Junior forward Doug DeMartin and Penn State defender Geordie MacNeill rush toward the ball Nov. 8 at Old College Field. The Spartans will face Oakland this weekend at Old College Field for the NCAA Tournament.
As the 2007 NCAA Men’s Soccer Championship Selection Show announced it was down to the final 12 teams for the NCAA Tournament, the chatter among the MSU men’s soccer team began to subside, and nervous glances toward one another filled the room.
Then, as “Michigan State vs. Oakland” flashed over the TV screen, the silence burst into cheers as the Spartans qualified for their second NCAA Tournament appearance in the last four years.
Head coach Joe Baum, who is heading to the tournament for the third time in his 31-year tenure, said he was glad to see his team get one of the 26 at-large bids in the 48-team tournament.
“It’s just wonderful,” Baum said. “That was our goal from day one, and our goal was to get into the NCAA Tournament. We thought we had the players and to see it come through is really nice.”
The Spartans face a familiar foe in their first game as they will host Oakland, whom they beat 2-1 on Oct. 17.
“As long as I’ve been coach here, we’ve never hosted a tournament game, so that’s an advantage to being home,” Baum said of the first-round match-up. “Oakland is a good team, we have a lot of respect for them, but it’s a great first-round draw.”
Though Baum is hoping to keep his team concentrated on Oakland and give the Grizzlies the utmost respect, it’s hard to overlook the Spartans’ potential second round opponent — the No. 10-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish.
Like Oakland, the Spartans have already defeated Notre Dame, as they knocked off the then-No. 3 Fighting Irish, 1-0, on Oct. 10.
“I think we match up with them really well, and I think that if we play them it will be a really good game, and I think we can get them again,” said Spencer Thompson, a freshman midfielder who scored the game-winning goal against Notre Dame in their first meeting.
While Baum noticed Notre Dame was in MSU’s bracket, he said he’s not giving any thought to the Fighting Irish at this point in time.
“Well, you know me, I don’t even think about Notre Dame, it’s all Oakland, Oakland, Oakland,” he said. “I’m going to tell these players if you win the first game, you have the chance to go somewhere, (but if) you lose the first game, it’s over.”
While the match between the Spartans and Grizzlies will take place at Old College Field, the time and date have yet to be determined, although in all likeliness the contest will be played either Friday or Saturday.
If the Spartans defeat the Grizzlies and advance to the second round, they would play at 7:30 p.m. Nov. 28 at Notre Dame.
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