When facing two of the country's top teams over the weekend, it's difficult not to look past smaller obstacles along the way.

On Sunday, the No. 7 MSU field hockey team travels to North Carolina for a rematch with No. 1-ranked defending National Champion Wake Forest, and if that's not enough, Monday brings a battle with No. 4 Duke.

But still the Spartans insist they're focused on nothing but today's home match with unranked Central Michigan (1-3).

"We're just thinking of Central right now," senior midfielder Sophie Rosmalen said. "We played them earlier in the season and didn't play as well as we could.

"We didn't show them too much. We need our whole team to play harder."

Though Central Michigan has earned only one win in four matches this season, the Chippewas have proven themselves worthy in competition. The Spartans played the Chippewas to a three-all tie during a preseason scrimmage, but the month in between the two meetings has given both teams much room to improve.

Each squad also boasts its conference's Offensive Player of the Week (MSU senior back Alexandra Kyser and Chippewas forward Alisa Folk, respectively), and both teams are coming off weekend wins - Central Michigan nabbing its first season victory.

But all told, the Chippewas seem slightly more concerned with the Spartans than vice versa, and maybe for a good reason. Knocking off two of three ranked opponents this season already, MSU has outscored its competition 22-7 and jumped in the national poll this week from No. 8 to No. 7.

"MSU has good team speed and a good transition game," Central Michigan head coach Cristy Freese said in a statement. "It is important we are in the right positions on defense.

"Our forwards have done a good job so far this season scoring goals, but we have missed some opportunities and we can't do that against a good team like MSU."

After today, MSU will have only one day to prepare for the Demon Deacons before hitting the road, playing Wake Forest on Sunday and the Blue Devils on Monday. But many Spartans refuse to think about the pressure of the meetings.

In fact, senior back Alexandra Kyser was one of the few to admit a rematch with the Demon Deacons had crossed her mind.

"I feel like the best team won that game," Kyser said of the 3-0 loss to Wake Forest in last year's Final Four. "They were the best last year, but we'll just have to see about this year."