Head coach Jeff Hosler said he hopes the cold Michigan weather will challenge MSU’s opponents, adding that he often reminds his team that playing in the cold means they’re having a pretty good year.

Senior defender Maggie Illig said the team is embracing the late-November conditions.

"A lot of teams don't get this opportunity," Illig said. "We're one of 32 teams that still get to practice. I'm just grateful for that, and the weather's not that bad, right? This is tough now, but it's gonna be a few degrees warmer on Thursday, so I think we're gonna feel much better about it – it's going to feel a little warm."

Alongside the potential weather advantage over their warmer-climate opponents, Hosler noted the importance of being able to focus on training and preparation rather than logistics such as accommodations, meals and travel. With almost a full week between the first and second rounds, MSU had time to practice its way and concentrate on preparing for its opponent while staying in its well-established patterns.

Sleeping in their own beds, going to class, eating at home and all the smaller pieces of their routines add up for the players, creating a positive outlook heading into round two and three.

"It's super helpful," junior forward Kennedy Bell said. "I think it also helps not having the stress travel on your body. I think just all those little factors that may not seem too big are definitely helpful." 

Another factor that always helps the Spartans is their faithful fan base. From the Red Cedar Rowdies and the students who show up for their school to the East Lansing community and player families, the crowd’s energy helps drive the team forward.

"We always get a pretty decent crowd," Illig said. "The Rowdies bring a great environment and with so many of our players being from Michigan or a close area, all their families and friends are coming, so it just creates a fun environment."

The Spartans will need that support as they face Wake Forest. The Demon Deacons are a No. 7 seed, posting an 11-4-4 record throughout their season and 4-3-3 in the ACC, finishing 9th. Known for their possession and attacking-minded play, Wake Forest will provide a different test than what the Spartans are used to in the Big Ten. This is the Spartans’ first time playing Wake Forest in the Hosler era and their second time ever.

In their first and only meeting in 2017, the Demon Deacons took the glory with a 4-1 win. MSU relishes this opportunity to level the record and take another step forward as a program.

"It's always fun," Illig said. "You're playing could be your last game…We're excited for an opportunity to win and get better and show what we can do."

That’s been the message of the whole season: Being one day better and rolling with the punches. Hosler emphasized how much things have changed since the beginning of the season due to injuries and positional changes, noting that five players who were considered starters in preseason are now out with season-ending injuries. In the postseason, things are changing even more.

"There really is no consistency in the postseason," Hosler said. "Every time we seem to really get into our rhythm, somebody else goes down with a knock or a season ending injury, so a new player has to step up or we have to move a player from a different position into that position and somebody else steps into the lineup… All of those moments also create the resiliency and adversity that you need to be able to work through."

High on confidence, the Spartans have several factors working in their favor as they take on Wake Forest on Thursday. If they advance, they will face the winner of No. 12 Colorado vs. No. 22 Xavier, who play earlier that day at DeMartin Stadium. MSU has already faced both teams, tying Colorado 1-1 in its first preseason match and losing 5-2 to Xavier a few weeks later. The third round is scheduled for Sunday, Nov. 23 at DeMartin Stadium.

"When we are all on and playing our game – I think we're really freaking good," Bell said. "I think the right pieces are coming together at the right time."

The Spartans have the best possible chance to advance to the quarterfinals for the first time in program history.