Senior midfielder Kevin Reiman goes for the ball during the game against Bowling Green Oct. 3 at Old College Field. The Spartans defeated the Falcons 1-0. MSU will face Notre Dame today.
The MSU men’s soccer team will face one of its toughest challenges of the season today when it hosts No. 3 Notre Dame at Old College Field.
“They’re very, very good defensively, probably the best defensive team in the nation,” MSU head coach Joe Baum said.
“We’re going to be pretty aggressive offensively. If you’re timid against this team you’re not going to get any chances (to score), it’s that simple.”
Baum’s squad will hope to break Notre Dame’s nine-game unbeaten streak, although they no longer have an unbeaten streak of their own to boast of. The Spartans (7-1-2 overall) lost their first game of the season Saturday, falling 2-0 at No. 13 Indiana.
Even in the losing effort, Baum said the team played outstanding defensively, and the loss hasn’t affected the team’s morale for this week.
“There are losses when you play poorly and get kind of upset with yourself, and there are losses where you play pretty darn well and you just weren’t fortunate on that night,” Baum said.
Zac Scaffidi, a junior midfielder for the Spartans, agreed with his coach.
“I think we’re going to bounce back well,” he said. “We knew Indiana was going to be a tough game for us. If we take a loss like that, we just learn from it.”
Because of Notre Dame’s strength defensively, Baum said the plan against the Fighting Irish (8-1-2) is to attack.
“Against Notre Dame, if you think you can take your time and build slowly, it’s not going to happen, they’re just so good defensively,” Baum said. “When you win a ball you’ve got to go to the goal with urgency.”
Scaffidi said the shutout against Indiana — the Spartans’ first this season — signaled that the team has to focus on their offense.
“We always pride ourselves on defense,” Scaffidi said.
“But I think we need to focus on scoring some goals, getting up early and then sitting back.”
Scaffidi said the team has no trouble getting pumped up for Notre Dame each year because its one of their biggest nonconference rivals.
The Spartans will hope to avenge last year’s 3-0 defeat to the Fighting Irish in South Bend.
“Last year we had some injury problems, and that was a big loss for us,” he said.
“But I really think we’re ready, especially because they’re ranked so high, and it really helps our RPI if we beat them.”
MSU’s schedule won’t get any easier after today. The Spartans will face their third straight ranked opponent — No. 21 Michigan — at home this Sunday. But Baum isn’t looking past anyone.
“We only take ‘em one at a time,” Baum said.
Support student media! Please consider donating to The State News and help fund the future of journalism.
