Northwestern University Athletics
Field Hockey Opens Big Ten Play at Michigan State
9/20/2001 12:00:00β―AM | Field Hockey
Sept. 20, 2001
EVANSTON, Ill. - The Northwestern field hockey team hasn't seen game action in 12 days as they get set to travel to East Lansing, Mich., to take on the sixth-ranked Spartans in their Big Ten opener. NU is 1-3 in conference openers the last four years, but defeated Michigan State last year, 3-2, in overtime. In fact, NU defeated the Spartans twice last year, both times 3-2 and both in the first overtime.
"Following our last tournament (Terrapin Invitational), we were presented with an opportunity to see the areas of our game that needed to be corrected," said head coach Marisa Didio. "We focused on these areas and I believe we've taken the right steps to fixing them. Our girls have shown a lot of resiliency and strength in themselves the last 12 days."
The Wildcats enter the weekend with a 1-5 overall record, with their last game being played on Sept. 9 vs. 20th-ranked James Madison at the Terrapin Invitational in College Park, Md. The Dukes jumped all over NU in the first half, taking a 3-0 halftime lead and eventually winning 4-0. NU also fell to third-ranked Maryland, 4-0, in the tournament.
"We can feel the anticipation of our Big Ten opener, it's evident in the energy and concentration in practice," said Didio. "Michigan State is a tough team, and it is a tough place to play. I know they've improved from the beginning of the year, it will be a challenge but a good challenge for us."
The 'Cats lone win came in dramatic fashion, as Diane Provencher (North Conway, N.H./ Kennett) scored with 3:42 left in the second overtime to beat Southwest Missouri State, 3-2. Michelle Cifelli (Fairfield, N.J./West Essex) was the offensive catalyst in that game, scoring two goals and recording the game-winning assist.
MSU sports a 4-3 record after defeating second-ranked Old Dominion, 3-2, in the first overtime and shutting out No. 7 Wake Forest, 2-0. The Spartans fell to third-ranked Maryland, 4-1, and eighth-ranked Duke, 2-0.
The Spartans are led by senior forward Bridget Cooper, who leads the team with six goals on just 12 shots. The goalkeeper duties belong to sophomore Lauren Hess, who has allowed nine goals in 472 minutes between the posts.
