In the seniors’ final game at DeMartin Stadium at Old College Field, it was a battle against the Hawkeyes (7-9-3, 0-7-2) to keep the Spartans’ (9-5-4, 3-3-3) postseason hopes alive and place them in a do-or-die situation against No. 18 Ohio State next weekend.

After 110 minutes, the game ended tied at 1-1. It was a disappointing result for the seniors who hoped to leave DeMartin Stadium with a bang. However, players believed they played well.

“We played the best 30 minutes we’ve played all year in the first half and we came together as a team from Friday’s loss,” senior forward Cara Freeman said. “We did pretty well today, we came together.”

The first score came in the 59th minute by junior midfielder Megan Pines, who after dishing out four assists this season, finally scored one herself.

Her shot snuck by the Hawkeyes’ goalkeeper and was nearly deflected by junior forward Laura Heyboer.

Heyboer remains stuck with 39 career goals, but with a full season left, it’s likely she will stand alone in first place as the all-time scoring leader in MSU history.

The Spartans also were without junior goalkeeper Jill Flietstra, who was sidelined with a broken finger.

With 11 shutouts, Iowa might have been her last chance to tie the school’s single-season shutout record. However, she put individual accolades aside and felt redshirt junior Elizabeth Watza would give her team the best chance to win.

“They thought (Flietstra) would be able to push through it, but unfortunately it wasn’t able to happen and I found out (Saturday) I was going to start today,” Watza said. “I was very excited. There’s no better feeling. I love the game and I was just excited to get out there and play.”

Watza was just about flawless in the net until the 78th minute, when Hawkeyes’ Jade Grimm kicked one off senior defender Samantha Cook that found the back of the Spartans’ net.

“Basically it was a scrum in the box,” Watza said. “They had a breakaway that was saved and then it was crossed back into the middle, (a girl got) knocked over and they just got a rebound and kicked it in.”

With under a minute to go in regulation, Pines nearly hit the game-winner. She found herself alone on the left side of the Hawkeyes’ goalbox and ricocheted it off the crossbar.

Heyboer also got two perfect passes from sophomore Olivia Stander, but couldn’t slide it into the net. Overall, MSU had 22 shots to Iowa’s 10.

The seniors finish their final season giving up only two goals at home and a career record of 23-2-5 in three seasons at DeMartin Stadium.

“It was a very emotional pregame and in the locker room. Four seniors and all in their own way left a legacy here with the great record they have at DeMartin (Stadium) and helping to take our program to the next level with consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances,” MSU head coach Tom Saxton said. “More than anything else, they’re great kids and great student-athletes.”

Whereas Saxton believes a win in this game was crucial to a postseason birth, he doesn’t believe they are officially out of the race.

“A win at Ohio State, being that I think they’re seventh or eighth RPI this week, that would be such a significant win that it would at least put us in the conversation for the postseason,” Saxton said. “That’s the first thing I told the team because I think some of them were very disappointed.”

Freeman agreed with her coach and said she will be ready to go come Friday.

“I know we needed to win that game,” she said. “We’re going to have to bring it to Ohio State. They’re ranked pretty high so we definitely need a win or we’re done.”