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Sports | Basketball Men's 1000

ICE HOCKEY

Captain is MSU's top motivator

Zack Colman
March 30, 2007

Four years ago, senior captain Chris Lawrence had everything planned out. After his successful stint in juniors with the Pittsburgh Forge of the North American Hockey League, he was going to star at small Division I Mercyhurst College on scholarship in his home state of Pennsylvania, which made his parents happy that he'd be close to home. But then MSU changed everything when the university told Lawrence it wanted him to play hockey as a member of the Spartans. "I never even took a visit when I came here," Lawrence said.

SOFTBALL

WEB EXTRA: Softball team dismantled by Bowling Green, 11-1

Matt Bishop
March 29, 2007

MSU softball head coach Jacquie Joseph was hoping for a little more in her team's home opener Wednesday afternoon at Old College Field. Instead, what she got was a lackluster performance in an 11-1 six-inning loss to Bowling Green. The Spartans (18-14) struggled mightily with the top of Bowling Green's lineup, as the top five hitters went 13-for-17 with 10 RBIs and 11 runs scored. Joseph said she "could only hope" that it was just an off game. The Falcons (15-4) got off to a hot start, scoring three runs in the top of the first inning, while adding two more in the top of the second inning. But the big blow came in the top of the fourth, when Bowling Green's Allison Vallas drilled a three-run home run over the right field fence to give the Falcons a commanding 8-0 lead. MSU would get its lone run in the bottom of the inning off a RBI double from senior shortstop Meghan Darhower. Bowling Green tacked on three more runs for good measure in the top of the sixth inning, including a towering home run from Jeanine Baca.

SPORTS

Newcomers frame Spartans' lineup

Tom Keller
March 28, 2007

Make sure you buy a program the next time you go to an MSU baseball game. There are a lot of new faces to keep track of. With only three starting position players returning from last season, second-year head coach David Grewe is relying on a mix of freshmen and junior college transfers to help fill the roster.

ICE HOCKEY

Vukovic questionable to play in Frozen Four

Zack Colman
March 28, 2007

Although the Spartans won Saturday against Notre Dame in the NCAA Midwest Regional, they lost one of their top defenders. Junior defenseman Daniel Vukovic injured his knee early in the second period when he got tangled up behind the MSU net.

BASEBALL

Spartans baseball wins home opener

Tom Keller
March 26, 2007

The MSU baseball team won its home opener against Concordia on Saturday, but was denied the chance for a sweep when Sunday's game was called because of bad weather. Junior center fielder Dennis Jones went 2-for-4 in Saturday's win, including a two-run single in the seventh that put MSU up for good.

SPORTS

Women's tennis splits weekend play

Michelle Ortlieb
March 26, 2007

The women's tennis team fell to Purdue on Saturday by a score of 7-0 in its second straight road loss. Seniors Sarah Andrews and Jessica Baron won each of three doubles, 8-3, earning their first Spartans victory. MSU rebounded and won, 5-2, Sunday in its first Big Ten victory of the season at Illinois to close out the weekend play. "I'm very excited about the win," MSU head coach Erica Perkins said in a written statement.

SPORTS

Men's tennis improves record to 9-10

Michelle Ortlieb
March 26, 2007

The MSU men's tennis team posted wins on Saturday over Bradley and Valparaiso in a doubleheader, improving the team's record to 9-10. In game two of the afternoon, the Spartans clinched a 5-2 victory after winning five of six singles matches.

SPORTS

Monday musings

Tom Keller
March 26, 2007

The Detroit Lions are reportedly getting a lot of interest for their No. 2 spot in the upcoming NFL Draft. But many teams are balking at the Lions' asking price for the pick — a new general manager. Steve Alford left Iowa last week to take the head coaching position at New Mexico State. Alford is reportedly going to keep taking jobs in time zones farther west until he goes far enough back in time that his haircut is in style again. Detroit Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander has struggled mightily in spring training and says he isn't sure what's wrong at the start of his second pro season. But rumors are already circulating that like teammate Joel Zumaya's Guitar Hero-induced wrist injury, Verlander might be feeling the effects of his obsession with Dance Dance Revolution. Florida head coach Billy Donovan enlisted former professional wrestler Ric Flair to give his team a pep talk before its Sweet 16 game against Butler last week. The strategy backfired in the game's opening minutes, however, when Joakim Noah, picked up a technical foul for hitting Butler's A.J.

FOOTBALL

MSU wants to press secondary more

Tom Keller
March 26, 2007

Opposing wide receivers might want to keep some breath mints handy. MSU's defensive backs plan on getting very up-close and personal next season. The secondary, one of the most maligned units on the MSU football team during the last few seasons, is revamping its philosophy and relying more heavily on press coverage, in which defensive backs make contact with receivers at the line of scrimmage in order to disrupt their routes. "It messes up timing more than anything," secondary coach Harlon Barnett said Friday after spring practice.

ICE HOCKEY

MSU, Lerg shine in wins

Zack Colman
March 26, 2007

Grand Rapids — Sophomore goaltender Jeff Lerg was supposed to let Hobey Baker goaltending candidates Notre Dame's David Brown and Boston's John Curry control the NCAA Tournament Midwest Regional at Van Andel Arena. Instead, it was Lerg who looked like he was vying for college hockey's top honor, as he stopped 46-of-48 shots in two games.

SPORTS

East Lansing succeeds as host

Matt Bishop
March 23, 2007

With the dust settled and the smoke cleared, the NCAA Tournament's trip to East Lansing is considered a success on all fronts. MSU hosted the first and second rounds of the women's tournament at Breslin Center this past Saturday through Tuesday and led all eight cities hosting opening-round games in attendance. Reported attendance • East Lansing — 21,340 • Pittsburgh — 21,181 • Hartford — 20,714 • Raleigh — 12,372 • Minneapolis — 12,218 • Austin — 11,697 • Stanford — 4,111 (No reported first-round attendance) • Los Angeles — 3,386 • Along with the attendance numbers, approximately 200 members of the media held credentials, according to MSU Sports Information.

BASKETBALL

Forget conference awards, here's the superlatives you really need to know

Ethan Conley
March 23, 2007

Now that the MSU basketball team's season has come to a close, it's time to hand out some awards. Most likely to say something that can't be printed in The State News without heavy editing — sophomore guard Travis Walton Walton is pretty tame when he's speaking at the podium during post-game press conferences, but if you're in earshot when the Spartans huddle up before taking the court, prepare for some fantastic sound bites.