For the fourth time in the last five games, the men’s soccer team had to go to double overtime to see the end of a contest. The No. 17 Spartans (8-2-3 overall, 1-1-1 Big Ten) played to a 0-0 draw against No. 18 Akron (10-3-1) in Akron, Ohio Wednesday night.
It doesn’t get any easier from here. The No. 17 Spartans (8-2-2 overall, 1-1-1 Big Ten) head to Akron, Ohio to take on No. 18 Akron (10-3-0) tonight at 7 p.m.
If the men’s soccer team wanted to prove last year’s Big Ten Tournament win over Michigan wasn’t a fluke, they have unarguably done so. Winning overtime thrillers and having players be named to Big Ten weekly honors is just a typical week for this team that is looking to make another deep run in the conference tournament. Here is what the team has done so far this season on the pitch:
Tim Kreutz can’t remember what it feels like to lose. The junior forward was the only goalscorer when the No. 14 MSU men’s soccer team (8-2-2 overall, 1-1-1 Big Ten) fell 2-1 in double overtime to No. 17 Penn State (9-3-1 overall, 4-0-0 Big Ten) Sunday afternoon at DeMartin Stadium.
Now is the time to shine. With just six games left in the season for the men’s soccer team, it’s up to this squad to show whether they’re capable of making any run in the Big Ten and NCAA tournaments.
Thirteen seconds. That’s how long it took sophomore midfielder Jay Chapman to give the MSU men’s soccer team (8-1-2) a 1-0 on in-state rival Oakland (5-3-5) on a rainy Wednesday evening.
The men’s soccer team may have a difficult week ahead of them, but they’re looking forward to the challenge. The No. 18 Spartans (7-1-2 Overall, 1-0-1 Big Ten) will face a tricky midweek tilt against in-state rival Oakland (5-2-5, 3-0-1 Horizon) at 4 p.m. Wednesday at DeMartin Stadium.
Sometimes, a tie can feel like a loss. That was certainly the case for the MSU men’s soccer team (7-1-2 overall, 1-0-1 Big Ten) after a 1-1 draw against Ohio State (2-6-4 overall, 0-2-1 Big Ten) Sunday afternoon at DeMartin Stadium.
The likes of Lionel Messi, Pele, Wayne Rooney and Diego Maradona are all linked by something other than their goal scoring prowess on the field — the jersey No. 10. Even for members of the MSU men’s soccer team, the significance of their jersey number is an important aspect of the game.
The men’s soccer team had a good week last week, to say the least. MSU (7-1-1 overall, 1-0-0 Big Ten) went on the road and beat University of Illinois-Chicago 2-0 to earn their sixth shutout of the season last Tuesday. Shortly after, the Spartans upset No. 5 Northwestern 3-2 in double overtime on the Wildcats’ home turf Sunday afternoon.
The last time the MSU men’s soccer team took the field in Evanston, Ill., they won the Big Ten Tournament in an overtime match against Michigan. In their first return trip to Lakeside Field since then, the Spartans (7-1-1 overall, 1-0-0 Big Ten) opened up Big Ten play with a 3-2, double overtime win against No. 5 Northwestern (7-3-0 overall, 1-1-0 Big Ten).
When the MSU men’s soccer team traveled to Chicago for a matchup with Illinois-Chicago, they took a detour that was right up their alley. The Spartans stopped by the headquarters of the U.S. Soccer federation located in downtown Chicago to tour Soccer House and kill some time before beating the Flames.
September 27, 2011 is a date junior Kyle Rutz will never forget.
Ryan Keener is a warrior. Three jerseys and three stitches later, the junior defender led the MSU men’s soccer team (5-1-1 overall) to a 2-0 win against Northern Illinois Saturday afternoon at DeMartin Stadium.
For a team to be elite, every player needs to be as great as the one in front of them. For the last three games, junior midfielder Fatai Alashe moved into the spot senior defender Kevin Cope left because of an injury.
This is the game that could put the MSU men’s soccer team on the map. The Spartans (4-1-0 overall) travel to Omaha, Neb. to take on No. 5 Creighton (5-1-0) at 8 p.m. tonight. Creighton is ranked second in the nation by topdrawersoccer.com.
In the wake of a week that saw the MSU men’s soccer team come away with a pair of wins, the team now is doing something it’s not used to — nothing at all. The five-day break between the Spartans’ (4-1-0) 1-0 win against Bowling Green, Sept. 18, at DeMartin Stadium and their trip to Omaha, Neb. to take on No. 5 Creighton Tuesday is the second-longest of the season.
Zach Bennett is a wall. In five games for the men’s soccer team (4-1-0 overall), the sophomore goalkeeper has four shutouts, bringing his career total to seven. The .80 shutout percentage is in the top 10 in the country.
The next game is the biggest game of the year. That’s the new motto for the MSU men’s soccer team (3-1-0) heading into a showdown with Bowling Green (1-2-2) at 5 p.m. Wednesday evening at DeMartin Stadium.
Blake Skamiera has seen the field in all three of the MSU men’s soccer team wins this season — he just hasn’t started there. The junior forward is part of a group of players that have an important role coming off the bench and giving the players in the starting 11 a much needed break.