Late Spartan Tally Dooms Michigan at No. 8 MSU

Sunday, October 25

East Lansing, Mich.

Noon

Michigan

(7-11 (2-3Big Ten))

Michigan State

(14-3 (5-0Big Ten))

Michigan

Michigan State

10/25/2009 12:00:00 AM | Field Hockey

Box Score

Oct. 25, 2009

Site: East Lansing, Mich. (Ralph Young Field)
Score: #8 Michigan State 2, Michigan 1
Records: U-M (7-11, 2-3 Big Ten), Michigan State (14-3, 5-0 Big Ten)
Next U-M Match: Wednesday, Oct. 28 -- at Central Michigan (Mount Pleasant, Mich.), 3 p.m.

• Boxscore

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The University of Michigan field hockey team suffered a 2-1 defeat at No. 8-ranked Michigan State on Sunday (Oct. 25) at Ralph Young Field. Despite being outshot 18-5 for the game, the Wolverines managed a 1-1 stalemate before MSU scored the game-winning goal with 11:38 left in the contest.

Junior Meredith Way (Newmanstown, Pa./Warwick) scored her team-best 16th goal of the season at 43:14 in response to a Spartan tally in the first half.

Michigan State's leading scorer, Floor Rijpma, tallied the decisive goal at 58:22, receiving a pass and lifting the ball high into the cage.

Redshirt sophomore Katie Adams (Hudson, Ohio/Hudson) and fifth-year senior Heather Wiley (San Diego, Calif./Torrey Pines) assisted on Way's penalty-corner goal. Way has 13 goals in the last 11 games.

Fifth-year senior goalie Paige Pickett (Dallas, Texas/Episcopal School of Dallas) posted 10 saves on the day, accumulating eight in the second half.

Michigan next travels north to face Central Michigan on Wednesday (Oct. 28) in Mount Pleasant, Mich. The game will be begin at 3 p.m.

GAME SUMMARY

By Periods	1	2	F
Michigan	0	1	1
Michigan State	1	1	2

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- MSU, Jeamie Deacon, 22:24 (Chantae Miller, Joelle van Ierland)
2nd -- U-M, Meredith Way, 43:14 (Katie Adams, Heather Wiley)
2nd -- MSU, Floor Rijpma, 58:22 (Jantine Steinmetz)

Shots: U-M 5, MSU 18
Saves: U-M 10 (Paige Pickett), MSU 3 (Elissa Unger)
Defensive Saves: U-M 0, MSU 0
Penalty Corners: U-M 2, MSU 6

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Marcia Pankratz
On the game ... "I thought it was a really good game. It was very competitive and we played well, but Michigan State got the better of us. It was a typical Michigan-Michigan State game -- hard-fought, well-executed. I think it was fun for the fans. Meredith Way scored on a penalty corner where she's been reliable all season. She's our go-to scorer. Every time we ask her to step up and put the game on her shoulders she does it. She buried her shot for a goal on what was our first penalty corner of the day.

"Paige Pickett played like a senior goalkeeper should. She was steady and made some clutch saves in the second half to keep us in the game. Jenner Johnson was outstanding in our backfield as she has been all season. She really made smart decisions and was a strong presence on defense and supported our offense as well. She played like a senior captain. Overall, I thought everybody played well."

Contact: Matt Trevor (734) 763-4423