Michigan State Soccer Wins Big Ten Regular Season and Tournament Championship

Spartan soccer title is a keeper - Seventh straight shutout seals Big Ten sweep

Eric Anderson
For the Lansing State Journal

MADISON, Wis. - Avery Steinlage (right) and Josh Rogers stood and posed for picture after picture Sunday afternoon, smiles frozen on their faces.

And that wasn't just because temperatures hovered in the low 30s at the McClimon Complex.

They were two key pieces to the latest defensive gem for the 16th-ranked Michigan State men's soccer team, a 1-0 victory over No. 18 Indiana in the Big Ten Conference tournament championship game.

Senior forward Doug DeMartin provided the offense with a 57th-minute goal in the third straight 1-0 win for the Spartans (13-5-1), who extended their unbeaten streak to nine (8-0-1) and assured themselves of seeing their name called tonight when the 48-team NCAA tournament field is announced - not that there was any doubt.

But what made this day special, just like the one two weeks ago when MSU celebrated its first Big Ten regular-season title at DeMartin Stadium, was the man who lifted the crystal trophy: Coach Joe Baum.

"To send a coach out on top is fantastic, especially one of Joe's caliber, if you will, the historical magnitude that he has in college soccer in general, you can't really put it into words," said Steinlage, the sophomore goalkeeper who made six saves in his seventh straight shutout.

'Extra special'

Baum called the Spartans' accomplishments in his 32nd season as head coach "extra, extra special.

"If you look at it mathematically, by the RPI index, the Big Ten's the No. 1 conference in the country, and to win the regular season and the tournament in the No. 1 conference in the country, we're very proud," said Baum, whose team also likely will be rewarded with a good seed for the NCAA tournament.

In a program that stresses defense, there's a lot of pride in a stout backline that has allowed only one goal in the past nine matches - that on a penalty kick more than a month ago - and hasn't been scored upon in nearly 700 minutes.

"That's been the huge part of this success," said DeMartin, the Big Ten player of the year and tournament offensive MVP. "That's why we're winning - the defense."

For the second straight game, a defender cleared a ball off the goal line. Rogers did it late in Friday's semifinal win over Northwestern; this time, it was sophomore Nosa Iyoha in the 11th minute, who was in the right place to get the ball out of trouble with the Hoosiers (12-6-3) threatening.

And despite 11-time tournament champion Indiana holding a 19-6 advantage in shots, Steinlage needed to make just two tough saves.