MSU has no misconceptions about the difficulty of the task ahead.

“Yeah, I heard (Maryland is) pretty good,” MSU head coach Damon Rensing said wryly following the U-M victory. “I guess I’ll have to start thinking about that in about five or 10 minutes here.”

Breaking down Maryland's voluminous offense, the Terrapins lead the Big Ten and are sixth in the nation in total offense, averaging 2.57 goals per game. At home, that figure burgeons to 3.5 conversions.

In order to get through Maryland's offense, MSU is going to have to stop the likes of Gordon Wild. The USC Upstate transfer has scored eight goals in seven games. Since Wild is a transfer student and little is known about him, MSU will be tasked with taming the Big Ten's leading scorer.

Even if Wild was somehow slowed, Maryland has plenty of other threats. Eight other players on the Terrapins roster have scored on the year, and 14 players have at least one point. 

While a rocky road to the east coast seems to be the default assumption for the trip ahead, the story doesn't end with Maryland's offense. Instead, the tussle with MSU's defense is the center conflict, as the Spartans have now gone three-straight games shutting their opponent out.

Goalkeeper Jimmy Hague has settled into the shoes of former goalie Zach Bennett and played his best game against U-M on Sunday, saving seven shots including a crucial last-minute breakaway. 

The Spartans' overall record of 5-1-0 beginning of the year is their best since 2010, a year which took them three rounds deep into the NCAA Tournament. 

On Friday, MSU will have to be impregnable defensively and adaptable offensively. The flow of the game could ease back and forth, but the Spartans cannot afford to become too entangled on either end of the pitch, for Maryland is a masterclass example of picking out advantages. The Terrapins have had five penalty opportunities this season, converting four, and know how to twist the defense into awkward and difficult positions.

MSU must remain committed in defense, as it did last year in the 0-0 draw between the two sides. For every save, collection or clearance Hague makes following a Maryland push, MSU must be ready to return the pressure on a counter-attack. Midfielders Brad Centala, Giuseppe Barone and DeJuan Jones will be three potential difference-makers in balancing their attacking and defensive responsibilities. 

A venture to Ludwig Field will truly test the Spartans' deservingness of a national ranking. With a national audience and Big Ten implications, this game could progress the team and program. 

Kickoff against Maryland is set for 7:30 p.m. on Friday.

Prediction: MSU 0, Maryland 1