Lansing Sun

Michigan State University triumphed over the University of Iowa in a closely contested field hockey match on Friday afternoon. The game, held at Ralph Young Field, ended with a 2-1 victory for Michigan State, thanks to an overtime goal by Carmen Pucheta.

The Spartans now hold an overall record of 8-8 and a Big Ten Conference record of 1-5. Meanwhile, Iowa's records stand at 8-7 overall and 1-5 in the conference.

Head Coach Helen Knull expressed her pride in the team's resilience after Iowa tied the game with just over two minutes remaining. "I'm really proud of them because Iowa scored with 2 1/2 minutes left on the clock, and I could feel the deflation from them," she said. "But they kept fighting, we had that flurry of corners at the end, and they defended it very well."

The match saw Michigan State take an initial lead in the third quarter through a goal by Maddie Lawlor. Despite several attempts by both teams to score again, it was not until late in the fourth quarter that Iowa managed to equalize with a shot from Lieve van Kessel.

In overtime, Michigan State controlled possession after two initial shots from Iowa. A penalty corner allowed Lawlor to pass to Pucheta, whose decisive shot secured the win for Michigan State.

Reflecting on recent performances, Knull noted their previous loss against Penn State but emphasized maintaining focus on upcoming games. "Our Penn State loss (last) Sunday was in overtime... today it's just, 'You have to keep believing even though they were losses,'" she stated.

Throughout the match, both teams created numerous scoring opportunities. Michigan State faced pressure from Iowa's offense but managed to capitalize on key moments despite being out-shot 20-17 overall.

Looking ahead, Michigan State will play their final home regular season game against Northwestern on Sunday at Ralph Young Field.