Sept. 16, 2009

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Head Coach Rolf van de Kerkhof | Chantae Miller

EAST LANSING, Mich. - After a weekend that saw them split a pair of games with ranked opponents Old Dominion and Syracuse, the Michigan State field hockey team travels to Virginia for a pair of matchups with two more ranked opponents, James Madison and Virginia.

First on the docket for the Spartans, who enter the weekend as the nations 8th-ranked team, will be a 2 p.m. Saturday matchup with 13th-ranked James Madison University Dukes at the JMU Field Hockey Complex. The Dukes, who are 1-3-1 all-time against the Spartans, enter the weekend with a 3-2 record with wins over Kent State, Albany and Ohio State and losses to No. 3 Wake Forest and No. 11 Massachusetts.

Leading the way for James Madison will be senior goalkeeper Kelsey Cutchins. Cutchins, who was a first team All-American last season, enters the weekend with a 1.40 goals against average, a .821 save percentage, 32 saves and a shutout. Leading the way for the Dukes offense will be freshman Tori Lindsey and senior Meghan Bain who each have two goals on the season. The Dukes are coached by Antoinette Lucas, who is in her sixth season at James Madison and has a career record of 70-42.

In their second matchup of the weekend the Spartans will travel to Charlottesville to face No. 5 Virginia, Sunday at noon at Virginia's Turf Field. The Cavaliers, who enter the weekend with a 6-0 record with victories over Miami (OH), Providence, Old Dominion, Kent State, Ohio and Penn State, are 0-1 all-time against the Spartans.

Leading the way for Virginia will be junior goalkeeper Kim Kastuk. Kastuk boasts an NCAA-leading 0.19 goals against average, a .889 save percentage, eight saves and four shutouts. The Cavaliers are led on offense by sophomore Paige Selenski, who through six games has 12 points on five goals and two assists. Virginia is coached by Michele Madison, the former Spartan coach who still holds the school record for career victories (155), is in her fourth season with the Cavaliers and has a career record of 253-170-8.

Last weekend, the Spartans were led freshman Manouk Vernij. Against Old Dominion, Vernij scored twice, netting the Spartans' first and third goals of the game, totaling four points. She followed up with a strong offensive effort Sunday against No. 8 Syracuse, firing a team-high five shots against the Orange. For her efforts Vernij, who ranks second in the Big Ten with six goals and 13 points, was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week for the second time on the young season. The Spartans also received solid offensive production from sophomore Chantae Miller. Miller came off the bench and scored the game-winning goal for the Spartans against No. 9 Old Dominion and followed up that performance by scoring the Spartans' lone goal in a 2-1 overtime loss at No. 8 Syracuse.

Leading the way for the Spartans on offense this season have been the aforementioned Vernij, who has recorded 13 points on six goals and an assist, and senior Floor Rijpma who has tallied 10 points on four goals and two assists.

The Spartans enter this weekend as the Big Ten leaders in nearly every major offensive category including scoring margin (+2.12), scoring average (3.92), shots per game (18.83), goals scored (24) and goals scored per game (4). The Spartans also rank second in the Big Ten in goals against average with an impressive average of 1.79 due in large part to the solid play of senior goalkeeper Elissa Unger.

"We have to continue doing what we've been doing and play Spartan hockey," said head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof. "We need to improve where we can improve and not worry too much about the outcome but really focus on the process."

MSU Field Hockey

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