To say the MSU men’s soccer team’s (0-1-1) 2012 season didn’t start as they hoped would be an understatement.
The team looked to be off to a good start as the preseason drew to a close, defeating Duke 1-0 and tying Indiana University–Purdue University Fort Wayne, 1-1. But those two MSU preseason goals are the last they’ve managed.
Senior forward Domenic Barone said what the team needs to really focus on right now is its finishing.
“We haven’t scored a goal in a couple games,” he said. “We’ve been getting close here and there, a couple unlucky bounces. We just have to work a little harder and make some more of our own luck. Once we score one, we’ll get on a roll because we’ve got enough talented players to put the ball in the back of the net.”
Friday afternoon, MSU tied Valparaiso 0-0, holding them without a shot on goal for 55 minutes and leaving them only four scoring chances the entire match.
After the game, head coach Damon Rensing noted the ball seemed “a couple inches off” on many shots.
took the field two days later against New Hampshire UNH“We certainly were good defensively,” Rensing said. “We didn’t give up a lot of chances, and (we were) pretty unfortunate on the goal that New Hampshire did score. We’re starting to create chances, and we certainly created enough to get more than we got out of it on Sunday against New Hampshire.
“We’re moving in the right direction. We certainly have to find ways to win whether you get two chances or 20.”
MSU dominated the game in almost every category: 19 shots to seven, seven shots on net to UNH’s three and nine corner kicks to UNH’s two.
But after 103 minutes of play, UNH received a free kick seven yards from MSU junior keeper Bryce Dobbins’ net, scoring and ending the game.
“It’s not like we’re not doing what it takes,” Dobbins said.
“We’re getting the scoring chances. We’re there. The defense has held almost 220 shutout minutes in front of me. I think the main thing is just capitalizing on our chances and making the most of that final pass or final shot.”
Rensing said the team wasn’t happy with the outcome of the first game, but he called the second loss a disappointment.
Now MSU will head to Bowling Green, Ohio, on Wednesday night with the hopes of turning their luck around. The Bowling Green Falcons (1-0) are coming off a 3-0 win against Saint Bonaventure University on Saturday. Junior defender Kevin Cope said the team needs to start clicking to get the ball rolling, and he thinks “Wednesday’s the day.”
After the first away game of the season, the Spartans will return to East Lansing to take on Connecticut at 1 p.m. at DeMartin Stadium at Old College Field.
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