Saturday, March 7, 2026

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Sports

FOOTBALL

Not again! Tough loss feels too familiar

Columbus, Ohio — The expression on Kyle Brown's face said it all. He held his helmet in one hand, the other hand on his hip, sweat dripping down his face. The crowd at Ohio Stadium, which was in hibernation throughout the game, was absolutely electrified — so much so that I turned to a reporter next to me, and I couldn't hear what she was saying.

ICE HOCKEY

Icers stay unbeaten with exhibition win

The MSU hockey team's early success continued this weekend as it defeated Western Ontario 4-2 in a dogfight exhibition game Friday night at Munn Ice Arena. Even though the Spartans (2-0-0 overall) outshot Western Ontario (0-0-0 overall), 40-13, the Mustangs still proved to be a challenge.

FOOTBALL

Blame game

Columbus, Ohio — After last season's loss to Ohio State, MSU head coach John L. Smith was livid.

ICE HOCKEY

MSU riding high into exhibitioner

MSU hockey head coach Rick Comley couldn't ask for a better start to the season. Last weekend, the Spartans went on the road and won the Lefty McFadden Invitational tournament in Dayton, Ohio with commanding victories against Wayne State and North Dakota, last year's national runner-up. It's the first time the Spartans have won their first two games since the 2001-02 season. "I always like to start two and zero," Comley said. The Spartans (2-0-0 overall) will hit the ice again at 7 p.m.

VOLLEYBALL

Spartans facing tough Big Ten road trip

Coming off a weekend in which it lost both its home matches, the MSU volleyball team won't find things any easier when they head on the road for two games against nationally-ranked opponents. The Spartans (9-7 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) will kick off their two-game road trip tonight against No.

SPORTS

Basketball kicks off at midnight madness

The men's and women's basketball seasons will officially begin tomorrow at their annual midnight madness event at Breslin Center. Doors open at 9:30 p.m., when players and coaches will be available to sign autographs. The program, whose theme this year is "A Spartan Salute," will begin at 11 p.m.

SPORTS

Lerg, Vicari collect CCHA weekly honors

Junior goaltender Dominic Vicari and sophomore forward Bryan Lerg earned CCHA awards this week for their performances in the Lefty McFadden Invitational Tournament last weekend. Vicari was named CCHA goaltender of the week after stopping 40 of 41 shots in the tournament.

SPORTS

MSU hopes late-night practice helps break 3-game losing skid

The lights at the MSU Field Hockey Complex don't usually stay lit overnight, but this past weekend was a bit different. After its 4-2 loss to Connecticut on Saturday, the MSU field hockey team started practicing at 12:01 on Sunday morning — the earliest available time that the NCAA would permit — in preparation for today's battle at 4 p.m.

ICE HOCKEY

Icers ascend rankings after tournament win

The MSU hockey team jumped seven spots to No. 10 in the www.uscho.com Division I Poll following wins against Wayne State and last year's national runner-up, North Dakota. With the victories, the Spartans captured the Lefty McFadden Invitational title in Dayton, Ohio, and now stand 2-0.

SPORTS

4-goal weekend earns Harris Player of Week

MSU senior forward Emma Harris was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week after scoring four goals in a weekend sweep of Wisconsin and Northwestern. Harris leads the women's soccer team in points with 21 (10 goals and one assist). She has scored a goal in four of the past six games, and in that span, the Spartans are 4-1-1. MSU (8-3-3 overall, 4-1-0 Big Ten) heads to Iowa to take on the Hawkeyes on Friday and then travels to Illinois on Sunday to face the Fighting Illini.

SPORTS

Monday musings

• Minnesota knocked off Michigan this weekend, effectively slicing the Little Brown Jugular on the Wolverines' season.

VOLLEYBALL

MSU drops both matches on weekend homestand

This past weekend is one the MSU volleyball team would probably like to forget. After getting swept by Purdue on Friday, the Spartans (9-7 overall, 2-4 Big Ten) dropped a tough five-game match to Illinois on Saturday at Jenison Field House. Head coach Cathy George said the games were a sloppy effort from her team. "We had some unforced errors and hitting errors that were pivotal to the play," George said. MSU won the first game against Illinois (11-6 overall, 2-4 Big Ten), then lost the second. In the pivotal third game, the Spartans played well with a .396 hitting percentage and a team total of three blocks, but Illinois made several key plays down the stretch to give them the lead. With their backs against the wall, the Spartans bounced back, taking the fourth game from the visiting Illini. But Illinois again took control, winning the final game 15-12 for the victory. Illinois proved to be too strong defensively for the Spartans as they outblocked them 11-8. Sophomore outside hitter Ashley Schatzle provided some offensive spark for the Spartans.