The No. 24 Spartans (9-5-1 overall) fired 20 shots on Valparaiso goalkeeper Kyle Zobeck and MSU head coach Joe Baum thought the Crusader keeper was the key to the game.

“The kid was brilliant,” Baum said. “He stopped two or three sure goals.”

But Baum isn’t worried about his team’s inability to finish, and he was pleased with the Spartans persistent effort to keep attacking.

“I told them if the effort wasn’t there I would have been upset or if we didn’t keep pushing to win I would be upset,” Baum said. “But I thought we gave a really great effort.”

Senior forward Doug DeMartin ripped six shots on Zobeck but couldn’t seem to get one by the freshman.

“We had a ton of chances, but we just didn’t execute,” DeMartin said. “You have to give them some credit. Their goalie played well and made some good saves, but it comes down to me and I didn’t finish. It really grinds me but that’s how the game is.”

Valparaiso (5-8-3) had its best scoring opportunity eight minutes into the game. Crusaders forward Zack Stivers won the ball inside the MSU 18-yard box after a long throw-in and took a low shot at the net. Steinlage ran out to cut the angle and barely stopped the ball with his leg.

With 28 minutes left in the first half, DeMartin made a run down the right side of the field and opted to take a shot from a tough angle. The MSU crowd erupted when it appeared that the ball snuck into the net, but DeMartin’s shot hit the side netting.

Shortly thereafter, DeMartin had another scoring chance when he received a low cross and fired a hard shot at the net. The ball appeared to be bound for the goal, but senior forward Louis Stephens III got in the way and the ball hit him in the head.

Seven minutes into the second half, MSU senior defender David Hertel sent a high cross into the box from the left side of the field. DeMartin struck the ball off the volley, but it hit the crossbar.

The Spartans almost capitalized with a minute left in the game when Hertel was taken down five yards outside the 18-yard box on the left. Senior midfielder Ben Pirmann crossed the ball to the back post and three Spartans went up but were unable to win it cleanly.

Freshman forward Domenic Barone gave the Spartans their best chance in the first overtime. He dribbled into the 18-yard box and fired a shot to the far post. It beat the goalie, but just trickled wide.

A minute into the second overtime, senior midfielder Zac Scaffidi received a pass with his back to the net. He made a quick turn to his right to shake his defender, but he fired the ball right into the goalkeeper’s hands.

“All year that would have been a goal,” Baum said of Scaffidi’s chance. “But I think if that keeper has a good day instead of a great day, we win the game.”

Steinlage hopes his team is able to bounce back from the tough tie and regroup when they play at Bowling Green on Wednesday and then compete for the Big Ten regular season title at home on Sunday.

“It leaves a little bitter taste in your mouth,” Steinlage said. “But now we have to really refocus on beating Bowling Green and Northwestern.”