Stickers open Big Ten season at State

The No. 12 Michigan field hockey team kicks off Big Ten play tonight in Spartan Stadium against in-state rival No. 11 Michigan State.

DANA LINNANE/Daily Although she's from Australia, Catherine Foreman (right) knows firsthand the intensity of the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry. Tonight's match at Spartan Stadium will kick off the Big Ten season for the Wolverines.

"We get really pumped up for games like this because of that natural rivalry," sophomore Catherine Foreman said. "It's really important that we win this game because the Big Ten is going to be so close this year."

This year's matchup is critical for both teams, due to their high rankings and because it starts the Big Ten season. The Spartans rolled over Central Michigan last Saturday, 7-1, improving their winning streak to three games and upping their record to 6-1.

While the Wolverines have relied on their veteran defense this season to win close games, Michigan State has been keyed to victory by an offense that has recorded 29 goals in just seven games.

Central to the Michigan State attack are two players that travel to East Lansing from across the ocean. Sophomore midfielder Sanne van Nouhuys and sophomore forward Marleen Tuip - both from The Netherlands - are Michigan State's two leading scorers this season.

"(Foreign players) are becoming the trend in the Big Ten," said Foreman, who hails from Australia. "It's seems like every team in the Big Ten has one."

Van Nouhuys has already scored 10 times this season to lead the team. And Tuip's five goals and six assists make her the team's second-leading scorer.

"Our defense is strong because we are returning everyone from last year," senior midfielder Erica Widder said. "We're ready for them."

Michigan won 3-1 on the road against Syracuse on Sunday, improving to 4-3. The Wolverines hope that they can carry over the momentum of that victory to tonight's game.

"It really got our confidence back up," Widder said. "The weekend before (against James Madison and Virginia) was really tough, but we're back on track now."

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