Women’s soccer (4-0 overall) will look to keep its perfect record intact this weekend, as it closes out the non-conference schedule with two home games.
With a Friday game against IPFW and a Sunday game against Western Michigan, the Spartans have two more opportunities to address any glaring issues before they enter Big Ten play.
“You know the analogy of climbing the ladder or going up the stairs, you’re trying to get a little bit better every game...there are certainly some areas we can improve on, in particular offensively,” head coach Tom Saxton said of his expectations for the weekend. “It’s just focusing on us and building on what we’re trying to accomplish.”
IPFW (1-2 overall) comes to East Lansing fresh off of a 6-4 win over Northern Kentucky. The offense clicked for the Mastodons in the win, but they are on a collision course with MSU’s redshirt senior goalkeeper Courtney Clem.
Clem was named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week again, holding the weekly honor for the second consecutive week. Clem has been a brick wall for the Spartans, and she has tallied 26 saves this year for a .963 save percentage. Clem, a team captain, has posted three straight shutouts, and has been a major reason the Spartans have enjoyed early season success.
Saxton has said that he has seen improvements from his offense, but he is still hoping to grow and maintain possession for longer stretches of the game, something the Spartans struggled with in their 1-0 win over Oakland on Tuesday.
Redshirt junior forward Rachel Van Poppelen has been solid for MSU thus far, scoring two goals in the first four games. She says that improvements are in the works for MSU. When taking the ball down the wings, the coaching staff is looking for the wide forwards to be more aggressive and cut inside and take the ball toward the goalie. This mode of attack is intended to generate more opportunities for the Spartans.
Senior midfielder Megan Marsack also notes that a main focus in these last two non-conference games will be on developing offensive formations.
“I think we’re trying to improve on our center-mid. We have a triangle in there, and we’ve just been trying to see what works best, two behind or two in front,” Marsack said.
Two players anchoring the back of the triangle has worked nicely for the Spartans and in turn has led to better defense. Western has been a very solid team this year, posting three shutouts en route to a 3-0 start. With MSU’s offensive struggles at times, Saxton believes it will be very important to take advantage of any scoring opportunities presented.
“That game will be a very tight game. The key will be to capitalize on key moments in the game. I don’t think there will be a lot of chances. When those chances come, can we capitalize, particularly on corner kicks or restarts,” Saxton said.
Some Spartans will recognize familiar faces on the Broncos’ roster, and this in-state game will be an opportunity to out-perform former teammates and friends.
The Spartans will play IPFW at 5 p.m. on Friday at DeMartin Stadium and will remain in East Lansing for their 1 p.m. match on Sunday against WMU.
