Oct. 30, 2005

Final Stats

EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 15 Michigan State broke a 1-1 tie with less than three minutes remaining in the game to slip past the Ohio field hockey team Sunday, 2-1, in the regular season finale at the MSU Field Hockey Complex.

Torrie Albini (Escondido, Calif.) scored her third goal of the weekend to tie the score at one into halftime. The Bobcat defense held the Spartans (12-7) quiet for more than 60 minutes, but Michelle Huynh-Ba knocked in the game-winner at the 67:48 mark to preserve the win.

The Bobcats (8-11) finish the regular season at 8-11 and now move into the Mid-American Conference Tournament in Mt. Pleasant, Mich., next week. Ohio has secured the No. 2 seed in the tournament and earned a first-round bye.

Albini has now scored a league-leading 14 times this season and has five goals in Ohio's last four games. She has moved into sole possession of eighth place all-time in program history for goals in a season.

"We played very well, for the most part," said Ohio Head Coach Neil Macmillan. "There was a spell in the second half where they kept us under a lot of pressure, but we hung in there."

The Spartans jumped on the board early and took a 1-0 lead. Jessica Miller was awarded a penalty shot at the 17:42 mark and took advantage, pushing the ball past Ohio's Jennifer Cote (Raynham, Mass.) for the game's first tally. The Spartans would not, however, get back on the board for quite a while.

Albini scored an unassisted goal at 30:20, tying the game just before intermission.

At the half, Ohio took four shots and was awarded three penalty corners. The Spartans took five shots, earning one penalty corner.

"We made some changes defensively at halftime," Macmillan said. "We played well in the second half. Our back three of Amanda Arnold (Oceanport, N.J.), Lauren Stahlhuth (St. Louis, Mo.) and Lindsay Schwartz (Lititz, Pa.) did extremely well."

Out of the break, neither team could find the net. The Spartans took eight shots and managed 10 penalty corners in the half, but it wasn't until the 67:48 mark that they finally broke through. Huynh-Ba took a Breanna Harpstead pass and deposited it into the back of the net to win it.

For the game, Cote made five saves.

"We needed to play well today and we did," Macmillan said. "We did what we needed to do and this was a great learning experience for us. The girls are upbeat and we're ready for Friday."

Friday's opponent will be determined after Thursday's first round match-ups. Second-seeded Ohio will face the winner of No. 3 Miami and No. 6 Ball State. No. 1 Kent State awaits the victor of No. 4 Central Michigan and No. 5 Missouri State.

The Bobcats will look for their first MAC Tournament title since 2001 this weekend in Mt. Pleasant, Mich.