There was a sour mood around the Michigan State locker room. The Spartans had just endured a frustrating scoreless draw against Oakland — a tepid contest against a dogged opponent.

"We didn't play hard enough, create or capitalize on our chances," head coach Jeff Hosler recalled.

Such a somber attitude seemed appropriate at the time. The Spartans had just lost their first game of the season and desperately needed a win. And for the first time in the past year, the belief — once the cornerstone of this team — seemed in danger of evaporating.

Hosler, though, refused to accept the forlorn faces. He told his team that they had sufficient talent to push on — and could rack up the wins in the following weeks. It was a break from his usual process driven philosophy, a brief glimpse at the bigger picture that Hosler so often tries to avoid. But seven weeks on, the Spartans are 15-1-3, Big Ten Champions and the presumptive favorite to win the conference tournament. Hosler, it seems, was right.

“You look back now at the end of it all, and you go, ‘holy cow, we just we did that,’” Hosler said.

While Michigan State’s rise to the top of the Big Ten has been sudden, Hosler is no stranger to success in the college game. Prior to joining Michigan State, he built Michigan side Grand Valley State into a Division II power, winning three NCAA Tournaments, and losing only 12 games across seven years.

He arrived in East Lansing, Michigan on June 2021, with less than a month to assemble a squad before his first season. Setting to work right away, he turned the Spartans from a one-win team in 2020 to an NCAA Tournament caliber squad by November. In his first full season, the Spartans qualified for the Big Ten Tournament for the first time since 2011.

That winning mentality took a big step forward this season. Heading into the quarterfinals of the Big Ten tournament on Thursday, the Spartans have beaten five ranked opponents and were just the ninth side ever to conclude a Big Ten regular season without losing. What could have been assumed a fluke 2021 season has turned into an arrival on the national scene.

And it was one that Hosler saw coming — albeit indirectly.

In his first few meetings with the team and athletic director, Hosler refused to make guarantees about awards, championships and accolades. Instead, he explained his vision for daily work, attitude and the standard of play he wanted to set. It was a much needed statement of intent for a program that had spent nearly 10 years at the bottom of the conference. Hosler didn’t truly know the team he fielded back on August 19, 2021. But he coaxed a solid season of his squad, sending the Spartans to the Big Ten tournament.

At the time, it was seen as a typical boost brought about by a new coaching staff, an improved season — not necessarily a permanent change. But in spring 2022, Hosler shook things up. He brought in 17 new players, overhauling the squad he had already coached so well. There were quality transfers from Duke, Butler and Colgate. There were exciting recruits from top clubs around the state.

“We're attracting some of the best players in North America because of the style we play, how rapidly this program has taken off,” Hosler said.

Hosler finally had his team. He showed little hesitation in setting it up, too. Some of 2021’s starters saw their playing time slashed. Newcomers were shouldered with heavy minutes. But here was a team constructed, not torn apart. There was a real buzz about the squad through preseason, Hosler said. They were playing the quick, dynamic soccer he envisioned. They kept the ball, created chances, and could turn to distinguished finishers to find the net.

“We keep the ball a lot. We like dribblers, we like creative players. And I think because of the style of play, the belief we have in them, the confidence they're playing with, that's allowed us to be pretty dynamic in the attack, to be very disciplined defensively,” Hosler said.

The early goings of the season were accordingly strong. Bowling Green and Central Michigan were dispatched, as was Dartmouth.

And then, Arkansas.

Fayetteville is a notoriously difficult place to visit. The Razorbacks haven’t lost a home game since 2020, and are often among the nation’s top teams. There’s something intimidating about Razorback Field. The bleachers are steep and close to the pitch. Students heckle from standing sections, pressed up near the sidelines. And in front of nearly 2,000 fans, the Spartans toiled. Though they created a flurry of chances, Arkansas eventually grabbed a winner in the 76th minute — with Bea Franklin nodding in a header from a set piece.

“We played really, really well,” Hosler said. “I felt like maybe we should have been up a goal at halftime and could have completely changed the path. Ultimately Arkansas made plays.”

But that loss — although tough to endure — didn’t derail the season.

“That was our first big game, and we really came out,” Celia Gaynor said. “It's unfortunate that we came with the loss. But I think we proved to ourselves that we can fight and we can play. We can stay with anyone.”

The Spartans haven’t lost since then. They rolled through the Big Ten, dispatching Penn State, Ohio State, Northwestern and Rutgers, finishing the season with an 9-0-1 record.

A series of constants have kept that relentless form going, Hosler said. He arrived in East Lansing to a team lacking in intensity, short on belief. Over the course of his first campaign, he demanded more. And this year, the stakes have been further raised. Part of that has been down to the quality of player. And defender Bria Schrotenboer is one of those who have raised the level. The defender transferred out of Michigan State in early 2021, enrolling at Duke. But homesickness became an issue and she sought out a way to be closer to her Michigan based family. Hosler reached out, encouraging her to return to her previous university — now with an entirely revamped soccer vision. She agreed, pledging another year to the university, despite not having a guaranteed position in the starting lineup as a senior.

“On a day to day basis, there is no getting away with little things. It is very detail-oriented. Everything is focused in every practice,” Schrotenboer said.

When Hosler looks down his bench, he sees the fruition of that approach. He sees a full and versatile squad. He sees a team that had 21 players make more than 10 appearances this year, with valuable minutes coming from everywhere. It’s a squad that has become one of the deepest in the Big Ten, highlighted by seven All-Conference picks.

And it’s that kind of depth that will be needed in the weeks to come. Though Hosler refuses to make projections, there are moments that suggest this could be a special year for the Spartans. Lauren DeBeau’s late screamer to beat Rutgers. The heartbreaking loss at Arkansas. The thrashing of then No. 20 Colorado in response. The 2-1 win over Northwestern in a blustery Evanston, Illinois. These are small moments, flashes made for social media or an appearance on a website.

But for Michigan State, they could be the building blocks towards something special — even if Hosler and co. aren’t quite ready to admit it.