It doesn’t get any easier from here. The No. 17 Spartans (8-2-2 overall, 1-1-1 Big Ten) head to Akron, Ohio to take on No. 18 Akron (10-3-0) tonight at 7 p.m.
If the men’s soccer team wanted to prove last year’s Big Ten Tournament win over Michigan wasn’t a fluke, they have unarguably done so. Winning overtime thrillers and having players be named to Big Ten weekly honors is just a typical week for this team that is looking to make another deep run in the conference tournament. Here is what the team has done so far this season on the pitch:
It’s been a rocky road, but their work isn’t done just yet. With three more games to go and a final spot in the Big Ten Tournament up for grabs, the women’s soccer team is looking to cap the season on a high note. Here is what they have been through so far this season:
Tim Kreutz can’t remember what it feels like to lose. The junior forward was the only goalscorer when the No. 14 MSU men’s soccer team (8-2-2 overall, 1-1-1 Big Ten) fell 2-1 in double overtime to No. 17 Penn State (9-3-1 overall, 4-0-0 Big Ten) Sunday afternoon at DeMartin Stadium.
Despite blowing out Purdue 4-0 on Friday, the MSU women’s soccer team couldn’t make back-to-back wins, losing to Indiana, 3-2, in double overtime Sunday afternoon. Trailing 2-1 with just eight minutes remaining in the Indiana match, sophomore forward Allyson Krause tied the game with her fifth goal of the season. Krause took a pass from freshman midfielder Kaylee Phillips on the right side and broke away to find the left side of the net.
Now is the time to shine. With just six games left in the season for the men’s soccer team, it’s up to this squad to show whether they’re capable of making any run in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.
Every game is becoming more and more crucial for the women’s soccer team. After starting the season out 6-0-2, the Spartans (7-5-2 overall, 1-5-0 Big Ten) have been in a tailspin since conference play.
Thirteen seconds. That’s how long it took sophomore midfielder Jay Chapman to give the MSU men’s soccer team (8-1-2) a 1-0 on in-state rival Oakland (5-3-5) on a rainy Wednesday evening.
Rookies, newcomers, young ones — if this was basketball, ESPN college basketball analyst Dick Vitale might even call them “diaper dandies, baby!” But to most, they’re just freshmen. They haven’t been on campus for more than a couple months, but a group of freshmen already have been contributing to the MSU women’s soccer team (7-5-2 overall, 1-5-0 Big Ten).
The men’s soccer team may have a difficult week ahead of them, but they’re looking forward to the challenge. The No. 18 Spartans (7-1-2 Overall, 1-0-1 Big Ten) will face a tricky midweek tilt against in-state rival Oakland (5-2-5, 3-0-1 Horizon) at 4 p.m. Wednesday at DeMartin Stadium.
A season that once held so much promise for the MSU women’s soccer team now is in need of saving. With just five games remaining on the Big Ten slate, the Spartans (7-5-2 overall, 1-5-0 Big Ten) sit tied for last place in the Big Ten with Northwestern (3-9-2, 1-5-0) and are five points behind the final spot in the Big Ten Tournament.
Sometimes, a tie can feel like a loss. That was certainly the case for the MSU men’s soccer team (7-1-2 overall, 1-0-1 Big Ten) after a 1-1 draw against Ohio State (2-6-4 overall, 0-2-1 Big Ten) Sunday afternoon at DeMartin Stadium.
A Big Ten Tournament berth still isn’t out of the question, but after Saturday’s 3-1 loss to Ohio State, the MSU women’s soccer team has serious work to do in the final five games of the season.
The clock is ticking for the women’s soccer team. The Spartans (7-4-2 overall, 1-4-0 Big Ten) have only six games remaining in the regular season before the Big Ten Tournament. They currently sit a game out of eighth place in the Big Ten — the number of teams allowed into the tournament.
The likes of Lionel Messi, Pele, Wayne Rooney and Diego Maradona are all linked by something other than their goal scoring prowess on the field — the jersey No. 10. Even for members of the MSU men’s soccer team, the significance of their jersey number is an important aspect of the game.
Heading into the season, Courtney Clem was the No. 1 goalkeeper for the MSU women’s soccer team. With just six games remaining on the schedule and an important Big Ten match against Ohio State on Saturday, the junior goalkeeper will be competing in practice this week to keep the top spot with sophomore goalkeeper Gabrielle Gauruder.
The men’s soccer team had a good week last week, to say the least. MSU (7-1-1 overall, 1-0-0 Big Ten) went on the road and beat University of Illinois-Chicago 2-0 to earn their sixth shutout of the season last Tuesday. Shortly after, the Spartans upset No. 5 Northwestern 3-2 in double overtime on the Wildcats’ home turf Sunday afternoon.
Six victorious sets, two interceptions and one game-winning goal later, three athletes have won Big Ten honors from the weekend. All three Spartans contributed in giving their teams a combined four victories on the weekend, putting them on top of the conference.
The last time the MSU men’s soccer team took the field in Evanston, Ill., they won the Big Ten Tournament in an overtime match against Michigan. In their first return trip to Lakeside Field since then, the Spartans (7-1-1 overall, 1-0-0 Big Ten) opened up Big Ten play with a 3-2, double overtime win against No. 5 Northwestern (7-3-0 overall, 1-1-0 Big Ten).
The MSU women’s soccer team held on for 106 minutes as Iowa got off shot after shot, but couldn’t hang on for four more minutes to make it a draw. The Spartans (7-4-2 overall, 1-4-0 Big Ten) and Hawkeyes (10-3-0, 2-3-0) fought through two overtimes Sunday afternoon on Iowa’s home field, but it was the Hawkeyes who came out with the 1-0 win thanks to a late goal by Iowa midfielder Anne Marie Thomas.