“I am looking forward to being able to focus on one opponent through the week,” Hosler said. “We have five top 19 wins this year ... and each time they come back looking for more. I think this week is important for us to be able to regroup that way, to refocus ourselves, recenter ourselves. This is obviously a different chapter of the season now. You win three games and you win another championship and the only way you do that is staying in the process we have day-to-day.”

Hosler believes that his squad needs to tighten things up offensively and not rely on senior forward Lauren DeBeau, who is the team's leading scorer, as much before MSU's first game of the tournament. 

“I think we gotta be a little more dynamic in the attack again,” Hosler said. “For as great as DeBeau has been playing, ... I think we have been relying on her playmaking ability a little too much. Cam Evans, obviously her paired striker is a real weapon and a threat up top, we need to get her in front of goal a little more. ... It is not as surprising that we have not been scoring as much with the opponents we have had of late, but we gotta generate some more chances, get in front of goal more ... and just be a little bit more dynamic in the attack.”

This upcoming game will be the Spartans' first look at Minnesota (8-7-3) all season, but Hosler said they have been watching film on the Gophers to prepare for the bout. 

“Minnesota is the one team in the league that consistently plays the same formation as us,” Hosler said. “In that 4-4-2, they love to high press, get numbers forward the same way we do. They are lethal on crosses and set pieces, they love to score highlight goals. ... Very physical, athletic, tough, a lot of the same type of grit I think that our team resembles. This is gonna be an interesting matchup for sure, I am looking forward to playing someone different in the first round, which is great, but they pose a lot of different challenges. They come in in really good form, they’re unbeaten in their last five and have really played their way into the tournament so there is a lot of momentum from them as well.”

While the team chases a tournament championship, these games also matter for NCAA Tournament seeding purposes.

“There is still a lot to play for,” Hosler said. “It is interesting with our team, it is a new position and new situation for all of us. I think if our players keep the same focus on just prepping themselves and let the coaches deal with what happens next, I think that will be important for us. The Big Ten Tournament is massive because with that much variance of what your seed line could be, not just with the ability to host, but also who your potential matchups are is a big deal.”

Kickoff against the Gophers is set for 4 p.m. on Sunday. If the Spartans are to win, they will head to Columbus for a semi-final game against either the No. 4 seed Nebraska or the No. 5 seed Ohio State.