Michigan State ran into the top-ranked team in the country on Friday afternoon and spent most of the day trying to survive the pressure.
No. 1 Maryland controlled the action from start to finish and handed the Spartans a 4-0 road loss in College Park, Md. The result drops MSU to 5-9 overall and 0-6 in Big Ten play, while the Terrapins stayed perfect at 14-0 and 5-0 in the conference.
The numbers told the story quickly. Maryland piled up a 27-3 edge in total shots, put 13 attempts on goal to Michigan State’s two, and earned 11 penalty corners compared with the Spartans’ two.
Even with that kind of pressure, Michigan State got a strong outing in net from junior goalkeeper Lola Munoz de Verger. She faced 27 shots and finished with a career-high tying nine saves over 60 minutes, helping keep the score from getting out of hand.
Maryland opened with the ball and the chances, but the Spartans held firm early. Munoz de Verger came up with a pair of stops in the opening frame, and Michigan State generated its first look in the sixth minute when junior midfielder Lilian Knorr inserted a penalty corner that led to a shot from senior back Serena Mailhe. The attempt was on target, but Maryland saved it and the game stayed scoreless through the first quarter.
The Terrapins finally cracked it in the second quarter. They scored in the 21st minute on an unassisted goal, then added another in the 25th minute after a feed inside the circle. Michigan State tried to answer in the 28th minute, as Knorr set up another inserted corner, but Maudlin’s shot went just wide.
Maryland stretched the lead to 3-0 in the 38th minute with another unassisted finish. Munoz de Verger stayed busy through the third quarter and made saves on back-to-back chances after a corner sequence to keep the Spartans within reach.
The Terrapins added their final goal in the 52nd minute off a penalty corner set piece. Michigan State kept pushing in the fourth quarter, including an on-frame shot from redshirt sophomore forward Nina Angeli in the 53rd minute that was turned away. Munoz de Verger added three more saves down the stretch, but Maryland never allowed the Spartans to build any real momentum.
In Other News...
Michigan State Just Entered A Big Ten Recruiting Fight Up Front
Michigan State has added another name to its board up front, extending an offer to Illinois high school standout Ben Coleman, a 6-foot-4, 285-pound hybrid tight end and blocker whose recruiting profile has already put him on the radar of several programs. Coleman is viewed as one of the more highly rated prospects in his state and nationally, which makes this the kind of battle the Spartans have to stay active in if they want to keep pace in the Big Ten trenches.
What makes Coleman especially interesting is the way his game blends size with versatility, giving him a profile that could fit a few different offensive roles depending on how a staff wants to use him. With other schools involved and his recruitment still unfolding, Michigan State is now part of a competition that figures to keep growing as more programs press their case for one of the regions more intriguing blockers. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Suddenly Needs Unsung Spartans To Step Up Vs Northwestern
Michigan State is heading into its matchup with Northwestern with the kind of lineup uncertainty that forces depth pieces into the spotlight. With injuries affecting several spots, the Spartans will need more than their headline names to hold up, and that puts added pressure on players like running back Jaziun Patterson and the offensive line tandem of Rakeem Johnson and Robert Wright Jr. in a game where every clean snap and steady assignment matters.
On the other side of the ball, the margin for error looks just as thin. Defensive end Kenny Soares Jr. and cornerbacks Jeremiah Favorite and KJ Deriso are among the players who may have to absorb bigger roles, and Michigan State needs that next wave of Spartans to look ready quickly. The challenge now is whether those unsung players can stabilize the depth chart in time to keep the matchup from turning into a test of survival. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Showed 2 Encouraging Signs In A Brutal Northwestern Loss
For much of Saturday, Michigan State had enough going on to make the loss sting even more. The Spartans hung with No. 25 Northwestern deep into a close game, and there were real signs that the program is starting to sort out some problems. The defense generated multiple sacks, with Anelu Lafaele, Ben Roberts and Eli Coenen all getting in on the pressure, while Coenen also came through with a blocked field goal that kept the game within reach.
The offense also showed a little more life under Nick Sheridan, whose playcalling helped Michigan State move the ball more consistently than it has at times this season. Even with limited talent, the Spartans found enough rhythm to stay alive into the final stretch before the game turned on a blocked potential go-ahead kick and a late Northwestern field goal. It was still a brutal loss, but for a team trying to find traction, the performances on both sides offered a small bit of encouragement to carry forward. [Read more 🡒]