SPORTS
Womens soccer beats down No. 20 Purdue
The Spartans improved their record to 10-4 overall and 5-3 in the Big Ten this weekend after downing No.
ICE HOCKEY
Spartan duo reminisces about playing hockey in Nebraska
CCHA arenas don’t get much farther away from MSU than Nebraska-Omaha’s Civic Auditorium.But they don’t get much closer to home for Spartan hockey players Tim Hearon and Chad Hontvet.Hearon, a junior center, and Hontvet, a freshman right wing, both played their junior hockey in the Cornhusker State.
BASKETBALL
Spartans open up in style
A jam-packed Breslin Center helped both the men’s and women’s basketball teams usher in the start of the 2002-03 season Friday night.Master of ceremonies Terry “Boom Boom” Braverman got the Midnight Mania crowd riled up, followed by the Spartan Marching Band leading the crowd in the school fight song.San Francisco 49ers head coach Steve Mariucci sent a message to his buddy - men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo - via video screen.“Tonight is the first step to another championship run, Izzo,” he said.
FOOTBALL
Leaders lull
Iowa City, Iowa - Saturday’s 44-16 beating at the hands of Iowa provided more than just embarrassment for the Spartans (3-3 overall, 1-1 Big Ten), it also opened the door for a possible quarterback controversy. The door was unlocked roughly three minutes into the third quarter when MSU head coach Bobby Williams sent sophomore quarterback Damon Dowdell into the game. On the Spartans’ previous possession, junior quarterback Jeff Smoker fumbled after a 3-yard scramble.
ICE HOCKEY
Goaltenders play gives team encouragement
Omaha, Neb. - Amid the cheering for the victorious Denver Pioneers, one could almost hear the sigh of relief from MSU fans at the Omaha Civic Auditorium this weekend. Very rarely do Spartan fans take any solace from a one win, one loss weekend.
BASEBALL
Green team outlasts Gray team in game one of 3-game series
Weather in the mid-40s and continuous wind gusts didn’t keep the MSU baseball team off the diamond Sunday afternoon.The Spartans were divided into two teams, creating the Green/Gray World Series.
ICE HOCKEY
Team rebounds from first loss
Omaha, Neb. - In the wee hours of Saturday morning, head coach Rick Comley watched the replay of MSU’s humbling 5-0 loss to Denver with a tally sheet in his hand.He was counting the number of turnovers his seventh-ranked hockey team made against the Pioneers in the first round of the season-opening Maverick Stampede on Friday.Comley’s final calculation: 110 MSU giveaways, including 50 by the defensemen, in 60 minutes of hockey.
FOOTBALL
Hype heading into season not being backed up
Say it ain’t so, say it ain’t so. Just six games into a much anticipated season, many are wondering how good is the MSU football team - or how bad? The facts say the Spartans (3-3 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) are average.
SPORTS
Spartans stay on pace with 2 home victories
No. 5 MSU field hockey team had a tough matchup Sunday but came out on top, downing No. 11 Louisville 4-2.With the victory, the Spartans improve to 13-2 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten this season.“They really put their passing game together today,” head coach Michele Madison said referring to her team.
VOLLEYBALL
Spartans fall to 9th-ranked Penn State in three games
The No. 18 MSU volleyball team went into State College, Pa. to face the powerhouse Nittany Lions, knowing it would be a tough match.The Spartans found out the hard way in their second straight loss.
SPORTS
Women take No. 5 rank into weekend matchups
The No. 5 MSU field hockey has compiled an 11-2 overall, 2-1 Big Ten record so far and is looking to finish its final seven games of the regular season the same way it always has - with convincing wins. This season the Spartans have dominated the competition, outscoring opponents 52-9.
SPORTS
Gridiron grades: A midseason report
With college football at its midway point and the bye week behind the Spartans, MSU is ready to tackle the second half of its season. But MSU (3-2 overall, 1-0 Big Ten) was expected to be sitting with the big boys by this point in the season, at least according to most preseason predictions. The Spartans were ranked 18th in both preseason polls and selected by the media to finish third in the Big Ten.
SPORTS
Death Ro stays a head of McSkinny with good picks
For the second-straight week, Death Ro one-upped McSkinny. The Pac-10 matchup between Washington State and Southern Cal produced the only loss for Death Ro (19-9). McSkinny (16-12) benefited from Wazzu and Ohio State victories, while he watched his other picks - Wisconsin and Clemson - fall to Penn State and Florida State, respectively. Much to Death Ro’s delight, there aren’t any Pac-10 matchups on the Pigskin Prognosticators’ slate, but they do have four top-25 matchups to debate. MSU vs.
ICE HOCKEY
Spartans gear up for Pioneers
MSU head coach Rick Comley said he doesn’t know if his seventh-ranked Spartans will be as good as No.
SPORTS
Conference play is where the action is, just watch it all unfold
Oh yeah, the college football year is rumblin’, bumblin’ and stumblin’ like a 320-pound defensive tackle who just scooped up the brown, oblong pill and ran it 60 yards to paydirt. It’s the second weekend in October and most teams already have a taste of conference play.
SPORTS
WEB ONLY: Womens golf places 6th in tourney
The women’s golf team placed sixth in the New Mexico State Give’Em Five Intercollegiate on Wednesday at the University of New Mexico Golf Course in Las Cruces, N.M. The Spartans shot a team score of 294 in the three-round tournament, rounding out at 915 (315-306-294) and trailing fifth place finisher Texas El Paso by two strokes.
SPORTS
Heisman watch
The front-runners across the country didn’t do too much to bolster their standing last weekend, making the forecast for the Heisman Trophy even cloudier than before.
SPORTS
Penn State eyes Michigan in marquee matchup
No. 15 Penn State at No. 13 Michigan What’s better preparation, a relaxing bye week or a hard-fought victory on the road? That’s the question as Michigan and Penn State collide Saturday in Ann Arbor.
VOLLEYBALL
Team has no time to sulk, Penn State next
Luckily for the Spartans, they don’t have time to dwell on their humiliating loss to the Wolverines on Wednesday evening. The No.
BASKETBALL
Countdown to Midnight Mania just hours away
The men’s and women’s basketball teams will be unveiled to the general public during Midnight Mania tonight at Breslin Center.