MSU has sights on tournament despite winless start in Big Ten

Heading into the 2007 season, the MSU women’s soccer team was convinced it was not only good enough to qualify for the Big Ten Tournament but also that it could contend to win the tournament.

Although the Spartans’ conference season hasn’t gone according to plan, they aren’t ready to let that goal slip away.

In order to qualify for the postseason conference tournament, the last-place Spartans need to finish eighth or higher, and the chance for a late season push lies entirely in MSU’s hands.

“The chances of making the Big Ten Tournament are still really good,” head coach Tom Saxton said. “We have three of our last four Big Ten games at home, and the fact that we’re in dead competition right now with Michigan, Northwestern and Wisconsin is favorable to us because we still control our own destiny.”

Northwestern, Wisconsin, U-M and MSU sit at the bottom of the conference fighting one another for the final spot in the tournament.

“We have four more games in the Big Ten and we’re just taking them one game at a time,” senior midfielder Maureen Pawlak said. “It’s like a playoff game every game we go out there, so we know we have to win and we’re definitely ready to go do that.”

The Spartans’ first opponent on tap this weekend is Wisconsin, who, like the Spartans, has struggled to get the ball in the goal. The Spartans are in the midst of a six-game scoreless streak that has Saxton scratching his head.

“All I can do is try to put them in situations in practice to help them gain confidence, because we’ve scored some really nice goals this season,” he said. “We’re just in a slump and quite honestly it’s a slump I’ve never had in my career before.”

The time is now with Wisconsin coming to Old College Field at 4 p.m. Friday and the Spartans hosting Northwestern (6-5-3, 1-3-1) at noon Sunday.

“We know we’re good and we know that in every single game we’ve been right there,” Pawlak said.

“We’re excited for this weekend because they’re definitely two possible games that we could win.

“We’re frustrated, but we’re definitely trying to figure it out.”

Published on Tuesday, October 16, 2007