Hoosiers open Big Ten season against Spartans

Despite a perfect 29-0 record against Michigan State all-time in men's soccer, IU is cautious heading into this weekend's Big Ten opener in East Lansing, Mich. IU (4-1-2) heads up to Spartan country to kick-off the 2002 conference season against Michigan State (4-1) at 1:30 p.m. Sunday.\nSunday's match-up will be the fourth meeting between No. 9 IU and No. 22 MSU in just under a year, with the Hoosiers posting three shutouts in 3-0, 2-0 and 1-0 victories. The first win came in the conference season, while IU bounced the Spartans 2-0 to claim the Big Ten Tournament Title. The Hoosiers' 1-0 shutout came in the first round of the NCAA Tournament.\nSophomore midfielder Ned Grabavoy said he believes the Spartans will be confident and looking to knock off Big Ten powerhouse IU.\n"(Michigan State) thinks that this is their year to finally beat IU, so it is really important for us to get off on the right foot," Grabavoy said. "It is going to be an important game, playing away and probably the other top team in the Big Ten this year."\nThe Hoosiers offense will face a tough test as the opposition to Spartan senior keeper Tyler Robinson. Robinson has allowed just one goal in four games played and was named last week's Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week. Robinson has made 26 saves, including 18 saves in the Spartans' weekend matches last week against Hartford and Massachusetts.\nWhile Robinson has stifled opposing offenses, the Hoosiers offense has struggled on its own to finish its opportunities this season. IU has put 77 shots up against its opponents, including 32 on goal. But the Hoosiers offense has managed just seven goals in 580 minutes of play this season.\nIU coach Jerry Yeagley said he does not expect Robinson to give any ground to the Hoosiers.\n"Teams are getting shots on him," Yeagley said. "Hopefully we can test him and maybe the unlucky bounces will become lucky and our final touch will be more positive than it has been. Part of that is us and part of that is a bit of getting the bounce going your way. But we are going to have to beat Robinson; I don't think he is going to give us anything."\nThis weekend's match-up with the Spartans is also important as the Hoosiers look to get the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten tournament, which would give them a valuable bye in the first round. \nIU has garnered the top seed each of the last six seasons and has gone on to win the tournament every year except 2000 when they were upset in the semifinals by No. 5 seed Ohio State.\nYeagley said it is important for the Hoosiers to work for the bye in tournament play.\n"Each Big Ten game is important because of the bye," he said. "It is such an advantage to not have to play three games in four days; it is so difficult to play Thursday, Friday and Sunday. Having the first round off has been a big advantage for us because we have owned that most of the time."\nIU holds a 30-game regular season winning streak in Big Ten play and sophomore goalkeeper Jay Nolly will be looking to keep up that record as he makes the first conference start of his career. In the 29 previous games against the Spartans, IU has outscored MSU 101-6, with the Spartans last goal against the Hoosiers coming in a 2-1 overtime loss at East Lansing in 1996.\nNolly doesn't plan on changing his play to match his Spartan counterpart and expects the IU offense to come though and break Robinson's stellar stretch of performances.\n"I have full confidence back there and I think the defense is confident now," Nolly said. "Now it is just everything coming together and getting that breakthrough game. I do not think we are going to change our game plan, we will just have our normal guys marking their (offensive) players in the back and I am sure with (senior Ryan) Mack and (senior Pat) Noonan up top we can break any goalie"