Michigan State University Athletics
2013 Men's Soccer Season Preview - Part One
8/16/2013 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug 16, 2013
WATCH: MSU Men's Soccer 2013 Season Preview
EAST LANSING, Mich. - With the 2013 season fast-approaching, the Michigan State men's soccer team is primed to capitalize on a successful 2012 campaign. Hoping to carry over the momentum as he enters his fifth year at the helm of the Spartans, head coach Damon Rensing is looking forward to what the upcoming season has in store.
"Everybody in the country is 0-0 with national championship aspirations," said Rensing. "We feel good about the group that we have coming back. It's a very good group of leaders and veterans including a good core of sophomores and juniors, but certainly juniors and seniors. I feel like this will be our most competitive team we've had, so it will be a very competitive environment and a very deep team. In that regard, we're pretty excited."
After missing out on the 2012 Big Ten regular season title to in-state rival Michigan, the Spartans had their revenge defeating the Wolverines to become the 2012 Big Ten Tournament champions. The win marked the third tournament title in school history and the second as a No. 5 seed.
Though Michigan State defeated the eventual National Champions Indiana twice during the season, the Spartans fell to No. 3 Notre Dame in the second round of the NCAA tournament to conclude the 2012 season with a 12-10-1 overall record. Despite a slow start, MSU hit its stride mid season and made its 15th NCAA tournament appearance, first since 2010 and fifth in the last six seasons. The experience left a large group of returners with the knowledge of what it takes to make an even more successful 2013 run.
"We had some pieces in place early last season; we had some that looked like they could do well," Rensing said. "But I think that we had to go through some things to really understand how hard it is to win at this level and I thought that by the end of year that group, who is all back now basically, hopefully learned that it is a hard thing and you have to show up every day and that's where the competitive environment, the deep team and the hard schedule, will all come into play. I think we've hopefully jumped that hurdle so that the thing for us now is that we have to get off to a good start. We haven't gotten off to a good start the last couple of years for good reasons, but our guys have earned it. I think they know what it takes to win at this level and that's the most important thing."
21 Spartans will return from the 2012 squad and six newcomers will be added into the mix. A senior class of six leads a strong returning core on a team with depth at every position and have high expectations for what the season may bring. Due to a string of injuries over the past few seasons, several Spartans have playing experience in key positions fueling a healthy competition among the team.
"Any time you have a more competitive environment, the better," said Rensing. "Yet we still have to manage things, because there are only so many minutes that can be played with a lot of capable players. I don't think there are too many guys out there on the roster that I wouldn't feel comfortable playing in games, yet we have to find out the best group of players that can help us win. I think all in all, it's a good group of players. They will work off of each other and feed off each other, so I think that will be great."
In true Spartan fashion, MSU is slated for another tough season of quality non-conference games in addition to a challenging Big Ten conference schedule. Seven NCAA Tournament teams from a year ago, including National Champion Indiana and semifinalist Creighton, help make up the 2013 slate.
"Our schedule is extremely difficult," Rensing said. "We're playing two Final Four teams on the road and a total of seven teams that were in the NCAA Tournament, six of which were in the round of 16, but that's how we want it. Players come to Michigan State to play in those types of games and it has prepared us. We have had success at the end of every year and that's because we've played a tough schedule. I know where my guys are at and what we're capable of. I expect us to win every game. I don't think we're going to be 18-0 necessarily, but if we're prepared as a coaching staff, the players execute the game plan and have the right mentality, then I expect us to beat any team in the country."
Before Rensing and the Spartans kick off the 2013 season with an exhibition game against North Carolina on Aug. 22, preseason coverage will continue with position-by-position breakdowns of this year's squad.
