Thursday, April 25, 2024

Sports

ICE HOCKEY

Spartans earn Player of the Week honors

James Jahnke
February 27, 2002

Maple leaf pride was burning within the 10 Canadians on the MSU hockey team after Canada beat the United States 5-2 for the Olympic ice hockey gold medal Sunday. All eight freshmen on MSU’s team - five Canadians and three Americans - watched the contest in the Wonders Hall dorm room shared by freshman left wing Kevin Estrada and freshman center Ash Goldie. The game was a tense, close battle until a decisive third period lifted the Canadians to victory - much to the delight of rookie left wing Brock Radunske, who’s from New Hamburg, Ontario.

BASKETBALL

Ganakas to be honored at bust

James Jahnke
February 27, 2002

Former Spartan head coach Gus Ganakas will receive the 2002 Men’s Basketball Distinguished Alumnus Award, the university announced Tuesday. Ganakas, who is currently the team’s color commentator on the Spartan Radio Network, is the sixth recipient of the award.

SPORTS

Us future looks fuzzy

Chris Mackinder
February 27, 2002

The women’s basketball team knows it needs a strong showing in the Big Ten Tournament to prolong the season.Winning it all in Indianapolis is probably the only way the Spartans (16-11 overall, 6-10 Big Ten) will earn a trip to the NCAA Tournament.

SPORTS

Softball team splits two weekend games

Chris Mackinder
February 26, 2002

The softball team split its two games at the Elon Tournament on Saturday. The Spartans (1-5) won the first game, their first victory of the season, 7-0 over Elon (0-8), but dropped the second 1-0 to UNC-Greensboro (9-2). In the first contest, senior pitcher Becky Gray set a MSU single-game strikeout record by ringing up 13 hitters.

SPORTS

Womens hoops should stick to defensive play

The MSU women’s basketball team has been flirting with disaster of late. Using their defensive strength early in the season, the Spartans (16-11 overall, 6-10 Big Ten) opened the Big Ten season at 9-1 and were receiving votes in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today coaches polls. Since then, the defense has been inconsistent and the Spartans fluttered down the stretch, with scrappy victories mixed in. Sunday is a key example.

BASKETBALL

U plays spoiler in Columbus

Dan Woike
February 26, 2002

The past four seasons head coach Tom Izzo and his Spartans have spent the last weeks of February fighting off opponents trying to spoil their Big Ten Championship dreams. But with conference title hopes gone, the MSU men’s basketball team (17-10 overall, 8-6 Big Ten) gets to play the spoiler tonight in Columbus, Ohio.

SPORTS

Womens track takes 10th at indoor championship

John Ostler
February 26, 2002

The women’s track and field team took 10th place in the 21st annual Big Ten Indoor Championship last weekend. The Spartans (0-2) traveled to University Park, Pa., where sophomore Jamie Krzyminski won first place in the 5,000-meter run.

ICE HOCKEY

Better late than never, first line takes charge

James Jahnke
February 26, 2002

After the Spartans’ top forward line produced impressive statistics in Saturday night’s 4-3 win over Miami (Ohio), MSU head coach Ron Mason was thinking the same thing as many Spartan fans.“It’s about time,” the longtime MSU foreman said.The three players that comprise the top line - junior left wing Brian Maloney, freshman center Jim Slater and senior right wing Adam Hall - weren’t really slumping.

BASKETBALL

Young Spartans perform under pressure

Dan Woike
February 25, 2002

If young teams are supposed to fold in high-pressure situations, someone forgot to tell the Spartan men’s basketball squad. With an opportunity to raise their NCAA Tournament stock, MSU used late-game heroics to come from behind to upend No.

FOOTBALL

Thornhill files for draft

Ryan Wallace
February 25, 2002

MSU senior linebacker Josh Thornhill filed his name for entry into the NFL Draft in April. Last season Thornhill led the team with 128 tackles, 93 solo, in 12 games for the Spartans. The 6-foot-2, 235-pound linebacker is projected to go somewhere between the second and forth rounds. Thornhill joins junior running back T.J.

BASKETBALL

NCAA dreams in good shape

The Spartans’ NCAA Tournament chances remained intact as Alan Anderson stepped to the line and connected on two free throws, giving MSU a 57-54 win against Indiana. Sunday’s win all but wraps up a bid for the Spartans (17-10 overall, 8-6 Big Ten) in the NCAA Tournament.

SPORTS

Season starts strong

Ryan Wallace
February 25, 2002

The MSU baseball team kicked off its season by winning two of three games during their weekend trip to Las Vegas. The Spartans (2-1) defeated UC Santa Barbara 19-14 on Friday in the UNLV Tournament. Twelve of the team’s runs came in the last three innings, seven coming in the last inning. Senior Nick Bates struck out six of the first seven batters he faced on Saturday to help give the Spartans an 8-3 victory over host UNLV. Bates tied his career-high with nine strikeouts in seven innings. On Sunday the Spartans finished the tournament with a 22-15 loss to Creighton.