Nov. 10, 2009

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EAST LANSING, Mich. - For the seventh time in program history, the Michigan State field hockey team will be competing in the NCAA Tournament. The NCAA announced Tuesday night that the Spartans will face Delaware on Saturday (Nov. 14) in Charlottesville, Va.

"We are very excited to be playing in the NCAA Tournament," said head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof, "Our bracket presents us with an opportunity to advance to the Final Four if we can play our best hockey."

The Spartans earned one of the NCAA's five automatic bids by virtue of winning the Big Ten Tournament for the third time in program history. The Spartans also won the Big Ten Regular Season title by going a perfect 6-0 and finished their regular season with an impressive 17-3 record.

Delaware, who enters the tournament with a 14-5 record, is lead offensively by Casey Howard who has a team high 51 points on 22 goals and seven assists. The Spartans and Blue Hens met earlier this season in the Champions invitational Tournament hosted by Duke University where the Spartans came away with a 7-2 victory.

On the season, the Spartans have been led offensively by seniors Floor Rijpma (Bunnik, Netherlands) and Jeamie Deacon (Wexford, Ireland) and freshman Manouk Vernij (Bleiswijk, Netherlands). Rijpma, the unanimous Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year, has recorded a team-high 44 points on 20 goals and four assists. Deacon, a three-time All-Big Ten First Team selection, has recorded 26 points on 10 goals and six assists despite missing time due to injuries. While Vernij, a three-time Big Ten Freshman of the Week and Second Team All-Big Ten selection, has tallied 31 points on 10 goals and 11 assists. The Spartan offense will also get contributions from junior Jantine Steinmetz (Amstelveen, Netherlands) and sophomore Chantae Miller (East Amherst, N.Y.).

The Spartan defense will be led by senior goalkeeper Elissa Unger (Reading, Pa.). Unger, a Second Team All-Big Ten selection and Big Ten Tournament MVP, finished the regular season with a Big Ten leading 1.17 goals against average and .794 save percentage. Protecting the turf in front of Unger will be a trio of talented defenders in junior Joelle van Ierland (Den Dolder, Netherlands) and sophomores Angie Lucik (Emmaus, Pa.) and Holly Sherman (Vancouver, B.C.).

The winner of the MSU/Delaware matchup will take on either Virginia or Richmond on Sunday at 2 PM. Virginia, who enters the Tournament with an 18-3 record is led by Paige Selenski who has recorded 55 points on 24 goals and seven assists. While Richmond, who enters the Tournament with a 14-8 record, is led by Sarah Blythe-Wood who enters the Tournament with a team-leading 55 points on 22 goals and 11 assists.

"We just have to continue to play Spartan hockey," said van de Kerkhof. "If we can do that and pick up on what we learned this week in practice we should have a good weekend in Virginia."

Last season the Spartans defeated second-ranked North Carolina, 3-2, in the first round before falling to Iowa, 1-0, in the second round.

The Spartans are one of three Big Ten teams to receive a bid to the NCAA tournament joining Ohio State and Indiana.