If the Spartans have revenge on their minds, they certainly aren’t showing it.

“Last year was last year — this is the 2009 season and we’re not worried about who we play,” head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof said. “We just have to play our own game, and if we do so, we’ll take care of our own business.”

The Hawkeyes clipped the Spartans 4-3 in overtime last year, dropping MSU to 3-2 in the Big Ten. MSU finished 4-2 in the Big Ten in a tie for second place.

The two teams then squared in the Big Ten Tournament and, in another hard-fought match that required overtime, MSU fell 3-2.

The Spartans’ third crack at the Hawkeyes came in the second round of the NCAA Tournament after MSU defeated the previous season’s national champion, North Carolina. In another heartbreaker, the Spartans fell 1-0 at home and watched the Hawkeyes earn a trip to the Final Four.

This season, the Hawkeyes have faced a difficult schedule and weigh in at 4-7.

“We don’t look back at last year because it was last year,” junior forward Jantine Steinmetz said. “We’re excited to start a new game and have new opponents.”

The Spartans return almost all their players from last year’s team and have seen strong contributions from several freshmen, especially forward Manouk Vernij, who is second on the team in points with 24.

MSU also has received help with the return of senior midfielder Jeamie Deacon from injury last weekend. Deacon scored three goals in last Friday’s 6-2 win at Indiana.

In addition to Iowa, though, the Spartans have felt the effects of another antagonist heading into its marquis showdown this weekend.

“It’s nice to have more players come back, but at the same time with the changing weather some people are maybe facing some flu symptoms,” van de Kerkhof said. “We just have to make sure that everybody stays healthy.”