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Sports | Hockey

FOOTBALL

MSU might not win again this season

Confidence. It can make all the difference in the world in football, and MSU is no exception. The team always seems to need only one big play — be it a long pass, a broken tackle, a fumble recovery or a vicious hit — to get the wheels turning. But the team has had such a horrendous stretch of games that every last bit of confidence has disappeared, and you have to wonder if the players can get it back this season.

SPORTS

Spartans fall to Iowa, still winless in conference play

Matt Bishop
October 16, 2006

The struggles of the MSU field hockey team continued Saturday as the Spartans failed to capitalize on numerous opportunities in a 2-1 double-overtime loss to Iowa at the MSU Field Hockey Complex. MSU dropped to 4-10 on the season and has yet to pick up a Big Ten win in four tries. "We need to find what it takes for us to win," sophomore forward Gwen Riley said.

SPORTS

Pawlak's late goal salvages weekend split

Matt Bishop
October 16, 2006

With losses in five of its last seven games, the MSU women's soccer team knew Sunday's game against Iowa was as close to a must-win as you can get at this point of the regular season, especially considering the Spartans' 3-0 loss to Illinois on Friday.

FOOTBALL

MSU squanders opportunities

Steve Highfield
October 16, 2006

If MSU had scripted the beginning of Saturday's game against Ohio State, it probably couldn't have turned out any better than what actually happened. After forcing the Buckeyes to start at the 20-yard line, the Spartans defense caused a turnover, giving the offense the ball deep in Ohio State territory. On MSU's first offensive play, junior running back Jehuu Caulcrick caught a screen pass and rumbled just short of the goal line.

ICE HOCKEY

Comley confident in top lines, but uncertain past that

Eric Fish
October 12, 2006

If there's one thing MSU head coach Rick Comley likes about his No. 4 Spartans this early in the season, it's the strength of his best players. The top two forward lines — juniors Jim McKenzie, Chris Mueller and Bryan Lerg, and the sophomore trio of Tim Kennedy, Tim Crowder and Justin Abdelkader — have already proven themselves. But sometimes, the most difficult job a coach has is rounding out those third and fourth lines to get the most out of everyone. "The top part of our team is pretty darn good," Comley said.

ICE HOCKEY

Icers begin regular season this weekend

Eric Fish
October 12, 2006

It's the moment the No. 4 MSU hockey team has been waiting for ever since it was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament by Maine last spring. Starting Friday, the Spartans will embark on a new season and attempt to get to the Frozen Four — a goal they felt they were talented enough to achieve last season.

SPORTS

Struggling Spartans look for momentum

Matt Bishop
October 12, 2006

This season hasn't gone the way MSU field hockey head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof had imagined. With a 4-9-0 record going into Saturday's noon game against Iowa, MSU's only hope of making the NCAA Tournament will come by winning the Big Ten Tournament. In reality, that renders the final five games of the regular season almost meaningless except for building confidence. "We'd like to get a couple of wins, and we will get a couple of wins, especially if we continue to develop the way we are right now," van de Kerkhof said.

BASKETBALL

Izzo: 'It's going to be a working man's year'

Tom Keller
October 11, 2006

After nine consecutive NCAA tournament appearances, success for the MSU men's basketball team has become, as head coach Tom Izzo said, "expected more than it is appreciated." So with Maurice Ager, Paul Davis and Shannon Brown — who combined for almost 70 percent of MSU's scoring last season — gone to the NBA, even Izzo can't blame those who project the Spartans to have a down year by their own standards. But that's all right with him — he's had plenty of success playing the underdog. "When you're constantly picked to win, it's not as much fun for anybody," Izzo said Tuesday at Media Day.

FOOTBALL

Maize flags leave MSU feeling blue

Ethan Conley
October 9, 2006

Michigan didn't need any extra help in its near-perfect 31-13 win against MSU on Saturday, but the Spartans gave them plenty. Penalties were a problem for the Green and White throughout the day, from early in the first quarter to the end of the game.

FOOTBALL

MSU QB recruit has near-perfect Homecoming

Eric Fish
October 9, 2006

Quarterback Keith Nichol, an MSU commitment from the class of 2007, went 12-of-13 passing for 262 yards and three touchdowns in a 52-13 Homecoming win for Lowell High School on Friday, The Grand Rapids Press reported. The 6-foot-2, 195-pound Nichol also scored two touchdowns on runs of 6 and 10 yards. "We're not surprised by Nichol's performance," Lowell head coach Noel Dean told the Press.

VOLLEYBALL

Spartans split weekend matches

Tara Thoel
October 9, 2006

After sweeping Illinois on Friday, the MSU volleyball team ended on a sour note by losing to Northwestern in five sets Saturday at Jenison Field House. After starting the season 10-1, MSU (11-5 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) has dropped four of its last six matches. Behind a spirited home crowd, the Spartans won the first and third games Saturday, but lost the second, fourth and fifth games to drop their third five-game match of the season. MSU head coach Cathy George and the Spartans were visibly upset when they emerged from the locker room following the loss.

ICE HOCKEY

Top line shines in exhibition blowout

Eric Fish
October 9, 2006

After a subpar performance in Tuesday's Green and White intrasquad scrimmage, the message from MSU head coach Rick Comley to the junior forward line of Jim McKenzie, Bryan Lerg and Chris Mueller was loud and clear. "He obviously wasn't happy with how we played," Lerg said.