From the beginning of preseason, senior setter Kristen Kelsay had Oct. 4 marked on the calender. The date marked more than a rematch against Illinois, who beat the Spartans last season in a stunning 2-3 comeback victory.
The field hockey team earned a 1-0 start in Big Ten play with a 3-2 victory over Ohio State last Saturday, but this weekend will present a tougher challenge — two away games.
If resuming Big Ten play against Illinois and Northwestern this weekend isn’t enough to motivate senior setter Kristen Kelsay, a certain player on the Illinois roster certainly will provide some additional motivation.
When Mark Dantonio returned to East Lansing seven years ago as MSU’s 24th head football coach, he looked to Iowa as a model. In the Hawkeyes, he saw a template for how he wanted to shape his program, one built with modest recruits on a foundation of toughness, discipline and player development.
A hot goaltender can make or break a team. Tim Thomas carried the Boston Bruins to a Stanley Cup in 2011, and Jonathan Quick did the same for the Los Angeles Kings the following year.
Only two games in the past six seasons have been decided by more than seven points when Iowa and MSU face off. With both teams matching up comparatively this season, another close one wouldn’t be out of the picture.
With the hours until Saturday’s kickoff between MSU and Iowa dwindling, both Spartan and Hawkeye fans are trying to get a feel for their opponent. Both teams boast a stout defense, and both possess an offense with a few question marks.
Former MSU baseball player Andrew Waszak’s college success is carrying over to professional baseball. Waszak was honored as the Danville Braves Pitcher of the Year after being picked by the Atlanta Braves in the 22nd round of the 2013 MLB First Year Player Draft in June. He was sent immediately to the team’s rookie affiliate, the Danville Braves.
Two of the most provocative voices in sports media belong to Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless.
The rivalry is renewed. The women’s soccer team (7-2-2 overall, 1-2-0 Big Ten) will return to DeMartin Stadium at Old College Field on Thursday against its archrival, No. 21 Michigan (7-2-1, 1-1-1).
Last weekend’s victories over then-No. 1 Penn State and then-No. 13 Ohio State represented just the beginning of what the volleyball team is working for this season — an extended tournament run.
Offensive line coach Mark Staten was more than pleased with how his group fared in the Spartans’ loss to Notre Dame two weeks ago. The Spartans rotated in eight offensive linemen, and the various combinations pushed around a talented Fighting Irish defense for much of the afternoon, resulting in a 119-82 advantage in rushing yards.
When the MSU men’s soccer team traveled to Chicago for a matchup with Illinois-Chicago, they took a detour that was right up their alley. The Spartans stopped by the headquarters of the U.S. Soccer federation located in downtown Chicago to tour Soccer House and kill some time before beating the Flames.
The biggest beneficiary of MSU football’s bye week might have been junior wide receiver Tony Lippett. Lippett used the week off to reevaluate himself and refocus after talking with coaches, and it paid off with his ascension into the starting line at the X receiver spot with sophomore Aaron Burbridge.
The field hockey team was off to a good start in the Big Ten with a 3-2 victory over Ohio State on Saturday. However, head coach Helen Knull’s goal of having the team play “70 minutes of Spartan hockey” wasn’t quite achieved.
“A game of inches.” It’s popular sports cliché, and for good reason — MSU head coach Mark Dantonio is never shy to break out the ruler when determining the margin in a close victory or a narrow defeat. And when it comes to playing Iowa, the margins for Dantonio are about as close as they come.
Warrior. Enforcer. Competitor. Those are words that can be used to describe sophomore defender Mary Kathryn Fiebernitz. In only her second year of game action after redshirting her freshman year, Fiebernitz is bringing her competitive nature to the MSU women’s soccer team.
There’s a story of two different Branden Dawsons. One is of a high-flying acrobat with the body of a running back, able to make plays near the basket reminiscent of NBA Dunk Contest champion Jason Richardson. The other is of a timid guard/forward rising to the basket for a dunk, but instead settling for a soft layup in hopes his legs won’t collapse beneath his natural force on the dismount.
Following a successful weekend that saw upset wins over No. 1 Penn State and No. 13 Ohio State, the volleyball team has moved up six spots in the latest AVCA Coaches Poll and now are ranked No. 9.
She grew up a Spartan, and now is the starting midfielder for the MSU women’s soccer team. Sophomore midfielder Sarah Kovan spent her childhood around MSU athletics. Her father, Jeff Kovan, has been a part of the sports medicine program since 1995, and has been mainly working with men’s basketball since 1996, along with other sports.