EAST LANSING, Mich. - Coming off its second Big Ten tournament championship since 2004, its first Big Ten regular season title in school history, and NCAA Tournament bids in each of the last two seasons, the Michigan State Spartans enters the 2009 campaign as one of the nation's rising soccer programs.

MSU will look to build on its successes of a season ago as the program finds itself in a new position for the first time in over 30 years. 2009 marks the first time since 1977 that there will be a new head coach roaming the Spartan sideline as Damon Rensing has assumed the reins as head coach from the legendary Joe Baum who retired after last season. Rensing, a former Spartan player, has assisted Baum for the past 10 seasons and will now guide the program that he and Baum helped successfully build over the last several seasons.

Read more at msuspartans.com.

###