SPORTS
Sports briefs (cont'd)
Tennis team drops match to Cardinals Unranked Ball State upset the No. 66 MSU men's tennis team, beating it 4-3 and ending its eight-match winning streak Saturday.
ICE HOCKEY
Stalemate: Rivals defend home arenas
Corey Potter's first goal since Oct. 24 had all the makings of an insurance tally. The freshman defenseman's slap shot from the right point gave MSU a 4-1 lead over archrival Michigan with 11:33 to play Saturday night at Munn Ice Arena.
ICE HOCKEY
Liles, Slater prove worth in Saturday victory
Traditionally, the Michigan hockey team is comprised of fast, skilled players, while the Spartans have a bunch of big, tough grinders. For the most part, that's true.
ICE HOCKEY
Weekend games key to conference positioning
There's plenty of hatred surrounding this weekend's MSU-Michigan hockey games, but it seems most of the loathing will be confined to the fans in the stands. The teams are still archrivals - just ask any student or alumnus from the schools.
SPORTS
Sports briefs
Golf tournament ends after second round The MSU women's golf team tied with Georgia for 10th place in the 18-team Northrop Grumman Regional Challenge. The Spartans didn't have the opportunity to improve on their two-round score of 635 (312-323), as the final day of competition was canceled due to heavy rainfall. Junior Allison Fouch was MSU's top performer, tied for 22nd place after tallying a two-round score of 154 (74-80). Pepperdine finished atop the leader board, followed by No.
SPORTS
Bromfield, teammates aim for sweep of U-M
For someone who never in her career has had the pleasure of defeating Michigan before Jan. 30, nothing would be sweeter for senior forward Syreeta Bromfield than a season-sweep of the Wolverines during her last year as a Spartan. Bromfield and the rest of the MSU squad (13-8 overall, 6-4 Big Ten) will get that chance when the two teams match up at 2:15 p.m.
ICE HOCKEY
Yost spirit out-shines Munn fans
Ann Arbor - Imagine you are Northern Michigan goalie Craig Kowalski. You have done everything but stand on your head to keep your Wildcats within a goal of perennial CCHA powerhouse Michigan. But late in the third period, a rogue Michigan blast slips by you for a 3-1 Wolverine lead - and the game is now out of reach. Hanging your head in despair, you stare at the ice and realize where you are: the University of Michigan's Yost Ice Arena. For an opposing goalie, just call it hell frozen over. And the fans gleefully start their ritualistic torment.
BASKETBALL
Spartans stuck on bubble
Staggering into the Big Ten season with back-to-back losses has forced the Spartans to dance on the NCAA Tournament bubble much of the season. And in just over a month - on March 16, to be exact - the field of 65 will be released.
ICE HOCKEY
Chilled Contention
If Nenad Gajic scores against Michigan tonight, his parents, Lazo and Helen Gajic, are going to stick out like sore thumbs at Yost Ice Arena. After all, Nenad is an MSU hockey player, and the Spartans and their parents are considered enemies in Ann Arbor.
SPORTS
Team tries to avoid sweep
The conference's top defensive squads clash today at Breslin Center. No. 22 Ohio State (17-5 overall, 8-3 Big Ten) leads the Big Ten in scoring defense, allowing 56.2 points per game, while MSU (13-8, 6-4) finishes a second, surrendering 59.
BASKETBALL
Lorbek shines in setback
In MSU's 64-53 loss to Wisconsin on Tuesday, the Badger defense had an answer for every Spartan offensive option - except freshman forward Erazem Lorbek.
ICE HOCKEY
Spartans approach rivalry-laced matchups
There is no shortage of intriguing matches as the Spartan hockey team readies for its last eight regular-season games of the year. Fourth-place MSU plays archrival Michigan four times in the next three weeks, starting with this weekend's home-and-home series. Sandwiched between those rivalry tussles is a series against Northern Michigan at Munn Ice Arena on Feb.
ICE HOCKEY
Estrada shoots first, asks questions later
In the fall, Kevin Estrada could hardly bring himself to discuss his role with the MSU hockey team. The highly skilled sophomore's confidence had been free-falling since the beginning of his unconvincing rookie campaign and it finally bottomed out. New head coach Rick Comley's more open offensive style was supposed to be the boost Estrada needed to be a goal-scoring force in the CCHA this year, but the first two months of the season netted him no goals, one assist and four healthy scratches. Estrada, a left wing, was already miffed about not being able to score in college.
SOFTBALL
Softball team ready to hit it big this season
With the 2003 season on the horizon, the MSU softball team is hoping for a complete turnaround from its 2002 campaign.Last season the Spartans went 24-35 while winning just four of 19 Big Ten contests.
SPORTS
Somerville, Krzyminski run qualifying times for NCAA Championships
Track and FieldThe MSU men's and women's track teams went to South Bend, Ind., over the weekend to compete against Notre Dame and six other teams in the Meyo Invitational.Friday, redshirt freshman Julien Williams took second place in the long jump, while junior Steve Manz placed by taking sixth in the weight throw.
BASKETBALL
Spartans focused on hard-nosed Badgers
If it doesn't concern tonight's game at Wisconsin, the MSU men's basketball team is lending only a deaf ear and a blind eye.The Spartans (13-8 overall, 5-4 Big Ten) have won three straight games, putting them two games out of the conference lead and in a fifth-place tie with Minnesota.But MSU head coach Tom Izzo said forecasting later games is useless in light of the Spartans' lackluster Big Ten start."If we get this one, I guess we'd be somewhat back in the race," Izzo said.
BASKETBALL
Hill, teammates are not worried about rankings
The MSU men's basketball team had only one game since last week's polls came out, but the Spartans didn't get any respect after a 67-62 overtime victory against Indiana on Saturday. Voters in The Associated Press Top 25 poll obviously weren't impressed with the Spartans' (13-8 overall, 5-4 Big Ten) road win, nor their three-game winning streak as MSU actually lost 20 votes in the poll. The Spartans received only 11 votes, just one week after picking up 31.
SPORTS
Simmons records 5 pins in meet
Three members of the MSU wrestling team had impressive showings over the weekend at the Edinboro Open.Freshman Andy Simmons garnered the most success, recording five pins to take first place in the 141-pound division.
SPORTS
Soccer is my favorite sport, baseball can't compare to it
If 50 million Elvis fans can't be wrong, then 63 million soccer fans just might be onto something. That's right, nearly 63 million people watched the final of the World Cup this past summer.
BASKETBALL
Anderson leads from sideline
Bloomington, Ind. - As usual, Alan Anderson wanted to be the Spartans' leader and help his team to victory. Saturday night, the sophomore forward did just that.