There are so many choices in life. What top should I wear? Should I go trick o’ treating tonight? But have no fear! When it comes to sports, the prognosticators make the choices for you!
Just because there are no shoulder pads or helmets doesn’t mean the MSU-Michigan rivalry holds any less weight on a soccer field. Ask the Spartans women’s soccer team — they aren’t shy about letting everyone know the importance of Friday’s 3 p.m. contest.
The No. 25 MSU men’s soccer team traveled to Bowling Green on Wednesday and defeated the Falcons 4-0.
The MSU men’s basketball team will split up into two groups in preparation for Saturday’s Green and White Game — battling for squad supremacy.
Last weekend, volleyball head coach Cathy George told her team it needed to loosen up. The team, riding a four-game losing streak and just coming off an embarrassing 3-0 loss at home to then-No. 19 Illinois, was playing stiff and wasn’t bringing its unique personalities to the court, George said.
When the No. 10 MSU field hockey team faces off against No. 8 Penn State this weekend, it will be the classic battle of a great offense against a great defense. MSU, coming off a 4-3 overtime loss to Iowa last weekend, has the best offense in the Big Ten, owning league highs in scoring average, shots per game, goals scored per game and assists per game.
After a weekend of rumors and accusations regarding an Oct. 19 fight involving MSU athletes that sent one to the hospital, MSU head coach Mark Dantonio delved into the matter during his weekly press conference Tuesday.
You don’t have to do much to upset MSU men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo. That’s nothing new. But as a team, the Spartans won’t have much time to apologize to the coaching staff for being too soft and lackadaisical in their second week of practice — as the 14th-year head coach plans to swamp his squad with two-a-days, one practice immediately followed by another after a short break.
Heading into this weekend’s home-and-home series against Western Michigan, senior goaltender Jeff Lerg is only 10 saves away from setting the all-time MSU saves record. The captain between the pipes is trying to pass Dave Versical’s (1975-78) record of 3,108 career saves.
At his Tuesday morning press conference, MSU head coach Mark Dantonio addressed the off-campus fight early on Oct. 19, which involved MSU athletes.
It wasn’t anything personal, but in all honesty, Porschè Poole didn’t like Courtney Schiffauer in high school. That’s how it went in Ohio’s Federal League Conference when Poole, a 5-foot-8 guard at McKinley High School, constantly battled Boardman High School and Schiffauer, Boardman’s standout 6-foot-1 forward throughout their high school years.
With seven yards to the end zone, three minutes on the clock and the weight of a state’s expectations on his shoulders Saturday against Michigan, the call came in for Brian Hoyer to throw the ball on third-and-a-career. U-M, the down-and-out rival trailing by a touchdown in the defining game of its season, needed one stop to force a field goal.
The horn sounded throughout the latter half of Saturday night’s MSU hockey game at Munn Ice Arena, but it wasn’t the horn to signify a goal being scored — it was the horn to signify a fire. Thankfully Munn didn’t go up in smoke, and despite a few stoppages, the errant false alarm didn’t disrupt the No. 12 Spartans’ performance as they won Saturday’s game 2-0 and took 3-of-4 points during the weekend series against No. 18 Northern Michigan.
One year ago, Blair White was a walk-on at MSU, stuck on special teams while occasionally seeing time at wide receiver. Saturday morning, he was an afterthought — just another wide receiver filling a role as the No. 3 man on the MSU depth chart. But by Saturday evening, Blair White was a household name for MSU football fans across the country, as the junior hauled in four catches for 143 yards and a touchdown — the first of his career — in MSU’s 35-21 victory over Michigan.
The MSU volleyball team suffered another rough weekend, losing to No. 19 Illinois and No. 18 Purdue. The Spartans, on a five-game losing streak, have now fallen to 11-10 on the season and 3-7 in the Big Ten. The team struggled mightily against Illinois on Friday, falling quickly in three sets (25-17, 25-18, 25-17). MSU seemed overmatched, as Illinois used long rallies in the middle of all three matches to open up insurmountable leads.
When the No. 8 MSU field hockey team played No. 10 Iowa on Saturday, both the Spartans and Hawkeyes lived up to their billings, playing a tough match with Iowa eventually coming out on top 4-3 in overtime. Iowa, who before the game had outscored its opponents 25-6 in the first half, stayed consistent — jumping out to a quick 1-0 lead despite MSU possessing the ball for most of the first half.
Another week meant another loss for the Michigan football team, who fell to the Spartans 35-21 Saturday at Michigan Stadium. The loss, U-M’s fourth straight, snapped a winning streak against MSU that dated back to 2001. It also was the first time the Wolverines lost to the Spartans at Michigan Stadium since 1990.
Sophomore goalkeeper Avery Steinlage stopped six shots and recorded his third straight shutout Sunday at DeMartin Stadium at Old College Field. But the Spartans offense couldn’t find the back of the net to earn the victory against Valparaiso, and the game ended in a 0-0 tie.
The MSU women’s soccer team had never lost a home game or gone into overtime at any point during the season. After hosting South Dakota State on Sunday, only half of that statement still holds true.
Ann Arbor — Six straight losses to Michigan — over. Eight consecutive losses at Michigan Stadium since 1990 — over. Snarky putdowns of “little brother” and guarantees of victory against MSU — over.