The season may have started a little shakier than they hoped, but the field hockey team has stormed to the top of the Big Ten. They will need to finish strong and get lucky to win the conference title, but a solid finish may be enough to land them in the NCAA Tournament. Before they start their late-season push, here is what they have done on the field so far:
Head coach Cathy George is dangerously close to having the program where she wants it to be. With a hot start that included wins over reigning national runner-up Oregon and perennial powerhouse Penn State, the volleyball team has been nothing short of stellar this fall. Here is what the team has accomplished on the hardwood:
It’s been a rocky road, but their work isn’t done just yet. With three more games to go and a final spot in the Big Ten Tournament up for grabs, the women’s soccer team is looking to cap the season on a high note. Here is what they have been through so far this season:
With several NBA departures expected after the 2013-14 season, men’s basketball head coach Tom Izzo has been scouring the country looking for players to be part of the next generation of Spartans. On Monday, Izzo secured another one.
Senior linebacker Max Bullough has been named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week for the first time in his career for his team-high 10-tackle performance in MSU’s 14-0 win over Purdue.
One of the season’s most defining characteristics has been the mental toughness the volleyball team displayed in several hard-fought matches. So fittingly, it was mental mistakes that cost the team its previous two Big Ten games.
There was a moment during Saturday’s game when the MSU offense proved how good it can be.
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.
Despite blowing out Purdue 4-0 on Friday, the MSU women’s soccer team couldn’t make back-to-back wins, losing to Indiana, 3-2, in double overtime Sunday afternoon. Trailing 2-1 with just eight minutes remaining in the Indiana match, sophomore forward Allyson Krause tied the game with her fifth goal of the season. Krause took a pass from freshman midfielder Kaylee Phillips on the right side and broke away to find the left side of the net.
The Spartans played with fire Saturday and emerged unscathed. If the worst team in the Big Ten wasn’t on the opposing sideline, though, there’s no guarantee they wouldn’t have been burned. MSU (6-1 overall, 3-0 Big Ten) dodged an embarrassing and likely dream-killing loss in its uninspiring 14-0 victory against lowly Purdue (1-6, 0-3).
The volleyball team dropped its first Big Ten game Thursday night against Minnesota. Now they face something they have yet to see on their schedule — a two day break in-between games.
Just when the Spartans began looking like a complete team and potential Legends Division frontrunner, they struggled to put away a flawed Purdue team and a wave of uncertainty comes crashing back. The MSU defense did the heavy lifting – producing a shutout and a touchdown – while its offense struggled to move the ball once again in a 14-0 win over the Boilermakers (1-6 overall, 0-3 Big Ten). Leading up to Saturday, head coach Mark Dantonio talked about whether his team would be able to handle its recent success after back-to-back impressive wins against Iowa and Indiana.
It was almost an upset, but ultimately the higher-ranked team prevailed. A week after showing improved defense and ability to close out games, the field hockey team (7-8 overall, 3-1 Big Ten) couldn’t make good of a late 3-1 lead as they fell to No.
After marked improvement the past two weeks offensively, MSU took a 7-0 lead into the locker room against Purdue in a half oddly reminiscent of the lackluster performances that opened the season. MSU was billed as a heavy favorite heading into the contest against the 1-5 Boilermakers. The Spartan offense came out revving its engine on the first drive, feeding junior running back Jeremy Langford three straight plays while employing unbalanced formations with multiple offensive linemen.
For a moment, it seemed as though head coach Tom Izzo had pulled off an impressive Evel Knievel impersonation. Clad in stuntman gear, Izzo rode a cannon, hashtagged #IzzoCannon, into Breslin Center. He joined his wife and kids at the center of the court with a helmet under his arm.
Every game is becoming more and more crucial for the women’s soccer team. After starting the season out 6-0-2, the Spartans (7-5-2 overall, 1-5-0 Big Ten) have been in a tailspin since conference play.
The field hockey team has been on a hot streak. But in order to remain undefeated in Big Ten play, they will have to overcome the other undefeated Big Ten team — No. 3 Penn State. “We’re going to try and do what we’ve been doing,” junior forward Abby Barker said. “It is a big game, there’s a lot of pressure on the line. But like we were saying the other day, pressure is a privilege, and we’re excited to be able to compete.”
The real games have finally arrived. The puck will drop on the new season for the MSU hockey team when they travel to Amherst, Mass., to take on UMass Friday and Saturday night.
After a thrilling 14-4 comeback in the first set, it seemed as though the Spartans were on their way to another Big Ten victory. Perhaps the improbable first set comeback drained them. Or maybe it was simply an off-night.
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.