As the 2011 MSU men’s soccer season took off last year, a pair of its main competitors dropped like flies, leaving the front and back lines with gaping holes. Senior forward Domenic Barone and junior defender Kevin Cope both got struck with season-ending injuries before or just after the season began.
For the first time since Oct. 10, 2009, someone not named Kirk Cousins will take the first snap of the game for MSU’s season opener against Boise State on Friday night. After waiting in the reserves for three seasons, junior quarterback Andrew Maxwell is ready to take the reins and continue the success of his predecessor.
It’s been eight months and 27 days since Will Gholston stepped on a football field and hit a quarterback, and for the junior defensive end, there’s a hunger that needs to be satisfied.
The team looked to be off to a good start as the preseason drew to a close, defeating Duke 1-0 and tying Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne, 1-1. But those two MSU preseason goals are the last they’ve managed.
With the completion of the annual Spartan Showcase tournament this past weekend at Jenison Field House, volleyball season officially is under way. The Spartans dominated, much as they have in the past, earning their ninth-straight Spartan Showcase title by defeating McNeese State, Youngstown State and Eastern Kentucky in the title match.
The No. 13 Spartans are three days from opening their season against No. 24 Boise State under the lights at Spartan Stadium, and for Dantonio, the excitement only is mounting.
Head coach Chris Petersen said the nationally televised matchup against the No. 13-ranked MSU football team (8:00 p.m., ESPN) will be one of the biggest challenges his team has faced in his six years as the Broncos’ head coach.
The final day of the MSU men’s soccer team’s (0-1-1) season-opening weekend kicked off with an MSU women’s soccer (3-1-0) game versus Cal State Fullerton. The women kept the game scoreless until halfway through the second half, when Cal State Fullerton netted one, finishing the game 1-0. Shortly after, the men took the field against the New Hampshire Wildcats (1-1-0), or UNH, meeting a similar fate as their female counterparts.
With 24 Spartan alumni on hand, the MSU women’s soccer team couldn’t handle Cal State Fullerton, as they fell 1-0.
The MSU men’s soccer team opened up the 2012 season with a 0-0 draw against Valparaiso Sunday at DeMartin Stadium at Old College Field.
The MSU women’s soccer team picked up their third win of the season after defeating Loyola 3-1 Friday at DeMartin Stadium at Old College Field.
The MSU volleyball team began its 2012 campaign on a high note after topping McNeese State, 3-0 in its season opener at Jenison Field House Friday night.
Surrounded by the trophies and accomplishments of past Spartan teams, head coach Mark Dantonio announced junior quarterback Andrew Maxwell, junior linebacker Max Bullough and senior linebacker Chris Norman will serve as the team’s captains going into the 2012 season.
With the first regular season game of the season Friday night, the MSU volleyball team has high hopes for what their young team can accomplish this season.
Even in returning a talent-heavy roster, there were doubts facing MSU women’s soccer coach Tom Saxton headed into the 2012 season. As is the case of any head coach who is forced to replace 11 players from a single team, there will be questions. And for Saxton, the questions are fairly obvious.
Blaring Norman Greenbaum’s “Spirit In The Sky” — recalling memories of “Remember The Titans” — the MSU football team took to the practice field Friday morning for its final day of two-a-day practices during fall camp. And after two weeks of practice, things are beginning to fall into place for the Spartans.
Even with his history of placing MSU in marquee events, Mark Hollis might trump them all with his greatest scheduling triumph yet.
When MSU football head coach Mark Dantonio took the podium Tuesday evening at the “Meet the Spartans,”, talk of going to the Rose Bowl was on the tip of his tongue. “We continue to raise our goals as we move forward,” he said to the crowd.
Larry Nassar is the U.S. gymnastics national medical director and has traveled to four Olympics as the team physician.
Picking up right where they left off last season, the Spartan defense stole the show Sunday during MSU’s first jersey scrimmage of training camp by claiming a 74-54 victory over the offense using a modified scoring system.