The second half of the game – after the Hoosiers managed to finally get on the board in the 47th minute with a ball slipped under MSU redshirt senior goalkeeper Hunter Morse by IU freshman midfielder Patrick McDonald – was where the Spartans struggled the most.

"I thought our guys put on a really good performance," Rensing said. "Really unfortunate result. We were dominant in pretty much every statistical category. ... I thought our usual guys showed up (well)."

MSU made 16 shots in total, six on IU's goal, with five corners, one offsides call and seven fouls.

"This Indiana team has faced and overcome a lot of early adversity this season," Indiana Daily Student sports editor and men's soccer writer Tristan Jackson said. "The Hoosier bench is really deep and is full of talented players, which has helped weather the storm caused by early injuries. Indiana’s defense has not been up to par this season compared to the last — it’s given up nine goals through seven games compared to six goals in 16 games last season — even though the team returned all of its backline starters."

MSU redshirt freshman defender Chase Inscho made it the closest to the net in the 90-minutes of play. After McDonald had found the back of the net, he put it into overdrive, making a shot that went just barely off target, sending the crowd into an aggravated uproar.

The Spartans (4-4-1) will host their third in-conference team Penn State next on Friday, Oct. 1. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. at DeMartin Stadium.

"I think (we need to work on) some final third stuff," Rensing said. "Our ball movement was very good, they were gassed at the end of the game. But, just some final third stuff. Goals tend to come in bunches. I think we'll get a chance and we'll finish it off and be alright."