Men's Soccer Earns Third Consecutive NCAA Championship Bid
11/16/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Nov. 16, 2009
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Spartans' Reaction to NCAA Selection Show
EAST LANSING, Mich. - For the third consecutive season, the Michigan State men's soccer team earned a bid to the NCAA Championship. The Spartans, who received the Championship's No. 14 overall seed and a first-round bye, will take on either Duke or Winthrop on Sunday (Nov. 22) at DeMartin Stadium at 1 p.m.
"It says a lot about the program and it says a lot about these kids," said MSU head coach Damon Rensing. "A lot of the kids in the program are juniors and redshirt juniors so, having been a part of three NCAA Tournaments is a tribute to them and what they've done in their careers and all year."
Playing one of the tougher schedules in the country, Michigan State went 11-7-2 this season. MSU played a total of eight schools that received NCAA berths, going 4-6 in 10 games as it took on Northwestern and Penn State each twice. Possible second-round opponents for the Spartans include Duke, which went 12-6 and finished sixth in the ACC, or Big South Conference Champion Winthrop, which went 11-5-4, who will play Thursday at 7 p.m. in Durham, N.C.
Michigan State is making its 13th NCAA Championship appearance and fifth since 2001. MSU is 17-9-4 all-time in the tournament and it is the second consecutive season the Spartans received a first-round bye.
"It will be a welcomed week of rest where we can get some extra focus," said Rensing. "To be at home and in familiar surroundings is great."
The Spartans joined Penn State, Ohio State, Northwestern and Indiana as the other Big Ten schools that received bids to the NCAA Championship. It marked the second straight year the conference had five schools earn NCAA bids.
Tickets for Sunday's game will be available through the MSU ticket office at 517.355.1610.