“I was not at all happy with our performance against Indiana, and we had a tough and straightforward practice on Monday,” head coach Tom Saxton said. “Now we have to turn it around and go ‘Look, it’s time to put that in the past and pick our heads back up and get after these challenges ahead.’”

For Saxton, the key to putting an end to the Nittany Lions’ nine-game winning streak is going back to the basics that the Spartans talked about earlier in the season.

“Tactically, the key with them is to keep a nice, tight shape, stuff we talked a lot about at the beginning of the season because they have some very good weapons in attack,” he said. “You’ve got to cut off ball supply to them and cut off routes to them. Then you’ve got to be very good in transition because they’ve got great team speed, but I think that’s our (strength) as well, we can catch them in transition.”

Saxton said it’s going to take a team effort for the Spartans to beat one of the best teams in the nation, and some have the experience of doing it before.

“We’re not going to be able to get away with one or two players having an off day, it’s going to have to be a complete effort,” he said. “There’s players on this team that have beat (Penn State), so they know they’re not untouchable. We’ve got to have the right mindset and we’ve also got to take responsibility to play a complete game.”

Senior midfielder Jordan Mueller is one of those players that beat Penn State 3-2 in 2009, her freshman year, and said it gives the team extra confidence going into this weekend.

“Knowing we beat them and they won the league, anyone can beat anyone,” Mueller said. “We know they’re a strong side, but I also have so much faith in my teammates and what we can do.”

Even in the tough losses, she said the Spartans have shown flashes of brilliance, and knows they can come away with a win.

“I think we just need to come out confident and know that we can play with any single team in this conference,” Mueller said. “We’ve gotten unlucky here and there and we’re pushing for a win and we know we need it, so hopefully we get Penn State back on their heels and take it to them.”

MSU then takes on Ohio State on Sunday, and Saxton said he has the advantage of watching the Buckeyes play live on Thursday night when they take on Michigan in Columbus, Ohio.

“When I can see a team this close to when we’re playing them and feel the pulse and watch the little nuances,” he said. “We’ll be well prepared for that game, unfortunately they’ll have a day of rest on us.”