The Spartans (9-9 overall, 4-2 Big Ten) finished their up-and-down regular season last Saturday with a close 4-3 win over Iowa. With the win, MSU finishes .500 for the second straight year and has its first winning Big Ten record since the 2010-11 season.

The Spartans started the season 3-5 due to inconsistency and an injury to junior forward Abby Barker. But the team learned from the rough start, clamped down and started Big Ten season on a tear, winning three straight before falling to Penn State and Northwestern.

“For me as a coach, I look at from previous years, how we’re progressing forward, and this year was definitely a step up for us,” said head coach Helen Knull. “In our non-conference segment, there were some early on games where it would be nice if we had gotten in the winning column on. But you know, you have to look at the process and as a team I think we’re peaking at the right time.”

After the rough start, the team feels good about closing the season strong. It’s a testament to both the mental makeup of the team, and the willingness to, as Knull says, “trust the process.”

“All that matters, truly, is how you end, how you finish well,” said senior goalkeeper Molly Cassidy. “We’re seeing better results now in the end of season and that’s always your main goal. It’s a better feeling going in the Big Ten tournament knowing you’ve come so far.”

Knull praised the team for its strong mindset despite the slow start to the season.

“I credit the team, the girls a lot, because for them it’s that belief, that self-belief that what we’re doing is worthy even if you’re not getting the wins,” Knull said. “The outcome is what everyone looks at, but the process is where it all starts”

A year after the team depended on Barker for much of its offense, this year saw contributions across the board. Junior forward Allie Ahern stepped up early in the season, and Barker resumed her pace from last year midway through the season.

Junior back Jenni Smith and senior midfielder Katherine Jamieson also had notable offensive performances. It was largely a more balanced attack this time around.

“Earlier in the season, everyone is kind (of) finding their role, finding their position,” Knull said. “Having Abby out for a couple games, Allie really stepped up and was finishing for us.”

“It’s a confidence thing. The chemistry starts to connect for us to, and that really came for us.”

A nagging problem throughout the year, holding onto early leads, came back to visit the Spartans one last time against Iowa. MSU had a 3-1 lead before Iowa scored two goals in the final 10 minutes to keep the game interesting.

“Kind (of) the story of our season,” Knull said. “We held on and it was good to see. Iowa’s a solid team.”

There’s work to be done as Big Ten season approaches. As a No. 3 seed, MSU is slated to face Indiana on Thursday at 2:30.