After suffering a loss to the Oakland Grizzlies (7-5-1 overall, 5-0-1 Horizon) and a tie to the No. 20-ranked Northwestern Wildcats (7-2-5 overall, 2-1-3 Big Ten) , as the No. 15-ranked men’s soccer team (9-3-3 overall, 3-1-2 Big Ten), MSU will try to get back on track against a tough No. 3-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish team (9-4-2 overall, 5-1-1 ACC) on Wednesday.
The Fighting Irish have been responsible for eliminating the Spartans from the NCAA Tournament in the last two seasons. Notre Dame defeated MSU 2-1 in the Elite Eight in 2013, with the Fighting Irish going on to win the National Championship. In 2012, the Irish defeated MSU 3-0 in the second round.
“Notre Dame is obviously really good,” head coach Damon Rensing said. “I think it will be a good college soccer game, I think you’ll see ebbs and flows like you will with two good teams.”
If the Spartans hope to beat Notre Dame on Wednesday they will have to stop junior midfielder Patrick Hodan , who Rensing brought up when asked about Notre Dame. Hodan currently leads the Fighting Irish in total points with 16 on seven goals and two assists.
“Notre Dame is good at possession ... and that (Patrick) Hodan kid is really starting to get going.”
MSU junior defender Zach Carroll who played for the Virginia Cavaliers last season before transferring to MSU, can say something many can’t. Last season, Carroll’s Virginia team handed the 2013 national champions their only loss of the season. In all Carroll saw his Virginia team play the Fighting Irish twice last season, winning the first matchup 2-0 and tying the second time around 3-3.
MSU will hope Carroll’s experience against the Fighting Irish last season will factor in to Wednesday night’s result.
"(Virginia) was the only team to beat Notre Dame last year,” Carroll said. ”(Notre Dame is) still a very good team and we need to get prepared for them.”
The Spartans will be playing Wednesday in the home of the Fighting Irish at Alumni Stadium , which has a capacity of 3007. The environment in South Bend will likely be loud and MSU sophomore midfielder Andrew Herr says the team will be looking to earn a win in this big away game.
“We’re going to go into South Bend and try to pull out a victory,” Herr said.
