Wednesday, December 24, 2025

Take a peek behind the curtain and test drive the NEW StateNews.com today!

Sports | Football 1000

ICE HOCKEY

Defensemen burying pucks with new offense

Within MSU’s new offensive scheme, the Spartan forwards are darting all over the ice and generating plenty of goals for head coach Ron Mason.But fourth-ranked MSU’s offensive glory doesn’t start and end with centers and wings.

SOCCER

Mens team awaits news on NCAA, women reflect on season success

Any hopes the MSU women’s soccer team had of continuing its season were lost Monday when the NCAA announced the 64 teams that will make up the tournament bracket.But the men’s soccer team still has four days to wait and hope that its season had that little extra spark that would push it into the 48-team bracket.The men haven’t been in the tournament since 1969, though in 1967 and 1968 the team was NCAA co-champions.The goalkeeper for the co-champion teams, MSU’S current head coach Joe Baum, said he believes this team could hold its own against the teams he played on.“I think if you look at our team today, we don’t have any All-Americans, but we’re more solid throughout the lineup,” he said.

SPORTS

Formanczyk wins singles consolation title

Though MSU wasn’t one of the two teams battling for the championship, much of the attention was on Spartan freshman Andrew Formanczyk who took home the Big Ten singles consolation title. Formanczyk won three matches Sunday, and cruised to a 6-2, 6-1 win over Ohio State’s Vince Ng in the semifinals, and a 6-1, 6-3 win over Northwestern’s Jamie Sahara in the finals.

BASKETBALL

Three basketball recruits warming up pens to sign letters today

At 11 a.m. today Rochester forward Paul Davis, Detroit Crockett guard Maurice Ager and Arlington (Indianapolis) forward Delco Rowley will sign letters of intent to play for MSU men’s head basketball coach Tom Izzo in 2002.Recruiting analyst Dave Telep of bluechiphoops.com said Izzo’s new gang of recruits rests in line with some of college basketball’s more storied programs.

SPORTS

Defense stellar in tournament

After letting in the game-winning goal from Michigan in overtime of the second round of the NCAA Tournament, MSU field hockey team’s defense may have expected criticism.But the team would have only needed to point to the tournament statistics and scores to respond to the skeptics.Up to that season-ending goal, the defense had held some elite scorers to disappointing numbers in the tournament.In the first round, the Spartan defense held Kent State to two shots in the game, shutting down their forward Arlette van Cleeff, who scored 21 goals in the regular season.Sophomore midfielder Alexandra Kyser defended van Cleeff for most of the game, and MSU head coach Michele Madison said shutting down the nation’s No.

ICE HOCKEY

Spartans cruise to 6-1 win in first nonconference play

Weekends generally aren’t very relaxing for the fourth-ranked Spartans, who usually face a challenging two-game weekend series.But MSU (6-2-1 overall, 5-2-1 CCHA) eased to a 6-1 win over UMass-Amherst on Friday at Munn Ice Arena and kept things light for the rest of the weekend.The Spartans held a moderate practice Saturday after defeating their first nonconference foe of the season and then observed their traditional off-day Sunday.“I like it,” senior left wing Joe Goodenow said.

FOOTBALL

Quarterbacks option play dizzies team

Indiana head football coach Cam Cameron was exhausted just watching his team rush for 489 yards - a season worst for MSU’s defense.“You know what, I’d rather sit down,” Cameron said at his postgame press conference, “I’m worn out, I’m worn out.”Cameron’s weariness came watching quarterback Antwaan Randle El as he tirelessly scrambled up and down the field for 149 yards and one touchdown rushing and set up two other major ground performances.Running back Levron Williams flew 251 yards for three touchdowns and fullback Jeremi Johnson tallied 96 yards and a score of his own.

FOOTBALL

No 6 fullback idolizes Duckett, commits to U for 2002

Hazelwood East High (St. Louis) fullback David Richard planned on continuing his football career at Tennessee.But the 6-foot-2, 225-pounder axed those plans Friday when he decided to commit to MSU football head coach Bobby Williams and make East Lansing his new football home next season.“The reason for the change was because I didn’t know a lot about (Tennessee),” Richard said.

VOLLEYBALL

Wildcats fold, but No. 6 Badgers sweep

The Spartan volleyball team entered the weekend riding a four-game winning streak, and a 3-1 win Friday at Jenison Field House against Northwestern only added fuel to the flames. But the Spartans (16-7, 9-7 Big Ten) ran into a road-block Saturday as they fell 3-0 to the No.