Big Ten Network : Michigan State Top Stories

Michigan State thrashes Western Michigan

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 08:58:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Little-used Ashton Leggett ran for 110 yards and four touchdowns and Kirk Cousins threw for a career-high 353 yards and two scores to lead Michigan State past Western Michigan 49-14 on Saturday in a rare November non-conference matchup for the Spartans. The win kept Michigan State's bowl hopes alive and introduced yet another potential lead running back in Leggett, a sophomore who had one carry and zero yards coming into the game. On his first rush Saturday -- on a third-and-1 less than 90 seconds into the game -- Leggett took one step toward a crowded line, bounced it outside and was gone, sprinting 71 yards down the left sideline for a score. He added short TD runs in the first and second quarters. Sandwiched in between, Cousins connected with Garrett Celek and Keshawn Martin on 13- and 48-yard scoring strikes. At the end of the first half, Michigan State led 35-0, had forced seven Western punts and outgained the Broncos 358-36. The Spartans (5-5) hadn't played a non-conference opponent in November since 1966 against Notre Dame. The win snapped a two-game losing skid and gave Michigan State some potential momentum heading into the season's final two games -- at Purdue next week and home against No. 11 Penn State on Nov. 21. Western (4-6) didn't do itself any favors, getting called three times for roughing the passer in the first quarter and dropping more than a few passes. One bright spot for the Broncos was Brandon West, who set the Football Bowl Subdivision record for career kickoff return yardage, passing SMU's Jessie Henderson. The senior opened the second half with an 80-yard touchdown run through a gaping hole in the middle of the Michigan State defensive line. Michigan State kicker Brett Swenson also was a record-setter, becoming the school's all-time leader in extra points made. The Spartans have used a number of running backs this season, using a back-by-committee approach to fill the sizable void left by the departure of Javon Ringer, who moved on to the NFL. Thanks to injuries and dismissals, Leggett and freshman Edwin Baker started out as the featured backs on Saturday, and Leggett took advantage, hitting the century mark by halftime. Leggett added a 13-yard TD run in the fourth quarter to make it 42-14. He was the first Spartan to run for 100 yards in a game since Ringer did it last year. Fellow sophomore QB Keith Nichol took some snaps, but Cousins got the bulk of the work, completing 22 of 25 passes and no interceptions. Nichol threw a 7-yard scoring pass to Dion Sims with about six minutes to play in the game. For Western, it was a forgettable performance from a program accustomed to playing tough against the big boys. The Broncos had beaten a team from a Bowl Championship Series conference in each of the previous three seasons. Senior Tim Hiller, Western's career leader in TD passes and completions, had an off day, going 15 of 37 for a season-low 111 yards. He wasn't intercepted, though, and threw a 12-yard touchdown pass to Blake Hammond on the first play of the fourth quarter. Michigan State avoided losing at home to a second in-state Mid-American school this season. Central Michigan beat the Spartans 29-27 on Sept. 12.

No. 5 Illinois drops MSU for 11 straight win

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 21:46:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Fifth-ranked Illinois entered Saturday night's tilt winners of 10 straight Big Ten matches, the school's longest conference streak in 17 years. The last team to defeat the Illini, Michigan State, came calling to Huff Hall. The Illini avenged that loss and in the process extended their winning streak to 11 with a convincing 25-19, 25-12, 25-19 victory over the Spartans in front of a crowd of 1,758. Michigan State was competitive for the first half of the first set, but the Illini block came alive and eventually Michigan State hitters began a string of errors. Up 18-17 in the first set, the Illini went on a 7-2 run to close the set then bolted to a 10-1 in the second set. Illinois took set two easily then broke open a 14-14 score in the third set with an 11-5 run to take the match. Junior Laura DeBruler led the way offensively, hitting a robust .538 with 15 kills. Junior Johannah Bangert had another strong night on the block with eight block assists, four kills and a .400 hitting percentage. Illinois hit .291 for the match, including .478 in a dominant second set. Illinois out-blocked the Spartans 10-2, giving the Illini a 27-8 advantage in that department for the weekend. Even when Illinois wasn't blocking the Michigan State attack, the Spartans misfired, hitting -.038 for the match, including -.231 in the second set. "I think our block set the tone, then we started digging a lot of balls and finally we frustrated them and they started hitting them out of bounds," summed up head coach Kevin Hambly. Besides the winning streak in general, the story of the weekend was the first starts for sophomore Rachel Feldman at libero. Feldman past the test with a team-leading nine digs. For the weekend, she had 28 digs, and was served at 54 times with just one reception error. "I've had experience digging balls on the other side of the net from Kylie McCulley and Laura DeBruler, so that part wasn't different," Feldman said in comparing practice to the game experience. "The difference was playing with a new group of players." If the Illini are to make it 12 straight, they must end Penn State's 91-match streak next Friday in State College, Pa. Illinois returns to Huff for its final regular season home matches against Iowa and Wisconsin on Nov. 20-21.

NU wraps up second place with win over MSU

Sat, 7 Nov 2009 21:27:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. - Junior forward Matt Eliason's 13th goal of the season just over five minutes in the match held up as No. 17 Northwestern concluded its regular season Saturday with a 1-0 win over Michigan State at Lakeside Field. The victory allowed the Wildcats to finish their Big Ten season with a 3-2-1 record, good for a second-place tie with Penn State. Entering the day, NU had an opportunity to win a share of the conference title if Ohio State were to lose or tie Michigan. However, the Buckeyes earned a 1-0 victory to claim the outright title and the No. 1 seed for next week's Big Ten tournament. Northwestern (10-3-4, 3-2-1) will be seeded third for the tourney and will face off again against the sixth-seeded Spartans (10-6-2, 2-4-0) in Thursday's opening round. As he has done all year, Eliason provided the heroics. On Senior Night, redshirt junior Kevin Valenta fed a ball through the box to Eliason who found himself one-on-one with Jeremy Clark and beat him for the score. It was Eliason's 30th goal of his career, tying him with Jonathan Hall (1986-89) for the school's all-time lead. The Wildcats would finish the opening half of play with an 8-3 advantage in shots. Michigan State came out t he aggressor following the intermission and controlled possession, but Northwestern was able to prevent the visitors from earning any quality scoring chances. The Spartans' closest call came in the final 30 seconds of as Cyrus Saydee fired a shot on goal, but a Wildcat defender was in the right place at the right time to make the stop and preserve the win. NU finished with a 13-9 edge in shots, while MSU had a 9-5 advantage in corner kicks. Misha Rosenthal made two saves to earn his sixth shutout of the season and the 29th of his career.

Northwestern rallies past Spartans

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 22:21:00 +0000

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Junior Sabel Moffett (Temecula, Calif./Chapparal) recorded her second career double-double, knocking down 17 kills and tying a career-best with 10 blocks, and junior Naomi Johnson (Bloomington, Minn./Kennedy) added 17 kills as well as Northwestern rallied past Michigan State 20-25, 25-23, 25-18, 25-22 at Welsh-Ryan Arena. The Wildcats notch their third-straight Big Ten Conference victory, improving to 14-11 on the year and 5-8 in Big Ten play. Moffett's nine block assists on the evening propelled her into ninth-place all-time in program history with 251 career block assists. She also had just five attack errors on 36 attempts for a .333 hitting percentage. Johnson did one better, finishing with no errors on 25 attempts for a career-best .680 hitting percentage, while also tying her personal-high with seven blocks on the night. Northwestern's defensive play at the net proved to be the deciding factor, as the Wildcats held an 18-5 block advantage over the Spartans. In addition to the big nights from the Moffett-Johnson middle blocking tandem, redshirt freshman Kathryn Chrystal (Crystal Lake, Ill./Central) finished with six blocks, with junior Elyse Glab (Chicago, Ill./Resurrection) adding five and junior Brittani Gray (Cincinnati, Ohio/Sycamore) rejected four Michigan State attacks. Gray also finished with seven kills on the night, followed by six from senior Ariel Baxterbeck (Menlo Park, Calif./Chapparal). Glab dished out 46 assists on the night to go along with her three kills and senior Kate Nobilio (Johnsburg, Ill./Johnsburg) had 20 digs and a kill of her own for the 'Cats. Coming off a pair of thrilling five-set road victories over Purdue and Indiana last weekend, Northwestern held the early lead over Michigan State (16-9, 4-9 Big Ten) in the opening set, only to see the Spartans use a 6-1 run to break out to a 13-8 lead. The Wildcats were able to cut the gap to one at 18-17, but couldn't get any closer as Michigan State took set one 25-20. The Spartans appeared to be in control of the match early in the second set as well, building a five-point cushion over the 'Cats at 15-10. But Northwestern found that confidence it had gained the previous weekend and slowly chipped away at the Michigan State advantage, tying the match at 22. The Spartans looked poised to reclaim the lead, but Nobilio, who was just trying to keep the set alive, heaved a desperation shot over the net which floated just past the Michigan State attack, giving Northwestern the lead at 23-22. A block from Glab and a kill from Moffett closed out the set and turned momentum back in Northwestern's favor. The Wildcats carried that momentum into the third set, notching the first point of the set and never looking back. Northwestern would lead by as many as eight at 16-9 before Michigan State staged a 5-0 rally to pull to within a pair at 16-14. But the 'Cats outscored the Spartans 9-4 down the stretch for the 25-18 third set victory. With only 25 points separating itself from victory, Northwestern came out energized in set four, tallying the set's first four points. Michigan State would rally again, tying the set at 10, only to see NU respond with an 8-3 run of its own. The Spartans would stage one final rally, pulling to within two a handful of times, but kills from Gray and Moffett would ensure the Wildcat victory. The three match Big Ten winning streak is the first for Northwestern since the 2007 season as the Wildcats earn a season split with the Spartans for the fourth consecutive year. NU also extends its lead in the overall series with Michigan State, holding a 32-26 advantage. Megan Schatzle led the Spartans with 15 kills, while Kyndra Abron and Mischelle Nelson each added 11 for Michigan State. Natalie Emro had a match-high 47 assists while Allyson Karaba tied Nobilio with 20 digs on the night.

Spartans tie UNO 3-3, lose shootout

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 21:08:00 +0000

East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State skated to a 3-3 overtime tie with Nebraska-Omaha on Friday evening, but lost the shootout 2-1 in four shooters. Mike Merrifield had a goal and an assist for MSU, which is now 7-2-1, 4-1-1-0 in conference play. The shootout went into sudden death, after the teams each had one shootout goal in the first three shooters. Andrew Rowe beat Jeremie Dupont with a backhand high over his glove hand, while UNO tied it up with their third shooter when John Kemp beat Drew Palmisano low stick side. Merrifield was the fourth shooter for MSU, and Dupont made a relatively easy pad save, and Terry Broadhurst secured the extra point for UNO by beating Palmisano at the near post. The Spartans got a goal at the 10-minute mark of the opening period. Blueliner Brock Shelgren brought the puck up the left side, and put a shot on net that was saved by the goalie. Mike Merrifield was there for the putback amid a lot of bodies in front, and after a video review, the goal stood and the Spartans had a 1-0 lead. The Mavericks got their first goal of the weekend at the 11:53 mark of the first, while skating with a man advantage. Terry Broadhurst made the pass from the right circle into the low slot for Matt Ambroz, and the junior scored from below the left hash for his second tally of the season. The teams emerged from the intermission still deadlocked, but the Spartans jumped on the board at 1:52 of the second. Mike Merrifield came in on goalie Jeremie Dupont alone and made a move, but the goalie made the pad save. Chris Forfar swooped in following Merrifield and tapped the puck from the right post into the back of the net for his third goal. The lead was short-lived, as less than three m inutes later the score was tied at two when a Brent Gwidt pass went off an MSU defender and caromed into the back of the net. Dean Chelios was whistled for a five-minute major for hitting from behind at 9:39 of the period, and the Mavericks got their second PPG of the night at 13:06 when Joey Martin moved up the right side with Jeff Petry on his hip, but his shot fluttered over the glove hand of Palmisano to give UNO its first lead of the weekend. The Mavericks took the 3-2 lead into the locker room. MSU tied the game at 8:04 of the third. With UNO whistled for consecutive infractions, the Spartans had an extended man advantage. Midway through the second penalty, Jeff Petry lined up for a shot at the right point, and his shot was tipped by Grant and saved by Dupont. Grant got his stick on the rebound, and Nick Sucharski buried it for the equalizer. MSU nearly took the lead four minutes later when Tropp and Grant came in on a two-on-one, and Tropp eluded a defender to get a great shot on Dupont - but the goalie was up to the challenge with a glove save. The close of regulation was exciting as the visitors buzzed in their offensive zone, but could not get a go-ahead tally. Once the overtime period started, Tropp was whistled for slashing 21 seconds into the extra frame, giving UNO its eighth power-play chance of the night. The Spartans killed off the man advantage, then had some chances in their own zone in the final minute of overtime - but the game ended in a 3-3 tie and the teams went to a shootout.

MSU shuts out Mavericks, 3-0

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 17:49:00 +0000

East Lansing, Mich. - Michigan State got a 31-save shutout from sophomore netminder Drew Palmisano and a goal and an assist from Corey Tropp in a 3-0 victory over tenth-ranked Nebraska-Omaha on Thursday night. MSU is now 7-2-0 overall and 4-1-0 in CCHA play. Palmisano was strong throughout to earn his first collegiate shutout, and made several big saves to keep UNO at bay. Among his big saves was a shorthanded breakaway offering by Dan Swanson in the second period which he made a great kick save, and a pad save by kicking out his right leg to protect the post on a puck that ricocheted off the back wall. Michigan State held a 1-0 lead at the end of the opening period., thanks to an early power-play goal by freshman Derek Grant. Tropp had the puck in the left circle, and backhanded a pass to Jeff Petry in the high slot. Petry's shot was saved, but Grant corralled the rebound and beat the goalie glove-side. MSU's second goal of the night came at 5:22 of the middle frame. Dean Chelios sent a pass across the slot to Kevin Walrod in the right circle, and Walrod held the puck for an extra second before passing off to a crashing Anthony Hayes, who scored his second goal in as many games. With just over three minutes remaining in the frame, Tropp potted his eighth goal of the season for a 3-0 Spartan lead. After taking the pass from Torey Krug, Tropp skated into the right circle, held it, and roofed the puck over the glove hand of John Faulkner. The teams skated through a scoreless final period, and UNO put 12 shots on net in an attempt to break up the shutout. The Mavericks pulled Faulkner for the final 1:15 of regulation in favor of an extra skater, but Palmisano stood strong and kept them off the board. NOTES: For the third straight weekend, MSU has knocked off a previously-undefeated team - and two of them were ranked in the top ten. MSU beat top-ranked Miami (3-2 OT), swept Western Michigan (2-1, 5-3) and knocked off No. 10 Nebraska-Omaha, (3-0) ... MSU has won four straight games and is 4-0 at home as well ... The Spartans have four straight wins since sweeping Lake Superior and Ferris State in December of 2007 ... 'Michigan State was perfect on the penalty kill (4-for-4) for the first time this season ... Tonight's 3-0 score was the largest margin of victory since a 6-1 win over Clarkson on opening night ... Anthony Hayes had a goal in his second straight game, and Dean Chelios picked up his first collegiate assist ... Over his last three games, Palmisano owns a 1.46 GAA and .967 save percentage with one shutout.

Spartans edge Buckeyes in women's soccer

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 17:33:00 +0000

COLUMBUS, Ohio - The No. 11 Buckeyes dropped a tight 1-0 decision to Michigan State Friday afternoon in East Lansing. Ohio State will now have to wait until Sunday for the result Penn State's contest at Michigan. If the Nittany Lions lose in Ann Arbor, the Buckeyes and Penn State will share the Big Ten Conference championship. "Soccer is a cruel sport," head coach Lori Walker said. "I credit Michigan State for capitalizing but while this loss is painful, it could be the best thing for us." The loss was the first for the Buckeyes since Oct. 4 at Penn State. In a physical first half of play, the Buckeyes almost got on the board early but Caitlyn Martin's header off a corner sailed just high seven minutes into the game. Four minutes later, Tiffany Cameron had an opportunity from the right wing but Michigan State goalkeeper Jill Flietstra made the diving save on her shot from 10 yards out. The best Ohio State chance came in the 21st minute when Lauren Steuer's bending shot from the top corner of the box deflected off the top of the crossbar and out of bounds. For the half, Ohio State outshot the Spartans, 6-3, and held a 6-1 advantage in corner kicks as the game remained scoreless at the intermission. The Spartans came out of the break strong, recording their best opportunity less than three minutes into the second half when a volley by Olivia Stander hit the crossbar and sailed high. Michigan State would get on the board in the 57th minute when Lauren Hill controlled a long ball from Cara Freeman at the top of the box then turned and fired a shot past a diving Lauren Robertson to take the 1-0 lead. The Buckeyes almost knotted up the score in the 71st minute when Karin Sendel nailed a shot from just inside the 18 that deflected of the right post and out of play. With less than ten minutes less to play, Steuer played a corner back post but the header by Ashley Bowyer sailed high. For the game, the Buckeyes outshot the Spartans, 11-6, and held a 9-1 advantage in corners but were unable to find the back of the net. The Buckeyes close out the regular season at 14-3-2, 7-2-1 in the Big Ten, and will wait to find out their NCAA tournament fate as postseason play begins Friday, Nov. 13.

Spartans field hockey eliminates Iowa

Fri, 6 Nov 2009 15:14:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, MI - - The University of Iowa field hockey team lost at Michigan State Friday, 5-1, in the second round of the Big Ten Tournament. The loss ends Iowa's tournament record ten-match winning streak. "We had a good second half but it was not enough,"" said Head Coach Tracey Griesbaum. "We dug ourselves too big of a hole. Meg (Beamesderfer) had a good game and so did Tricia (Dean) and Sarah (Drake). I was proud of how we came out in the second half." The top-seeded and regular season league champions scored four first-half goals and led at the break, 4-0. In the second half, the Black and Gold came out firing and put the pressure on the Spartans. Senior Tricia Dean scored for Iowa off a corner in the 46th minute to make the score 4-1. Junior Sarah Pergine was credited with the assist. The Hawkeyes kept the pressure on and controlled much of the second half but were unable to push across another score. No. 8 Michigan State added a late goal to defeat Iowa, 5-1. Today's match ends Iowa's run of three-straight Big Ten Tournament titles.

Late penalty kick dooms MSU vs. No. 1 Akron

Wed, 4 Nov 2009 21:29:00 +0000

AKRON, Ohio - The Michigan State men's soccer team played the No. 1 Akron Zips even through nearly 75 minutes on Wednesday evening. However, with the score tied at one with 15 minutes left in the second half, a Spartan foul inside the penalty area gave the Zips a penalty-kick goal and a 2-1 win. MSU is now 10-5-2 on the year, while Akron remains undefeated at 17-0. "The guys played great tonight," said MSU coach Damon Rensing. "It was a great college soccer game and it's unfortunate that the winning goal came on a penalty kick. We stuck to our game plan and Akron is very good, well organized team. All-in-all, we played the top team in the country very well." The Zips didn't take long to get going, as less than four minutes in, Akron's Teal Burnbury scored on a chip shot from 20 yards out for a 1-0 lead. As the two teams settled in, the each traded scoring chances. Akron held a slight, 5-4, shot advantage after the goal until the 39th minute when Spencer Thompson set up Tim Granaderos to tie the game for MSU. Thompson's cross from the left side found Granaderos who buried the ball in the back of the net from eight yards out and gave the Spartans a big lift heading into halftime. The two teams played evenly through the first 30 minutes of the second half, until the turning point in the 75th minute when a yellow card was issued to the Spartans' Nosa Iyoha for a foul inside the penalty area - leading to a Zips' penalty kick. Akron's Blair Gavin converted the PK, giving the Zips the lead for good. "We created a few more chances in the first half," Rensing said. "I thought our backs were very good, the midfield played great and Jeff Ricondo and Rubin Bega were very good up top. We just missed on a couple finishing passes."

Summers, Spartans roll Northwood, 76-45

Mon, 2 Nov 2009 17:53:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State men's basketball team opened the 2009-10 season with a 76-45 exhibition victory over Northwood University on Sunday afternoon at the Breslin Center. The Spartans' Durrell Summers led all scorers with 17 points while junior guard Kalin Lucas poured in 16 points and played a team-high 29 minutes. Each team started slow to begin the game as the Spartans led just 4-0 less than five minutes in. Neither the Spartans nor the Timberwolves were able to put much of scoring spurt together in the first half, but Northwood was able to pull within two points on a couple of occasions. A three-pointer by Booker Stoudmire cut the MSU lead to just one with 6:39 to play in the first half to make the score 22-21. The Spartans then scored the next four points over the next two minutes to regain a five-point advantage and held on for a 33-30 halftime lead. Michigan State put together a 7-0-run to begin the second half with the help of Summers who scored six points over the span. The Timberwolves answered with five consecutive points to pull within five points at 40-35 but it would be the closest they would come the rest of the way. The Spartans then put the game away; outscoring Northwood 32-3 over the next 13-plus minutes. The run began with 14-0-spurt. Draymond Green ended the game with 14 points, 11 rebounds and dished out four assists for the Green and White. MSU was without likely starters Raymar Morgan and Chris Allen who each missed the game due to injury while Delvon Roe left the game with a head injury after playing just seven minutes. The Spartans will play their final exhibition game on Monday, Nov. 9 when they host Grand Valley State at 7 p.m.

Spartans register much-needed win over Iowa

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 16:56:00 +0000

IOWA CITY, Iowa - The Michigan State women's soccer team got a much-needed win on Sunday, defeating Iowa, 3-2, in overtime. Just over three minutes into the first overtime, the Spartans got a corner kick that Hannah Peterson sent high into the penalty area. Cara Freeman got a head on the ball and sent it over the hands of Hawkeye keeper Emily Moran for the winning goal and a 3-2 MSU victory. "Coming off of Friday's setback, it was a huge game for us," said Spartan head coach Tom Saxton. "We didn't have our legs today, but we did have our heart and character." With the win, MSU picked up its 10th win of the season and is now 10-4-4 and 2-4-2 in the Big Ten. The Spartans have now won at least 10 games in eight of the last 10 seasons. Freshman Olivia Stander got things going for MSU in the 23rd minute. Her unassisted goal came from the left side and beat Moran in the far right corner of the net. "It was nice to get an early goal," Saxton said. "It was pretty windy and that helped but we needed a break." Lauren Hill picked up her team-leading ninth tally of the year just before halftime to give MSU a 2-0 lead. Hill took a pass from Kelsey Tait and then chipped it into the net from six yards out. "That was a critical goal," said Saxton. "We had a ton of chances on Friday but they just weren't going in. Getting two first-half goals against Iowa was important, we realized good things can happen and we capitalized on our chances." Down 2-0 to start the second half, the Hawkeyes (9-10, 1-7) quickly cut into the MSU lead as Keli McLaughlin scored at the 47:44 mark. Iowa's Alex Seydel tied the game with just over 10 minutes to play in regulation, converting a penalty kick, to send the game into overtime. "You could see the determination in our player's eyes," Saxton said. "Cara has had so many close calls this year so I was happy for her and the whole team. It was their heart and character that got it done." MSU will wrap up the regular season on Friday (Nov. 6) when it hosts Ohio State at 3 p.m.

Michigan St. closes out home season with 1-1 tie

Sun, 1 Nov 2009 16:48:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State men's soccer team ended its regular-season home slate with a 1-1 tie with San Diego State on Sunday at DeMartin Stadium. MSU is now 10-4-2 while SDSU, currently No. 11 in the latest edition of the RPI, is 6-4-5. "We just didn't have the sharpness today in possession but we stuck together well as a team and hung on there," said Rensing. The Aztecs outshot MSU, 6-3, in the first half but neither team generated many threatening scoring chances. MSU's best opportunity came in the 13th minute when Rubin Bega's shot from 22 yards out just missed the upper right corner. The Aztecs put the Spartans on their heels to start the second half, but two terrific stops in a one-minute span by Spartan goalkeeper Avery Steinlage and a hit post kept the game scoreless. MSU weathered San Diego State's early second-half offensive, and after Cyrus Sayde was taken down on a counter attack just outside the penalty area, the Spartans set up for a free kick from 19-yards out in the 61st minute. On the restart, Spencer Thompson set the ball for Bega who sent an arching shot over the wall and the hands of SDSU keeper Brad Byrns for the game's first goal. "Their keeper looked to be cheating toward the near post and I was able to hit the ball with a good amount of pace and get in there back post," said Bega. SDSU came back to tie the game however in the 77th minute, as Khadim Diouf took a long pass down the left side and beat the MSU defense and Steinlage with a shot from 8-yards out. With neither team able to take the lead late in regulation, the game went into overtime where the Aztecs continued to press the Spartans, who were playing their third game in seven days. Steinlage finished with five saves for MSU while SDSU's Byrns recorded two stops for the game. "Avery was very good today and made some timely saves," Rensing said. MSU will face the consensus No. 1 team in the nation on Wednesday (Nov. 4) when it travels to Akron to take on the Zips at 7:30 p.m.

Abron lifts Michigan State to sweep of Wisconsin

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 21:03:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Looking to extend its four-match win streak on Halloween, the Michigan State volleyball team (16-8, 4-8) downed the Wisconsin Badgers, 3-0 (25-19, 25-22, 25-20), on Saturday. With the win, the Spartans have posted back-to-back wins over the Badgers on Halloween. Sophomore Kyndra Abron (Livonia, Mich.) led all Spartans with 14 kills and hit .583. In the first set, MSU ran out to the early 7-4 lead over the Badgers. Wisconsin however took the next three of four points, pulling within one, 8-7. The Spartans regained momentum, leading 17-13. The second Badger timeout was called as MSU led 20-16. Michigan State closed out the set, winning 25-19. Abron led the Spartans with five kills in the set. Michigan State once again got out early in the second set, posting a 4-1 advantage. The Spartans maintained the advantage with a four-point lead, 8-4. Wisconsin brought the set within two, 10-8, as it scored four of six points. The first Badger timeout of the set came when MSU was leading 18-13. Following the break in action, Wisconsin took the next four of five points, bringing it to a 19-17. However, Michigan State took the second set, 25-22. Abron once again led the team with four kills in the set. The Spartans got out to an early 3-1 advantage in the third set. Michigan State kept the lead, pushing it to 7-2, forcing Wisconsin to call its first timeout. The Badgers rallied to come within three points of the Spartans, 11-8. However, Michigan State once again pulled ahead, 14-8, causing Wisconsin to use its second timeout. Following the timeout, the Badgers took six of the next eight points, making it a 16-13 match. The Spartans ended the set and match, by winning 25-20. Abron and sophomore Becca Zlabis (Wheaton, Ill.) posted identical third set stat lines with five kills each and posting a .556 clip. Posting 12 kills on the night was Zlabis, who added eight digs to the Spartan victory. Sophomore Natalie Emro (Wildwood, Mo.) led the team with 40 assists, while junior Allyson Karaba (Muskegon, Mich.) anchored the backcourt with 14 digs. Senior Vanessa King (Spring Lake, Mich.) and Abron each tallied four blocks in the win. Junior Megan Schatzle (Monroe, Mich.) tallied two service aces on the night. Tonight's match against Wisconsin can be seen on tape delay, Sunday, Nov. 1, at 4:30 a.m. on the Big Ten Network. The Spartans are back in action next weekend on Friday, Nov. 6, when they travel to Northwestern for a 8 p.m. ET match. The match against the Wildcats will be streamed live on the BigTenNetwork.com.

Weber, Gophers outlast Spartans, 42-34

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 19:09:00 +0000

MINNEAPOLIS -- Adam Weber passed for 416 yards and five touchdowns, helping Minnesota hurdle a school-record 17 penalties and hang on to beat Michigan State 42-34 on Saturday night. Playing without injured star wide receiver Eric Decker for the first time, Weber stepped up for his struggling offense at the best possible time. Completing 19 of 31 passes for the career high in yardage, Weber had his first five-score game since his freshman year. Running back Duane Bennett caught two of the touchdowns for Minnesota (5-4, 3-3 Big Ten), including an incredible recreation of the famous Immaculate Reception by Franco Harris for the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1972 to stretch the lead to eight with 6:04 left. Tight end Nick Tow-Arnett, who had a career-high eight catches for 81 yards and two scores, caught a third-and-17 pass from Weber near the Michigan State 35 and landed on his back after a jarring hit. The ball never touched the ground and popped right up into the hands of Bennett, who ran the rest of the way for the 59-yard touchdown. The fans were fed up with the refs, who flagged the Gophers for 157 yards in penalties -- also the most in their history. The calls evened out in the end, though. Right before Bennett's score off the bobbled ball, Tow-Arnett lost a fumble that was recovered by the Spartans. It was overturned by replay review, which ruled an incomplete pass. On the following possession, the Spartans were whistled for four of their nine penalties. They reached the 39, but Kirk Cousins overthrew his receiver on fourth down. They stopped the Gophers on third-and-1, but punter Blake Haudan drew a roughing call on Kendell Davis-Clark and Minnesota was able to run out the clock. The Spartans (4-5, 3-3) were fortunate to be in the game in the second half, given all the self-inflicted problems by the Gophers. This was a familiar tough loss, though; all of Michigan State's defeats this year have come by eight points or less. Cousins dropped a snap and threw an interception in the first half, but neither turnover led to points for Minnesota. He finished 21 for 35 for 236 yards and two touchdowns, both of them impressive throws. His 11-yard toss to tight end Dion Sims gave the Spartans their first lead, 31-28 heading into the final quarter. The third quarter actually belonged to Keshawn Martin. The sophomore wide receiver took the kickoff back 82 yards for a score and then raced 84 yards for a touchdown on an end around to put the Spartans in position for the wild finish. The Gophers ditched their spread offense for a pro-style power running system this season, and Weber's struggles have been glaring at times during the transition. Without Decker, it was natural to assume the worst. On the first play from scrimmage, though, Weber used a textbook play-action fake to find Bennett open along the sideline for a 62-yard catch and tiptoe streak along the sideline. After the Spartans fumbled the kickoff, Weber found Brandon Green in tight coverage in the corner of the end zone from 37 yards out to make it 14-0 just 107 seconds into the game. Decker badly sprained his foot the week before and will have season-ending surgery on Wednesday. Leaning on crutches, he smiled at Weber as his close friend and roommate hugged him following the second score.

MSU tops PSU, seals first perfect Big Ten clip

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 15:59:00 +0000

HAPPY VALLEY, Pa. - Michigan State used a hat trick from senior Floor Rijpma (Bunnik, Netherlands) and solid defensive play to drop Penn State 5-1 Saturday afternoon. With the victory, the Spartans finished the Big Ten with a perfect 6-0 record for the first time in school history. The Spartans came out of the gates strong as Rijpma scored off a beautiful pass from fellow senior Jeamie Deacon (Wexford, Ireland) less than four minutes into the game giving the Green and White an early 1-0 lead. The Spartans pushed their lead to two 52 seconds before the half when Rijpma struck again, this time tipping home a pass from freshman Jessica Linder (Louisville, Ky.). "We started the first half well but weren't able to keep up our pressure," said head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof. "Fortunately we were able to pick up our play near the end of the half and get the 2-0 lead." Junior Jantine Steinmetz (Amstelveen, Netherlands) made the score 3-0 less than 10 minutes into the second half when she scored her ninth goal of the season off a mini breakaway. Penn State got its lone tally three minutes after the Steinmetz goal when Hannah Allison redirected a shot from teammate Kelsey Amy past a diving Elissa Unger (Reading, Pa.). MSU was able to push its lead back to three when sophomore Chantae Miller (East Amherst, N.Y.) tipped a pass from junior Camille Dagorn (Lehighton, Pa.) into the right corner of the goal. Rijpma finished off the scoring and completed her hat trick when she took a pass from freshman Manouk Vernij (Bleiswijk, Netherlands) and slammed it into the back of the cage making the final score 5-1 in favor of the Spartans. "We made some adjustments at halftime and came out more hungry and committed," van de Kerkhof said. "As the goals started to pile up we were able to get some of our younger players some valuable playing time." Michigan State returns to action next weekend when they host the Big Ten Tournament. As a result of winning their first outright Big Ten Regular Season Title in school history, the Spartans will have a first round bye. Michigan State will open its tournament play when it plays the winner of the 4/5 matchup Friday at 12:15 p.m.

Spartans send W. Michigan to season's first loss

Sat, 31 Oct 2009 10:48:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State won its third straight home game with a 2-1 victory over previously unbeaten Western Michigan on Friday night at Munn Ice Arena. A last-grasp goal for the Broncos was waved off after a video review ruled that it had not crossed the line before the clock expired. With Riley Gill pulled for an extra attacker, it appeared that centerman Max Campbell had an equalizing tally for the visitors, as he backhanded the puck past Drew Palmisano as the horn sounded. The review from CCHA officials showed that the puck had not crossed the line entirely before time had expired. Michigan State came up with a goal midway through the opening frame to take a 1-0 lead into the first intermission. The play originated at the right point in MSU's offensive zone, when Jeff Petry's shot was blocked - Petry corralled the loose puck and got around the defender, setting up at the top of the right circle. He made a great cross-ice pass to Chris Forfar at the bottom of the left circle, and the freshman's shot hit the inside of the right post. The second period started with a major challenge for MSU - freshman Matt Grassi was whistled for a five-minute major (and game misconduct) for checking from behind. MSU did a great job on the kill, limiting the Broncos to one shot early that hit off the post and an additional two on goal in the final 20 seconds of the man advantage. Late in the frame, MSU extended its lead to 2-0 with a power-play strike from Dustin Gazley. Gazley pounced on a rebound from an Andrew Rowe shot on the right side and buried his second goal of the season. The Broncos broke up the shutout at 14:27, getting a power-play goal from Trevor Elias. The freshman put a rebound off a Luke Witkowski shot past Palmisano for their only score of the game. Western Michigan pulled Riley Gill for the last minute of the game, but could not gain an equalizer until the final seconds of the game - but that proved (through video replay) to be a fraction of a second too late. Palmisano finished with 23 saves, while Gill had 19 for Western Michigan. The Broncos recorded 24 blocked shots in the game, compared to nine for MSU. The teams face off on Saturday in Kalamazoo to wrap up the season series. Gametime is 7:35 p.m. NOTES: The Spartans have knocked off previously-undefeated teams in their last two games ... Michigan State won its third straight home game to open the season ... Michigan State will look to win its third road game of the year on Saturday at Lawson Arena. MSU has already equalled its road win total from a year ago (2) ... Michigan state also has half as many wins now (5) as it did in all of 2008-09. Last year, win No. 5 came on Dec. 27 against North Dakota in the Great Lakes Invitational ...Corey Tropp and Derek Grant were held without a point for the first time this season ...

Spartans fall to Illinois

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 22:04:00 +0000

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - The Michigan State women's soccer team fell to Illinois, 5-0, on Friday (Oct. 30) in Champaign, Ill. With the loss, MSU fell to 9-4-4 overall and 2-4-2 in the Big Ten, while the Illini improved to 7-7-3 and 2-4-2 in conference play. Illinois' Jenna Carosio set the tone of the game early, scoring the first goal in the 10th minute. Laura Knutson added another in the 21st minute and Niki Read scored just over three minutes later to make it 3-0. Christina Sahly made it 4-0 just before the half. The Fighting Illini outshot MSU, 17-12, for the game. Lauren Hill led the Spartans with three shots.

Spartans sweep Hawkeyes

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 19:25:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, MI – The University of Iowa volleyball team dropped a three-set match to Michigan State tonight at the Jenison Field House. Freshman Emma Krieger Kittle led the Hawkeye offense with 11 kills, one shy of her career high. Junior Mara Hilgenberg dished 29 assists and seniors Christina Meister and Megan Schipper picked up six digs apiece. ""We had trouble serving tonight,"" said Head Coach Sharon Dingman. ""We lost 13 points at the service line and we need to limit those errors. It's been a struggle all season and we need to address it immediately for our match tomorrow night."" The opening set saw seven ties and three lead changes before Michigan State prevailed with a 25-22 win. Krieger Kittle led the Hawkeye attack with four kills. Schipper added three kills and a team-high four digs and Hilgenberg dished 10 assists. The Spartans jumped to an early 7-3 lead in the opener before two kills from Krieger Kittle sparked a 5-1 run to tie the set, 8-8. Michigan State battle back to retake a three point advantage, 14-11, before a pair of kills from Schipper and a block from junior Becky Walters eventually tied the set, 18-18. After MSU regained the lead, 20-21, the Hawkeyes answered a Dingman timeout with a 4-1 run to take a 22-21 lead. The Spartans then ran off four straight points to win the set and take a 1-0 match advantage. Michigan State (3-8, 15-8) took a two-game lead with a 25-17 win in the second set. Krieger Kittle led Iowa with four kills while Hilgenberg dished nine assists and picked up a pair of digs. The Spartans rode their first-set momentum into the second frame, building a 12-9 lead before kills from junior Katie Kennedy, Walters and Schipper pulled Iowa within one point, 13-12. After MSU extended their lead, 21-14, Krieger Kittle answered a Dingman timeout with consecutive points, a block and a kill, before the Spartans finished with a 4-1 run to win the set and take a 2-0 match lead. Iowa dropped the third and final set, 25-20. Sophomore Mallory Husz came off the bench to pick up three kills, three blocks and two digs in limited action. Hilgenberg added 10 assists and junior Samantha Brannigan picked up a team-high three digs. The Hawkeyes (3-8, 11-12) used kills from Walters and Krieger Kittle to take an early 4-2 lead in the third frame, but Michigan Stage continued its roll and battled back to take the lead, 14-10. With help from a Krieger Kittle kill and two blocks from sophomore Mallory Husz, Iowa battled back to take an 18-16 advantage. A pair of kills from Walters eventually gave Iowa a narrow one-point edge, 20-19, but the Spartans scored the final six points to pull out the three-set victory.

Michigan St ranked No. 2 in year of high hopes

LARRY LAGE — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 16:19:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich.(AP) Tom Izzo is so driven to win another national title that he's recruiting as relentlessly as he did a decade go when he was turning a good Michigan State program into a great one. The coach is hitting the road in a different way: Instead waiting in airports and flying to see prospects, Izzo is going to have somebody cruise him around the Midwest in a new van, so he can prepare for the next game by reviewing video on a laptop, call family, friends and coaches on his cell phone and get much-needed sleep in a bed. ``It's silver,'' Izzo said of the van Thursday in a telephone interview with The Associated Press. ``It's great.'' Izzo's team should be, too. The Spartans are ranked No. 2 in The Associated Press preseason poll, which was released Thursday. The finished well behind top-ranked Kansas, but drew five first-place votes. ``They have their whole team back, plus some freshmen,'' Spartans standout Kalin Lucas said. ``We lost some key players.'' Yet Michigan State shouldn't be too shabby. Lucas, senior standout Raymar Morgan, five more of the team's top nine scorers and Izzo are back from the team that lost to North Carolina in the NCAA championship game last season. The Spartans will have a chance to live up to lofty expectations if Lucas and Morgan can become leaders who make their teammates better, and inexperienced big men provide some balance on a team with such a talented backcourt. It's early, but the hard-driving Izzo has been pleased with preseason practices. ``Kalin Lucas, Draymond Green and Delvon Roe have made a lot of progress,'' Izzo said. ``And the three big guys are better than I thought they would be. They all have a long way to go, but they're going to have to play.'' Izzo is hoping freshmen centers Garrick Sherman and Derrick Nix along with 7-foot junior Tom Herzog can combine to play about 25 minutes a game to make up for the losses of three seniors inside. If they can, a lot of problems will be solved because the Spartans are at least solid at every other position the court. The lighting-quick Lucas returned for his junior season after winning the Big Ten player of the year award and is a favorite to earn the honor again this season. Morgan was Michigan State's best player last season before a batch of illnesses. He bounced back well enough to score 18 points and grab nine rebounds in a win over Connecticut in the Final Four. Izzo is counting on Morgan to be healthy and happy, avoiding injuries and attitude funks that have slowed him in the past, because he needs him to help fill the leadership void created by the departures of Travis Walton and Goran Suton. Morgan insisted he's ready. ``A lot is expected, but I can handle it,'' Morgan said. ``This is why I came here.'' Junior shooting guards Durrell Summers and Chris Allen came to Michigan State providing glimpses of promise, but Izzo is still waiting for them to be consistent. Sophomore guard Korie Lucious is almost at full speed in practice, recovering from a second surgery on his right foot. ``I think we have the best guards in the country,'' Lucas said. The 6-foot-8 Roe and 6-foot-6 Green don't quite have the size to help Michigan State's weakness in the lane, but they're talented enough to cause problems for opponents if they're matched up with lumbering centers. Per tradition, Izzo has filled his schedule with tough games to test his players and satisfy fans who crave marquee matchups before Big Ten play. Michigan State will get challenged early with games against North Carolina, Florida, Texas and Gonzaga. ``How they handle success or failure is going to be a key because we're going to lose some games early,'' Izzo predicted. ``Our young guys up front is going to have their hands full because the big guys we'll play in the first couple of weeks are as good as we've played in years. ``If we win some games, do we take off? If we lose, do we get down in the dumps? That's why No. 1 on my list is leadership and chemistry.''

MSU men drop Notre Dame, 2-1

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 19:13:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich . - For the second consecutive game, Cyrus Saydee scored the game-winning goal early in the second half as the Michigan State men's soccer team defeated Notre Dame, 2-1, on Wednesday (Oct. 28) afternoon at DeMartin Stadium. The win improves MSU's record to 10-4-1, marking the ninth time this decade it has recorded at least 10 wins in a season. "Today was a huge win for a lot of reasons," said MSU head coach Damon Rensing. "You want to improve how you are seen in the regional rankings and by the NCAA Tournament committee. Notre Dame is just a great program and Bobby Clark does a great job there - you want to show well against a quality opponent." Michigan State capitalized on its first corner kick of the game in the 16th minute. Spencer Thompson delivered the ball into the box where, after a deflection, Stephen Lucianek headed it toward the net and Rubin Bega tapped it in for his team-leading eighth goal of the season. The Irish (9-7-1) pressured the Spartans in the final stages of the first half and in the 37th minute, Adam Mena's header from the right side tied the game at one. "I felt we like we took our foot off the gas after we scored and that allowed them to get pressure on us," said Rensing. Similar to Sunday's game against Michigan, the Spartans responded with a goal early in the second half. And again like Sunday's game, it was Cyrus Saydee that regained the lead for MSU. Saydee started the play when he took the ball just past midfield down the left side and he beat two Notre Dame defenders. After nearly getting hauled down by a third defender, Saydee beat UND keeper Andrew Quinn and made it 2-1 with a rocket to the upper right corner of the net. "I just kept going and I knew if I lost the ball, the ref would have called a foul, but I kept going," Saydee said. "The center back kind of overplayed it and I just cut and had a clear shot." The highlight-reel goal energized the Spartans for the remainder of the game. "That was one of the best goals we've seen here in this program in the last 10 years," Rensing added. Saydee has now scored in each of the last three games. "We felt like if we came out strong in the second half and scored and kept playing, we would be fine," said Saydee. "In the first half after we scored, we kind of sat back and let them attack." Avery Steinlage finished with three saves for MSU, which was outshot, 14-8, for the game. The Green and White will play its final home match of the year on Sunday when it hosts San Diego State at 1 p.m. at DeMartin Stadium.