It couldn’t have been scripted any better. The MSU men’s soccer team sent head coach Joe Baum out on top and accomplished something never before seen in the program’s history — winning a regular season Big Ten title.
Surrounded by friends, soccer alumni from all eras and his newly crowned Big Ten championship team, the bearded face of MSU soccer was bid farewell Sunday.
The MSU women’s soccer team’s pregame checklist was a bit lengthy. But in all actuality, all the Spartans had to do in order to get everything they wanted was pick up the victory.
MSU soccer head coach Joe Baum’s last home game, the No. 25 Spartans have the opportunity to do something that has never been done in the program’s history.
Just because there are no shoulder pads or helmets doesn’t mean the MSU-Michigan rivalry holds any less weight on a soccer field. Ask the Spartans women’s soccer team — they aren’t shy about letting everyone know the importance of Friday’s 3 p.m. contest.
The No. 25 MSU men’s soccer team traveled to Bowling Green on Wednesday and defeated the Falcons 4-0.
Sophomore goalkeeper Avery Steinlage stopped six shots and recorded his third straight shutout Sunday at DeMartin Stadium at Old College Field. But the Spartans offense couldn’t find the back of the net to earn the victory against Valparaiso, and the game ended in a 0-0 tie.
The MSU women’s soccer team had never lost a home game or gone into overtime at any point during the season. After hosting South Dakota State on Sunday, only half of that statement still holds true.
After two maturity-gaining road losses in the beginning of October, it looked as if no one could stand in the way of the MSU women’s soccer victory train. But after three straight quality conference wins, the Spartans (13-4 overall, 5-3 Big Ten) hit a break in the tracks when traveling to Wisconsin — getting shut out 2-0 on Sunday against the Badgers.
The No. 24 MSU men’s soccer team entered Wednesday’s nonconference game having won three straight games against top 20 teams. But MSU head coach Joe Baum was worried his team might underestimate Cincinnati and come out flat in the midweek game.
The men’s soccer team is on fire. The Spartans have six wins in their last seven games and have only allowed seven goals in that span. But MSU head coach Joe Baum doesn’t want his team to get too confident just yet, especially after the Spartans went 0-5-1 to finish last season.
Junior midfielder Tim Granaderos couldn’t have dreamt of a better time to score his first collegiate goal. Granaderos’ goal came off a header with 12:27 left in the game to give the MSU men’s soccer team the 1-0 lead — a lead they would hold onto until the end of the game to defeat No. 18 Michigan and keep the Big Bear Trophy in East Lansing.
The seniors on the MSU men’s soccer team have never lost to Michigan. In the past three seasons the Spartans are 3-0-1 and the Big Bear Trophy, awarded to the winner of each game between the two teams, has found a temporary hibernation home in the Spartans’ trophy case.
The men’s soccer team didn’t have to reschedule its game against No.14 Illinois-Chicago after it was canceled on Sept. 14 due to the heavy rainstorm that caused DeMartin Stadium at Old College Field to resemble a lake more than a soccer field. But MSU head coach Joe Baum wanted to reschedule the game against the No. 14 ranked team in the country to help his team gain experience against yet another quality opponent.
They’ve played through utter downpours, extreme 98-degree heat, adversity from losing a senior midfielder as well as the constant low expectations spewed their way about how the Spartans don’t have what it takes to be a Big Ten competitor.
Freshman forward Laura Heyboer cannot only score three goals in a single game — she also can rack up three Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week awards in one season.
It’s difficult to defeat an unbeaten team in the conference when the ball is hardly ever in your possession. And for the MSU women’s soccer team, the lack of ball control and pressure in Penn State’s zone made the Spartans look as if they wouldn’t have enough in the tank to power past the Nittany Lions.
It felt like overtime was inevitable — no goals after 83 minutes of play. The teams went back and forth all game long, trying to press on through the heat, looking for that first big mistake so one team could capitalize on it.
It was a situation the MSU women’s soccer team hasn’t dealt with the entire season at DeMartin Stadium at Old College Field — fighting an uphill battle.
The MSU men’s soccer team is riding a three-game winning streak coming into a tough week against No. 14 Notre Dame and No. 23 Indiana.