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#IUMS vs Michigan State - 4 pm/ESPNU

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We wrap up the regular season today against the Spartans with a chance to sweep the B1G. Go Hoosiers!

SENIOR DAY
• The Hoosiers will honor the team's eight seniors prior to Sunday's match - Rece Buckmaster, Jeremiah Gutjahr, Andrew Gutman, Timmy Mehl, Francesco Moore, Austin Panchot, Trevor Swartz and Cory Thomas.
• Those eight players over the last five seasons have helped the Hoosiers post a record of 69-15-21 (.757).
• The eight seniors have played a pivotal role in the team's success, earning a combined 419 starts.
• The seniors played in 2017 NCAA College Cup Final and helped IU win the Big Ten regular season title this year.

SCOUTING THE SPARTANS
• The Michigan State Spartans come to Bloomington with a 10-2-4 record on the season.
• MSU enters the weekend in third place in the Big Ten with a mark of 4-1-2 and 14 points. The Spartans sit one point behind Wisconsin in second place and two points clear of Maryland in fourth place.
• Michigan State is ranked No. 12 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll and 32nd in the latest NCAA RPI rankings.
• The Spartans are 1-0 against ranked opponents this season, beating No. 8 Notre Dame in South Bend on Sept. 17, 1-0.
• MSU has been impressive on the road this year, posting a mark of 5-0-1 overall and 3-0 in Big Ten play.
• Michigan State has scored 28 goals this season and allowed 13.
 
SERIES HISTORY
• In the overall series between the Hoosiers and the Spartans, Indiana leads Michigan State, 39-8-5.
• The Hoosiers are 16-3-4 against MSU in Bloomington, with the Spartans last road win coming on Nov. 5, 2014 (3-2).
• Indiana is unbeaten in the last four matches against MSU.
• Last season, IU advanced past the Spartans in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals in penalty kicks.
• During the regular season, the teams played to a 1-1 draw in East Lansing.
• IU has out-scored MSU in the series, 138-33.

Preview

Live Stats

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Interesting. Rennicks still starting. Dorsey is not (maybe playing off bench) and Panchot slots in for him with what is otherwise the same lineup we have used pretty much all yr. Says on twitter Dorsey warming up so maybe just a thing to let all the seniors start on senior day. 

MSU is basically the same team we saw in elite 8 minus a couple guys on D and Krolicki in the mid. Still have Jones, Freitag Sierakowski, the Barone brothers and their goalie Jimmy Hague who were quite the challenge when we played them last year twice. Like us this is their last chance with this elite group as pretty much all their best players are seniors now minus one of the Barone brothers who could go pro. Another elite match up of two of the best teams in college soccer and probably the best team we have seen overall since UK.

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That was an elite half of college soccer. Both teams evenly matched with pretty good chances but no goals against both sides elite defenses'. This is a great test with MSU having the quality of every tourney team from the Sweet 16 and beyond. Good news is we had the wind very strong wind against us in the first half and kept things even so curious to see if having the wind in the second half will matter or if both teams are so good its even throughout. Could see a 0-0 tie easily as well.

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Wow! Great win. Was waiting for other results to finish so I could fully post Big Ten Tourney preview but let’s start with today.

Yet another late clutch goal in the line of many this season. I said in the preview MSU’s biggest weapon was Jimmy Hague their goalie and he did not disappoint making one ridiculous clutch save after another throughout the game thwarting every great opportunity we created. I will say it’s a little easier watching Hague turn things away in amazing fashion like he does it night in and night out versus someone like Rutgers goalie who usually is not great but has a great night just against us.

To go with Hague MSU also has a pretty good attack creating some good chances as well but not on the level we did and Muse was only forced into one pretty nice save. We finally scored even when Hague made a save in OT when he deflected a Gutman cross but Rennicks put in the rebound much like he did in OT winner vs. ND. Heading into postseason tourneys we have had so many clutch goals and moments this year compared to last with our tough schedule. This will bode well for tourneys and the pressure off not having to go undefeated for whole season will also help.

Looking into Big Ten tourney the one minor annoyance is by scoring and costing MSU a point we just put MSU and Maryland into our bracket in the 4 and 5 seed game which will create probably our toughest game left including NCAA tourney in Semi’s in Indy for Big Ten Tourney. Wiscy and Mich are the no. 2 and 3 seeds respectively on the other side of bracket despite possessing far less talent. That means the 1-4-5 side of the bracket has the varsity and the 2-3 is essentially the JV. Also first round is no picnic with potentially NW’s parked bus (or OSU which would be fine) without Dorsey and Rennicks.

The double bit of good news in all of this though is OSU and NW have to play each other on Saturday at Armstrong the day before they play us so whoever gets it will be exhausted. The other bit of good news is the most we could lose Dorsey and Rennicks for is the first round of NCAA tourney and unless we get a terrible draw we should face a pretty weak mid-major or mediocre power conference team. When we get to the MSU level talent or better in Sweet 16 or beyond we will have them back for sure unless they get injured in their tourney (knock on wood that does not happen).

The bad news is that we have absolutely the toughest path possible in the Big Ten Tourney given potential matchups with first NW and their parked bus followed by MSU or Maryland as I said. Game will be at MSU in quarterfinals vs. MD so they have the advantage. Either one is a huge problem but especially MSU as I don’t know how we get one past Hague with Palo up top. I am also not sure how we would get one past St. Clair and the Maryland D either which is just as good but at least they are challenged with scoring so we can bring extra no.’s forward to try. MSU’s attack on the other hand requires full attention and is equally hard to score on. If we find a way in Big Ten semis without our 2 stars it will be one of Yeagley’s better wins at IU. I think we can get past NW or especially OSU in first game (but it may not be easy and require a late winner like today) but would tab us the underdog against either MSU or Maryland. Fortunately by then should have the needed top 4 seed wrapped up for NCAA’s and have only at most one tourney game without them in the big dance.  

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