Senior forward John Minagawa-Webster had one goal and an assist to lead MSU to a 3-0 win over Western Illinois to capture the MSU/Radisson Fall Soccer Classic championship Sunday at Old College Field.
"We feel like we're moving in the right direction," MSU head coach Joe Baum said. "I feel like we're making a little more progress. We played a little better defensively today. We're feeling pretty good."
Sophomore goalkeeper Jason Tillman started the game in goal for the Spartans, but did not have to make a save.
He has not been required to make a save in more than 167 minutes of work this season, having a 3-0 record to show for it.
Freshman goalkeeper Chris Austin made four saves in the second half to hold onto the team's second shutout in three games.
For Baum, having both his goalkeepers ready is key, rotating Austin into all three games. "I think it's important that they both get minutes," Baum said. "This way, if one of them gets hurt, we think the other one will be ready.
"It's critical that we rotate them and get them both playing minutes and so far, so good."
Senior forward Jordan Gruber gave MSU a quick 1-0 lead in the ninth minute of the game when he slid the ball past Western Illinois goalkeeper David Hanlon from a bad angle.
Minagawa-Webster picked up the lone assist on the tally, which was Gruber's team-leading fourth goal of the season.
Gruber was named the Big Ten's Offensive Player of the Week.
"We've had pretty big expectations for them going in, and they've been living up to them," Baum said of Gruber and Minagawa-Webster.
Minagawa-Webster picked up his third goal of the season on a play in front of the Western Illinois goal.
Off a corner kick, junior midfielder Ryan McMahen was able to find Minagawa-Webster with a pass in front of the goal, which Minagawa-Webster made no mistake about putting in the back of the net for a 2-0 Spartans lead.
"That's a run I make quite frequently, and that time it was just a perfect ball from Ryan and I saw the opportunity and got a little lucky and it went into the back of the goal," Minagawa-Webster said. "I was pretty happy after I saw it go in."
MSU put the game on ice at the 37:48 mark of the first half when junior midfielder Steve Doster used his head to knock the ball past the wayward Leathernecks goalkeeper. Senior midfielder Udo Seidel and freshman midfielder Ben Pirmann picked up the helpers. It was Doster's first goal of the season.
Minagawa-Webster said the team's early-season success starts with defense.
"Our starters haven't let up a goal yet and it starts there," he said. "We're building confidence up the field."
Freshman midfielder Ryan Dick helped preserve the shutout when he booted the ball out of harm's way near the goal line with less than 10 minutes left in the game and MSU was able to run out the rest of the clock for the 3-0 win.
The Spartans were named champions of the MSU/Radisson Fall Soccer Classic over Michigan because of a greater goal differential.
The Wolverines also went 2-0 in competition over the weekend.
Saturday, MSU defeated St. Francis 4-2. Gruber had a goal and two assists while freshman forward Kenzo Webster scored his first goal as a Spartan.
