SPORTS
Monday Musings
The New York Islanders signed goaltender Rick DiPietro to a 15-year, $67.5 million contract last week, hypothetically locking the 24-year-old up through 2021.
SPORTS
Surging Spartans
Ashley Schatzle had a season-high 19 kills Saturday night, helping the MSU volleyball team to a 3-0 sweep of the Toledo Rockets at Jenison Field House. The win brought the Spartans' record to 9-1, which is the best start for the program since 1995, when MSU won the Big Ten Championship. "I'm looking forward to winning the Big Ten," Schatzle said.
SPORTS
Athlete turns coach
Erica Perkins has played a role as either an athlete or a coach in six of the last nine NCAA tennis championships. Perhaps that's why MSU Athletics Director Ron Mason named her the university's women's tennis coach last June, replacing interim head coach Brett Page. Perkins, a 2001 graduate of Washington State, began her coaching career as a head coach at Georgia Southern and went on to an assistant coaching position at William and Mary before her stop in East Lansing. "I knew I was coming to a place with great facilities, (where) players were willing to work, willing to fight, and I knew that would kind of fit my coaching style," Perkins said Sunday after making her MSU coaching debut at the Spartan Invitational. But becoming a head coach may have been a blessing in disguise for Perkins, who was injured halfway through college and was temporarily unable to compete on the courts. "I realized how much I kind of missed it and how much of a great influence my college coach was on me, so I realized maybe it was something I wanted to do," she said. So far, it's a decision she hasn't regretted. During Sunday's matches, Perkins floated between courts, keeping an eye on how her team was faring and shouting words of encouragement to the players. "I'm very hands-on," she said.
SPORTS
Spartans dominant in season-opening weekend tournament
The MSU women's tennis team had a strong start to the season at the Spartan Invitational this past weekend. On Saturday, the Spartans won two out of three doubles matches against Eastern Michigan.
SPORTS
Stanton proves he can lead in different ways
After one quarter Saturday, MSU found itself in a 10-point hole on the road against a quality opponent.
SPORTS
Smith's adjustments key MSU's turnaround
Coaching adjustments haven't exactly been a staple of the John L. Smith era. Teams have been able to find an MSU weakness and exploit it for the length of the game as the Spartans look on in disbelief.
SPORTS
Front & Center
Ana Milosavljevic MSU sophmore women's tennis player Hometown: Johannesburg, South Africa On what type of music could be found on her MP3 player … "Pretty much everything — all the latest stuff." On what sport she would be playing if not for tennis … "I actually cannot answer that.
SPORTS
WEB EXTRA: Field hockey team shuts out Yale, 4-0
It was like someone finally took the cover off the front of the net. The MSU field hockey team went scoreless Thursday in the first half of its home opener against Yale despite nine first-half penalty corners.
SPORTS
Sara Brown leads U.S. to World Games title
MSU junior women's golfer Sara Brown shot a five-over-par 293 to take fifth place individually and lead the United States to a team championship at last weekend's World University Games in Torino, Italy. Brown, a first-team All-Big Ten selection last season, had the second lowest score for the American squad, which beat second-place Japan by two strokes. Brown was the fifth Spartan ever to compete in the event and the first since Sarah Martin in 2004.
SOCCER
Tillman wins Player of Week for 2 shutouts
Senior goalkeeper Jason Tillman was named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week this week for the third time in his soccer career at MSU. The award came after Tillman shut out both No.
VOLLEYBALL
After 3 seasons at Pacific, Ianni comes home to MSU
Former Okemos volleyball star Allison Ianni found her way home when she returned to the Lansing area earlier this year. Ianni grew up following MSU athletics because she lived minutes from the campus.
SPORTS
Spartans finally get home cooking today
A road-weary MSU field hockey team will make its home debut at 3 p.m. today, when it faces Yale at the MSU Field Hockey Complex. MSU, 6-1 at home last season, is looking to rebound from a brutal season-opening six-game road trip. "It's really nice to be home after three long weekends on the road and little to no time to recover," MSU head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof said. After a 2-4 start to the season, van de Kerkhof said MSU has something to prove to its home fans. "For Michigan State, it's an opportunity for them to show their friends and their fans at home that they are on the right track and that the season is still young," he said.
SPORTS
Spartans blank Titans, 1-0
Although gray skies and rain covered Old College Field on Tuesday afternoon, the MSU women's soccer team came out smiling after a 1-0 victory against Detroit. But it wasn't all smooth sailing.
FOOTBALL
Conley's Top 10: Buckeyes new No. 1
Each week, State News football reporter Ethan Conley offers his own college football Top 10 rankings. No.
FOOTBALL
Defense looked much improved in trenches
So that's what a game looks like when the defensive line makes an impact. In Saturday's game against Eastern Michigan, MSU's defensive line got in the backfield.
FOOTBALL
Caulcrick OK, Ringer uncertain for Pitt
Junior Jehuu Caulcrick and sophomore Javon Ringer — MSU's first- and second-string running backs — are battling injuries. Caulcrick missed Saturday's game with a sprained foot, but head coach John L.
FOOTBALL
That's more like it
During a four-minute span of Saturday's game, MSU played complacently and its defense gave up big plays, allowing Eastern Michigan to score 17 points. But for the other 56 minutes, the offense dominated and the defense stifled the Eagles en route to a 52-20 win at Spartan Stadium. "It was a little bit of a roller-coaster ride," head coach John L.
SPORTS
Hill fills scoring hole for MSU
Late in last Thursday's game, MSU women's soccer forward Lauren Hill watched intently as a teammate dribbled down the left sideline.
FOOTBALL
Stanton recovers from interception on 1st throw to score 5 touchdowns
Lost in the excitement of Matt Trannon's record-setting day on Saturday was an outstanding performance by Drew Stanton. The senior quarterback looked like he was heading for a rough game at the start.
SPORTS
Burning Questions: Are they the same old Lions?
After the Detroit Lions yawned their way to a 9-6 season-opening loss against Seattle on Sunday, State News sports reporters Matt Bishop and Eric Fish tried to make sense of what they saw.