MSU head coach Helen Knull said her squad looked at what needed to be worked on after the Indiana loss and addressed those problems in practice this week.

“We’ve made an adjustment to our press, and we ran it pretty well against Indiana. But there are still some small things with our midfields that need to be changed,” she said.
Knull also mentioned the team’s disparity when it came to penalty corners. So far, the Spartans have been awarded 71 penalty corners to its opponents’ 93.

However, the Spartans have a strong offensive weapon in freshman forward Abby Barker, who has scored five goals in the past three games. Barker, a Columbus, Ohio, native, was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after scoring all three of MSU’s goals during last weekend’s play. She will have to continue her strong play if the Spartans hope to come out on top against the Buckeyes.

“She’s the spark in our attack, and I’m hoping it will start to rub onto other players as well,” Knull said.

Becoming a leader through example is something Barker said she was hoping to inspire in her team through her recent play.

“Every game I try to bring a presence and an energy and hope that my teammates will see what I’m doing and it’ll spark their energy,” she said.

Defensively, the Spartans will have to protect the goal from Ohio State’s dual threat offense consisting of junior forwards Danica Deckard and Berta Queralt. Both girls have recorded nine scores on the season, and Knull pointed out that her defense will have to neutralize those two players if it wants come away with the victory.

MSU will also benefit from only having to play one game this weekend, instead of its usual two or three game stretch. The Spartans have played a brutal schedule this season, at one point playing five games in eight days. Being able to prepare for one team at a time and the extra rest between games could be crucial for the Spartans.

“It’ll be a huge advantage (only playing one game) because we can leave it all on the field,” senior defensive back Angie Lucik said. “No one’s going to hold back, and I know that we want this game really bad.”