The women on MSU’s soccer team have a goal this season - and they’re not about to let anyone stand in their way.
At the beginning of the season, the squad set a goal - to go undefeated at home. At 4 p.m. Friday, it will be the first test of their determination, when they host Eastern Michigan.
“They’re traditionally a tough team,” head coach Tom Saxton said. “It’s been a close series between us the past couple of years, but we’re ready for them.”
The Spartans began their season in grand style, defeating Bowling Green 4-0 last Sunday. Four different MSU players scored in the victory, and junior defender Andrea Sied was named Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week for her efforts.
But instead of celebrating its first win, the Spartan team chose to concentrate on its next game. Eastern Michigan is a formidable opponent, and it has forward Jessica Hupe to contend with.
“She’s extremely fast, one of the fastest players in the Midwest,” Saxton said. “She’s going to give us problems on the counter, that’s one of the things we have to be aware of.”
Despite Hupe’s reputation for speed, Sied is not concerned.
“We’ve been playing together enough that I think we can handle anything,” Sied said. “We’ve seen enough different kinds of offenses that we’re confident going into this game.”
In addition to the intrastate rivalry, there is an intrafamily conflict as well this weekend - senior defender Amy Allen’s cousin is a goalkeeper for Eastern.
“I don’t know if she’s going to start or not, but we’ve been talking trash back and forth a little bit,” Allen said. “One of our other goals is to make the NCAA Tournament this year, and a big part of that is this game.
“The best way to do it is to start this weekend because it’s our home field and we have to defend it.”
The Spartans also play at noon Sunday, when they square off against Oakland at Old College Field.
After coming off a 1-1 performance in the MSU/Radisson Soccer Classic last weekend, the men’s team will face off against Indiana-Purdue Indianapolis at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at Old College Field.
