There isn’t a trophy, or a name for it. It isn’t rooted in history, nor has it been named one of college football’s premier matchups. However, over the past few years a new rivalry has taken shape between the MSU football team (4-4 overall, 1-3 Big Ten) and Wisconsin (6-2, 3-1).
Sports are bittersweet, no doubt about that. There are triumphant victories and devastating losses, but one of the hardest feelings athletes ever will feel is saying goodbye to their team.
When the Spartans’ defense harassed opponents to an 11-win season, a bowl victory and an appearance in the inaugural Big Ten championship game last season, two areas made the group especially potent: sacks and forcing turnovers.
Lately, Tom Anastos has been taking a line-shuffling note from Scotty Bowman’s book. Anastos, the MSU men’s hockey (1-2-1) head coach, has been mixing and matching linemates this season to see which players can click together. With 12 new players this year, it’s going to take a couple of tries until the MSU coaching staff can get it right.
As the season winds down on many fall sport seasons, the MSU men’s cross country team and women’s cross country team both prepare for the Big Ten championships, beginning at 10:45 a.m. this Sunday at Forest Akers East Golf Course in East Lansing.
After missing most of the Indiana game and all of the Iowa game, junior tight end Dion Sims returned to the field last week against Michigan, but wasn’t able to fulfill his normal role.
At his weekly press conference Tuesday afternoon, MSU football head coach Mark Dantonio made it clear any criticisms directed at offensive coordinator Dan Roushar might as well be directed at him as well.
Those three hardworking people set up every and every day 30 minutes before the MSU volleyball teams’ practice to work on making the Spartans one of the top competitive teams in the Big Ten. One of those people is associate head coach Russ Carney, and the players he is working with are the two setters, freshman Halle Peterson and junior Kristen Kelsay.
It was far from perfect, but it was progress. That’s the view MSU hockey (1-2-1) head coach Tom Anastos had of his team’s series against Niagara last weekend, in which it came out with a win and a tie.
After losing to No. 20 Michigan (5-2 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) 12-10 on Saturday, the MSU football team (4-4, 1-3) has gone from a team fighting for a Big Ten championship to one hoping for an invitation to a bowl game. The Spartans will need wins in two of their final four games to reach postseason play.
Slow and steady might win some races, but the Spartans will have to up the tempo if they wish to get upcoming games under their belt as wins.
After weeks of leading the MSU volleyball team with her potent offensive skills, junior outside hitter Lauren Wicinski finally gets recognition by being named the Big Ten Player of the Week.
The MSU men’s soccer team (7-7-1) swept the Big Ten weekly honors, nabbing the Offensive and Defensive Player of the Week awards.
The MSU men’s hockey team (1-2-1) walked into the locker room after the second period Friday night with a glaring 2-0 score in the opponent’s favor on the scoreboard. Niagara had the lead against the Spartans, its second coming off an accidental own goal by an MSU defenseman. Coming off two consecutive losses to Minnesota the weekend prior, the Spartans didn’t want to relive that defeat, so they did something about it.
For redshirt freshman tight end Paul Lang, his first touchdown in a green and white uniform couldn’t have been scripted any better.
The MSU volleyball team displayed its top performance of the season against Michigan last week, but on Saturday, the players’ efforts weren’t enough, as they fell to Ohio State in four sets (26-24, 22-25, 23-25, 22-25).
This weekend served as a rollercoaster of emotions for the field hockey team, as it went 1-1 in two close games against Northwestern and Central Michigan.
For the past four years, the home team has won in the MSU-Wisconsin men’s soccer matchup. Sunday afternoon, MSU (7-7-1 overall, 2-2-0 Big Ten) extended that streak to five years, beating Wisconsin (5-7-3, 1-3-0) at DeMartin Stadium at Old College Field, 2-0.
The MSU women’s soccer team’s (8-8-2, 2-7-1 Big Ten) winless streak now stands at six, as it lost to No. 4 Penn State 5-1 in University Park, Pa., Friday night and Ohio State 3-1 in Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday.4
Another late game rally by the MSU men’s hockey team (1-2-1) picked it up a tie against Niagara, 3-3.