MAC Field Hockey Scoreboard, Sunday, Oct. 21
Michigan State 2, Central Michigan 1 (OT) Final
Iowa 6, Ball State 0 Final
Michigan 3, Miami 0 Final
Northwestern 6, Missouri State 0 Final
Game Stories courtesy of MAC Sports Information Departments.
Michigan State 2, Central Michigan 1 (OT) Final
MOUNT PLEASANT - The Central Michigan field hockey team nearly took down a ranked opponent for the second time this season, but fell in overtime, 2-1, to No. 20 Michigan State at the CMU Field Hockey Complex Sunday afternoon.
The Chippewas (7-9, 3-1 MAC) scored a late first-half goal on a battle in front of the cage that was tipped in by junior midfielder Skylar VanNatta for her first career goal to tie the match with the Spartans (10-8), and the CMU defense held strong to not allow another goal until the second minute of overtime.
“We knew we had our work cut out for us, but I was very pleased because I thought we went with them toe-to-toe and we had some good chances in the second half that we couldn’t convert,” head coach Cristy Freese said.
Michigan State’s Abby Barker received the ball in the circle on a breakaway in the second minute of overtime, defended tightly by senior goalkeeper Anastasia Netto who could not prevent the Spartans’ leading scorer from netting her second goal of the game and the game-winner as she fired it from the center near the outer edge of the circle.
Senior back Emily Girasole ensured the overtime period for the Chippewas when she cleared a MSU penalty corner with no time remaining in the second half to end regulation. The overtime game was the second of the weekend for the Chippewas, who also defeated defending MAC champion and then-MAC co-leader Ohio in overtime on Friday.
“I think how well we played Friday really carried over into today’s match,” Freese said. “When we had an end-of-the-game penalty corner I felt a lot of confidence in our team that we weren’t going to let anything happen.”
The Chippewas controlled possession for much of the match, particularly in the first half when they outshot the Spartans 7-5. Each side ended the match with ten shots on goal, and the Spartans held a slight 18-15 total shots advantage.
VanNatta’s game-tying goal at the 34:25 mark came after a series of CMU shots were batted around in the circle. Junior forward Bailey McKeon took a shot that was saved, then junior midfielder Abby Roth took a shot that was saved, but the rebound came to VanNatta who pushed it into the cage.
The goal is her first of the season. Roth was credited with the assist.
Michigan State’s Barker put the Spartans up 1-0 with her first goal of the game six minutes earlier in the 29th minute. Netto saved two consecutive shots by Barker, but could not save a third as Barker found the back of the cage. Netto made eight saves on the afternoon.
McKeon nearly tied the game in the 32nd minute with a one-on-one breakaway against MSU goalkeeper Molly Cassidy, but Cassidy was able to save the McKeon shot.
Possession was more even between the two teams in the second half, with the Spartans outshooting CMU 12-8. Netto made five saves in the second half to give the Chippewas a shot at their second overtime win of the weekend following Friday’s 2-1 win against Ohio.
Sophomore forward Cayleigh Immelman had an opportunity to give the Chippewas a 2-1 lead in the 54th minute when she burst up the far side of the field and into the circle, but her shot from just outside the goalkeeper went wide into the side of the cage.
The Chippewas will play for a regular-season MAC Championship when they host Kent State Friday at 1 p.m.
Iowa 6, Ball State 0 Final
IOWA CITY, Iowa - The Ball State field hockey team (3-14, 0-5 MAC) fell 6-0 to No. 12 Iowa Sunday afternoon. The Cardinals will wrap up the 2012 campaign next weekend as they honor two student-athletes on senior day.
The Cardinals were outshot 18-4 by the Hawkeyes. BSU managed to get shots on goal by Allie White (Kettering, Ohio/Fairmont), Tarel Teach (Virginia Beach, Va./Ocean Lakes) and Bianca Velez (Virginia Beach, Va./Floyd E. Kellam). Iowa had six corners to Ball State's three.
Freshman Maddi Elliott (Louisville, Ky./Sacred Heart) made one save and allowed two goals in the first half, while Shelby Henley (Novi, Mich./Novi) saved three shots while allowing four goals.
The Hawkeyes were led by Jessica Barnett and Natalie Cafone who each netted two goals.
Ball State will host Bellarmine on Senior Day Sunday, Oct. 28 at 1 p.m. at the BSU Turf Field at the Briner Sports Complex to honor Devon Bell and Marisa Weachter.
Michigan 3, Miami 0 Final
ANN ARBOR, Mich. - A day after securing a spot in the upcoming Mid-American Conference Tournament, the Miami University field hockey team dropped its final non-conference game to 15th-ranked Michigan, 3-0, on Sunday afternoon. It was the RedHawks sixth contest against a ranked opponent this season. Miami is now 9-9 on the season, while the Wolverines improve to 11-5.
Michigan was on the attack early, earning several penalty corners and getting the majority of the offensive attacks. RedHawk goalkeeper Sarah Mueller came up big however, making eight saves in the first 20 minutes to keep the game scoreless. After Anna McQuaid made a defensive save in the 22nd minute, a foul was called that awarded the Wolverines a penalty stroke. Mueller once again came up big, kicking Leslie Smith's shot aside. It remained tied at zero until Smith would score on a penalty corner in the 27th minute to send Michigan into the break up, 1-0.
On a turnover in the 45th minute of the second half, Rachael Mack would score to make it 2-0. She would add another goal in the 61st minute to complete the Wolverine's scoring. Miami would turn on the offensive pressure in the final minutes earning five consecutive penalty corners. Olivia Miller would get two shots on net, while Sid Marcum, Emily Gruesser and Ali Froede would each get one, but the RedHawks would be unable to cash it in before the clock ran out.
Michigan outshot Miami, 22-8, for the game. The RedHawks held the Wolverines to only six shots in the second half after allowing 16 in the first half. Mueller had a huge day in net making 12 saves, while Gruesser led Miami with three shots. Michigan held an 11-6 advantage in penalty corners.
The RedHawks will look to earn a share of the MAC regular season title and clinch the number one seed in the MAC Tournament when they host Ohio in the regular season finale next Saturday at 10:30 a.m. The game is also senior day and at the conclusion of the contest a ceremony honoring Miller and Addie Absher will be held.
Northwestern 6, Missouri State 0 Final
EVANSTON, Ill. - Nationally ranked Northwestern proved to be too much for the Missouri State field hockey squad, as the No. 8 Wildcats defeated the Bears (4-11-0) by a score of 6-0 on Sunday afternoon in Evanston, Ill.
The Wildcats were led by four goals by the nation’s top goal-scorer, senior Chelsea Amstrong.
Northwestern dominated the game from the beginning, as Armstrong scored two of the Wildcats’ first three goals. Armstrong scored in the fifth and 11th minutes, and senior Kaylee Pohlmeyer also got an early shot past MSU goalkeeper Andrea Bain in the game’s seventh minute.
With the help of Bain’s eight saves in the first stanza, the MSU defense was able to stop Northwestern’s attack after Armstrong’s second goal, and kept the deficit at three goals going into the second half.
However, Armstrong got the Wildcats back on the board, as she secured a hat trick with her third goal about six minutes into the second period. After junior Tara Puffenberger extended the lead to five with a goal in the 48th minute, Armstrong scored her fourth goal of the day about four minutes later to cap the scoring.
Northwestern out-shot the Bears 28-to-10 and placed 16 shots on goal, compared to Missouri State’s two.
Bain finished the day with eight saves in 13 tries, and senior Reiann Stoute got her conference-leading ninth and 10th defensive saves of the year.
Missouri State will wrap up the 2012 season with its senior night. The game is slated for 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday, Oct. 24 against the Saint Louis Billikens at Plaster Field.