Senior captain Lindsay Quintiliani recorded a season-high eight stops
COLUMBUS, Ohio - Down 2-0 at the half, the No. 15 Ohio State field hockey team made a valiant second-half comeback, chipping away No. 8 Michigan State's lead to one but ran out of time, falling 2-1 Friday afternoon in a Big Ten Network Game in East Lansing, Mich.
"We gave it everything we had in the second half," Anne Wilkinson, Ohio State head coach, said. "We just came up short in the end. Michigan State really pressured us hard with numbers in the first half, limiting our opportunities early in the game."
The Buckeyes remain in second-place in the Big Ten standings with a 3-2 record (11-5 overall) while Michigan State holds onto first with a 4-0 ledger (13-3 overall). The OSU-MSU game will be aired by the Big Ten Network at 6 p.m. Sunday.
Senior goalkeeper Lindsay Quintiliani ended the day with a season-high eight saves, marking the first eight-stop outing for the Mountain Top, Pa., native since she posted eight at then-No. 1 Maryland Sept. 8, 2007.
Late in the game, freshman Berta Queralt scored her 15th career goal, beating MSU keeper Elissa Unger at 45:39 with a low-travelling tip off a Maria Briones' shot to cut Michigan State's lead to one. With time running out, the Buckeyes had one final opportunity but Unger, who ended the day with three saves, was there for the stop.
Quintiliani made six first-half saves, tying her previous season high in the opening stanza vs. MSU, but the Spartans used a 10-4 advantage in shots to get on the scoreboard first. Michigan State senior Floor Rijpma scored in the 15th minute and classmate Jeamie Deacon followed with one of her own at 24:13, redirecting a rebound to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead at the half.
The Buckeye defense limited Michigan State, who ranks first in scoring vs. conference opponents, to two goals for just the fifth time this season. Overall, the Spartans average more than three goals a game (3.44).
Ohio State returns to Columbus for its final home contest of the 2009, taking on No. 13 Duke at 1 p.m. Sunday. The Buckeyes will celebrate Senior Day vs. the Blue Devils, recognizing its six seniors for their contributions to the program.
