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Sports | Football 1000

WOMEN'S BASKETBALL

Lady Spartans tip off against Ferris State tonight

Derek Blalock
October 29, 2013

It’s the start of a new season, and the No. 18 women’s basketball team will kick off the preseason Wednesday as the Spartans look to improve on last year’s 25-9 record. MSU will face Ferris State at 6 p.m. on Wednesday at Breslin Center for the first preseason game. The Spartans finished last season with their third-best record in school history and an appearance in the NCAA Tournament, before being knocked out in the second round by Maryland, 74-49.

VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball looks to get back to basics

Omari Sankofa II
October 29, 2013

The second half of the volleyball season is approaching, and the No. 14 Spartans will hope to begin the second half how they began the first one — with wins over Penn State and Ohio State. The first half upsets over then-No. 1 Penn State and then-No. 13 Ohio State were the first of a strong Big Ten start for volleyball. However, MSU (17-5 overall, 6-4 Big Ten) finished the first half with a four-game losing streak after winning the first 10.

FOOTBALL

Dantonio, players share personal past with rivalry

Dillon Davis
October 29, 2013

For nearly two decades, head coach Mark Dantonio has been surrounded by the Michigan rivalry — and he rarely backs down from the opportunity to talk about it. Whether it’s during his time at Ohio State, his coordinator days under head coach Nick Saban at MSU or his more than seven years as the head coach of the Spartans, Dantonio acknowledges the rivalry with the Wolverines is a part of who he, and by extension, his family have become.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

MSU sink Lakers in exhibition, 101-52

Stephen Brooks
October 29, 2013

They ran in transition. They showed off improved jumpers and mechanics. They eventually settled into the suffocating defense MSU has become known for under head coach Tom Izzo in their first public performance of the highly-anticipated 2013-14 season.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Spartan basketball back in action tonight

Derek Blalock
October 28, 2013

It’s only a preseason game, but the No. 2-ranked men’s basketball team will kick off its highly anticipated season at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Breslin Center against Grand Valley State. The Spartans only have three games, including preseason, before they travel to Chicago on Nov. 12 to partake in the Champions Classic against the nation’s No. 1 team, Kentucky.

MEN'S BASKETBALL

Ellis, Schilling ready for big stage in college basketball

Matt Sheehan
October 28, 2013

When Alvin Ellis III was sitting down on Breslin Center’s floor during last week’s media day, with more than 14,000 empty seats above him, his mind went back to Midnight Madness. Before his name was the first one called to introduce the team, Ellis nervously waited walking down the stairs with Future’s “Chosen One” ?blaring from the speakers. But once he emerged, Ellis got a ?feeling for what he will be in for when thousands of seats are filled with a sea of green and white on gameday.

SPORTS

Field hockey fighting for NCAA lives this week

Omari Sankofa II
October 28, 2013

With a second-straight Big Ten loss to No. 13 Northwestern on Saturday, the window for earning a share of the Big Ten regular season championship closed for the field hockey team (8-9 overall, 3-2 Big Ten). The somewhat unlikely 3-0 start to conference play won’t amount to Big Ten honors. But with one Big Ten game left, the regular season is approaching its end.

FOOTBALL

Win bolsters Big Ten chances

Dillon Davis
October 27, 2013

CHAMPAIGN, ILL. — Standing at the podium in a dank, hole-in-the-wall press room, complete with dingy ceiling tiles, florescent lights and a drooping Big Ten Network backdrop and buried in the depths of Illinois’ Memorial Stadium, head coach Mark Dantonio knew what his team had done.

MEN'S SOCCER

Own goal bites men's soccer in Wisconsin loss

Zach Smith
October 27, 2013

An own goal in the first half sunk the No. 17 MSU men’s soccer team as they fell to Wisconsin 1-0 in Madison, Wisc., Sunday afternoon. The Spartans (8-3-3 overall, 1-2-1 Big Ten) officially were eliminated from contention for the Big Ten regular season title after Penn State beat Northwestern in double overtime earlier that day.

VOLLEYBALL

Column: Volleyball seeing season turnaround

Omari Sankofa II
October 27, 2013

In the past couple weeks, a storybook season for the volleyball team steadily declined into anything but. After being ranked No. 5, winning six-straight matches at the start of Big Ten play and posting the best start to the season since 1996, the Spartans (17-5 overall, 6-4 Big Ten) lost the fire that enabled them to topple some of the top teams in the nation.

WOMEN'S SOCCER

No Big Ten Tourney again for women's soccer

Derek Blalock
October 27, 2013

For the second-consecutive season, the MSU women’s soccer team will not make a trip to the Big Ten Tournament. After a 2-1 victory at Northwestern on Friday to stay in the hunt for a tournament berth, the Spartans (9-7-2 overall, 3-7-0 Big Ten) couldn’t find a way to win against Illinois (9-7-2, 4-5-1), losing 2-0 Sunday afternoon.

ICE HOCKEY

One win, one loss in weekend for Spartan icers

Zach Smith
October 27, 2013

One win against a top-15 opponent, and two players scoring their first collegiate goal. Overall, it was a good weekend for the MSU hockey team (1-3 overall). MSU lost to preseason No. 1, and currently No. 18-ranked UMass-Lowell Friday night before scoring three goals in the third period to upset No. 13 Boston University on Saturday.

ICE HOCKEY

MSU hockey rallies to beat Boston, 3-1

Zach Smith
October 26, 2013

Three goals in the third period lifted the MSU hockey team to a 3-1 upset of No. 14 Boston University Saturday night. Goals from junior forward Bent Darnell and freshman forward Joe Cox were the difference as the Spartans (1-3 overall) won their first game of the season.

VOLLEYBALL

Volleyball: Indiana downs struggling Spartans

Omari Sankofa II
October 26, 2013

After a hot start to the season, the volleyball team is reeling. With a loss to Indiana (9-12 overall, 1-9 Big Ten) in five sets (17-25, 25-18, 20-25, 25-21, 12-15) on Saturday night, the volleyball team (17-5, 6-4) has now lost four straight Big Ten matches after a 6-0 start to conference play.

SPORTS

Column: Cook had cinematic bounce-back after rough Purdue outing

Stephen Brooks
October 26, 2013

CHAMPAIGN, ILL. – Connor Cook’s performance in Saturday’s 42-3 win at Illinois was something straight out of a movie. Not in the traditional hero-versus-villain sense, although it wouldn’t surprise me if he was hiding a cape beneath that white MSU jersey with the record-setting day he had throwing the ball.

SPORTS

Field hockey has Senior Day spoiled by Northwestern

Omari Sankofa II
October 26, 2013

The field hockey team (8-9 overall, 3-2 Big Ten) dropped its second straight game Saturday night, losing to No. 13 Northwestern, 2-1. Despite the loss, it was a day of celebration for the seniors. It was Senior Day, and goalkeeper Molly Cassidy, midfielder Kristen Henn, midfielder Katherine Jamieson, midfielder Adelle Lever and midfielder Mallory McDonagh played their last game at Ralph Young Field.

SPORTS

Orange crushed

Dillon Davis
October 26, 2013

CHAMPAIGN, ILL. — Connor Cook was at a crossroad. Coming off an underwhelming passing performance in a 14-0 victory against hapless Purdue, the sophomore quarterback spent the week answering questions of whether he had regressed, or perhaps if the offense ever actually progressed in the first place. A tedious and tiring project, Cook stood in defense of a team once briefly met with praise on the offensive side of the ball, knowing one play could turn the tide.

WOMEN'S SOCCER

Women's soccer takes down Northwestern in tough conditions

Derek Blalock
October 25, 2013

Despite difficult playing conditions and winds up to 20 miles per hour, the MSU women’s soccer team beat Northwestern, 2-1, in Evanston, Ill., on Friday night. MSU (9-6-2 overall, 3-6-0 Big Ten) quickly fell behind the Wildcats (3-12-2, 1-8-0) when, in the 15th minute, Northwestern midfielder Margo McGinty shot from 18 yards out and got it past Gauruder in the top left corner of the net. Head coach Tom Saxton said the Wildcats got the best of them physically in the early going and got better position than the Spartans.