The Spartans were riding a streak of 821 consecutive minutes without allowing a goal, a streak stretching back nine games last season.

But because the game was an exhibition, the allowed goal didn’t break MSU’s lengthy streak and the Spartans can extend it when they open the regular season on Friday against Duquesne at DeMartin Stadium at Old College Field.

The Spartans went 1-0-1 in the team’s two exhibition games, tying Evansville 0-0 and defeating IPFW 2-1.

MSU head coach Damon Rensing said the exhibition games were very important for the team this year, especially after losing six starters from last year’s team that won the Big Ten regular season and tournament championships.

“This team is a new team and they have to form their own identity from last year,” Rensing said. “The more runs we can get at that, the better. I think we got some kinks out and hopefully we will be more ready for Duquesne on Friday.”

The Spartans are also adjusting to their new flat-back four defensive system, opposed to the man-marking system they played last season.

The team’s lone senior, defender Tim Granaderos, said the new defensive scheme is starting to fall into place.

“We’ve been working on the flat-back four since right after last season,” Granaderos said. “As soon as we start to understand where we need to be at all times, it will be easier for guys to cover for each other. That will come together as we play more and more.”

Set Pieces

While the team’s young forwards adjust to the pace and physicality of the college game, the Spartans are hoping to lighten their load by capitalizing on set pieces.

“Restarts are going to be huge this year,” Rensing said. “We’ve been working on mixing it up with a couple different plays and we are trying to disguise some other plays.”

During preseason two-a-days, Rensing even called a handful of practice sessions strictly for the team to work on restarts, both offensively and defensively.

The extra emphasis paid off this weekend in MSU’s exhibition game against IPFW where the Spartans scored both goals off set pieces.

“This year Damon really stressed set pieces to us,” sophomore forward Domenic Barone said. “We have a lot of big bodies and guys who are really good in the air.”

Granaderos is one of the main targets for the Spartans on restarts and Rensing describes him as a “freak in the air.”

“If you execute the set pieces correctly and work out all the issues of who needs to be where, they are a great opportunity to score goals,” Granaderos said.

No Nosa

Junior midfielder Nosa Iyoha will miss Friday’s home opener with a knee injury that caused him to be sidelined for the majority of the preseason.

Rensing isn’t sure when Iyoha will return, and said trainers are evaluating his knee on a week-to-week basis.

Last season, Iyoha started all 20 games for the Spartans and was the team’s ball winner at the stopper position.

“We expect Nosa back this season, but we don’t know,” Rensing said. “Hopefully it’s just a week or two-week thing. But I’d rather miss him early on than at the end of the season. It really means a couple other guys are going to have to pick up the slack.”