The "Spartan nation" is still puffing out its chest after one of the greatest weekends for the Green and White in a long time.
"It was nice to be a part of, in a small way, the great weekend for the Spartan nation," wrestling head coach Tom Minkel said at a press conference. "We were getting updates on football while we were over (in Muskegon). It was a remarkable feeling across the state."
MSU took on all corners in nine sports over the weekend and only lost once (volleyball against then-No. 5 Minnesota) and tied once (hockey against then-No. 8 Cornell).
The weekend broke down like this:
MSU hockey tied Friday night, but should have won, had it not been for Cornell goaltender David McKee, who showed "cat-like reflexes. Just like in the movie, "Tommy Boy." McKee was knocked down on Saturday as the Spartans and sophomore goaltender Dominic Vicari earned his first shutout of the year. In the end, MSU "left a mark" on Cornell's record and on the Spartans' weekend.
The men's soccer team, the No. 5 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, beat a top five Indiana team and went on to defeat Northwestern 1-0 in Ann Arbor, to win head coach Joe Baum's first Big Ten tourney title.
Also in Ann Arbor, the field hockey team beat that one school (Michigan) 3-2, getting revenge and painting A-Squared green and white, at least for Sunday.
I can hear the two teams singing the fight song and the residents of said town saying, "What the hell is all that noise?"
Wrestling had three champions at the Muskegon C.C. Open, volleyball beat Iowa, men's basketball spanked Northern Michigan in an exhibition game at home, both men's and women's cross country qualified for the NCAA Championships on Saturday after finishing third and seventh, respectively, and - of course - football won over then-No. 4 Wisconsin.
So, at the Monday press conference, numerous coaches decided to come speak about the weekend. The usuals were there, such as volleyball head coach Chuck Erbe and football head coach John L. Smith; but this time, field hockey coach Michele Madison came, Minkel came, hockey head coach Rick Comley came and men's basketball head coach Tom Izzo came.
Why?
To show their support for Spartan nation and to their fellow coaches, to show what it means to be part of the Spartans family. This falls not just on the coaches, but the athletes, the students and faculty that all can, and are, part of the Spartan nation and support it like they did this weekend.
After the field hockey team won, the team watched on the next field over, as the men's soccer team claimed a Big Ten title. The men then traveled back to East Lansing and were greeted by a large crowd at Breslin Center, during the men's basketball team.
The fans at every sport this weekend must have come out strong, as did the football fans. The reaction to the goal-line stands, the reaction to sophomore quarterback Drew Stanton entering the game and to every play.
Every player, coach and fan did their part to make this a weekend to remember.
To the victors went the spoils.
Vicari was named CCHA Defensive Player of the Week in hockey, wrestler Nick Simmons wrestler of the week in the Big Ten, senior offensive tackle Sean Poole was named Offensive Player of the Week in the Big Ten, senior forward Veerle Goudswaard Division 1 Player of Week in the country by womensfieldhockey.com and of course, all the Big Ten all-tournament team members from the men's soccer team.
"The weekend (MSU) had was unbelievable," Izzo said.
Believe it.
Also, believe this: If you support your team, your school, whatever, no matter if the team blows a 17-point lead to its rival in the final six minutes or whether the team beats the No. 4 team in the country - you can make a difference.
If you show you care, like all the MSU coaches showed on Monday, like the football fans showed on Saturday, like the field hockey and men's hoops teams showed on Sunday, it does make a difference.
It's like voting, if you don't think you make a difference, you won't. The coaches, athletes, alumni, fans all can make a difference in all the sports, they just needed a weekend like this to show what the "Spartan nation" can do.
J. Ryan Mulcrone is State News football reporter. He can be reached at mulcron3@msu.edu.
