Field Hockey was on the road this weekend where they took both Michigan State and No. 7 Michigan into overtime but failed to bring home a win, losing 2-1 in both matches and slipping to 2-4 on the season.
“It is always great to be able to compete against a Big Ten opponent and get tested early in the season,” said Head Coach Carli Figlio.
Monmouth gave Michigan State all they could handle on Friday before ultimately losing in the fifth round of a shootout, 2-1. The Hawks took the lead after a scoreless first half when senior forward Georgia Garden Bachop buried a nifty backward shot right in front of the net in the 39th minute. Monmouth came within three minutes of a victory and shut out, but the Spartans tied it to force overtime.
A scoreless overtime lead to a shootout where sophomore midfielder Ireen Frenken converted her try and was matched by Michigan State. Monmouth’s second attempt went to freshman forward Annick Van Lange who was stopped while the Spartans converted theirs to take the 1-0 lead. Bachop was tasked with the third attempt and came through while the hosts failed to convert, leaving the game was tied once again.
The fourth try was given to junior forward Josephine van der Hoop whose shot found the post. Michigan State’s attempt was successful to regain the lead. Frenken was able to convert the fifth attempt after senior forward Kelly Hanna was tripped and the team was awarded another chance. The Spartans scored on their final attempt and walked away with the win.
“It was a hard way to lose in a shootout but I think for the majority of the game we played really well,” Figlio said. “We made some young mistakes that proved to cost us in the end.”
On Sunday the Hawks squared off against Michigan and once again gave a Big Ten team a run for their money, but in the end fell 2-1. Monmouth grabbed a 1-0 lead after freshman forward Natalie McNamara tipped in a shot from Bachop in the first half.
The Hawks took that lead into the half, but Michigan tied it up about halfway through the second after converting a penalty stroke attempt. The two teams played the remainder of the half to a standstill and the game went into overtime. Sophomore goalkeeper Gabi Millan made a career-high nine saves and was instrumental in keeping Monmouth in the game.
The Wolverines quickly found themselves down a player in the extra period, but Monmouth was unable to capitalize on the opportunity. Michigan earned a penalty shot in the 71st minute and successfully buried the game-winner.
“We may have not got the results that we wanted, but we built a lot of character and learned a lot of lessons,” Figlio said. “I am really excited as we continue with the season because we took a huge step today with a lot of players stepping up, including our freshman. It was fun to see young players make a big impact.”
The Hawks will travel to Princeton on Friday before returning home on Sunday where they will face off against the Villanova Wildcats.
PHOTO COURTESY of Monmouth Athletics
