportsmanship and ethical behavior. These student-athletes must also be in good academic standing and have demonstrated good citizenship outside of the sports-competition setting. The 2009 honorees are Indiana's Jaclyn Milici, Iowa's Becca Spengler, Michigan's Jenner Johnson, Michigan State's Julie Mackay, Northwestern's Stacy Uchida, Ohio State's Jenn Sciulli, and Penn State's Christine Dudek. 2009 All-Big Ten Teams First Team MEG O'CONNELL, Sr., midfield, IND Corey Brautigam, So., midfield, IND MEGHAN BEAMESDERFER, Sr., defense, IOWA Tricia Dean, Sr., midfield, IOWA Meredith Way, Jr., midfield, MICH FLOOR RIJPMA, Sr., forward, MSU Jeamie Deacon, Sr., midfield, MSU Chelsea Armstrong, So., forward, NU Aisling Coyle, So., midfield, OSU Berta Queralt, Fr., forward, OSU Lindsay Quintiliani, Sr., goalkeeper, OSU Second Team Morgan Fleetwood, Fr., forward, IND Paige Laytos, Jr., midfield, MICH Alicia Mayer, Jr., forward, MICH Jantine Steinmetz, Jr., forward, MSU Elissa Unger, Sr., goalkeeper, MSU Manouk Vernij, Fr., midfield, MSU Elizabeth Dobbs, Sr., forward, NU Courtney Plaster-Strange, Sr., forward, NU Maria Briones, So., forward, OSU Laura Cahill, Sr., defense, PSU Bethany Marvel, Fr., midfield, PSU Offensive Player of the Year : FLOOR RIJPMA, MSU Defensive Player of the Year : Meghan Beamesderfer, IOWA Freshman of the Year : Berta Queralt, OSU Coach of the Year : Rolf van de Kerkhof, MSU Sportsmanship Award Honorees Jaclyn Milici, IND Becca Spengler, IOWA Jenner Johnson, MICH Julie Mackay, MSU Stacy Uchida, NU Jenn Sciulli, OSU Christine Dudek, PSU Unanimous selections in ALL CAPS

Iowa wins, advances in championship

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 16:37:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, MI - - The University of Iowa field hockey team defeated Michigan in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament Thursday, 5-3, on the campus of Michigan State University. The win marks the tenth-straight Big Ten Tournament win for the Hawkeyes, breaking Penn State's record of nine-straight wins held from 1995-98. "We played an outstanding first half and followed the game plan,"" said Head Coach Tracey Griesbaum. ""We executed and put the ball in the net. In the second half, we were not as attack-minded and that left some holes open on the defensive end. We have to take it one day at a time and regroup for tomorrow." The Hawkeyes, winners of five of their last six, struck first in the 18th minute of play. Senior Meghan Beamesderfer scored off a rebound to give the Hawkeyes a 1-0 advantage. In the 30th minute, senior Tricia Dean scored off a corner to push the Iowa lead to 2-0 at the break. In the early moments of the second half, Beamesderfer added her second goal of the day off a corner, giving the fourth-seeded Hawkeyes a 3-0 lead. The Wolverines, seeded fifth, then added two goals to make the score 3-2. Iowa kept the pressure on and added two additional goals to seal the victory. Freshman Geena Lesiak recorded her first career postseason goal and Beamesderfer added her third for the hat trick. Iowa has won three-straight tournament titles and will be looking to keep the streak going tomorrow against top-seeded and regular season champion Michigan State. The Hawkeyes and eighth-ranked Spartans will play at 11:15 a.m. (CT) on the Big Ten Network.

Penn State eliminates Ohio State

Thu, 5 Nov 2009 16:31:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Riding two first half goals from freshman Kelsey Amy and strong goalkeeping from junior Ali Meves, the seventh-seeded Penn State field hockey team jumped out to a 2-0 lead and held off a late Ohio State surge for a thrilling 2-1 upset victory in the Big Ten Opening Round on Thursday afternoon. The win marked only the second time in conference history that a seventh seed has defeated the No. 2 seed. The Nittany Lions advance to Friday's Big Ten Semifinals to face the third-seeded Indiana Hoosiers. That game will begin at approximately 2 p.m. and will air live on the Big Ten Network. "I was really pleased with the way we played both halves," said head coach Charlene Morett. "We had a very exciting first half and played with a lot of poise. We got into a little bit of a panic mode in the second half, but I was really proud of the way they stayed strong inside our defensive 25. Ali Meves did a nice job in goal too. It was a great game for us." Not only did Penn State became only the second No. 7 seed in Big Ten history to win a game in the tournament, but with a win on Friday, it would become the first-ever squad to advance to the championship game. The Lions came out strong and took it to the Buckeyes early on. After a number of failed opportunities, they converted at 29:49 off a penalty corner when Amy rocketed a shot past Ohio State goalkeeper Lindsay Quintiliani for a 1-0 advantage. Senior Amy Bonenberger and sophomore Jessica Longstreth were credited with the assists on the play. Penn State made it 2-0 off another corner attempt, but this coming at 35:00 of the first half. With time winding down, Longstreth made a steal at mid-field to create an attacking opportunity. The penalty corner was awarded before the time had expired, so Penn State was still allowed to take the attempt. The play paid off when another Amy shot found the back of the cage to make it 2-0 heading into halftime. Ohio State came out strong in the second and converted a Penn State turnover into a goal to cut the lead in half. Berta Queralt was on the receiving end of the feed and came in all alone on Meves. She made a move around the junior goalkeeper and easily found the open goal to make it 2-1 at 49:01. The Buckeyes kept attacking with shots and penalty corners, but could not solve Meves for a second time. In total, six of their eight corners came in the second half including five in the span of 6:32. Final shots were 13-4 in favor of Ohio State while the Buckeyes had the edge in corners, 8-7. Meves finished with five big saves while Quintiliani was credited with one. Penn State now looks ahead to its Big Ten Semifinal matchup against third-seeded Indiana. The game will start at 2 p.m. and will air live on the Big Ten Network. Check back to GoPSUsports.com and the Penn State field hockey twitter page for continued news and notes as the Nittany Lions search for their first Big Ten Tournament Title since 1998.

Fall championships to air on Big Ten Network

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 11:25:00 +0000

Fall championships to air on Big Ten Network

Perfect Spartans earn tourney's top seed

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:52:00 +0000

PARK RIDGE, Ill. – By clinching their first outright Big Ten Championship last Sunday, the Michigan State Spartans earned the No. 1 seed and an automatic spot of the semifinals in the 2009 Big Ten Field Hockey Tournament. The tournament will be held on the Michigan State campus in East Lansing, Mich., with opening round matchups played on Thursday, Nov. 5, semifinals contested on Friday, Nov. 6, and the championship game played on Sunday, Nov. 8. The tournament winner will earn an automatic berth into the NCAA Championships. The Ohio State Buckeyes clinched the No. 2 seed in the tournament by virtue of a 2-1 victory over Northwestern Saturday afternoon. At 4-2 in the conference, the Buckeyes finished in a tie with Indiana, but a 3-2 win against the Hoosiers on Sept. 27 gave Ohio State the No. 2 seed. The Hoosiers, who defeated Michigan 4-2 on Saturday, will be the No. 3 seed. The lone team at 3-3 in the conference, three-time defending Big Ten Tournament champion Iowa holds the No. 4 seed in next week's tournament and will face the No. 5 seed Michigan Wolverines in the tournament opener at 11 a.m. ET on Thursday. Michigan finished 2-4 in conference play this year. The two teams faced off on the opening weekend of Big Ten play with Iowa coming away with a 3-2 victory. To round out the field, Northwestern will be the No. 6 seed and face No. 3 seed Indiana at approximately 3:30 p.m. ET in the final game of the day on Thursday. Penn State will be the No. 7 seed and face No. 2 Ohio State at approximately 1:15 p.m. ET in Thursday's opening day. The top-seeded Michigan State Spartans will await the winner of the 4/5 matchup between Iowa and Michigan in Friday's first semifinal at 12:15 p.m. ET. The second semifinal will pit the winner of Ohio State-Penn State and Indiana-Northwestern at approximately 2 p.m. ET. The tournament championship game will be held at Noon ET on Sunday, Nov. 8. The semifinals and final will be televised live by the Big Ten Network.

MSU tops PSU, seals first perfect Big Ten clip

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:59:00 +0000

HAPPY VALLEY, Pa. - Michigan State used a hat trick from senior Floor Rijpma (Bunnik, Netherlands) and solid defensive play to drop Penn State 5-1 Saturday afternoon. With the victory, the Spartans finished the Big Ten with a perfect 6-0 record for the first time in school history. The Spartans came out of the gates strong as Rijpma scored off a beautiful pass from fellow senior Jeamie Deacon (Wexford, Ireland) less than four minutes into the game giving the Green and White an early 1-0 lead. The Spartans pushed their lead to two 52 seconds before the half when Rijpma struck again, this time tipping home a pass from freshman Jessica Linder (Louisville, Ky.). "We started the first half well but weren't able to keep up our pressure," said head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof. "Fortunately we were able to pick up our play near the end of the half and get the 2-0 lead." Junior Jantine Steinmetz (Amstelveen, Netherlands) made the score 3-0 less than 10 minutes into the second half when she scored her ninth goal of the season off a mini breakaway. Penn State got its lone tally three minutes after the Steinmetz goal when Hannah Allison redirected a shot from teammate Kelsey Amy past a diving Elissa Unger (Reading, Pa.). MSU was able to push its lead back to three when sophomore Chantae Miller (East Amherst, N.Y.) tipped a pass from junior Camille Dagorn (Lehighton, Pa.) into the right corner of the goal. Rijpma finished off the scoring and completed her hat trick when she took a pass from freshman Manouk Vernij (Bleiswijk, Netherlands) and slammed it into the back of the cage making the final score 5-1 in favor of the Spartans. "We made some adjustments at halftime and came out more hungry and committed," van de Kerkhof said. "As the goals started to pile up we were able to get some of our younger players some valuable playing time." Michigan State returns to action next weekend when they host the Big Ten Tournament. As a result of winning their first outright Big Ten Regular Season Title in school history, the Spartans will have a first round bye. Michigan State will open its tournament play when it plays the winner of the 4/5 matchup Friday at 12:15 p.m.

No. 13 Ohio State drops No. 20 NU, 2-1

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:48:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. - With Big Ten tournament seeding on the line, the No. 13 Ohio State field hockey team earned a 2-1 conference victory over No. 20 Northwestern on Saturday to finish the regular season in a two-way tie for second with Indiana with matching 4-2 league ledgers. By virtue of its win over Indiana this season, Ohio State (13-5 overall) earned the tiebreaker and will be the No. 2 seed at the conference tournament. The Buckeyes open the conference tournament vs. Penn State, the No. 7 seed, at 1:15 Nov. 5 in East Lansing, Mich. "This is a great win for us on the road," Anne Wilkinson, Ohio State head coach, said. "It is a strong win for us to the season and we are in a good rhythm going into the Big Ten tournament." After three first half goals, both the Buckeyes and Wildcats turned up their defensive efforts for a scoreless second half. The two teams combined for just 16 shots on the game with Ohio State holding a 9-7 advantage. The Wildcats held a slight advantage in penalty corners, 7-5. Northwestern struck first but its lead did not stand for long. After two-consecutive penalty corners, NU sophomore Chelsea Armstrong, who leads the league in scoring, was able to sneak one by sophomore goalkeeper Ally Tunitis after picking up a loose ball in front of the net at 8:03. Freshman Berta Queralt, who is second in scoring in the Big Ten, used her speed and stick-handling skills to tie the game at 1-all in the 12th minute. Picking the ball up in the midfield, Queralt carried the ball deep into Wildcat territory to the top of the arc, ripping off a reverse shot to the far post and beating Northwestern keeper Katie Lynch at 12:10 with an unassisted goal. Queralt now has 44 points on the season which ties former Ohio State All-American Yesenia Luces for 10th on the single season points record list, making her just the third freshman in Buckeye history to break into the Top 10 of the category. With things clicking on offense, Ohio State continued to pressure NU's defense. Sophomore Maria Briones gained control of a deflected ball three yards out from the Wildcat's goal and moved through traffic to score her 12th goal of the season and third gamewinner at 19:15. Tunitis, playing in her second game of the season, made two saves while Lynch made one for Northwestern. After the halftime, Ohio State made a switch at goal, bringing in senior goalkeeper Lindsay Quintiliani who made four second-half stops to ensure the Buckeye win. The Ohio State offense was still on the attack, posting five shots, including a penalty stroke situation. Queralt just missed, hitting the post on the free position. Northwestern also made changes between the pipes in the second half with Amanda Wirth playing 26:50 and facing no shots while Jaimie Orrico played 8:10 and made two saves.

Indiana closes slate with triumph over Michigan

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 16:03:00 +0000

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The No. 18 Indiana field hockey team knocked off Michigan, 4-2, to close out the regular season with a 12-5 overall record and a 4-2 mark in the Big Ten, tied for second with Ohio State. The Hoosiers had goals from redshirt freshman Morgan Fleetwood, junior Kelsey Kiper, redshirt sophomore Brenna Moeljadi and sophomore Corey Brautigam. The Hoosiers got on the board first as Fleetwood got a pass on the right side after a long lead pass and carried it into the circle to blast the ball into the lower opposite corner, giving IU a 1-0 lead with 12:11 on the clock. The Wolverines (7-13, 2-4) tied it up at the 17:23 mark as Alicia Mayer was able to redirect a shot from her teammate Meredith Way off the right post to put it in just behind IU's Alex Mann. However, Indiana answered as Kiper scored off a scrum that developed following an IU corner to go up 2-1 at the 23:41 mark. Michigan came right back as Way tied the game up for a second time on a penalty stroke with 33:18 on the clock, sending both teams into the break with the score 2-2. The Hoosiers came right out of the halftime break and scored 54 seconds in the second half as Moeljadi took a direct shot to the right side on a pass from junior Katie Griswold to give IU a 3-2 lead, for the game-winning goal. Sophomore Corey Brautigam scored at the 39:39 mark as she came up with the ball from senior Haley Funk in a scrum in front of the cage to give Indiana the 4-2 win. Fleetwood and Moeljadi led the Hoosiers as each took three shots and scored one goal apiece. Kiper and Brautigam each took two shots and scored one goal apiece, while Kiper also tallied an assist. Funk and Griswold recorded the Hoosiers' other two assists, while senior Meg O'Connell also had a shot on the game. Mann started in goal and tallied two saves in 70 minutes. Indiana and Michigan matched each other on shots at 11-11, while the Wolverines tallied 10 corners to IU's six. The Hoosiers open the postseason on Thursday, Nov. 5, in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament in East Lansing, Mich. IU will be the probable No. 3 seed and face sixth-seeded Northwestern on Thursday at 3:30 p.m. ET. A complete bracket with final seeds will be announced soon.

Iowa takes down American in season finale

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:51:00 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. - - The University of Iowa field hockey team won at American University Saturday, 2-1. "Sarah Drake and the seniors played great again," said Head Coach Tracey Griesbaum. "We competed for two complete games this weekend. Both were important performances heading into the Big Ten Tournament." After a scoreless first half, the Hawkeyes took the lead in the 51st minute of play. Freshman Sarah Drake chipped in a score off a deflection. Senior Tricia Dean was credited with the assist. American tied the match in the 67th minute as Savannah Graybill scored off a deflection. Anne-Meike DeWiljes was credited with the assist. With one minute remaining, Iowa was awarded a corner. Moments later, senior Meghan Beamesderfer scored in the final minute, giving the Hawkeyes their second-straight last minute win. Dean and Sarah Pergine assisted the goal. Today's match was the regular season finale. Iowa is 8-9 and will begin competition Thursday in the Big Ten Tournament. The Black and Gold have won the last three conference tournaments and have won nine-straight tournament matches.

No. 11 Hawkeyes edge JMU

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 16:38:00 +0000

WASHINGTON, D.C. - - The University of Iowa field hockey team defeated No. 11 James Madison Friday on the campus of American University, 3-2. "Today was a great team performance," said Head Coach Tracey Griesbaum. "The seniors played very well along with Sarah (Drake) and Geena (Lesiak) up front. This was a huge win for our season over a top-ranked opponent." James Madison struck first in the 16th minute. Amy Daniel scored off a deflection to give the Dukes a 1-0 advantage. Moments later, the Black and Gold responded. Meghan Beamesderfer scored off a corner to tie the match. Tricia Dean and Sarah Pergine were credited with assists. The match was tied at one at halftime. At the 51:29 mark, freshman Sarah Drake gave Iowa its first lead of the match. The goal was assisted by Jess Werley. With less than five minutes remaining in regulation, James Madison was awarded a penalty stroke. Tori Lindsey converted to tie the match, 2-2. As time expired, the Hawkeyes were awarded a penalty corner. After an initial shot by Dean was saved, Pergine collected the rebound and scored the game-winning goal for Iowa. The Hawkeyes will close the regular season tomorrow at American University. The match is scheduled to begin at noon CT.

C. Michigan shuts out Wolverines

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:09:00 +0000

MOUNT PLEASANT, Mich. - The University of Michigan field hockey team was shutout, 1-0, on the road at Central Michigan on Wednesday, Oct. 28. The Wolverines have dropped three games in a row, each by a single tally. Michigan's most consistent offensive pressure came in the opening 35 minutes when it sent five of its eight shots on goal. Arguably the best chance for Michigan came at 16:12 when a CMU defender made a defensive save on senior Alex Zeringue (Fallbrook, Calif./Union) . U-M registered four shots in the second half, two on goal, giving it a 12-7 shots advantage over CMU for the game. CMU's Melinda Curran turned aside each Wolverine attempt. Despite being outshot, CMU had eight penalty-corner opportunities to Michigan's five and the Chippewas scored the only goal of the match off of a corner. With CMU owning an advantage in front of the U-M cage, Pam Seufert collected a rebound and scored at 55:28. Michigan wraps up the regular season with a home game against No. 18 Indiana on Saturday, Oct. 31. Game time is 1 p.m.