When the Spartans faced the Flames on Oct. 15, they earned a 3-1 victory and have gone 6-0-1 since then.

Senior defender David Hertel said the Spartans will have a slight advantage going into the game because of prior success, but he doesn’t want to see his team underestimate Illinois-Chicago.

“We know we are in for a good match again,” Hertel said. “We have somewhat of an idea what to expect. Obviously, any game you play in the NCAA Tournament, if you lose, you are done. So we are going to go out there and battle as hard as we can.”

The Spartans (13-5-1 overall) come into the game after receiving a bye in the first round of the tournament. Illinois-Chicago went to a 0-0 draw with Dayton and advanced on penalty kicks.

MSU head coach Joe Baum went to Chicago watch to the first round game between the Spartans potential opponents and he likes his team’s chances in this afternoon’s rematch.

“When we played them during the season and then watched them last night, they played exactly the same,” Baum said. “They didn’t do anything any different, but they seemed to get stronger as the game went on.”

Baum credits Illinois-Chicago for being a very technical team that surrounds play around junior midfielder Baggio Husidic, who has recorded eight goals and 22 points this season.

“Their whole team revolves around Baggio (Husidic) and he’s very, very good player,” Baum said. “Controlling him is going to be a great challenge.”

Sophomore defender Nosa Iyoha will be in charge of neutralizing Husidic before he can form the attack for the Flames, Baum said.

In the previous meeting, senior midfielder Zac Scaffidi said his team wore down the Flames with their physical, in your face type of defending. Scaffidi wants to see the same level of intensity when his team takes the field today.

“We have to keep pushing and get physical because they are really technical and they are a very good finesse team,” Scaffidi said. “If we bring our style of play in, I think they are going to have trouble with that again.”

But sophomore goalkeeper Avery Steinlage said the key to game will prove to be the same concept that produced MSU’s current nine game unbeaten streak and Big Ten regular season and tournament titles — solid team defense.

“Defense is a big part of our game and we pride ourselves in being a big physical team,” Steinlage said. “Obviously we are going to want to try and continue that. We don’t want to change anything up at this point.”