Breaking down the Big Ten: Field hockey

Record: 5-3

Key players: Senior midfielder Floor Rijpma (four goals, two assists), freshman forward Manouk Vernij (six goals, two assists)

Important Big Ten games: At Indiana (Oct. 9), at Iowa (Oct. 16), at Penn State (Oct. 31)

Conference outlook:

The No. 8 Spartans are the highest ranked Big Ten team to begin the regular season, and should be considered among the favorites to win the conference.

But before MSU has any hopes of running the table in the Big Ten, the Spartans will have to solve the Iowa riddle.

Iowa defeated the Spartans three times last season, including a heartbreaker in second round of the NCAA Tournament.

This season, the Hawkeyes begin Big Ten play unranked, but should not be taken lightly when MSU visits Iowa on Oct. 16.

MSU finished second in the Big Ten and second in the

Big Ten Tournament last season, and head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof is positive his team can grow from last year’s run.

“We believe we can do better, as we have improved from last year, and one of the challenges will be that the other teams in the Big Ten have improved as well, and it’s a new season,” van de Kerkhof said.

“This is your conference season and you don’t have the opportunity to play and learn. You have to apply everything you do previous to the Big Ten season, so it’s a new opportunity to be tested.”

Fortunately for the Spartans, they’ve already played a rigorous nonconference schedule, battling six teams ranked in the top 20 and managing to maintain a 5-3 mark.

The Spartans lost in overtime to No. 12 Duke in the opening weekend of play, and lost another close game to No. 6 Syracuse two weekends later, before being defeated last weekend by No. 4 Virginia, 3-0.

Although only two other Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 20 to begin conference play, MSU will undoubtedly be challenged in its six Big Ten games and learn the character of its team.

“We know what it feels like to get so close and miss it last year, so we’re hungry and can’t wait to get started,” sophomore back Holly Sherman said.

Final standings prediction and conference record: First place in Big Ten (5-1 record)