Big Ten Network : Michigan State Top Stories

Clark sets record as Penn St. drops Michigan St.

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 14:38:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- It didn't take long for Penn State to start lobbying for a BCS bid. Daryll Clark passed for 310 yards and four touchdowns Saturday as the Nittany Lions (No. 14 BCS, No. 13 AP) wrapped up their regular season with a 42-14 victory against Michigan State on Saturday. Clark set a school record with his 23rd TD passes this season and set the career record with 42. He also moved to the front of a line of folks in Nittany Lion Nation hoping for an at-large slot in the lucrative Bowl Championship Series. "Yes we do," Clark said when asked if Penn State (10-2, 6-2 Big Ten) deserved a BCS slot. Penn State may be a long shot. Clark noted the Nittany Lions have lost twice -- to BCS automatic qualifier Ohio State and fellow at-large hopeful Iowa -- but says his team deserves credit for bouncing back to finish the season strong. Coach Joe Paterno also made his team's case, in good-natured fashion. "What do you want me to say?," Paterno asked reporters outside Spartan Stadium. "Pick us. Maybe I could get on the phone and call somebody and say, 'you owe me one,' or 'you might find a horse's head in your bed'." Michigan State (6-6, 4-4) also is bowl-bound and may have a long wait to figure out the exact bid. But the Spartans were stinging after getting routed by Penn State in Saturday's second half. The game was tied 7-7 at halftime. "Obviously, we're disappointed," said Michigan State quarterback Kirk Cousins, who threw for 155 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions. "We worked very hard and expected to come out and play well. In the second half, we didn't do that." Evan Royster gained 114 yards on 13 carries for Penn State. Graham Zug and Andrew Quarless each caught two TD passes. The Land Grant Trophy -- a 4-foot-tall, 50-pound hunk of wood adorned with a Nittany Lion, Spartan and other images -- stays with Penn State. Penn State also has back-to-back seasons of at least 10 wins for the first time since the early 1990s, but the Nittany Lions lost any chance to share the Big Ten championship before kickoff. Ohio State claimed the crown outright by beating Michigan earlier in the day. The Nittany Lions have a shot at an at-large BCS bid, but Iowa -- which beat Penn State earlier this season -- finished with an identical 10-2 record. Only two teams from any conference can play in the BCS. Orange Bowl representatives were at Saturday's game. Penn State could be a prime candidate for the Capital One Bowl or the Outback Bowl if it gets left out of the BCS. Penn State grabbed a 14-7 lead just over a minute into the half with the help of a trick play. Wide receiver Curtis Drake took a handoff and rolled right, throwing a 14-yard touchdown pass to Quarless in the back of the end zone. It capped a 55-yard, three-play drive aided by a roughing the passer penalty. Penn State increased its lead to 21-7 midway through the third quarter. Clark rolled to his right, planted and threw back across the field to the left sideline -- finding Joe Suhey all alone for a 30-yard TD pass. Penn State's Nick Sukay intercepted Cousins' pass on the next series, setting up the Nittany Lions at the Michigan State 32. Clark fired a TD pass to Zug on the very next play, giving Penn State a 28-7 lead with 5:22 left in the third.

Minnesota rallies to take down Michigan State

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 22:51:00 +0000

The Minnesota volleyball team (22-8, 13-5) rallied from a 2-0 deficit to defeat Michigan State (17-13, 5-13) in five sets by scores of 23-25, 21-25, 25-20, 25-19, 15-12 at Jenison Fielhouse on Saturday. Minnesota entered the third set trailing 2-0, before evening up the match at 2-2 by winning the third set 25-20 and the fourth set 25-19. The Golden Gophers jumped out to a 4-0 lead in the fifth set behind a pair of kills by Hailey Cowles (Eden Prairie, Minn.). Michigan State cut the lead to 5-3 with three of the next four points. Lauren Gibbemeyer (St. Paul, Minn.) and Taylor Carico (Manhattan Beach, Calif.) combined on a block, and the Spartans committed a pair of attack errors to make it 8-3. Michigan State answered with a 4-0 run to cut it to 8-7. Gibbemeyer, Carico and Ariana Filho (Monument, Colo.) answered with three straight kills to move the Golden Gophers ahead 11-7. The Spartans cut it to 11-9, before committing a bad set to give Minnesota a three-point lead. Michigan State scored the next two points to cut the lead to 12-11. Tabitha Love (Dauphin, Manitoba) and Cowles followed with back-to-back kills to make it match point at 14-11. The Spartans fought off the first match point, but Katherine Harms (Albertville, Minn.) responded with a kill to complete the Minnesota comeback. Harms and Cowles each had three kills in three swings in the fifth set. It marked the first time that the Golden Gophers have rallied from a 2-0 deficit since Nov. 23, 2007 when they did so at Illinois. Minnesota was led by Gibbemeyer who had 15 kills, 10 blocks, five digs, four assists and hit .406 (15-2-32). It was the second time in three matches that Gibbemeyer collected double-figure blocks. Cowles hit .462 (17-5-26) with 17 kills, nine digs and three blocks. Love had 11 kills and three digs, while Harms hit .571 (8-0-14) with four digs and two blocks. Carico had six kills, 52 assists and five blocks. Christine Tan (Safety Harbor, Fla.) had nine digs and two assists, while Megan Wilson (Lincoln, Neb.) finished with eight digs, two blocks and three kills. Filho also finished with six kills, hit .500 (6-1-10) and had a solo block. The Golden Gophers outhit Michigan State .363 to .278, despite the fact that the Spartans had 70 kills to 66 for Minnesota. After only collecting two blocks in the first two blocks in the first two sets, the Golden Gophers outblocked Michigan State 12.0-to-2.0 in the final three sets. The Spartans also entered the third set hitting .462 (35-8-66), and were limited to a .176 (35-20-85) hitting percentage the rest of the way. Minnesota hit .365 (40-9-85) after the second set. After dropping the first two sets, the Golden Gophers entered third set in need of some early momentum. The Golden Gophers fell behind 8-5, but went on a 5-0 run to take a 10-8 lead. Michigan State wrestled the lead back at 13-12, but Harms answered with a kill and Spartan setter Natalie Emro had a ballhandling error to give Minnesota the lead back at 14-13. Gibbemeyer and Cowles combined on a block to move the lead to 15-13. Michigan State cut the lead back to one point at 17-16, but Gibbemeyer and Carico followed by combining on a block, and Love delivered a kill to make it 19-16. Gibbemeyer followed with a service ace, and after a Spartan attack error Minnesota has pushed the lead to 21-16. Michigan State cut the lead to 21-18, before committing a service error. with the score at 22-19, Filho delivered consecutive kills to make it set point at 24-19. Two points later, Harms delivered a kill to give Minnesota the third set 25-20. The Golden Gophers outhit Michigan State .250 to .147 in the set, and had five blocks to one. Gibbemeyer had four blocks and a service ace in the set, while Cowles and Love each had three kills. Minnesota jumped out to a 9-7 lead in the fourth set after a Gibbemeyer kill. Michigan State cut the lead to 10-9, but Gibbemeyer delivered a kill and combined on a block to make it 12-9. The Spartans again came back to cut the lead to 12-11, but Love answered with consecutive kills, and Michigan State committed an attack error to make it 15-11. The Spartan cut the lead to 15-13, but Minnesota pushed it out to 18-14 after a Cowles' kill. Michigan State made it 18-15, but Harms and Cowles answered with consecutive kills. Minnesota stretched out its lead to 23-17 after a solo block by Carico. Gibbemeyer made it set point at 24-18, and Wilson put it away at 25-19 with a solo block to even up the match. Minnesota outhit Michigan State .429 to .146, and had 17 kills to 13 for the Spartans in the set. The Golden Gophers also outblocked Michigan State 4.0-to-0.0 in the set. Gibbemeyer and Cowles each had five kills in seven swings in the set. Michigan State was led by Kyndra Abron who hit .406 (17-4-32) with 17 kills and four blocks. Megan Schatzle also had 14 kills, while Mischelle Nelson hit .389 (10-3-18) with 10 kills and two blocks. Vanessa King also hit .588 (10-0-17) with 10 kills, four digs and two blocks. Minnesota will be back in action when it hosts Northwestern on Friday, Nov. 27 at 7 p.m. The Golden Gophers will also host No. 5 Illinois on Saturday, Nov. 28 at 7 p.m. After that match, they will have a ceremony honoring seniors Taylor Carico, Christine Tan and Megan Wilson. Both matches can be heard in the Gold Zone.

No. 2 Michigan State rolls past Toledo, 75-62

TIM MARTIN — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 19:51:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP)—Draymond Green had 15 points to lead a balanced attack, and No. 2 Michigan State kept up its home court mastery with a 75-62 win over Toledo on Friday night. The game was a regional matchup in the Legends Classic. The Spartans (3-0) host Valparaiso on Sunday before heading to Atlantic City, N.J., for a Nov. 27 date with Florida in the semifinals. The Spartans won their 42nd straight game at home against a nonconference opponent, extending a streak that started after a loss to Duke on Dec. 3, 2003. Stephen Albrecht scored 20 points for Toledo (0-3), which trailed by as many as 20 in the second half. Tom Izzo, in his 15th season at Michigan State, moved within one of tying his mentor Jud Heathcote for the most wins in school history. Izzo has 339. Izzo's teams are 37-0 at home in November.

Barlow leads No. 5 Notre Dame past MSU, 68-67

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 19:56:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP)—Ashley Barlow scored 18 points and hit a tiebreaking free throw with 10 seconds left, lifting No. 5 Notre Dame to a 68-67 victory over No. 21 Michigan State on Thursday night. The Spartans had a chance to win after Barlow's late foul shot for the Fighting Irish (2-0), but Aisha Jefferson missed a jumper with 4 seconds to go. Allyssa DeHaan led Michigan State (1-2) with 20 points. MSU trailed 45-35 when DeHaan limped off the court with an apparent ankle injury early in the second half. The Spartans, sparked by their defense and forcing turnovers, went on a 15-2 tear immediately afterward to grab a 50-47 lead with 11:52 remaining. DeHaan returned and increased Michigan State's lead to 56-51 with a basket with about 10 minutes to go. But the Irish regained the lead with an 8-0 run capped by Erica Williamson's layup with 8:41 left.

Michigan outlasts rival Michigan State in 5

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 20:30:00 +0000

ANN ARBOR, Mich. - The No. 14-ranked University of Michigan volleyball kept the State Pride flag in Ann Arbor, earning a five-set (25-20, 18-25, 25-21, 17-25, 15-8) victory Wednesday night at Cliff Keen Arena. The Wolverines' balanced attack saw four players record double-digit kills, led by senior Juliana Paz (Porto Allegre, Brazil/Iowa Western CC) with 18. Senior Megan Bower (Indianapolis, Ind./Cathedral) recorded her first double-double of the season with 11 kills and 10 digs. Sophomore Alex Hunt (Granger, Ind./Granger) went for 14 kills while senior Veronica Rood (Temperance, Mich./Temperance) chipped in 10. Junior setter Lexi Zimmerman (Barrington, Ill./Barrington) dished out 56 assists on the evening. The Wolverines never trailed in the fifth and deciding set, outhitting the Spartans, .375 to .118. U-M also used a 75-percent side-out ratio in the frame as Bower and Hunt each posted two kills to pace the Wolverine offense. Leading 10-7, Michigan used the second service ace of the night from junior Maggie Busch (Toledo, Ohio/Toledo Christian) along with back-to-back blocks by Rood - the second one was assisted by Paz - to cap the set and the match, 15-8. In the opening set, Michigan controlled much of the frame until the midway point when MSU crept back within one, 18-17. Down the stretch, Hunt contributed a service ace and Rood contributed three of the final five points as Michigan hit .370 in a 25-20 win. Michigan State jumped on top in set two and expanded its lead to 20-15 en route to a 25-18 victory. The Wolverines offense was good - hitting .429 - but the Spartans were even better hitting at a .609 clip and committing only one attack error. Paz had the hot hand in defeat, contributing seven kills for Michigan. While the opening two sets were very much one-sided affairs, the third was very close. Locked at 21, a string of four straight U-M points, including two kills by Hunt, capped a 25-21 Michigan win. Paz led the Maize and Blue again with seven kills while Zimmerman dished out 15 assists. Tied at 13 in set four, the Spartans used a 4-0 run to gain momentum as they cruised to a 25-17 win, evening the match at two sets apiece. U-M hit at its lowest clip of the match, .231, with five attack errors in the set. The Wolverines return to Cliff Keen Arena on Friday night (Nov. 20) for the regular season home finale and senior night when they face No. 12 Minnesota at 7 p.m. MGoBlue.com will provide live game audio and live stats. NOTES • U-M won the "State Pride" series with Michigan State for the third consecutive season with the series sweep of the Spartans Wednesday night. Michigan now owns 12 of the 20 all-time "State Pride" series wins. • Megan Bower recorded her first double-double of the season (11 kills, 10 digs) and the 10th of her career. • Bower also recorded her second highest attack-percentage of the season, hitting at a .625 clip (11-1-16). • Bower's 11 kills mark a season high, eclipsing her previous best of 10 versus Ohio State (Oct. 17). • Sloane Donhoff's 11 digs mark her 26th match with double-digit digs this season and her 10th consecutive. • Lexi Zimmerman's 56 assists mark a new season high, eclipsing her previous high of 55 versus Illinois (Oct. 3). • Zimmerman recorded her 13th match of 50 or more assists.

No. 2 Michigan State rallies past Gonzaga

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 21:39:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State's winning streak at home against nonconference teams was in jeopardy. The second-ranked Spartans -- and their fans -- refused to let it end against Gonzaga. Durrell Summers hit a go-ahead 3-pointer with a few minutes left, made two at the line in the final seconds and finished with 21 points and a career-high 11 rebounds to help Michigan State rally for a 75-71 win over the Bulldogs on Tuesday night. "It was the kind of game we needed, especially this early in the year," Summers said. The Spartans (2-0) won their 41st straight game at home against a nonconference team, extending a streak that started after a loss to Duke on Dec. 3, 2003. "There's no question the crowd won that game for us," Michigan State coach Tom Izzo said. "If you were down there, you could hear it." Robert Sacre matched a career high with 17 points for the Bulldogs (1-1) despite playing just 19 minutes. "He was really making a difference in there, then his minutes got limited because of the fouls," Gonzaga coach Mark Few said. "That hurt us." Gonzaga freshman Elias Harris scored 17, Matt Bouldin had 15 points and Steven Gray added 13. Kalin Lucas made a layup with 39 seconds left to give Michigan State a three-point lead and finished with 19 points. Raymar Morgan scored 16 off the bench despite playing on a sprained left ankle and injuring his right ankle in the first half. "I am really proud of Ray," Izzo said. Michigan State scored first, then trailed Gonzaga for much of the game. The Bulldogs led by 13 midway through the first half and were ahead 35-30 at halftime. They built another double-digit lead early in the second half, but were hurt by the 7-foot Sacre getting called for a third foul and 7-5 reserve Will Foster getting a fourth foul shortly after halftime. Michigan State freshman Derrick Nix made a putback with 11:52 left in the game to put the home team ahead for the first time since the opening minute. The Bulldogs, though, refused to wilt in the raucous Breslin Center despite having one of their youngest teams since becoming one of the nation's stronger programs. "It's a terrific college basketball atmosphere," Few said. "Before Thanksgiving, it felt like a game that would clinch a championship game in a league with the energy. "We played here [in 1997] when I was an assistant with Dan [Monson] and this place has really grown." Sacre made a shot midway through the second half to put Gonzaga ahead by seven and a fadeaway with 4:42 to go for a 65-61 lead. The Spartans made enough shots and stops in the final minutes in a game that will get them ready to play Florida, North Carolina and Texas before the Big Ten season. "It's a big win for us because we didn't play real well," Izzo said. "Gonzaga took it to us for at least 30 minutes. I have a lot of respect for Mark and their program. "They punched us in the mouth, picked us off the ground and punched us again early -- and I thought we were ready to play," Izzo added. Gonzaga, hoping to reload instead of rebuild, also faces a tough schedule with games against Wake Forest, Arizona or Wisconsin, Duke, Oklahoma and Illinois before starting West Coast Conference play. Few said he had mixed emotions about Tuesday's game because the Bulldogs had a shot at pulling off an upset -- which would've perhaps been one of the school's biggest wins in the regular season -- but he went home proud. "There's a lot of positives we can take out of this, certainly how we competed," Few said.

Preview: Penn State-Michigan State

Tue, 17 Nov 2009 18:33:00 +0000

Penn State needs help to earn a share of a second consecutive Big Ten championship, but it may only need to beat Michigan State to find itself with a chance at grabbing an at-large BCS invitation. Another impressive performance from quarterback Daryll Clark would certainly help. The most productive game of Clark's career came against the Spartans last season, and the senior will try to bounce back from a pair of uneven performances Saturday and help the 14th-ranked Nittany Lions boost their BCS hopes in East Lansing. Clark, a first-team all-Big Ten selection in 2008, led Penn State (9-2, 5-2) to a Big Ten title and the Rose Bowl last season, but threw three of his six interceptions in its two defeats. Clark's two worst games this season also happened in losses. He threw three interceptions in a 21-10 loss to Iowa on Sept. 26, and went 12 for 28 for 125 yards and an interception Nov. 7 as Penn State fell 24-7 to Ohio State. The senior was unremarkable again Saturday against Indiana, throwing interceptions on the Nittany Lions' first two possessions, part of a four-turnover first half for coach Joe Paterno's team. Clark settled down from there, throwing for 194 yards and a touchdown, and Navorro Bowman's interception return for a score broke a 10-all tie as Penn State won 31-20. "We had to eliminate all the stupid mistakes that I did at the beginning of the game," Clark said. "There were a lot of things that I was able to do the entire football game, I just had a lot of mistakes. It messed us up a little bit." The Nittany Lions are 12-0 the past two seasons when Clark doesn't throw an interception. Penn State needs to win and have Ohio State lose at Michigan to earn a share of the conference title, but its BCS hopes are alive. Paterno's team is 14th in the BCS standings, the lowest it can finish to be considered for a BCS at-large bid. A fan base that historically packs bowl venues make the Nittany Lions an attractive option to BCS organizers - provided they first beat the Spartans (6-5, 4-3). Clark threw for 341 yards and set a career high with five touchdowns - four passing - in Penn State's 49-18 rout of Michigan State last year. Clark is second in passer rating (139.7) in the Big Ten behind the Spartans' Kirk Cousins (149.7), who has done an outstanding job of limiting his mistakes. The sophomore has thrown 10 touchdowns and one pick in his last five games, tossing three TDs Saturday at Purdue in a 40-37 victory that made Michigan State bowl eligible. "We're 2-0 in the month of November," coach Mark Dantonio said. "We'll try to make it 3-0 when Penn State comes in. And the number seven, for those who are spiritual, means completion. Finishing is something we've made a lot of since the end of last season." Senior receiver Blair White leads the Big Ten with eight touchdowns and the Spartans lead the conference in total offense (413.7 yards per game), but they'll be facing a Nittany Lions defense ranked fourth among Football Bowl Subdivision teams in points allowed (11.6 ppg) and ninth in total yards (272.0). Historically, however, Penn State's defenses haven't fared well in East Lansing. Paterno's team has allowed an average of 36.5 points and 448.3 yards in losing four of six at Spartan Stadium since 1997. Michigan State rallied from a 24-7 third-quarter deficit to win 35-31 on Nov. 17, 2007, Penn State's most recent visit. Clark won't have backup tailback Brandon Beachum (knee) and likely won't have receiver Chaz Powell (shoulder), but the Nittany Lions' biggest concern may be on special teams, where both players contributed. Penn State lost two fumbles fielding punts in the first half against the Hoosiers, and special teams problems plagued it in both losses. The Lions are 107th in punt return average (5.2 ypg), 113th in kickoff returns (18.4), and they allow 16.5 yards per punt return - third-worst in the nation. The Spartans, meanwhile, are seventh nationally in kick return average (26.8 ypg). Paterno, who ranks third in Brown University's history for punt-return yardage, joked he might take matters into his own hands to fix the special teams' issues. "I'm going to try to go out there and show those guys how I used to catch punts and run for touchdowns every time I got my hands on the ball," Paterno said. "(We'll) see if we can beat Michigan State on a punt return."

Purdue can't hold lead against Michigan State

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 11:32:00 +0000

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. -- Kirk Cousins threw three touchdown passes, and Michigan State overcame an 11-point fourth-quarter deficit to beat Purdue 40-37 and become bowl eligible on Saturday. B.J. Cunningham caught three passes for 92 yards and a score for the Spartans (6-5, 4-3 Big Ten). Purdue quarterback Joey Elliott completed 39 of 55 passes for 373 yards and two touchdowns. Keith Smith caught 15 passes for 152 yards and a TD for the Boilermakers (4-7, 3-4), who were eliminated from bowl contention. The Boilermakers gained 524 yards and kept the ball for 41 minutes, but Michigan State gained 229 yards on kickoff returns, and the Spartans stopped Purdue on its final possession. Michigan State's Brett Swenson made four field goals, including the game-winning 21-yarder with 1:51 left. Alamo Bowl representatives attended the game. Ralph Bolden fumbled on Purdue's first offensive play, and Michigan State's Chris Rucker returned it 11 yards for a touchdown seven seconds into the game. Purdue came right back and drove 80 yards to tie the score. Elliott found Smith over the middle, and Smith broke a tackle before finishing a 26-yard touchdown reception. Purdue's Carson Wiggs made two field goals, but Michigan State bounced back quickly. A 55-yard pass from Cousins to Charlie Gantt set the Spartans up inside the Purdue 10, and Cousins completed a 4-yard touchdown pass to Andrew Hawken to give the Spartans a 14-13 lead early in the second quarter. Purdue scored later in the quarter on a 9-yard run by Bolden, and the Boilermakers took a 20-14 lead. Bolden was given an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty for hugging mascot Purdue Pete after the run. The Boilermakers led 20-17 at halftime. Purdue outgained Michigan State 266-174 before the break. Swenson made a career-long 52-yard field goal to make it 20-all, but Purdue came back with an 18-play, 80-yard drive. Elliott capped it with a 3-yard TD pass to Cortez Smith to give the Boilermakers a 27-20 lead. It was Purdue's longest scoring drive of the season. Swenson hit another 52-yarder late in the third quarter to cut Purdue's lead to 27-23. Purdue's defense held, then the Boilermakers came back with another scoring drive. Bolden scored his second touchdown, a 1-yarder to make it 34-23 early in the fourth quarter. Michigan State needed just one play to respond. Cousins found Cunningham for a 73-yard touchdown, and the Spartans cut Purdue's lead to 34-30. A 50-yard field-goal attempt by Wiggs was blocked, and the Spartans gained possession at their 46-yard line. A run by Keshawn Martin on a reverse went for 45 yards and put the Spartans inside the Purdue 10. Cousins found Blair White for a 9-yard score with 6:59 to play, and Michigan State took a 37-34 lead. Purdue drove into field-goal range again, and this time, Wiggs converted from 49 yards to tie the game at 37 with 2:38 to play. Martin returned the kickoff 84 yards to the Purdue 11 to set up Swenson's game winner.

Michigan State earns third straight NCAA berth

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:55:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. - For the third consecutive season, the Michigan State men's soccer team earned a bid to the NCAA Championship. The Spartans, who received the Championship's No. 14 overall seed and a first-round bye, will take on either Duke or Winthrop on Sunday at DeMartin Stadium at 1 p.m. "It says a lot about the program and it says a lot about these kids," said MSU head coach Damon Rensing. "A lot of the kids in the program are juniors and redshirt juniors so, having been a part of three NCAA Tournaments is a tribute to them and what they've done in their careers and all year." Playing one of the tougher schedules in the country, Michigan State went 11-7-2 this season. MSU played a total of eight schools that received NCAA berths, going 4-6 in 10 games as it took on Northwestern and Penn State each twice. Possible second-round opponents for the Spartans include Duke, which went 12-6 and finished sixth in the ACC, or Big South Conference Champion Winthrop, which went 11-5-4, who will play Thursday at 7 p.m. in Durham, N.C. Michigan State is making its 13th NCAA Championship appearance and fifth since 2001. MSU is 17-9-4 all-time in the tournament and it is the second consecutive season the Spartans received a first-round bye. "It will be a welcomed week of rest where we can get some extra focus," said Rensing. "To be at home and in familiar surroundings is great." The Spartans joined Penn State, Ohio State, Northwestern and Indiana as the other Big Ten schools that received bids to the NCAA Championship. It marked the second straight year the conference had five schools earn NCAA bids.

Michigan State beats Detroit, notches first win

Sun, 15 Nov 2009 15:59:00 +0000

DETROIT, Michigan (AP) - Aisha Jefferson and Lauren Aitch provided the scoring and the poise that helped Michigan State secure its first victory of the season. Jefferson scored 16 points and Aitch added 13 points and eight rebounds to help the 10th-ranked Spartans dominate the second half and top Detroit 71-62 on Sunday. Jefferson and Aitch both scored during a 15-3 run early in the second half that put Michigan State in front for good. "Everything is urgent and it doesn't need to be right now," Aitch said of the Spartans (1-1), who were upset 77-74 on Friday at Dayton in their season opener. "Right now we're not mentally where we need to be." The Spartans struggled against Detroit's perimeter shooters and trailed 39-36 a minute into the second half when Jefferson got the decisive run started with a field goal. Courtney Schiffauer followed with back-to-back 3-pointers to give Michigan State a lead it never lost. Detroit was 7 for 12 against the Spartans' zone in the first half, but managed just one more 3-pointer as the taller Spartans asserted themselves in the paint. Michigan State outrebounded the Titans (1-1) 46-33 and corralled 19 offensive rebounds en route to their 11th straight win over Detroit. "I wish we had a few more players," said Titans coach Autumn Rademacher, who used just seven players Sunday after several expected contributors were knocked out by injuries in the early weeks of the season. "We ran out of gas." Brigid Mulroy converted a three-point play with less than seven minutes to cut the lead to 60-56, but Schiffauer and Lykendra Johnson answered with consecutive 3-pointers to push the advantage back into double digits. Mulroy finished with a career-best 27 points on 8-for-11 shooting. Sixteen of those came in the first half and the Spartans made it a lot harder for her to get open in the second. "We're facing everybody's best effort, especially on the road," Michigan State coach Suzy Merchant said. "We just have to match that. "I thought our mentality was a lot different in the second half." Jalesa Jones hit one of Detroit's seven first-half 3-pointers seconds before the halftime buzzer to give the Titans a 37-36 lead at intermission. She finished with 10 points and Demeisha Fambro added 13. Schiffauer had 12 points, six rebounds and four steals for the Spartans, who open their home season Thursday against No. 4 Notre Dame.

Michigan State upsets No. 6 Michigan, 2-0

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:11:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich - Michigan State completed a weekend sweep of archrival Michigan on Saturday with a 2-0 shutout of the Wolverines at Munn Ice Arena. A capacity crowd of 7,009 watched the Spartans win both ends of a weekend set for the first time since the 1997-98 season, and sophomore goaltender Drew Palmisano record a 31-save shutout. Michigan State leads the country with nine victories (9-2-1) and leads the CCHA with a 6-1-1 record in league tilts. Chris Forfar put the Spartans on the board with what would be the eventual game-winner at 12:58. Mike Merrifield collected the puck in the right circle and put a shot on net that was saved by Bryan Hogan. Merrifield chased down the puck behind the net, wheeled out to the left side, and dished it across the slot to Forfar at the bottom of the right circle, and the centerman lifted the puck over the shoulder of Hogan. In the second, Michigan was getting shots to the net, but Palmisano came up with the saves - including big back-to back ones on , first on Louie Caporusso and then a Chris Brown shot that he shoved aside with his left pad at the 10:30 mark. The Wolverines had 15 shots on net in the frame, but struggled to beat Palmisano. The Spartans got the insurance goal at 1:31 of the third period, when the Wolverines turned over the puck in their own defensive end. Dustin Gazley sent a shot netward, and Andrew Rowe finished it off at the right post. It was Rowe's second goal in as many nights. Neither team had any luck on the man advantage on the weekend, as Michigan finished tonight's game 0-for-6 on the power play. MSU was 0-for-3. The Spartans are back in action on Thursday evening, when they host Notre Dame at Munn Ice Arena. The teams will complete the series on Sunday in Fort Wayne, Ind.

MIchigan State snaps skid, sweeps Purdue

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:15:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Looking to end its three-match losing skid, the Michigan State volleyball team (17-11, 5-11 Big Ten) downed the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday, Nov. 14, at Jenison Field House. The win mark the Spartans' first against the Boilermakers since a win at home in 2007. Senior Vanessa King (Spring Lake, Mich.) led all Spartans with her .571 attack percentage while tallying 10 kills. "We are at a point in the season where every win matters," said head coach Cathy George. "The team just needs to keep its focus as the season begins to wind down, and take it one match at a time." MSU struck early in the first set, leading 5-3. The Spartans extended their lead to three, bringing the score to 12-9. However, the Boilermakers scored three straight points, tying the set at 12. After three straight Michigan State points, Purdue called its first timeout. MSU grew its lead to five with the score 20-15. The Boilermakers stormed back, taking seven of 10 points to make it a 23-22 set, in favor of MSU. After a Spartan timeout, Michigan State took the final two points, clinching the set 25-23. Senior Vanessa King (Spring Lake, Mich.) and sophomore Becca Zlabis (Wheaton, Ill.) each tallied four kills in the set. The Spartans once again pounced early leading 4-2. After the Boilermakers tied the match at four, each team traded service until MSU broke free, making it 8-7. Michigan State extended its lead to three, 12-9. Purdue called timeout when MSU was leading 14-10. After scoring four of five points, Michigan State forced the Boilermakers into its second timeout. The Spartans closed out the second set 25-21. King and sophomore Kyndra Abron (Livonia, Mich.) posted a team-high four kills. Michigan State continued its success, taking an early 4-1 lead. MSU pushed its lead to four with the score 9-5. The Spartan lead grew to six when Purdue called its first timeout with the score 16-10. Michigan State dug deep to close out the match, winning the third set 25-18. Abron led the Spartan attack with a 1.000 attack percentage on four kills. Zlabis ended the night with nine kills while hitting .450. Sophomore Natalie Emro (Wildwood, Mo.) led the team with 36 assists. Junior Allyson Karaba (Muskegon, Mich.) tallied 13 digs while King solidified the defense with three blocks. MSU will be back in action on Wednesday, Nov. 15, when it travels to Ann Arbor for a showdown against Michigan. The match will be aired live on the Big Ten Network beginning at 6 p.m.

Spartans thump Delaware, advance to play Virginia

Sat, 14 Nov 2009 15:46:00 +0000

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va.- Michigan State used a four goal performance from senior Floor Rijpma (Bunnik, Netherlands) and lockdown defense to defeat Delaware 7-0 Saturday afternoon. With the victory, the Spartans advance to the round of eight for the second consecutive year. The Spartans will meet Virginia at 2 p.m. Sunday with a Final Four berth at stake. "It's nice when you are playing your best hockey during the tournament," said head coach Rolf van de Kerkhof. "We played our best game of the season today." The Spartans started the game strong with a goal from Rijpma just over a minute into the game. Rijpma was on the scoreboard again less than five minutes later when she took a beautiful pass from junior Jantine Steinmetz (Amstelveen, Netherlands) and rocketed it into the back of the cage giving the Spartans a 2-0 advantage. Rijpma completed her hat trick at the 11 minute mark when she beat the Delaware keeper off a pass from freshman Manouk Vernij (Bleiswijk, Netherlands). Vernij added a goal of her own at the 21 minute mark to give the Spartans a 4-0 lead entering halftime. The Spartans started the second half strong as well with Rijpma adding her fourth goal of the game less than five minutes into the second frame. Junior Joelle van Ierland (Den Dolder, Netherlands) added her first goal of the season at the 51 minute mark making the score 6-0 in favor of the Spartans. Senior Jeamie Deacon (Wexford, Ireland) closed the scoring for the Spartans when she scored off a penalty corner in the 69th minute capping off the 7-0 victory. "I feel like we are playing our best hockey of the season right now," van de Kerkhof said. "We got to rotate a lot of players today and keep everyone fresh and that will hopefully put us in a good position as we prepare for Virginia tomorrow." The Spartans, who improve to 18-3 on the season, will look to make their third Final Four in school history when they take on Virginia at 2 PM tomorrow in Charlottesville.

Michigan rally falls short against Spartans

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:05:00 +0000

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The No. 6-ranked University of Michigan ice hockey team watched its six-game winning streak over in-state rival Michigan State (No. 14 USA Today/No. 13 USCHO) come to an end with a 3-2 loss on Friday (Nov. 13) at Yost Ice Arena. The Spartans scored first at the 12:12 mark of the first period and the Wolverines' penalty kill kept Michigan in the game through the first 20 minutes of play. Freshman defenseman Lee Moffie (Wallingford, Conn.) recorded the equalizer -- the first goal of his career -- with 7:06 left in the middle frame. Junior left wing Carl Hagelin (Sodertalje, Sweden) brought the Wolverines within one at the 12:07 mark in the final frame after MSU scored two straight, but U-M's comeback bid fell short despite a power play with the goalie pulled with less than a minute to go. The first whistle blew 14 seconds into the contest when a Michigan defender was called for interference. By the end of the first period, the Maize and Blue had been whistled for four penalties and mustered just three shots on goal. Michigan's penalty kill, which ranks sixth in the country with an 89.8-percent success rate, saw plenty of ice time and did not allow MSU's power play, ranked ninth in the country, to score with the man-advantage. The most impressive PK effort of the contest was successfully killing a 5-on-3 power play that lasted 1:08 minutes late in the first period. The Spartans scored the game's first goal with 12:12 remaining in the opening period. Junior netminder Bryan Hogan (Highland, Mich.) went behind the U-M net to settle the puck. A short pass by Hogan to junior defenseman Tristin Llewellyn (Ann Arbor, Mich.) went off the defender's stick and right to MSU left wing Andrew Rowe, who curled around the right goal post and found a wide-open net for the easy tally to give Michigan State a 1-0 lead. A marker from Moffie evened the game up at one goal apiece and snapped an 82:11 U-M scoring drought with 7:06 left in the second period. Sophomore left wing David Wohlberg (South Lyon, Mich.) battled along the half boards for the puck, sending it along the boards to junior center Matt Rust (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.) stationed behind the goal line to the right of the net. Rust then relayed the puck to Moffie, who fired a shot from the inner hash marks of the left faceoff circle that squirted through the five-hole of MSU goaltender Drew Palmisano. Spartan right wing Corey Tropp broke the stalemate with 3:57 remaining in the middle frame, blasting the puck into the upper-left corner of the net from inside the right faceoff circle, getting the shot just over Hogan's right shoulder to make it a 2-1 game. Michigan State added to its lead with a tally 1:05 into the final period, which ultimately ended up as the gamewinner. Center Daultan Leveille broke in all alone, rushing up the slot in the U-M zone. Just as he was about to get his shot off, he was tripped from behind and crashed into Hogan. The puck was under Hogan when he was pushed into the cage, forcing the rubber over the goal line. The marker was not originally ruled a goal, but a review of the play awarded MSU the score. The Wolverines drew one goal closer with a tally from Hagelin at the 12:07 mark in the third period. Freshman right wing Chris Brown (Flower Mound, Texas) brought the puck into the MSU zone, carrying it up the left side along the boards before centering a pass to Hagelin and the Swedish forward found the back of the net, taking a shot from left of the low slot. U-M had a couple opportunities in the game's waning minutes. Skating on a two-on-one, Rust sent a shot high that was knocked away by Palmisano. With 47 seconds remaining, MSU's captain, Jeff Petry, was sent off for hooking. U-M created two chances off faceoff wins but could not register a shot on goal.

MSU falls to Santa Clara in OT heartbreaker

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 21:02:00 +0000

SANTA CLARA, Calif. - For 90 minutes the Michigan State women's soccer team played the fourth-seeded Santa Clara Broncos even. Despite being heavily outshot, the Spartans were able to force overtime, but a goal by the Broncos' Anessa Patton 1:08 into the extra session gave SCU a 1-0 win on Friday night in the first round of the NCAA Championship. MSU, which made the NCAA Championship in consecutive seasons for the first time in program history, ends the season 11-5-4. The Broncos (14-6-1) were able to hold the Spartans shotless in the first half, but MSU goalkeeper Jill Flietstra made three saves to keep the game even. Senior Lauren Hill had the Spartans' best scoring chance of the game off a long through ball but the SCU defense recovered in time to keep her from getting a shot off. Flietstra came up big again in the second half for MSU, making six more stops to send the game into overtime. Patton's overtime goal came at the 91:08 mark off a through ball from Jenny LaPointe. The Broncos will face either USC or Oklahoma State in the second round of the tournament on Sunday. MSU's 11 wins in 2009 marked the eighth time in the last 10 seasons it has won at least 10 games.

Daugherty helps Dayton upset No. 10 Michigan State

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:57:00 +0000

DAYTON, Ohio (AP)—Kristin Daugherty scored 17 points and Dayton upset No. 10 Michigan State 77-74 on Friday night in the season opener for both teams. Kendel Ross scored 14, including four free throws in the final 15.8 seconds, and Justine Raterman added 13 for the Flyers, who returned all five starters from last season's squad. Courtney Schiffauer scored 21 points for the Spartans. Daugherty scored four consecutive points give the Flyers a 66-63 lead with 5:02 left in the game. The teams combined for 28 turnovers and 25 fouls in a sloppy first half. De'Sarae Chambers scored all five of her first-half points in the last 49 seconds to give Dayton a 43-34 halftime lead.

Hoosiers record first victory in East Lansing since 1991

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:38:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Three different Hoosiers recorded double-doubles en route to an exhilarating five-set triumph for IU Volleyball. Indiana defeated the Spartans of Michigan State by scores of 23-25, 25-21, 21-25, 29-27 and 15-12. It marks the Hoosiers' first win in East Lansing since 1991. "I'm really proud of how hard our team fought tonight, and put it all out on the floor," said Head Coach Sherry Dunbar. "That was our focus all week long at practice, and it showed in the match tonight." The Hoosiers sweep the season series with Michigan State, also the first time since '91. A trio of Hoosiers in Jordan Haverly, Ashley Benson and Kelsey Hall led the way offensively, racking up a combined 49 kills. Benson hit .333 with 18 kills while Haverly accumulated 14 put-aways with her .324 attack percentage. Defensively, Indiana constructed a wall in the frontcourt. Benson's 11 block assists paced IU in a 15-team-block performance. Mary Chaudoin wasn't far behind, teaming with Benson for eight block assists of her own. In the backcourt, Caitlin Cox dug 17 balls; joined by Haverly and Hall with double-digit digs. For the first time this season, Indiana had three players record double-doubles. Haverly (14 kills/13 digs), Benson (18 kills/11 blocks) and Hall (17 kills/10 digs) pulled off the feat. "Tonight was not so much about the win, but more about turning the corner and playing as a team and playing for Indiana," said Coach Dunbar. "Every time we step on the floor we need to set a standard of competing at a high level."

No. 2 Michigan State beats Fla. Gulf Coast 97-58

LARRY LAGE — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:31:00 +0000

EAST LANSING, Mich. (AP)—Durrell Summers scored 14 of his 17 points in the first half, Kalin Lucas scored 21 and No. 2 Michigan State pulled away from Florida Gulf Coast for a 97-58 victory Friday night. The Spartans (1-0) started sloppy and sluggish, but Summers' go-ahead dunk on an alley oop sparked a 17-4 run that put them in control. Michigan State then coasted to its 33rd straight win in a home opener and 40th in a row against a nonconference team at the Breslin Center. Anthony Banks led the Eagles (0-1) with 10 points. The Spartans overcame poor play early against a lackluster team in its third Division I season. They probably won't be able to do that in upcoming games against Gonzaga, Florida, No. 6 North Carolina and No. 3 Texas.

Penn State defeats Michigan State to advance to finals

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:01:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Sophomore forward Corey Hertzog (Reading, Pa.) dazzled under the postseason spotlight, scoring three goals to lead the Penn State men's soccer team (12-6-2) to a 3-0 victory over Michigan State (11-7-2) in a Big Ten Tournament semifinal match-up on Friday. With the win, Penn State advances to play Big Ten champion Ohio State (11-4-4), who knocked off No. 4 seed Indiana 4-2 earlier in the day, for the tournament title at 2 p.m. on Sunday at the host Hoosiers' Jerry Yeagley Field at Bill Armstrong Stadium. The showdown of the tournament's top two seeds will be televised live on the Big Ten Network. Hertzog, who was named to the All-Big Ten Second Team on Wednesday, notched his first career hat trick to send the Nittany Lions to its first Big Ten Tournament final since 2005. He leads Penn State with 11 goals and has totaled 28 points, the most by a Nittany Lion since Chad Severs posted 37 in 2002. Junior midfielder Matheus Braga (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), one of PSU's three First Team All-Big Ten selections in 2009, registered his team-best sixth and seventh assists and senior midfielder Frank Costigliola (Dix Hills, N.Y.) tallied his third assist of the season. Penn State claimed a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute on an excellent give-and-go play between Hertzog and Braga. Positioned at the top of box, Hertzog held the ball and then sent it wide to an unmarked Braga. The junior midfielder took the ball to the end line and then crossed it. A Michigan State defender attempted to clear the ball but it went to Hertzog, who tipped it up into net. Ten minutes later, the Nittany Lions used a set piece to extend their advantage and notch Corey Hertzog's second goal. Frank Costigliola started the scoring play when he lined up for a free kick on the far left wing from 30 yards out. He sent a looping, curving pass into the box, where a cutting Hertzog flicked it into net off his head past frozen Michigan State goalkeeper Avery Steinlage. Michigan State nearly got back into the game in the final minutes of the half with two good scoring opportunities. With 4:04 remaining, forward Ruben Bega had a 20-yard blast bounce off the post and Spencer Thompson's hard, slicing shot with just over a minute left in the half was snagged by a fully-extended Warren Gross. The Spartans continued the offensive pressure in the second half attempting to cut into Penn State's lead. In the 63rd minute, Jake Fullerton redirected a throw in but his surprising shot from 10 yards out was corralled by a prepared Gross. The Nittany Lions had a prime opportunity to go up by three in the 75th minute, but a 22-yard rocket off the right foot of sophomore midfielder Matt Smallwood (Cochranville, Pa.) clanked off the crossbar. However, just over a minute later Penn State was able to gain that advantage with the capper to Hertzog's hat trick. Near midfield, Matheus Braga won a ball and spotted an unmarked Hertzog streaking down the right wing. He took the pass and moved in closer to bring out the goalkeeper. After Steinlage committed, Hertzog cut to the middle of the field and beat a retreating Michigan State defender and put the ball into an open net. Playing without starters Mark Fetrow (West Chester, Pa.), who was serving a red card suspension, and Andy Parr (Hummelstown, Pa.), who was sidelined by a knee injury, the defense performed brilliantly. Sophomore Patrick Krispin (The Woodlands, Texas), the hero from Thursday's double overtime win over Michigan, and freshman Brian Forgue (Glenmoore, Pa.) filled in capably, helping the defense not miss a beat. Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Warren Gross (Saratoga Springs, N.Y.) made five saves en route to his ninth shutout of the season, the most by a Nittany Lion since Conrad Taylor had 10 in 2005. Gross is now tied for fourth all-time on Penn State's season shutouts list. Penn State will face Ohio State for the Big Ten title on Sunday for the first time since 2000 when the Buckeyes were 3-2 victors in Columbus. The Nittany Lions are 4-1 versus Ohio State in Big Ten tournament games and hold a 24-12-4 all-time record in the conference postseason event.

Spartans advance in men's tourney

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:37:00 +0000

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. - Michigan State downed Northwestern to advance to second round action at the Big Ten Tournament. The Spartans picked up a goal in the second half and got solid play in goal from Avery Steinlage to defeat the Wildcats. MSU moves to 11-6-2 on the year, while Northwestern falls to 10-4-4. In the 52nd minute, Tim Granaderos of Michigan State broke the scoreless tie with a shot to the lower left net on a Stephen Lucianke pass. The goal is the second of the season for Granaderos. With 30:23 left in the game, referee Pawel Wydra was injured and replaced by Miguel Panduro Jr. in the middle, and Cien Asoera took over as assistant referee.