After back-to-back 1-0 home losses against Indiana and Purdue over the weekend, the MSU women's soccer team dropped to 0-3 in Big Ten play. The Spartans already have more conference losses than they had all of last season.
In MSU's three conference losses so far, the team has only scored a total of two goals and has had a limited number of other scoring chances.
"I feel like we're close right now, and the main thing right now is to keep our heads up and get back to work," MSU head coach Tom Saxton said. "Our effort isn't the issue. It's just maturity and some composure on the ball."
After dropping a defensive battle to Indiana on Friday, the Spartans (4-6-1 overall, 0-3 Big Ten) played well against No. 19 Purdue on Sunday until they surrendered the game-winning goal in the 73rd minute.
"We played a stretch of very good Big Ten teams, and it's kind of been the same story," Saxton said. "We've made a mistake in our end and we've been punished for it. When we go into their end, we need to be a little bit better with the ball.
"Coach (Rob) Klatte from Purdue is one of the people I respect the most. He said, 'You've got a good team,' and I believe that."
The Spartans lost their Big Ten season opener in overtime against Penn State last week.
"Any time after you go 0-3 in the Big Ten, you expect a negative attitude," junior defender Erin Doan said. "Coach Saxton made a good point that we still have seven games left in the Big Ten."
But the Spartans don't expect their Big Ten season to get any easier.
"Getting easier wouldn't be the case in the Big Ten — every game is almost the same," Saxton said. "It just comes down to mistakes and capitalizing on them."
But even with an 0-3 conference record and a below .500 overall mark, the Spartans aren't ready to panic just yet.
"There's plenty of games left and then there's the tournament too, so there's no reason to put our heads down," senior defender Jenee Witherspoon said.
"We've got a lot to play for still."
The Spartans will look to snap their three-game skid when they travel to Northwestern on Friday and Wisconsin on Sunday.
