It wasn’t the way the Spartans wanted to end their season. And it wasn’t the way they wanted to send out Joe Baum, who announced last season would be his final year as head coach after 32 years at the reins of the program.

Everyone on the team who was a part of that loss is hoping to ease the memories of last season, when the 14-seeded Spartans will host Duke or Winthrop at 1 p.m. Sunday at DeMartin Stadium at Old College Field.

“We came up short last year,” junior co-captain and midfielder Jeff Ricondo said. “We have guys that were a part of that last year and it’s our job to get the younger kids up for this game and realize that if you lose at this point, you are done. We have to leave everything out there.”

Duke was an at-large bid from the ACC with a record of 12-6-0, while Winthrop earned an automatic bid into the dance by winning the Big South Tournament.

As of press time, the Spartans (11-7-2 overall, 2-4-0 Big Ten) still were awaiting their opponent, which will be decided Thursday in the 7 p.m. first-round matchup.

“They have to play each other and then they have to travel,” junior midfielder Spencer Thompson said. “It’s going to be a tough turnaround for them. We get to rest and we get our fans and our atmosphere. Everything plays into our hands.”

Being ranked among the top 16 teams in the tournament gave the Spartans a first-round bye, which has been beneficial to heal the team’s bumps and bruises.

MSU head coach Damon Rensing said junior midfielder Nosa Iyoha and sophomore forward Domenic Barone will be “game-time decisions” Sunday. Iyoha missed the last two games, while Barone has been out of the Spartans’ lineup since Oct. 4.

Pesky PK’s

Penalty kicks decided the Spartans’ fate last season.

So it’s no surprise the team has practiced penalty kicks every day this week, especially because MSU wasn’t awarded a penalty kick all season.

While the Spartans are hoping the game doesn’t come down to penalty kicks, they are simulating the intensity of game situations in practice.

“It’s pretty easy to just take it when it’s you and the goalie with no noise,” junior co-captain and defender Colin Givens said. “But we all know so much about each other, so we like to heckle each other when we are all setting the ball and getting ready to take it.”

With junior goalkeeper Avery Steinlage’s size and athleticism between the woodwork, the Spartans are confident he could come up in the clutch, if need be.

“He makes himself look big and the goal look small,” Givens said. “He’s a huge factor and he’s an intimidating presence in the goal. Whoever we play, if it goes to penalty kicks, they are going to be pretty intimidated with Avery in the goal.”