After spending four straight games on the road, Indiana field hockey returned home, defeating then-No.13 Michigan 1-0 on Sept. 26 at Deborah Tobias Field.
But that time at home was short lived.
Indiana will hit the road again to face Michigan State on Friday at Ralph Young Field in East Lansing, Michigan.
The No. 13 Hoosiers enter the matchup at 6-3 overall and 2-0 in Big Ten play. Indiana will look to ride recent momentum into its matchup, as it has won six of its last seven games.
Indiana's trip to East Lansing will be its seventh road or neutral-site game of the season. The Hoosiers went 3-1 during their four-game stretch away from home before returning to Bloomington for their win against Michigan.
Friday will be the 35th meeting between Indiana and Michigan State. The Spartans lead the all-time series 26-9, but the Hoosiers have won the last two meetings. Last season, Indiana defeated Michigan State 6-1 at home. Indiana has historically struggled against the Spartans on the road, winning only two of 17 meetings in East Lansing.
Michigan State enters Friday 4-5 overall and 0-2 in Big Ten play. The Spartans opened conference play with a 2-1 loss to then-No. 13 Michigan on Sept. 18 before falling 6-0 to No. 1 Northwestern the following week. Michigan State defeated Ball State 4-1 between the two conference losses.
Senior forward Bianca Pizano leads the Spartans with five goals and one assist this season. Four other Michigan State players have scored twice.
Michigan State is coached by Tamara Durante, who took over the program in February after spending the previous 11 seasons on the Spartans' staff. Durante served as Michigan State's associate head coach for eight seasons before taking the top job.
Indiana enters Friday having scored 25 total goals. Sophomore forward Molly Stutte leads the Hoosiers with seven goals and seven assists, while junior forward Celia Arroyo Cabezudo has six goals and three assists. Stutte recorded the assist on Charlotte Ricci's game-winning goal against Michigan.
Senior midfielder Inés Garcia Prado and freshman midfielder Berta Sáenz de Santa María have each recorded four assists. Indiana has received offensive production from multiple players this season, giving the Hoosiers several options when creating scoring opportunities.
The Hoosiers have been particularly effective in the third quarter, scoring eight goals while allowing just one.
Indiana's defense has been just as solid, allowing only eight goals through nine games. Junior goalkeeper Sadie Canelli has recorded three shutouts this season, including in Indiana's 1-0 win over Michigan. That performance helped earn her Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week honors. The Hoosiers are also anchored on defense by sophomore back Lily Freeman.
The game against Michigan State is scheduled for 4 p.m. and will be televised nationally on the Big Ten Network.
Follow reporter Jack Davis (@JackDavis0006 and jjd5@iu.edu) for updates throughout the Indiana field hockey season.
