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Jess and Jack return for another week of DeMartin Download, as over the last week we saw two massive heartbreaking losses. With the heartbreak also brings a chance to heal and the women’s soccer team can do just that this Saturday as they host round one of the NCAA Tournament.
EAST LANSING- Michigan State Women’s soccer has officially punched a ticket to the College Cup for the third straight season as the No. 5 seed in the top left bracket.
The Spartans currently have a record of 12-2-5. Their two losses came to Washington during the regular season and to Rutgers in the first round of the Big Ten tournament.
“Going out in the Big Ten tournament obviously was pretty upsetting for us,” graduate midfielder Justina Gaynor said. “But having a little bit of time off really allows us to focus on ourselves, get better, get our bodies back, and kind of hone in on some of the things that were a bit of a problem for us over the last couple of games.”
A 1-2 loss to the Scarlet Knights sent the Spartans home after a hard-fought battle in what seemed to be a revenge match after a 1-1 draw that took place earlier in the season.
Now, the Spartans will host Western Michigan, a team down the road, in the first round of the NCAA tournament.
The Broncos are 13-1-6 overall and were crowned this year’s MAC women’s soccer champions, outscoring their opponents 9-1 in their conference tournament.
Graduate forward Jen Blitchok leads the Broncos on all ends, totaling 45 points on the season.
“They’re lethal on the counterattack,” Michigan State’s head coach Jeff Hosler said. “They score lots of goals, and they’re tough to score on, so we’ve got our hands full.”
The home-field advantage will pose a huge threat to the Broncos’ attack as the Spartans remain undefeated on their home turf at DeMartin Field.
The Spartans face the Broncos on Saturday. The first touch is set for noon.
EAST LANSING—No. 18 Michigan State hosted Purdue this afternoon at DeMartin Field to close out the regular season. The Spartans defeated the Boilermakers 3-1 with two late goals to push them ahead.
In the opening 10 minutes of gameplay, Michigan State registered the only shot with an attempt by graduate forward Mackenzie Anthony in the box. Two minutes later, graduate midfielder Justina Gaynor sent a shot over the crossbar.
Graduate goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks picked up her only save in the first 45 minutes of play with a shot by senior forward Lexi Fraley in the 14th minute.
In the 23rd minute, Anthony sent a shot just over the goal line to give the Spartans an early 1-0 lead. The remainder of the first half was dominated by the Spartans, who gained four more corners and forced two saves.
Graduate forward Meg Hughes forced one of those saves by sophomore goalkeeper Emily Edwards, who made an impressive one-legged sliding save to prevent the ball from crossing the goal line.
Despite the heavy attack, the Spartans would not find the back of the net again and headed into the break carrying the 1-0 lead with them.
The Spartans started off the second half with a header by Anthony that goes just wide. Following that header, the Spartans would attempt two more shots, but neither would be on target.
In the 55th minute, Gaynor slotted a pass to sophomore midfielder Bella Najera who sent a shot that went just high over the crossbar.
Senior forward Gracie Dunaway sent a shot to the top right corner of the net forcing Parks to tally another save, however, a second shot from Dunaway one minute later found the corner of the net and would equalize the score 1-1.
The Boilermakers stepped it up and held the Spartans to around 25 minutes of no chances on goal and had Parks step in for two more saves.
In the 80th minute, sophomore defender Renee Watson forced a save by graduate goalkeeper Claire Wyville, which gave the Spartans momentum to finish the last 10 minutes of gameplay.
“When we’re playing well and playing with urgency, I think we’re one of the best teams in the country,” MSU head coach Jeff Hosler stated.
Watson sent a corner kick to a defender, who freshman midfielder Kaleigh McPherson managed to get ahold of. McPherson ripped a left-footed shot, which found the back of the net and scored her first goal in the green and white.
“I’ve been waiting for that all season,” McPherson said. “I’ve had really close chances with that exact same goal, where it’s come down and I’ve been trying to half-volley it, but right there, it was one that I wanted.”
Keeping that same momentum, in the 84th minute, graduate midfielder Gabby Mueller played a ball that found Hughes, who slipped it past Wyville to extend the lead and solidify the Spartan win.
Despite the efforts by the Boilermakers, they would only get one last attempt on goal before the time ran out.
Michigan State earns the No. 4 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will play in the Quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament.
“We have a chip on our shoulder because there were a few opponents in the regular season that we wanted to beat and we probably should have,” McPherson stated. “But we hope that we get to see them again so we can do it all over again.”
The Spartans will take on the No. 5 seed, Rutgers, on Saturday, November 2 in Minnesota.
EAST LANSING- The No. 18 Michigan State women’s soccer team is slated to host Purdue on Sunday afternoon for fan appreciation day in their penultimate outing of the Big Ten regular season.
The Spartans are fresh from back-to-back victories in East Lansing and are vying for their third in a row with the Boilermakers coming to town.
For the 11-1-5 Spartans, sophomore midfielder Bella Najera found the back of the net twice last week, headlined by a game-winner over Northwestern last Sunday, and has only built upon her all-conference campaign from a season ago.
Alongside Najera, junior defender Sofia Beerworth added a three-point night in a 2-0 victory over Wisconsin on Oct. 17, in which she scored her first career goal and assisted on Najera’s goal to strengthen MSU’s lead.
In net, graduate goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks is fresh off of Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week Honors. Parks added two more shutouts to her season sum and a 10-save showing against the Badgers.
The Upper Marlboro, Maryland native became just the third keeper in the conference to receive the award twice in 2024.
There is also a dish of revenge being served in East Lansing this weekend. Graduate midfielder (and former Purdue captain) Emily Mathews spent the first four seasons of her collegiate career with Purdue before turning over to the Spartans.
Mathews is tied with Najera and graduate forward Meg Hughes for the team lead with six goals but is amidst a drought in the scoring department. The Macomb native has not recorded a goal or point since Sept. 19, where her goal spurred MSU to a 4-1 takedown of Nebraska.
In his inaugural season in West Lafayette, head coach Richard Moodie has led the Boilermakers to a 7-8-2 record and a 3-6-1 record in Big Ten play.
The Purdue offense is led by the tantalizing forward duo of junior Chiara Singarella and senior Gracie Dunaway.
Singarella leads the Boilermakers with five goals and 11 points on the year, scoring her most recent goal on Oct. 13 against Ohio State, which was assisted by Dunaway (and Zoie Allen).
Following Mathews’ departure, Dunaway has served as Purdue’s team captain, while the Pennsylvania native is tied with Allen for the team lead with three assists.
With starting goalie Emily Edwards injured and unavailable, it was graduate transfer Claire Wyville who stepped in net for Moodie and company in relief of the sophomore standout.
Wyville recorded her first shutout since Sept. 17 2023 behind a masterful 10-save performance in a home win over Rutgers on Oct. 17, before surrendering two goals in a 2-0 loss in Ann Arbor last weekend.
Sunday’s contest will be the 28th meeting between the Big Ten foes, with Michigan State leading the all-time series, 15-10-2.
The last meeting between the two schools came at DeMartin Stadium on Sept. 25, 2022, in which the Spartans prevailed, 3-1. In their previous duel, both graduate midfielder Justina Gaynor and senior forward Jordyn Wickes netted goals for MSU; while Mathews tallied an assist for Purdue.
Upon their recent victories, Michigan State clinched a first-round bye in the Big Ten tournament and will suit up next on Nov. 2 at Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium.
MSU and Purdue will square off on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. on B1G+. in their regular season finale.
EAST LANSING- The No. 21 Michigan State women’s soccer team has won back-to-back contests following a taxing West Coast road trip. Sitting at 11-1-5 in 2024, Michigan State has seen awe-inspiring play from graduate goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks across the latter half of the season, especially upon returning home from the Pacific Northwest.
As a key part of one of the Big Ten’s top defensive units, Parks was named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week for the second time in 2024.
MSU downed Wisconsin on Thursday and prevailed over Northwestern on Sunday to provide further momentum with the regular season closing.
Parks pitched shutouts against both Big Ten adversaries, accruing a combined 13 saves across matchups in front of the raucous DeMartin Stadium crowd.
The two victories lowered Parks’ goals against average (GAA) to 0.73 as her standout year in front of the Red Cedar Rowdies continued.
In the 2-0 victory over the Badgers, Parks tallied a mesmerizing 10 saves on 18 shots faced, marking her second-highest total across her storied college career. Parks’ 10 saves on Thursday night only trailed her 11 saves in a road victory over No. 9 Penn State back on Sept. 22.
Parks was previously awarded player of the week honors on Sept. 24, following a career-best outing in State College.
When Northwestern came to town on Sunday, the Upper Marlboro, Maryland native maintained her dominance in goal for MSU. Parks added another three saves on four shots faced against the Wildcats, marking her second straight clean sheet and her eighth on the season.
Parks also won in both outings, earning her eighth and ninth wins in 2024 with Purdue on the horizon on Sunday afternoon.
In her second season in East Lansing on the heels of her transfer from Wake Forest, Parks established herself as one of the most impressive keepers countrywide.
In her breakout campaign, Parks is tied for third in the Big Ten averaging 4.20 saves per game, while her 85.1% save percentage ranks second among all Big Ten goalies who have played 1,000 minutes or more.
Parks, with her new hardware, and Michigan State will close out regular season action with a home tilt against Purdue on Sunday at 1:00 p.m. ET.
EAST LANSING- On the heels of a staggering start to the season, the No. 21 Michigan State women’s soccer team’s strenuous schedule finally began to take its toll. Since their Sept. 22 victory over No. 9 Penn State, MSU has obtained a record of 2-1-2, as fatigue started to show for one of the Big Ten’s heaviest hitters.
Following a West Coast road trip in which they dropped their first match of the season in Washington, the 10-1-5 Spartans are slated to host Big Ten foe Northwestern on Sunday afternoon in their second to last match of the regular season.
Upon their return to East Lansing, MSU persevered past the jet lag to prevail 2-0 over the visiting Wisconsin Badgers on Thursday night. The triumph spurred the Spartans to clinch a berth in the Big Ten Tournament and marked their first win over Wisconsin at DeMartin Stadium since Oct. 19, 2007.
In the victory, sophomore defender Sofia Beerworth netted her first goal in the green and white while tallying an assist on a surgical strike from sophomore midfielder Bella Najera.
Mere weeks removed from earning Big Ten Goaltender of the Week honors, graduate goalie Kaitlyn Parks continued her dominance in net for MSU. Parks tallied ten saves en route to tallying her seventh clean sheet and tenth win on the year despite the Badgers winning the shot battle.
Michigan State is 7-0-3 when playing in East Lansing in 2024, as DeMartin Stadium has become one of the most raucous home environments in the Big Ten as of late.
Spurred by a stupendous header goal from senior defender Emma Phillips and a three-point night from freshman phenom Kennedy Roesch, the Wildcats are buzzing on the heels of a dominant 3-0 victory in Ann Arbor.
Roesch scored her team-leading sixth goal of the season against the Wolverines, the most by a Northwestern freshman since 2010. Roesch is second in scoring among all active Big Ten freshmen in a dazzling display in her inaugural campaign at the collegiate level.
In net for Northwestern, junior goalie Reiley Fitzpatrick shut down the Michigan offense. The Ashburn, Virginia native accrued a season-high six saves and racked up her sixth clean sheet of the season while lowering her goals against average (GAA) to 1.01 in 2024.
Despite the recent victory, it has been a season to forget in Evanston at 6-8-3. Thursday night’s victory over Michigan marked their first Big Ten win of 2024, snapping nearly a two-month winless skid for Northwestern.
The Wildcats are 1-3 in ranked matchups this season, with their lone ranked win of the season coming on Sept. 8, against No. 21 Virginia Tech.
Michigan State and Northwestern are set to square off for the 29th time on Sunday, with the Spartans leading the series, 14-12-2. MSU also possesses a 6-5-1 edge over the Wildcats in front of the Red Cedar Rowdies, though Michigan State has not defeated Northwestern in East Lansing since Oct. 2010.
No. 21 Michigan State and Northwestern will face off at DeMartin Stadium at 1:00 p.m., ET on B1G+.
Jess and Jason are on the mics this week discussing Michigan State’s women’s soccer team’s return from the West Coast and the men’s team victory over another ranked team as soccer season ticks closer to post-season play.
EAST LANSING- Michigan State women’s soccer dropped in rankings to No. 21 following a tough West Coast run this past week. Last night they shut out the Wisconsin Badgers 2-0 under the lights at DeMartin tonight.
The match was very shot-heavy, recording 18 from the Badgers and 17 from the Spartans.
This kept the goalkeepers busy as Badgers sophomore goalkeeper Drew Stover recorded seven saves and Spartans graduate goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks recorded 10.
“I think we really came out hard and with a lot of intensity and we proved that we were a better team in the end with the result,” sophomore midfielder Bella Najera said.
Graduate forward Meg Hughes opened gameplay in the third minute with a shot to the bottom right of the net, forcing a save by Stover, setting the notion for how the match will be played.
This will be one of five shots for Hughes in the 90 minutes of gameplay.
Just a few minutes later, junior defender Sofia Beerworth curved a shot, hitting the left post, to net her first goal this season in the 10th minute giving the Spartans a very early lead.
Sofia Beerworth scores her first ever goal as a Spartan in MSU’s victory over Wisconsin (East Lansing, Oct. 17, 2024). (Cole Pannell)“It felt so great being my first Spartan goal, especially and it was just the boost the team needed to get our energy up there and continue going at it,” Beerworth stated.
With the Badgers looking for an equalizer, Parks recorded two more saves in the following physical 15 minutes, where two yellow cards were issued to the Badgers.
The Spartans defense locked down to keep the 1-0 lead heading into the first half with a 9-7 shot advantage.
“Sometimes when we go into halftime 0-0, that just makes it more stressful,” Najera said. “So, getting an early goal just really takes the stress out of the game and we can just kind of calm down, take a breath, and just try to keep it going.”
Immediately into the start of the second half, Hughes would send another shot to force another Badger save.
It would then be a back-and-forth possessive game until freshman forward Adelle Francis had a massive breakaway in the 66th minute, sending a shot to extend the lead, but her strike landed in the hands of Stover.
Not even a minute later, sophomore midfielder Bella Najera sent a right-footed shot to the bottom left of the net, extending the Spartans lead to 2-0.
The Badgers proceeded to rack up shots to avoid a shutout, but could not make it past the Spartans back line. This game would be Parks’ seventh shutout on the season.
“The focus has to be back to what’s made the program great, which is focusing on the daily process and really challenging yourself to be the best in the day with it,” Michigan State head coach Jeff Hosler said.
The Spartans moved to 10-1-5 overall while the Badgers dropped to 7-4-4.
Michigan State hosts Northwestern this Sunday at 1 p.m. The game will be aired on Big Ten Plus.
EAST LANSING– No. 5 Michigan State Women’s Soccer has extended their best start in program history, staying undefeated through 14 games.
The Spartans headed west this week to take on the new additions to the Big Ten conference and will face Washington this afternoon.
Thursday night, the Spartans opened their West Coast play against Oregon. After a hard-fought 90 minutes, they would settle for a scoreless draw.
Michigan State is now the last remaining team in NCAA DI soccer to have not lost a game this season.
Washington is coming off a stellar 3-1 win, zipping past the Michigan Wolverines and extending their overall record to 7-4-2.
Senior forward Ioanna Papatheodorou currently leads the Huskies with 12 points, five points and two assists. Sophomore forward Samiah Shell is tied with Papatheodorou with five goals as well.
Papatheodorou and Shell were the lonesome goal-scorers in the recent match against Michigan.
The Spartans continue to push to keep their undefeated streak alive and will rely on graduate goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks in this afternoon’s match to face the Huskies quick-footed forwards.
Parks has posted six total shutouts on the season and has recorded 49 saves. She has only allowed nine goals to be scored against her, making her save percentage an incredible 0.845%.
Parks was named both the NCAA Player of The Week and the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week a couple of weeks ago following her dazzling performances in goal against Ohio State and Penn State.
The game will be aired on Big Ten Plus as first touch is set for 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT.
EAST LANSING: The No. 5 Michigan State women’s soccer team is still in the midst of a historic season, as their unbeaten season through 13 games has shattered program records.
Following consecutive draws to No. 11 Ohio State and Rutgers, the Spartans took on in-state adversary Michigan at DeMartin Stadium on Saturday night.
The Big Ten rivals took a 0-0 stalemate into the break, as neither team could find their groove offensively. Michigan State made various masterful defensive plays, including miraculous saves from goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks (35th minute) and defender Maggie Illig (59th) for MSU.
After 75 minutes of scoreless ball elapsed, graduate midfielder Emily Mathews drew a foul in the box, setting up a Spartan penalty kick.
Graduate forward Justina Gaynor was called upon to break the tie and break the tie she did. In the 76th minute, Gaynor netted the PK to spur Michigan State to a 1-0 triumph, marking head coach Jeff Hosler’s 50th at MSU and his third straight victory over the Wolverines.
The attendance in East Lansing in the victory consisted of a record-smashing 5,145 people, over double the capacity at DeMartin Stadium and the highest attendance rate in Michigan State soccer history.
After the game, Gaynor said she was “speechless” at the turnout, having to take in the view beforehand.
“To think a couple of years ago where we were and where we are now, it’s unreal,” Gaynor said. “It was just amazing and we’re very thankful for everyone that came out and supported (us). It was just awesome.”
Midfielder Justina Gaynor celebrating with her teammates after a goal against the Michigan Wolverines. (Oct. 5, 2024) (Cole Pannell )Sitting at 9-0-4 and atop the Big Ten standings, Michigan State is set to embark on a road trip to the Pacific Northwest, taking on Oregon tonight before heading up to Seattle to square off with Washington on Sunday.
For the two Big Ten squads donning green and white, it has been a tale of two vastly different seasons. In East Lansing, it has been a rousing success, whereas it has been a season to forget in Eugene.
Despite their similar color scheme, the Ducks have yet to encounter the same success on the field as MSU. Oregon has a record of 5-8 on the season while currently amid a three-game skid.
Across the disastrous stretch for the Big Ten newcomers, Oregon has been outscored 6-1 with the lone goal coming by virtue of a penalty kick from defender Makoto Nezu. Redshirt junior goalkeeper Maddy Goldberg was handed a red card in the Ducks’ last outing, a 2-0 loss to No. 21 USC, making a disappointing outing far worse.
The Ducks most recently found the win column in a 2-0 triumph over Maryland on Sept. 22 behind goals from Nezu and senior midfielder Haley McWhirter.
While Oregon’s offense has proven to be dormant, McWhirter has been a lone bright spot. The transfer played a part in both goals scored in the victory in College Park, but also saw two of her strikes reach the back of the net in Oregon’s latest home victory over Sacramento State on Sept. 8.
McWhirter leads the Ducks in points (nine) and is tied for the team lead in goals (three) in her inaugural season in Oregon upon her arrival in Eugene from Mississippi State.
Despite their offensive woes, Goldberg has quickly established herself as one of the most prolific keepers in the conference.
Goldberg’s 56 saves are second among all Big Ten goalies, averaging a stout 4.31 saves per game.
Despite Oregon falling 2-0 at the hands of USC, Goldberg attained seven saves in her last outing in net. The Pleasanton, California native tallied six saves before her early exit against the Trojans while obtaining a career-high 11 saves in a Sept. 14 loss to UCLA.
Vying for their second victory in conference play and first Big Ten win at Pape Field, Oregon will face a tall task in slowing down the No. 5 Spartans’ potent offensive attack.
Michigan State and Oregon will face off tonight at 9:30 p.m. ET (6:30 p.m. Pacific) on the Big Ten Network.
DeMartin Download is back! Jess and Jack talk MSU men’s and women’s soccer as the men’s team is back on track after a rocky start, and the women’s team continues to stay ranked in the top five nationally. MSU men’s soccer prepares for a big test against Maryland this weekend, as the women’s team hosts rival Michigan.
EAST LANSING- In a heavy defensive battle throughout all 90 minutes, No. 1 Michigan State walks away from the match against Rutgers with a 1-1 draw ending the Rutgers shutout streak.
The first 10 minutes of the game were very physical, and the score remained 0-0. Rutgers registered one shot in those opening minutes.
Late into the 12th minute, graduate forward Mackenzie Anthony had a header that went wide, giving MSU’s first goal-scoring chance of the game.
The Spartans continued to maintain heavy possession of the ball and tallied three shots by the 25th minute but struggled to find the back of the net.
Sophomore defender Mimi Hallier registered a shot that was just wide of the goal in the 27th minute.
“The details matter, and we didn’t take care of the very specific details that we knew we had to be successful today,” MSU head coach Jeff Hosler stated.
With five minutes remaining in the first half, Rutgers sent a shot flying past Spartan defense, but graduate goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks kept the game scoreless with a diving save.
Michigan State racked up seven shots compared to the Rutgers three, both teams headed into the break scoreless.
Rutgers opened up the second half firing a dangerous shot that Parks saved in the 63rd minute to keep the game scoreless.
The next 20 minutes of the game would be a heavy defensive battle between the two squads.
To gain momentum, graduate midfielder Justina Gaynor passed a ball from the midfield to redshirt freshman forward Adelle Francis who slotted it to Anthony just inside the box.
Anthony was able to find the bottom left of the net for a massive goal that would give the Spartans a 1-0 lead and end the Rutgers shutout streak.
MSU forward Mackenzie Anthony slots the go-ahead goal in MSU’s matchup versus Rutgers. (Sept. 29, 2024)Parks continued to rack up two saves in the following five minutes, but the game would remain in the Spartans favor.
In the 86th minute, the Spartans were called for a handball in the box after several minutes of video review. This allowed Rutgers to tie up the game with a penalty kick scored by redshirt freshman Gabriela Gil with just four minutes remaining in the match.
“After the goal was scored, you just have to keep your cool, calm and composure, and a big way that is just to keep the ball,” Hosler said. “If you keep it and move it, they don’t have it, you can’t be called for a foul if you’re in possession.”
In the remaining minutes, the Spartans scrambled to gain their lead back but were not able to find the net by the time the clock ran out.
MSU outshot Rutgers 11-10 by the end of what was an extremely physical and defensive match by both squads. The Spartans remain undefeated in play this year with a record of 8-0-4. The Scarlet Knights move to 8-1-2.
No. 1 Michigan State will host their rivals, Michigan, on Saturday, October 5 at 7 p.m.
EAST LANSING— Ranked first in the United Soccer Coaches poll, Michigan State women’s soccer returns to East Lansing after facing No. 9 Penn State and No. 11 Ohio State on the road. Tomorrow, MSU returns to DeMartin Stadium to face Rutgers.
Following a 2-2 draw against Ohio State on Thursday, MSU extends their undefeated record to 8-0-3, the best start in program history.
Graduate forward Meg Hughes and goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks tapped in goals for the Spartans. Hughes now leads the team with 16 points.
Parks was named Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week and NCAA Player of the Week after her dazzling performances against Nebraska and Penn State. Against the Buckeyes, Parks recorded seven saves and netted her first goal off a penalty kick.
Rutgers record is 8-1-1 but has been undefeated 4-0 in conference play. Sophomore forward Ashley Baran tapped in the game-winning goal to beat Michigan 1-0 on Thursday.
Redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer made her four recorded saves solely in the first half.
The Scarlet Knights now have recorded seven straight shutout wins and have not allowed any goals to be scored in 640 minutes of play. This is their longest stretch of shutouts since 2017.
The Spartans will look to sophomore defender Renee Watson in the contest against the Scarlet Knights.
Watson recently returned from the 2024 FIFA U-20 Women’s World Cup, representing Team Canada in Colombia. She returned to the Spartans for conference play and had a great shot against the Buckeyes that ricocheted off the right post.
Her return adds another strong piece to this MSU backline looking to continue the success they have had all year.
The Spartans look to end Rutgers shutout streak tomorrow, September 29. First touch is set for noon and the game will be aired on Big Ten Plus.
EAST LANSING- In the wake of a 1-0 victory over No. 9 Penn State in Happy Valley, the Michigan State women’s soccer team won their fifth match heading into tonight’s tilt in Columbus.
For the first time in program history, the Spartans were the top-ranked team in the country and their 8-0-2 record through ten games was the most prolific start in program history. In Jeff Hosler’s third season in green and white.
Graduate goalie Kaitlyn Parks was awarded Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week honors behind a career-high 11 saves in MSU’s shutout victory over Penn State.
On the heels of her sizzling performance as of late, Parks has allowed just one goal across three conference wins, decreasing her goals allowed on average (GAA) to 0.75.
Following Sunday’s victory, DeMartin Stadium is home to four players with ten or more points; graduate transfers Meg Hughes and Emily Mathews, sophomore midfielder Bella Najera, and graduate student midfielder Justina Gaynor.
Gaynor leads Michigan State with six assists in 2024, though scored the lone goal of the contest in the third minute last weekend, a strike that was the driving force behind MSU’s standing atop the United Soccer Coaches Poll.
Gaynor’s game-winner was her third of the season, tying her with three other players for third among all Big Ten scorers.
In the case of Hughes and Mathews, both women quickly made their presence felt in East Lansing upon their arrival through the transfer portal, leading Michigan State in goals and points.
The duo have been key to MSU’s success early on, as the Spartans lead the Big Ten in goals, assists, and goal differential due to a potent offense led by the transfer tandem of Hughes and Matthews.
Ohio State is sitting at 7-1-2 early on in the season, and is unbeaten in front of the home crowd at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium, fresh off a 2-1 win over Northwestern in their last outing on Sunday.
On the offensive end, the Buckeyes have dazzled early on in large part due to their dynamic duo of Amanda Schuleter and Kailyn Dudkovich up front. Dudkovich, an all-Big Ten Second Team honoree in 2023 has only built upon her 2023 standout campaign in her senior season.
Dudukovich and Schuleter have ushered the Ohio State offense to new heights, with both players among the top five in the Big Ten in both goals scored and points.
However, the duo are the only two members of head coach Lori Walker-Hock’s unit who have eclipsed the ten-point plateau to date.
Minding the net for OSU is junior Molly Pritchard, whose 36 saves place sixth among all Big Ten goalkeepers. Pritchard has allowed just four goals for the Buckeyes this season in over 800 minutes in net, tallying just a 0.44 GAA.
Historically, Michigan State has been subpar when suiting up in Columbus, losing 13 of the 16 contests that took place when visiting Ohio State.
Ahead of their 30th meeting of all time, MSU holds a 2-0-1 advantage across their last three meetings, though the Spartans clinched the Big Ten regular season title at Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in October of 2022.
Michigan State and Ohio State will face off tonight at 7:00 p.m. before the Spartans return home to East Lansing to host Rutgers on Sunday at noon for MSU’s Alumni Day.
EAST LANSING— Michigan State’s graduate goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks has been named the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week for the first time in her career.
Parks has played a huge role in the Spartan’s victories against Maryland and Nebraska but contributed the most in the recent contest against Penn State.
September 12, the Spartans kicked off Big Ten play on the road at Maryland. Parks recorded one save and allowed no goals in her 90 minutes of playing time. This marked her third shutout of the season and the Spartans walked away with a 5-0 win against the Terrapins.
On Thursday night, the Spartans defeated Nebraska 4-1 at home. Parks recorded one save and allowed one goal in all 90 minutes of her playing time.
On Sunday afternoon, the Spartans traveled to Happy Valley to take on the No. 9 Penn State. Parks recorded her fourth shutout of the season and had a massive career-high of 11 saves to put the Spartans 1-0 over the Nittany Lions.
So far this season, Parks maintains a goals-allowed average of just 0.75 and has racked up an impressive total of 31 saves.
No. 1 Michigan State will take on No. 11 Ohio State this Thursday, September 26th at 7 p.m. in Columbus.
EAST LANSING- On Thursday night, the No. 5 Michigan State women’s soccer team returned to action in front of the Spartan faithful, hosting 2023 Big Ten co-champion Nebraska at DeMartin Stadium ahead of a rivalry tilt with No. 9 Penn State in State College.
The Spartans held on to a 2-1 lead headed into halftime, courtesy of goals from graduate transfers Meg Hughes (forward) and Emily Matthews (midfielder), but not without a Cornhusker goal courtesy of Sadie Waite.
The impact transfers only added to their sizzling start in green and white, as the pair lead MSU in points and are within the top 10 in the Big Ten in points in their final seasons of eligibility.
Matthews’ goal was her second in as many games for the Spartans, with another strike reaching the back of the net in the 5-0 thrashing of Maryland last Thursday.
Ultimately, Michigan State prevailed by a score of 4-1, with senior forward Jordyn Wickes and sophomore defender Ella Janz adding to the score sheet for MSU.
The Spartans’ 2024 record improved to a sizzling 7-0-2, notching their best start since 2009 when they also started 7-0-2.
Michigan State’s dynamic offense has seen sustained success in recent weeks, with the Spartan offense accruing four or more goals in three of the last four contests spearheaded by the terrifying trio of Hughes, Matthews, and sophomore midfielder Bella Najera
Wickes’ goal was her first of the season on the heels of the senior’s significant knee injury in the spring, likening the recovery process to “the hardest year of my life”.
“It’s been really hard to come back from this and to be able to see myself out there making a difference and to watch the ball go in the back of the net like it used to for me, I mean, it was everything,” Wickes said.
“That moment meant so much to me.”
Despite a three-goal victory, Michigan State head coach Jeff Hosler was still unsatisfied, feeling that Michigan State missed too many opportunities.
The missed opportunities were something that Hosler emphasized needed to be worked on now that Big Ten play is in full swing.
“We have got to be more efficient,” Hosler said.
Despite his qualms with offensive production at points, Hosler and Wickes both emphasized the importance of such a home victory with MSU set to play in front of a raucous Penn State crowd come Sunday.
As for the Nittany Lions, they have won three straight headed into the duel with the Spartans, including a 1-0 home victory over Northwestern on Thursday.
Penn State has scored nine goals across their three-game win streak, spurred by a dazzling offensive showing from redshirt senior forward Kaitlyn MacBean.
MacBean, who is second in the conference in both points and goals, netted two goals and tallied five points over PSUs last three matches headed into Sunday, including the lone goal in Penn State’s most recent outing against the Wildcats.
The Nittany Lions’ stout defensive gameplan has also contributed to their bout of recent success, having only allowed one goal over the course of their win streak while blanking both Big Ten foes they faced in Michigan and Northwestern.
With both squads red-hot going into Sunday afternoon, it’s a must-win for both the Spartans and Nittany Lions with both teams atop the Big Ten conference standings.
To conclude PSU’s four-game home-stand, Michigan State and Penn State will square off at Jeffrey Field on Sunday at 2:00 p.m. on B1G+.
EAST LANSING— No. 5 Michigan State cruised to a 4-1 victory Thursday night over Nebraska in DeMartin Stadium to remain undefeated. They now have the best start to a season since 2009.
In the first 10 minutes, both squads were unable to get the ball rolling offensively, recording zero shots from either team.
The Spartans scored first with a goal in the 21st minute by graduate forward Meg Hughes, assisted by graduate midfielder Gabby Mueller.
“She had some really good moments today,” said head coach Jeff Hosler when asked about Mueller.
“She’s in tighter areas, and she can maneuver a little bit better maybe than a 5 ‘8, 5’ 9 kid that you typically see in the Big Ten, but she also has a really high IQ.”
With 10 minutes to go in the first half, the Spartans gained offensive possession of the ball after a long defensive battle between the two teams. Redshirt freshman forward Adelle Francis began with a header, and freshman midfielder Kaleigh McPherson attempted to extend the lead with a shot ricocheting off the crossbar.
In the 43rd minute, Huskers junior midfielder Sadie Waite sent a ball off the crossbar to score a goal which was placed under review. A few moments later, the goal would be confirmed to give the Huskers an equalizer at 1-1.
However, the Spartans responded a minute later with a goal by graduate midfielder Emily Mathews to the top left corner of the net, assisted by junior defender Remini Tillotson to give the lead back to them going into halftime. This is Mathews sixth goal this season.
The Spartans tallied six shots and five corner kicks while Nebraska tallied four shots and three corner kicks at the half.
Coming out of the break, Nebraska struggled to get past the Spartans defense, allowing MSU to escalate offensively and rally up more chances to extend their lead. In the 70th minute, graduate midfielder Justina Gaynor assisted senior forward Jordyn Wickes for their third goal of the game and Wickes first goal of the season.
Just three minutes later, graduate forward Mackenzie Anthony looked to get another goal, but instead, forced another save by Nebraska’s junior goalkeeper Cece Villa.
Graduate forward Mackenzie Anthony slides for a block against the Nebraska Cornhuskers. (Peyton Skiver)Sophomore defender Ella Janz scored her second goal in back-to-back games to push the Spartans lead to 4-1 and solidify their victory, keeping their undefeated streak alive.
The Spartans dominated offensively with 15 shots compared to the eight shots by Nebraska.
“I thought we were pretty flat in the first half. I think we were clearly much better in the second half, especially winning balls and collecting seconds that we did almost none of in the first half,” said Hosler.
MSU improves their record to 7-0-2 overall and 2-0 in conference play while Nebraska falls to 3-5 overall and 0-2 in conference play.
No. 5 Michigan State takes on No. 9 Penn State on the road on Sunday, September 22.
EAST LANSING– Michigan State Women’s Soccer has been ranked fifth in the United Soccer Coaches Poll for three straight weeks. The Spartans will host their first home Big Ten conference game this season against Nebraska in DeMartin Stadium tonight.
Thursday night, the Spartans opened Big Ten play and dominated in their game against the Terrapins. The final score was 5-0.
Sophomore midfielder Bella Najera, junior defender Allie Mairn, graduate midfielder Emily Mathews, sophomore defender Ella Janz, and freshman defender Julia Belli all tapped in a goal for the win.
The Spartans are now ranked No. 1 in the RPI rankings, which was released on Monday.
Nebraska, the Big Ten co-champions from last season, opened their conference play Thursday night with a 0-2 loss against No. 18 ranked Iowa.
Tonight, the Huskers will turn to senior forward Sarah Weber who currently leads the team in points with six goals and two assists.
In the 2023 season, Weber totaled 43 shots on goal while recording 16 goals. Weber was named to the Big Ten Players to Watch list during the preseason.
For the Spartans, they will look to sophomore midfielder Bella Najera and graduate student midfielder Emily Mathews.
Najera is coming off a very strong 2023 season where she recorded 24 points (tied for first on the team), with nine goals and six assists, and was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year.
MSU freshman forward/midfielder Bella Najera scores her first of two goals on a penalty kick in a win against Ohio in the NCAA tournament on Friday, November 10, 2023 at DeMartin Stadium. (Jack Moreland)Prior to the season, Najera was named to the Big Ten Players to Watch list and has put up impressive numbers so far with four goals and two assists.
Against the Terrapins last week, Najera opened the game and Big Ten play with a goal early into the second minute.
Mathews, a transfer from Purdue, so far has recorded five goals and one assist. Her most notable game was against Queens, where she dominated offensively and totaled three goals for a hat trick and one assist. Mathews also recorded a goal against the Terrapins last week.
MSU comes into Thursday’s contest 6-0-2, while Nebraska is looking to reach .500, with a current record of 3-4. The game will be aired on Big Ten Network as the first touch is set for 6 p.m.
EAST LANSING– Ranked 5th in the United Soccer Coaches Poll for the second straight week, Michigan State women’s soccer begins Big Ten play against Maryland on the road at College Park.
The Spartans concluded their non-conference season undefeated with a record of 5-0-2. This is the second time they achieved this in the Jeff Hosler era. The first was in the 2021 season.
On Sunday, the Spartans defeated Loyola University Chicago with a score of 1-0. Graduate student Justina Gaynor scored the game’s only goal in the 84th minute assisted by freshman midfielder Grace Jackson, this marked her first collegiate point.
Maryland concluded their non-conference season with a record of 3-2-3, winning their last game with a shutout victory of 4-0 against Virginia Commonwealth University.
Sophomore Kennedy Bell scored twice, while sophomore Peyton Bernard and junior Delaney DeMartino each chipped in a goal.
The Terrapins tonight will rely on Bell, and senior goalkeeper Liz Beardsley.
Bell was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2023. Following her fierce performance against Virginia Commonwealth University, Bell now leads the team in points, goals, and shots on goal.
Beardsley is the Terrapins only goalkeeper who recorded six shutouts in a single season (2023) since coming to the Big Ten conference in 2014. In the Terrapins contest against Virginia Commonwealth University, Beardsley had a season-high of seven saves.
As for the Spartans, graduate students, Gaynor and Meg Hughes will strive to keep Michigan State undefeated while starting conference play with a win
MSU senior midfielder Justina Gaynor scores a penalty kick against Illinois on Thursday, October 19, 2023 at DeMartin Stadium. (Peyton Skiver)In the 2023 season, Gaynor recorded the most minutes totaling 1,763, and tied for first in points with twenty-four. Gaynor was also named Big Ten Midfielder of the Year.
Prior to the season, she was named Midfielder to Watch by the United Soccer Coaches as well as a Big Ten Player to watch for 2024.
Gaynor has had a very impressive start to the season, her game-winner against Loyola Chicago is just the start of her season’s success.
Hughes, a transfer from Providence, put up impressive stats before joining the Spartans. Hughes started all twenty games and was named to the First Team All Big-East honors.
Prior to this season, Hughes was listed on the United Soccer Coaches Forwards to Watch list and currently leads the team with ten points and eleven shots on goals. Hughes had two back-to-back goals against Queen’s University on September 5.
The game will be on B1G+ as the first touch is set for 7 p.m.
EAST LANSING– The Michigan State women’s soccer team, ranked fifth in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, continues season action at DeMartin Field today against Queens University of Charlotte.
This will be the first time the Royals and Spartans face off in women’s soccer.
The Royals are coming off a 2-0 win against Winthrop, with goals scored by sophomore Madeline Cheatham in the 5th minute and junior Sejla Podzic in the 60th minute, assisted by senior Girah Durant. This win advanced their record to 3-2-0 on the year.
The Spartans stay undefeated with a record of 3-0-2, forcing a draw (2-2) against Xavier. Those who scored during the outing was sophomore Bella Najera in the 76th minute and junior Maggie Illig in the 77th minute. Graduate student Justina Gaynor provided both assists for the Spartans.
They look to keep the undefeated streak alive as conference play quickly approaches.
Key players to watch for the Spartans in today’s game will be midfielder Gaynor and goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks. In the match against Xavier, Gaynor had a season-high 2 assists in the game, tying her record from the 2023 season against Iowa. Parks had a season-high of eight saves, close to her 2023 record of nine saves in the contest against Ohio State.
MSU fans will also celebrate Youth Soccer Night.
All youth soccer players who wear their soccer jerseys will receive free admission into DeMartin Field for tonight’s game. First touch is set for 7:00 p.m.
EAST LANSING — As the Season fast approaches the rankings are in and many eyes are on the Spartans after a historic 2023 season.
The Spartans being upset by the Hawkeyes in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament did not deter the Spartans.
The back-to-back Big Ten regular season champions have high expectations coming into the 2024 season.
The program made history last season after making it to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA College Cup. For the second year in a row Michigan State is ranked in the preseason polls for the first time in the program’s history.
The Spartans are ranked No. 13 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll, and No. 16 in the Top Drawer Soccer. Graduate Transfer Meg Hughes has been named a 2024 United Soccer Coaches midfielder to watch.
The reigning Big Ten midfielder of the year Justina Gaynor has been named a 2024 United Soccer Coaches Midfielder to watch for the second year in a row.
Justina Gaynor has also been named along with the 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year Bella Najera and Regan Dalton have all been named to the 2024 Big Ten Conference players to watch.
Top Drawer Soccer was done just there with Michigan State as Justina Gaynor is No. 9 in the preseason top 100 and Bella Najera at No. 33. Gaynor and Najera are also a part of the Top Drawer Soccer preseason first and third team respectively.
Justina Gaynor was also named to the prestigious MAC Herman trophy watch list. Gaynor just being the third Spartan in program history to be named to the watch list.
On Thursday, the Spartans opened their season against No. 15 ranked Notre Dame and won 2-1. Goals came from Gabby Mueller in the third minute, and Justina Gaynor in the 45th minute assisted by Emerson Sargeant
Michigan State continues its season against Arkansas for its DeMartin Stadium debut on August 22 at 7 p.m.
EAST LANSING- The Michigan State women’s soccer team could not be more prepared for success. Head coach Jeff Hosler and the Spartans are coming off two Big Ten Championships.
The Spartans placed first in the Big Ten in the 2022 season and followed it up in 2023 on October 22, when the No. 14 ranked Spartans defeated Iowa 3-0 to win their second straight Big Ten Championship.
Looking forward to 2024, MSU adds 11 new freshmen to the roster:
#8 Grace Jackson: 5’7 midfielder from Hudson, OH.
#15 Julia Belli: 5’8 defender from Dublin, OH.
#16 Kaleigh McPherson: 5’3 midfielder from Saint Charles, Mo.
#20 Shelby Vaughn: 5’5 forward from Creston, OH.
#24 Cassidy Corcione: 5’4 defender from Howell, N.J.
#25 Samantha Maroni: 5’8 defender from Centennial, Colo.
#27 Gabriella Paonessa: 5’9 midfielder from Rochester Hills, Mich.
#30 Ava Panduren: 5’5 forward from Almont, Mich.
#33 Lexi Grundler: 5’11 goalkeeper from Brentwood, Tenn.
#34 Madelyn Rousseau: 5’4 forward from Windsor, ON.
#11 Adelle Francis (Redshirt freshman): 5’7 forward from Perrysburg, OH.
Leaders running it back for the 2024 season
After a red-hot freshman year, forward/midfielder Bella Najera steps into another opportunity to keep the Spartans on top of the Big Ten.
MSU freshman forward/midfielder Bella Najera scores her first of two goals on a penalty kick in a win against Ohio in the NCAA tournament on Friday, November 10, 2023 at DeMartin Stadium. (Jack Moreland)The incoming sophomore finished her 2023 season tied for first on the team in points with 24. Najera was able to lead the team in goals, finding the back of the net nine times.
Najera was named Big Ten Freshman of the Year and earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team and Big Ten Second Team.
Head coach Hosler will look to Najera once again to lead a young and talented Spartan squad.
Justina Gaynor will also return to Hosler and the Spartans as a graduate student. Gaynor tied Najera with 24 total points in the 2023 season while leading the team in assists with 12.
MSU senior midfielder Justina Gaynor scores a penalty kick against Illinois on Thursday, October 19, 2023 at DeMartin Stadium. (Peyton Skiver)Gaynor earned a flurry of honors including Big Ten Midfielder of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten, United Soccer Coaches First Team All-North Region, CSC First Team Academic All-America, and Academic All-Big Ten.
The graduate student will be another key piece for 2024 as MSU has its eyes set on another Big Ten Championship.
A roster deep enough to three-peat
Stars like Gaynor and Najera will go and get theirs, but a huge reason for the recent success of MSU is because of how talented this team is one through 11.
Returning graduate student Gabby Mueller finished third on the team in points in 2023 with 14, while notching six goals and two assists.
MSU senior midfielder Gabby Mueller makes a pass against Illinois on Thursday, October 19, 2023 at DeMartin Stadium. (Peyton Skiver)Mueller was a huge part of MSU and their tournament run as the midfielder totaled 228 minutes played in the Spartans’ tournament run, while also totaling one goal and seven shots in that time frame.
Incoming junior Emerson Sargeant and incoming senior Jordan Wickes also finished alongside Mueller with 14 total points at the end of the 2023 season.
Sargeant appeared in all 22 games last season for the green and white while finishing with four goals and six assists. The midfielder was able to notch Second-Team All-Big Ten honors.
Wickes finished second on the team in goals with seven while recording her first-ever hat-trick on August 24 against Northern Colorado.
Parked in front of the net for a second year at MSU
Another key returning star for the Spartans is goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks, a graduate student returning for her second year at MSU after being with Wake Forest through the 2019-23 seasons.
Parks started and played in all 22 matches in goal for the Spartans, totaling nine shutouts to rank fifth in single-season shutouts at Michigan State.
She also posted 14 wins, the second-most in a single season in Spartan goalkeeper history, and finished the season with a 0.99 GAA and 0.734 save percentage.
A huge part of the Spartans tournament run as she played 90 minutes in all three NCAA Tournament games, allowing zero goals in wins over Ohio (11/10) and Harvard (11/16) to help the Spartans advance to the program’s first NCAA Third-Round.
Looking ahead to start the 2024 season
Hosler and MSU will start the 2024 season with an exhibition against Depaul on August 10, and begin regular season play in South Bend on August 15 against Notre Dame.
The Spartans will make their home debut at DeMartin Stadium against Arkansas on August 22.
After finishing the 2023 season with a 7-1-2 conference record, MSU will have their first chance to start off hot in conference play against Maryland on September 12 in College Park.
EAST LANSING – After an unprecedented season a year ago, the Michigan State women’s soccer team has matched their tournament run from their previous campaign, only this season, the Spartans have their eyes set on making a deeper run in the NCAA tournament, as they get set to face the four-seeded Harvard Crimson on Thursday evening.
Last season, the fourth-seeded Spartans won their first-round match versus Milwaukee, then fell to fifth-seeded TCU in the second round.
The fifth-seeded Spartans come into this second-round match with a 13-4-3 (7-1-2) record after their dominant first-round victory over the Ohio Bobcats on Nov. 10, 3-0. MSU had 25 total shots in the match, compared to Ohio’s four. Creating shots and finding open looks is something that the Spartans will look to carry over into their match against fourth-seeded Harvard.
Freshman Bella Najera led the attack for Michigan State against Ohio with four shots on goal and netting two goals in the win. While most freshmen come into Power Five soccer wide-eyed and timid, Najera has taken a front-seat role and continues to lead this team on the field.
Senior midfielder Justina Gaynor was another big contributor, recording four shots and netting a goal of her own. Four Spartans tallied four shots in the previous match, and if Michigan State can continue to spread the ball around and get multiple players getting good looks, MSU will make it hard for Harvard to keep up.
Looking at the opponent, the Harvard Crimson come into the matchup at 13-3-2 (5-1-1), after defeating Maine, 3-0, in the first round. The Crimson won the first-ever Ivy League Tournament on Nov. 5, defeating Colombia 3-0, and now have the hot hand, riding a five-match winning streak into their upcoming contest against MSU.
Harvard dominated just as Michigan State did in their opening round match against Maine, as the Crimson outshot Maine 19-3 with two players getting four shots each and three different players netting a goal. Junior midfielder Josefine Hasbo leads Harvard in points with 26 and in goals with 10. Hasbo has six goals over her last four games.
The Harvard defense is what shines through, as their 44 shots on goal allowed in the 2023 season rank third in the NCAA. The Michigan State offense will need to bring their A-game to boast through this tough Crimson defense.
The first-ever match between Michigan State and Harvard will take place Thursday night in Provo, Utah at BYU’s South Field. The match takes place at 6 p.m. (ET), with the winner advancing to the NCAA quarterfinals on Nov. 24 and 25, which will be hosted by the highest-remaining seed. The match can be seen on ESPN+.
EAST LANSING – After being upset in the first round of the Big Ten tournament, the Michigan State women’s soccer team bounced back in dominating fashion, beating Ohio University in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, 3-0.
This was Ohio’s first ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament, as well as their first time matching up against MSU. Unfortunately, their tournament run came to a quick, daunting end.
“I thought our ball movement…some of our combination play might have been at the peak we have had all season,” MSU head coach Jeff Hosler said. “To have a shutout, those make me smile.”
MSU came out fast and strong to start the first half, as their offense quickly started attacking Ohio’s defense. Pressing has become Michigan State’s identity, and they put it to good use. It wouldn’t be long before MSU got on the board, as freshman forward Bella Najera found the back of the net to spark MSU’s offense in only the third minute.
The scoring would not stop there, as senior midfielder Justina Gaynor slipped the ball into the top right of the goal, propelling Michigan State even further in the 26th minute.
At halftime, the box score was completely in the Spartans’ favor, as they had 16 shots opposed to the Bobcats’ zero, along with seven shots on goal for Michigan State who went into halftime with a two goal lead.
The second half saw much of the same, as MSU mustered nine more shots, including another goal that was netted yet again by Bella Najera. The freshman has shown up for the big moments so far this season, quickly becoming a leader of this soccer team.
MSU freshman forward/midfielder Bella Najera celebrates with Spartan fans after scoring two goals in a win against Ohio in the NCAA tournament on Friday, November 10, 2023 at DeMartin Stadium. (Jack Moreland)“Bella has had an incredible start, but I think she will be the one to tell you that she’s just getting started,” Hosler said. “To show up today, like she did with the stats she put up in her first NCAA Tournament game is very incredible.”
A 3-0 dominating win against Ohio in the first round will give this team a nice boost moving forward, and Hosler thinks this team has what it takes to go far.
“I think this group’s built for a run. They’re hungry. We’re in a pretty good spot, we’re playing some good soccer,” Hosler said.
Michigan State will wait until Saturday, Nov. 11 to find out if they play either Harvard or Maine, who match up at 5:00 P.M. ET in Boston, Mass.
EAST LANSING – As postseason play is now in full swing, the No. 12 and top-seeded Michigan State Spartans hosted the eighth seeded Iowa Hawkeyes for the opening quarter-final round of the Big Ten tournament. In a shocking upset, Iowa downed Michigan State 2-1 to advance in the tournament.
Iowa will now play two seed Penn State in Columbus on Nov. 2 in the semifinal match, as the Spartans now await to find out their matchup for the NCAA tournament.
Just one week ago, MSU and Iowa played in the final game of the regular season, a match in which MSU would knock off Iowa by a score of 3-0. This time around, Iowa was just simply the better team.
“Their [Iowa] intensity was really hard for us to match,” MSU head coach Jeff Hosler said. “I thought from the opening whistle they were the more physical, more aggressive team. I think their mentality coming out of halftime to take the game to us, I don’t think we responded very well.”
Iowa came out of the gate very aggressive and played a different style of soccer than it had previously played against MSU. Much of the first half was spent on the Spartan’s side of the field, with the Iowa offense putting pressure on the Spartan defense consistently.
However, it would be Michigan State who would go into halftime with the lead, courtesy of sophomore midfielder Emerson Sargeant netting a goal in the forty-second minute.
The MSU lead would not last long however, as Iowa came out swinging in the second half, netting a goal just five minutes into the half. Senior forward Kelli McGroarty would be the one to have the equalizer for the Hawkeyes, giving all the momentum right back to them.
Five minutes later, freshman midfielder Sofia Bush scored for Iowa, giving the Hawkeyes the lead and putting the Spartans in a hole.
Michigan State had opportunities to score later in the match, notably two shots by senior midfielder Justina Gaynor that both went just narrowly past the goalpost.
As the clock ticked towards the 90-minute mark, Iowa was the team that came out on top.
“How fragile postseason soccer is,” Hosler said. “There was a nine minute spell that we kind of switched off, and that’s the difference in the result today.”
Michigan State will now wait until the bracket release on Monday, Nov. 6 to find out who their next opponent will be.
“The silver lining to this is that we get two weeks to prepare,” Hosler said. “We get a whole week to truly focus on ourselves. We will find out next Monday who that opponent is and have a few more days to prepare for that opponent successfully.”
EAST LANSING – No. 14 Michigan State women’s soccer are the Big Ten champions for the second-straight season, after a dominant 3-0 win over Iowa on Sunday afternoon at DeMartin Stadium.
MSU’s 3-0 win clinched a share of the Big Ten regular season title with Nebraska, after No. 4 Penn State fell to No. 21 Wisconsin 1-0, dropping the Nittany Lions to No. 4 in the Big Ten standings.
The Spartans also clinched the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament, where they will rematch with the No. 8 seed Iowa Hawkeyes on Oct. 29.
“It’s pretty amazing,” said Michigan State head coach Jeff Hosler. “I mean, everybody’s got to play 10 games, we all play 10 games, we all play a tough, competitive schedule in the Big Ten and to be on the top of it says a lot about the quality of soccer we’re playing,”. “The grit and toughness this group has, the resilience they had to bounce back from an earlier tough result, I just couldn’t be more proud of this group.”
The new standard. BACK-TO-BACK BIG TEN CHAMPS #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/pIxX5jSy76
— Michigan State Soccer (@MSU_wsoccer) October 22, 2023
Despite the Spartans losing two of their most impactful players from last season in forward Lauren DeBeau and goalkeeper Lauren Kozal to the 2023 NWSL Draft, Jeff Hosler loaded up his 2023 roster in the offseason.
Hosler’s 2023 squad has many contributors that have shared the wealth this season, with five players recording double-digit points.
Freshman forward Bella Najera surprised many in her first season, scoring seven goals and recording 17 points, good for second on the team.
Senior midfielder Justina Gaynor led the way with four goals and 11 assists while leading the team with 19 points. Gaynor was a starter on last season’s Big Ten championship team, but has made significant strides in the Spartan midfield, and has become a key player for this squad.
Jeff Hosler also went into the NCAA transfer portal in the offseason, bringing in Mackenzie Anthony and Gabby Mueller from Baylor, who combined for 21 points in their first season as Spartans. In goal, graduate student Kaitlyn Parks had big shoes to fill with Lauren Kozal’s departure. The transfer from Wake Forest tallied 38 saves while recording a 0.93 goals against average. Hosler has shown the ability to replace high-level talent with fresh newcomers that can contribute right away, and it is a big reason why his squad is the No. 1 seed in the Big Ten Tournament.
Going into the Big Ten tournament, Michigan State’s path to Columbus does not come easy, with a rematch against Iowa, and the winner of No. 4 Penn State and No. 19 Indiana in the semifinals. The Spartans fell 3-1 to Penn State on Oct. 4, and settled for a draw against Indiana on Oct. 12.
With today's win and by virtue of a tiebreaker, we've earned the No. 1 seed in the 2023 Big Ten Women's Soccer Tournament!
We'll play No. 8-seeded Iowa on Sunday, Oct. 29 in the quarterfinals at DeMartin. Start time TBA.#GoGreen pic.twitter.com/Te5qBRgt0t
— Michigan State Soccer (@MSU_wsoccer) October 22, 2023
After last year’s heartbreaking loss to Penn State in the Big Ten Tournament final in Columbus, Michigan State women’s soccer is eager to earn more hardware and capture a Big Ten Tournament Title.
In three seasons, Jeff Hosler is now 39-11-9 in his tenure at Michigan State with two Big Ten championships.
Michigan State women’s soccer kicks off the Big Ten tournament against Iowa on Oct. 29 at 1 p.m. at DeMartin Stadium. The match can be seen on Big Ten Plus.
EAST LANSING – No. 14 Michigan State women’s soccer was victorious against the Illinois Fighting Illini, in a 2-1 win on a rainy Thursday evening at DeMartin Stadium.
The Spartans dominated possession from start to finish, with 33 shots to Illinois’ two.
“I thought especially in the first half we were really good at cutting out exits, as they kept trying to find their nines. We did a good job of cutting out entry passes,” MSU head coach Jeff Hosler said. “Raegan Cox and Celia [Gaynor] have a very good relationship going right now. It’s really fun to see two graduate seniors at the very end of their college career playing to what their potential has been and reaching it these last couple of weeks.”
In the 37th minute, Illinois would get on the board first, with a goal from senior forward Zoey Kollhoff off a deflection from a Spartan defender.
Shortly after, Kollhoff committed a penalty, sending Justina Gaynor to the box for a penalty kick. Gaynor sent the ball to the back left side of the net, tying the match up at 1-1.
In the 58th minute, senior midfielder Gabby Mueller fired a shot from outside the box into the back of the net, giving MSU the lead. This was Mueller’s fifth goal of the season.
“We challenged her [Gabby Mueller] at halftime about her final decisions. She drove in forward a moment before the goal with a good opportunity, and obviously it was a quality goal,” Hosler said. “She adds a different element to us because she can turn and get forward quickly and has the ability to score from distance.”
MSU senior midfielder Gabby Mueller makes a pass against Illinois on Thursday, October 19, 2023 at DeMartin Stadium. (Peyton Skiver)20 minutes later, play was halted after a series of deflections near Illinois’ net almost resulted in a goal. The play would go to video review, but was ruled a no goal.
MSU continued to hold on at the end with good blocks and deflections on the defensive side in rainy field conditions, ultimately pulling away in the 2-1 win.
MSU moves to second place in the Big Ten standings with 20 points. No. 4 Penn State sits above the Spartans with 21 points, after its 2-0 win over No. 19 Indiana on Thursday.
Michigan State will conclude the regular season on Sunday, Oct. 22 against Iowa. Kickoff is scheduled for 1 p.m. from DeMartin Stadium.
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. – No. 20 Michigan State women’s soccer will travel to Bloomington, Indiana tonight to face off in a ranked matchup against No. 25 Indiana. This is the first meeting between the two sides since last season, where MSU took home a 1-0 victory in East Lansing.
Coming off their best win of the season against then No. 14 ranked Michigan, MSU will look to capture a win against another tough opponent.
While the Spartans only have three losses on the season, they face a Hoosier team that has only dropped one game all year, and is undefeated on their home turf.
Graduate forward Paige Webber, who transferred to IU from Michigan State after her freshman season, leads Indiana in points and goals this season, with her team-high 26 points ranking 11th in the national rankings. MSU’s defense will look to limit what Webber can do inside the box throughout the match.
For MSU, they will look to keep the ball rolling after their first ranked win of the season. Senior midfielder Regan Dalton is coming off earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week last week, as well as junior forward Jordyn Wickes coming off a two-goal outing in Ann Arbor.
The all-time series sits at 19-9-2 in favor of Indiana. Michigan State has won the last two meetings dating back to 2021.
First touch is scheduled for tonight at 7:00 pm at Bill Armstrong Stadium in Bloomington.
EAST LANSING – In one of the most anticipated conference matchups of the season, the No. 4 ranked Penn State Nittany Lions came into DeMartin Stadium and took down Michigan State, 3-1.
Penn State stays undefeated this season, moving to 10-0-2, while MSU falls to 8-3-2.
MSU head coach Jeff Hosler was frustrated with the end result, but said he felt his team was the superior team for much of the game.
“My guess is they had three or four shots the entire game,” said Hosler. “I thought, despite the score, we had a much superior team in the first half. The territory we had, the chances we were looking to create, but we just shot ourselves in the foot.”
The first half saw two goals from Penn State, but MSU put pressure on the rigorous Penn State defense the entire half. MSU had four shots, with two on goal in the first half, but failed to capitalize on a defense that has only allowed four goals all season.
Fouls played a large part in the second half. Nine fouls were called in the second half on MSU, compared to PSU’s four. With this came controversy, as the crowd and the MSU squad did not appreciate some of the calls, namely a call that ended in a penalty kick for Penn State.
“In the end, I think it was a ridiculously awful decision, and to review and still have that same decision is unacceptable,” said Hosler.
For weeks, Hosler has reiterated that the one thing MSU needs to do better is reacting quicker and finishing scoring chances in the box. Again today, Hosler was not pleased with some of the decisions made when scoring opportunities were in front of them.
“We need to get shots off. We’re in on the dribble and already beat the keeper, and we try to collect it and then we had that shot blocked by the defender,” said Hosler. “We just have to finish those chances. We’ve been harping on it all year.”
Raegan Cox had the lone goal for the Spartans, connecting on an assist from Justina Gaynor and Emerson Sargeant.
Even after a tough loss however, Hosler knows what this team is capable of moving forward.
“If that’s the fourth ranked team in the country, then it shows what we are capable of,” said Hosler. “It shows what we really can be and are at times. We have a longer week now to prepare to play a real quality opponent again come Saturday.”
Michigan State takes on in-state rival Michigan in Ann Arbor, Mich. on Oct. 7 at 7:00 p.m.
EAST LANSING – Michigan State women’s soccer returned to DeMartin Stadium on Thursday evening after a victorious road trip at Minnesota and Wisconsin. The Spartans extended their winning streak to three, defeating the Maryland Terrapins 3-0 and improving to 8-2-2 on the season.
It was a dominant effort from MSU right from the get-go, as senior midfielder Gabby Mueller found the back of the net, going up 1-0.
“Scoring early, especially against a Maryland team that does a really good job of setting up in their mid-press and low-block, to score a goal just loosens up things,” Michigan State head coach Jeff Hosler said.
MSU continued to overwhelm the Terrapins, with 25-3 shots on goal in favor of the Spartans.
In the 15th minute, junior forward Jordyn Wickes made it 2-0 off a corner kick, connecting on the header that found the top right corner of the goal.
Senior forward MJ Andrew celebrates in the air with senior midfielder Justina Gaynor (18) after scoring a goal in the second half against Maryland at DeMartin Stadium on Thursday, September 28, 2023. (Cole Pannell)Four minutes later, senior defender/midfielder Zivana Labovic connected on another header, assisted by Regan Dalton on both corner kicks.
Senior forwards MJ Andrus and Ranya Senhaji added goals late to put the match out of reach.
The Spartans dominated in all areas of the pitch in Thursday evening’s match, offensively and defensively. MSU currently sits in third place in the Big Ten, with a 3-0-1 record. Indiana and Penn State are the two teams above the Spartans, both with records of 3-0-0.
Michigan State will continue its homestand on Sunday, Oct. 1, as No. 4 Penn State comes into East Lansing for a Big Ten Tournament Championship rematch from a season ago. The Nittany Lions defeated the Spartans in a 3-2 thriller in Columbus, Ohio.
“Penn State for a long time has been the standard in the Big Ten,” Hosler said. “We went 1-1 against them last year and it was two great contests. They’re well coached and have a great roster with depth themselves. We want to play the best teams available, and they’re the next best team, and that comes Sunday.”
EAST LANSING – Coming off a full week of rest, the MSU women’s soccer team settled for a 1-1 draw against Ohio State in their first match of Big Ten play.
The draw is MSU’s second in a row, sending them to 5-2-2 on the season, while Ohio State goes to 4-2-2.
This game was highlighted by missed goal opportunities for both sides. The second half felt like it was dominated by Michigan State, as they had five shots and constantly kept the pressure on Ohio State’s back line. A few miscues on the MSU strikers just not quite lining up shots would prove to be the deciding factor in the draw.
“We have got to finish our chances better,” said Michigan State head coach Jeff Hosler. “We’re just not efficient in front of the goal. All of the information we get from the scout and how we’re going to score against goalkeepers are just totally ignored. The scout was hard and low, and we shot everything high and right.”
The scoring was opened in the 15th minute by freshman Bella Najera, who continues to prove that she is Michigan State’s most efficient player. Last week, Coach Hosler spoke about Najera being the best player on the team right now, and he reiterated that this week.
“She scores goals the way we talk about in the scouting report,” said Hosler. “Bella has just been incredibly committed to everything in this process. When she puts herself into situations in front of the goal, she’s quality.”
Ohio State’s Peyton McNamera took a shot to the top right corner, only to have it saved by MSU’s Kaitlyn Parks. Just 30 seconds later, defender Sophia Louder capitalized on her opportunity, and that was the equalizer for the Buckeyes.
Kaitlyn Parks sets the defense against Ohio State at DeMartin Stadium on Sunday, September 17, 2023. (Jack Moreland) The Spartans’ keeper Kaitlyn Parks was very impressive in the draw, saving 9 of the 10 shots on goal from Ohio State.
Afterwards, Hosler expressed his disappointment in Sunday’s loss.
“I think the mood here at the end of the match says a lot,” said Hosler. “They’re (Ohio State) walking away pretty thrilled with a point, and I think our group is a little disappointed to potentially drop two points. When you don’t win games that you are in a position to win, it’s really hard to win a championship.”
Michigan State continues conference play on Thursday, Sept. 21, taking on Minnesota at 7 p.m. on the road.
EAST LANSING – On a sunny Sunday afternoon, the Michigan State women’s soccer team hosted the Dayton Flyers and the competition resulted in a tie, 2-2. The Spartans also honored alumni from the Spartan women’s soccer team at halftime of the match. The Spartans move to a 5-2-1 record overall with the draw, as Dayton...
EAST LANSING – Michigan State women’s soccer’s late comeback against No. 15 Notre Dame fell short, as the Spartans were defeated by the Fighting Irish 2-1 on Sunday afternoon at DeMartin Stadium.
Notre Dame’s stout backline was as good as advertised in the match. Led by ACC Defender of the Year Eva Gaetino, the Spartans had no answer for the elite Irish defense that only allowed 16 goals a season ago.
“I thought we did an incredible job showing a lot of resolve, patience and composure,” said MSU head coach Jeff Hosler. “We just have to have our foot on the gas a little bit more a little earlier to give us a chance to equalize.”
In the ninth minute, Notre Dame struck first with a goal from senior forward Ellie Ospeck. Leah Klenke was credited with the assist after a nice cross into the box, leading to the easy tap in.
The Fighting Irish took their 1-0 into the half, led by a dominant backline and high press defense that stifled the Spartans counter-attack opportunities.
Notre Dame forward Maddie Mercado added an insurance goal in the 50th minute, which was assisted by Ospeck.
MSU had its share of opportunities in the second half. Seven shots on goal in the second half propelled the Spartans comeback attempt, which ended up falling short. Junior forward Jordyn Wickes recorded her team-leading fifth goal of the season in the 87th minute to cut the deficit to one.
“We wanted to get our outside box higher and more into the attack. It obviously left us more exposed, and that’s how we conceded that second goal,” Hosler said.
MSU had a corner kick just before the final whistle blew, but couldn’t equalize.
“We have to go get our result on Thursday. We got to do a better job and go get a result. It’s our third opportunity against a power-5 team, a perennial NCAA tournament team,” Hosler said.
The Spartans will return to action on Thursday, Sept. 7 at NC State. The team will return home on Sept. 10 for a match with the Dayton Flyers at 1 p.m.
EAST LANSING – On a night where students, children, and parents alike packed the stands of DeMartin Field, the Michigan State women’s soccer team delivered on all ends of the pitch and defeated Eastern Michigan University, 6-0. The Spartans played in front of hundreds of fans tonight, including a roaring student section. Michigan State head coach Jeff Hosler voiced his delight with the students being back on campus and showing up for his team.
“There’s no question that our group fuels off the momentum and energy that the crowd brings,” said Hosler. “It’s so great to have the students back to bring that initial energy to campus. I think that shows in the way we played.”
With two goals in two minutes from Mackenzie Anthony and Raegan Cox, respectively, MSU built up a lead inside the 15 minute mark of the match. Anthony connected on two more goals, for the first hat trick of her college career. After a career night, Anthony emphasized the energy that the DeMartin Field fans brought tonight.
“The amount of fans is incredible,” said Anthony. “I’ve never been able to play in front of that many fans. It definitely gets your adrenaline pumping.”
Senior forward Mackenzie Anthony interacts with the crowd at DeMartin Field on August 31st, 2023. Photo Credit: Jack Moreland/WDBMThe second half was stagnant, until the 79th minute when Bella Najera scored her first goal of the season. Only a few minutes later, Sophia Piotrowski would connect on a penalty kick, to solidify this win for the Spartans and move them to 4-1.
Michigan State will take on No. 15 Notre Dame on Sunday, marking a major test for the program this season against one of the best programs in the country.
“Each match is a big match…But it’s hard not to treat Notre Dame a little different. Tough competition,” said Anthony.
The Spartans will kickoff against the Fighting Irish at 1:00 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 3 at DeMartin Field celebrating Championship Sunday.
EAST LANSING — As Michigan State women’s soccer goes through final preparations for the 2023 season, the Spartans look to continue their recent success under second-year head coach Jeff Hosler. The reigning Big Ten regular season champions have high expectations in 2023. The Spartans are ranked No. 17 in the United Soccer Coaches Preseason Poll,...
EAST LANSING – Michigan State women’s soccer stars Lauren DeBeau and Lauren Kozal were drafted to the Portland Thorns FC in the 2023 National Women’s Soccer League Draft in the second and third rounds, respectively.
DeBeau and Kozal will be teammates in the Pacific Northwest in the upcoming 2023 NWSL season after completing a historic run for MSU where they won the 2022 Big Ten conference and were runners-up in the conference championship.
The pair will become the third Spartan to join the NWSL in the last three years after forward Ava Cook was drafted to the Chicago Red Stars in 2022.
Despite being registered for the 2023 NWSL Draft, defenders Ruby Diodati and Samantha White went undrafted. They could still join an NWSL side as an undrafted player.
MSU forward Lauren Debeau in the Spartans’ 1-0 home loss to Wisconsin on Sept. 23, 2021/ Photo Credit: Sarah Smith/WDBMLauren DeBeau F (Portland Thorns FC/2nd Round, 24th pick)
DeBeau transferred to Michigan State in 2021 after spending two seasons at Central Michigan University where she earned Mid-American Conference All-Freshman Team honors in her first season.
After a successful debut season under newly-appointed MSU head coach Jeff Hosler, DeBeau quickly became a fan favorite with her natural goal-scoring ability and technical excellence. The native of Shelby Township, Michigan won the Big Ten Forward of the Year after leading the Spartans with 11 goals and four assists in 2022.
“Being drafted by Portland Thorns FC absolutely means the world to me,” DeBeau said. “If I could tell my 7-year-old self that I would get the opportunity to play professional soccer, she would be screaming with joy.”
The versatile forward led the Big Ten Conference with five game-winning goals in 2022.
“Dreams truly can become reality through hard work,” DeBeau said. “I am forever grateful to my teammates, coaches, friends and family that helped me make this dream come true.”
DeBeau will have the opportunity to learn from NWSL veteran and Portland Thorns FC captain Christine Sinclair.
“Lauren made a huge statement in the way she performed this season,” Hosler said. “She embraced a new role in going from playmaker to goal scorer and was every bit the difference-maker in the attack for us. The big plays she made in key moments attribute to her competitive nature and mentality.”
MSU goaltender Lauren Kozal winds up for a goal kick in the Spartans’ 1-0 home loss to Wisconsin on Sept. 24, 2021/ Photo Credit: Sarah Smith/WDBMLauren Kozal GK (Portland Thorns FC/3rd Round, 32nd pick)
The Portland Thorns drafted Lauren Kozal with the 32nd pick of the NWSL draft on Thursday night, after a trade with the Houston Dash to acquire the rights to draft Kozal.
She is the first Spartan in program history to be named a semifinalist for the MAC Hermann Trophy– the most prestigious award in collegiate soccer.
Kozal, a former back-to-back All-American and two-time Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year appeared in all 23 games for the Spartans in 2022. The star goalkeeper led the Big Ten with 10 clean sheets and had a goals-against average of 0.808. She also notched 63 saves on the year.
“I am so thankful for the opportunity to compete at the highest level alongside some of the best athletes in the world,” said Kozal. “I am so thankful to everyone involved in helping me become who I am today.”
Hailing from Ada, Michigan, Kozal played for Michigan State for four seasons after redshirting her freshman year. She played every game for MSU since then and became a champion in her final season in East Lansing.
“It’s been such a pleasure watching the way Lauren has grown under Megan Link’s leadership into the nation’s very best player at her position,” Hosler said. “Lauren has not only embraced every challenge given to her but excelled and done it in very big championship moments. She is a shining example of leaving a place better than the way she found it.”
The Spartan duo will suit up for the reigning NWSL champions in the 2023 season.
Michigan State women’s soccer begins the second weekend of the NCAA Tournament against No. 17 TCURanya Senhaji leads MSU women’s soccer to a 4-1 win over DartmouthJustina Gaynor earns TopDrawerSoccer Team of the Week honors
EAST LANSING —The awards list continues to grow for Michigan State women’s soccer as it set a new school record for most United Soccer Coaches All-Region player selections on Dec. 2. Senior goalkeeper Lauren Kozal earned First Team All-American distinction and senior forward Lauren DeBeau landed as a Second Team All-American.
The Spartans had five this year, topping the previous record of three reached in 2003, 2009 and 2010.
The record setters included three first-team All-North members in DeBeau, Kozal and graduate left back Ruby Diodati. Raegan Cox senior right back and junior midfielder Justina Gaynor took home second team All-North honors.
This is the second All-North selection for Kozal after being honored in 2021. She recorded 61 saves and set a single-season goalkeeper wins record at MSU with 17 individual wins.
She’s a semi-finalist for the 2022 MAC Hermann trophy and won the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year award for the second-consecutive year.
Michigan State never had two All-Americans in a single season… until now.
CONGRATULATIONS to Kozal and DeBeau on earning some of the highest honors in our game#GoGreen pic.twitter.com/Owm9wUFRsN
— Michigan State Soccer (@MSU_wsoccer) December 2, 2022
DeBeau continues to add to her already impressive resume with her First Team All-North selection, building on her previous selections of Big Ten Forward of the Year and a unanimous selection to the All-Big Ten First-Team. She led the Spartans with 11 goals and four assists this season.
Cox was awarded Second Team All-North honors after her fearless defensive campaign, leading the defense of Michigan State. Head coach Jeff Hosler said Cox would regularly mark the opposing team’s best-attacking player.
Spartans finished the year with a 0.522 shutout percentage (second in the Big Ten) and had one of the country’s best defenses.
After the winningest season in program history, the coaching staff of the Spartans received recognition following their 17-3-3 finish and undefeated 9-0-1 regular season record.
The MSU women’s soccer staff received All-North Region Staff of the Year honors. In their second season in charge, Hosler, assistant coaches Gabe Romo, Megan Link and Tara Lierman led the Spartans to their most decorated season.
The Spartans defeated five ranked teams in 2022. The season ended abruptly after the Spartans lost 1-0 against No. 17 TCU in the second round of the DI NCAA tournament. The Spartans were undefeated in the conference, boasting a 9-0-1 record in the Big ten.
Kozal, DeBeau, and all of this year’s All-Americans will be recognized at the Pennsylvania Convention Center in Philadelphia in conjunction with the United Soccer Coaches Convention on Jan. 14, 2023.
Lauren Kozal named MAC Hermann Trophy semifinalistMSU goaltender Lauren Kozal receives Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week honors
EAST LANSING – Michigan State senior goalkeeper Lauren Kozal was named a semifinalist for the 2022 MAC Hermann Trophy on Wednesday afternoon. She became the first Spartan in program history to be recognized for one of college soccer’s most prestigious awards.
The two-time Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year was a crucial part of the Spartans’ first-ever conference title and led MSU to its first conference tournament championship. She recorded 10 clean sheets and 61 saves in 2022.
The MAC Hermann Trophy honors the national player of the year voted by Division I coaches. The finalists will be announced on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 2022, and the winner will be announced on Jan. 6, 2023.
For the first time in MSU history, we have a semifinalist for our game’s highest honor.
Lauren Kozal. Take a bow#GoGreen pic.twitter.com/9f1cLsiWXa
— Michigan State Soccer (@MSU_wsoccer) November 30, 2022
15 others were nominated for this award, but Kozal is the only goalkeeper to make the shortlist. Other representations from the Big Ten conference include Penn State’s graduate forward Ally Schlegel.
The Spartans fielded one of the best defenses in the country with Kozal in goal, allowing a goals against average of 0.675.
Kozal is one of three nominees hailing from Michigan. Duke sophomore Michelle Cooper from Clarkston and Notre Dame junior defender Eva Gaetino from Dexter join her on the list.
Michigan and Texas tied for the most homegrown athletes on the list with three each.
Kozal earned her second straight appearance on the All-Big Ten First Team posting a record of 17-3-3 and led the Big Ten in shutouts with 10. She became the conference’s third player to receive the honor two times and just the second to earn the award in two consecutive seasons.
EAST LANSING — The fourth-seeded Michigan State women’s soccer team faces off against No. 17 TCU in the second round of the NCAA tournament. After a dramatic 3-2 win against Milwaukee in the first round, the Spartans prepare for another knockout game against the Horned Frogs on Friday, Nov. 18.
This will be the first time MSU faces TCU since the program started in 1986.
“They’re [TCU] a national brand,” Hosler said. “They’re very similar to us. In fact, if you go through analytics, they’re the team most like us in possession and style of play.”
The Spartans were left stunned when Milwaukee’s Kayla Rollins scored in the 89th minute to send the game to overtime.
Graduate forward Camryn Evans sent MSU to the second round of the national tournament after her late game-winner in overtime solidified the win against Milwaukee.
“It’s very difficult for a team to concede in that type of dramatic fashion and be able to come back out and be on the front foot,” Hosler said. “I think it shows the resiliency they play with.”
It was the Spartans’ first-ever home win in the National Tournament.
TCU (13-4-5) has faced five ranked opponents in the regular season. They came out on top against Santa Clara and Texas A&M but were held to a draw against Harvard and Texas.
TCU defeated UTSA in the first round of the NCAA tournament. Two goals in the last eight minutes of the game saw the Horned Frogs through to the second round.
Sophomore forward Camryn Lancaster sealed the 3-1 victory over TCU in the 83rd minute.
The Horned Frogs finished in second place in the Big 12 standings and had a similar record to the Spartans.
However, Friday’s game against MSU raises a different challenge for TCU.
The second round will be played at the University of Notre Dame and temperatures are expected to reach 27 degrees with snow showers earlier in the day. With the wind chill, it will be a frosty afternoon in South Bend, Indiana.
“It’ll feel like seven degrees..yes seven… so that’s perfect for us,” Hosler said. “We’ll be training outside all week and getting ready.”
Michigan State will not just have to continue to adjust to tough conditions but will also have to adjust to TCU forward Messiah Bright’s play style. Bright earned a call-up to the US U23 Women’s Youth National Team in June.
She is a clinical striker that usually needs less than two touches to find a clear shot opportunity. She has scored 49 goals in five seasons at TCU.
In 2021, Bright was named a United Soccer Coaches First-Team All-American and was the Big 12 tournament Most Outstanding Player.
“Coach Bell has done an excellent job of bringing a talented team together, and I think they boast a lot of impressive individual athletes who we will have to manage to find success,” Hosler said.
Bright and MSU forward Lauren DeBeau have both notched 11 goals and earned All-Conference First-Team honors, respectively.
“She’s [DeBeau] got a bit of that old-school toughness in her,” Hosler said. “She hasn’t been physically at 100 percent for over two months now but you wouldn’t know it with the impact she makes on the pitch.”
DeBeau is this year’s Big Ten Forward of the Year after leading MSU to its first-ever conference championship in just her second year in East Lansing.
“The thing I admire most is when it’s hard when it’s a tough moment she’s the one who wants the ball to make those plays,” Hosler said.
She transferred to MSU in 2021 from Central Michigan University. DeBeau has scored 13 goals and tallied six assists since then.
“We’re the newcomer to this party on Friday,” Hosler said. “We’re just looking to go, have that same mentality. Win or lose, we play hard and let our work and performance do the rest.”
Friday’s second-round matchup against No. 17 TCU is scheduled for 3 p.m. from South Bend, Indiana, and will stream on ESPN+.
EAST LANSING – The Michigan State Women’s Basketball team continued its undefeated season after shutting down Florida A&M 109-44. The Spartans have had a very impressive start to their season with lots of positives during the first five games. 14 MSU players got points on the board, including Abbey Kimball and Maddy Skorupski scoring their first collegiate points. There is still something to look for from the MSU team and a lot to be excited about. Here are three takeaways from Thursday night’s matchup.
Michigan State needs to get its head in the game earlierMatilda Ekh dives for a loose ball during Michigan State’s 109-44 victory over Florida A&M on November 17, 2022. Photo Credit: Sarah Smith/WDBMWhile the Spartans are boasting an undefeated record so far this season and putting up big points, they have faced the consistent theme of having a slow start. Michigan State shot 40% in the first quarter and struggled to find an offensive flow. This is not a new thing for the Spartans and has been a trend since the home opener against Delaware State.
Head coach Suzy Merchant says that she wants to look deeper into the first-quarter issues and acknowledges that the team will face battles all season if they have struggles in the first. As MSU heads to Portland next week for the Phil Knight Invitational to play No. 7 Iowa State and No. 13 North Carolina/No. 21 Oregon, the slow starts will be something Merchant will be looking to end soon.
McDaniel can get to the line for the SpartansKamaria McDaniel has been a key player for the team this season. The graduate transfer from Baylor’s biggest strength has been getting to the free-throw line. She does a fantastic job at drawing fouls and provides veteran experience that the team lost when Nia Clouden left.
McDaniel went 9-10 at the line Thursday, contributing to her total of 14 points. The whole team has done a great job drawing fouls and using them to their advantage, but McDaniel has been to the line the most, shooting 17-21 so far this season. Merchant has praised McDaniel for her ability to read the court and get the ball in the net. She will be a player to watch as the season progresses, especially as MSU goes on to tougher, Big Ten opponents.
Turnovers continue to plague Michigan StateOld ghosts are coming back to haunt the Spartans from last season. While the Spartans have forced a significant number of turnovers this season, they still have committed a decent number of turnovers themselves. MSU can afford a few turnovers when they go on a 21-2 run in a game, but it will be something to look for further down the road. On Thursday night, the Spartans had a total of 18 turnovers. They averaged 15 per game last season and had lots of turnover trouble throughout conference play. The 27 forced turnovers are definitely a positive and not to be overlooked, but the Spartans have some work to do on their end in terms of turnovers still. There have been so many good things to see from this team so far in the season, but the inability to control the ball could result in a rocky road ahead as the Spartans inch closer and closer to conference play.
EAST LANSING – No. 4 seeded Michigan State women’s soccer continued its historic 2022 season on Friday, defeating the Milwaukee Panthers in a 3-2 overtime thriller at DeMartin Stadium.
The Spartans would storm back to get goals from sisters Celia and Justina Gaynor, after conceding a goal early in the first half. Graduate forward Camryn Evans gave MSU the lead in overtime, which would clinch the program’s first NCAA Tournament victory since 2008.
“I have been doing this for a long time, and there are not many teams that can come back from a moment like that emotionally and still come out and execute,” said head coach Jeff Hosler.
In the 55th minute, Justina Gaynor scored on an empty net after dribbling past two Milwaukee defenders to tie up the contest. That was her fourth goal of the season.
20 minutes later, Celia Gaynor tied the game with a headed goal past Milwaukee, making it 2-2.
“It’s a huge stage where neither of us has been before, so I think we both embraced the moment and gave it everything we had,” said junior midfielder Justina Gaynor. “We were prepared and ready and took advantage of our opportunities.”
With 20-seconds left to play at the end of regulation, Milwaukee equalized on a free kick scored by Kayla Rollins.
“They whipped in a perfect ball and got the first touch,” Hosler said. “We were conceding too much territory. We weren’t as disciplined as we needed to be to see the game out.”
Michigan State dominated the stat sheet, recording 15 shots on target, while Milwaukee had four.
After 90 minutes the game went into overtime.
MSU scored the game-winner in the second period. Senior Lauren DeBeau found an Evans open inside the box and tapped it in to give the Spartans the lead, and ultimately the ticket to the second round of the NCAA tournament.
Michigan State will face the TCU Horned Frogs in the second round. Game times will be announced at a further date.
EAST LANSING – No. 4 seed Michigan State women’s soccer continues its historic season as they host No. 13 seed Milwaukee in the first round of the NCAA tournament on Friday, Nov. 11.
This will be MSU’s first national tournament appearance since 2009.
MSU is 2-4 in the NCAA Tournament and have reached the second round twice, coming in 2005 and 2008.
“We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to compete in the NCAA Tournament and host a first-round game at DeMartin for the first time in program history,” said head coach Jeff Hosler. “This team has accomplished a lot through this point in the season, but I know they are hungry to go out and continue to give their best effort and play with a chip on their shoulder.”
For the first time EVER, we’re dancing on the Banks of the Red Cedar
: NCAA First Round
: @MKE_WSoccer
: DeMartin Stadium
: 6 p.m.
: ESPN+
: https://t.co/UebamdHEK3#GoGreen | @NCAASoccer pic.twitter.com/6ahu2pLobD— Michigan State Soccer (@MSU_wsoccer) November 11, 2022
The Spartans come off of a gut-wrenching 3-2 Big Ten Championship loss to nine-time tournament champions Penn State on Nov. 6.
Milwaukee boasts a 12-3-3 overall record and won the Horizon League regular season as well as the conference championship, with wins over IUPUI and Youngstown State. The Panthers are led by senior forward Haley Johnson and sophomore forward Hayla Rollins, both scoring eight goals a piece in the regular season.
Michigan State and Milwaukee will be meeting for the 12th time in the all-time series, dating back to 1986. MSU leads the series matchup 8-3 overall. The Spartans and Panthers most recent meeting dates back to Aug. 25, 2013 in East Lansing, where MSU won 5-2.
“We’re up against a talented Milwaukee side that has been to the NCAA tournament multiple times over the past few seasons, so we will have to remain focused and disciplined if we want to advance,” Hosler said.
Senior Lauren DeBeau leads the Spartans with 11 goals and was named the Big Ten Forward of the Year in October. On the other side of the pitch, goalkeeper Lauren Kozal looks to earn her 13th clean sheet of the season.
Kickoff for the first round of the NCAA tournament is set for 6 p.m. The game can be seen on ESPN+.
COLUMBUS — The No. 6 Michigan State women’s soccer team suffered a defeat against No. 21 Penn State, who left Columbus with the Big Ten tournament trophy on Sunday. Penn State forward Ally Schlegel sealed the victory with an 81st-minute goal to win 3-2.
“I think the experience of this past week playing three knockout games certainly helps,” head coach Jeff Hosler said. “Penn State is a team that has a lot of pedigree and has been in postseason play year in and year out.”
It started with an unexpected Penn State own goal in the opening five minutes of the match that gave MSU an early 1-0 lead.
Nearly 10 minutes after the own goal, MSU defender Raegan Cox gave up a penalty kick after fouling a PSU attacker inside the box. PSU forward Penelope Hocking missed the penalty after her shot slammed the post of Lauren Kozal’s goal.
Starting the second half, Michigan State struggled to connect passes. Many passes were either broken up by the resilient PSU defense or simply tossed away.
In the 53rd minute, Penn State’s goalscoring talisman Ally Schlegel grabbed a goal to make it 2-1. In a tight area at the top of the box, Schlegel took two touches to set herself up for a well-placed shot that went past Kozal.
The assist to Schlegel’s goal was credited to senior Payton Linnehan.
After Penn State’s goal, the Spartans were desperate to find the equalizer.
In came Lauren DeBeau.
DeBeau took the ball herself at the top of the box and her long-range shot found the back of the net, making it 2-2 in the 75th minute.
“She [DeBeau] has a flair for making big plays in big moments,” Hosler said. “I’ll take 30 Lauren DeBeau’s. The intensity she plays with and the competitor she is…When things are hard she seeks the ball and wants to try to perform in those big moments.”
The heartbreaker for Michigan State came in the 81st minute when Schlegel scored her second of the night and sealed the victory for Penn State.
Schlegel had a running start toward the goal and it was difficult for the MSU defenders to catch her in the air as she headed the ball past Kozal.
After the final whistle, Penn State players rushed to the field to celebrate as Big Ten tournament champions for the first time since 2019.
“This isn’t season-ending or the end of the line,” Hosler said. “It’s us coming back and resting and recovering when we come back together on Tuesday.”
The national tournament seeding is tomorrow at 3 p.m. where the Spartans will be watching at Munn Ice Arena.
EAST LANSING – No. 6 Michigan State women’s soccer will be competing for its first-ever Big Ten tournament title, as the top-seeded Spartans are set to face No. 21 Penn State in Columbus.
The regular season champions are coming off a 2-1 victory against Nebraska in the semifinal on Thursday, Nov. 3. Goals from graduate forward Camryn Evans and freshman midfielder Courtney Koehler helped the Spartans advance to their first Big Ten Championship in school history.
“I think it was a new opportunity for us, and we haven’t really been on this big of a stage before,” said Koehler. “I just thought, leading up to this game, that everyone on our team has stepped up within their role in our process.”
Koehler’s 68th-minute go-ahead goal was her third of the season.
The victory against Nebraska would notch the single-season program record 16th straight win, improving the Spartans’ record to 16-1-3.
Ninety minutes for the rest of our lives. It’s Championship Sunday in Columbus
: @PennStateWSOC
: Columbus, Ohio
: @LowerFieldCbus
: 2 p.m.
: @BigTenNetwork
: https://t.co/UebamdIczB#GoGreen pic.twitter.com/6pG1eZI3pX— Michigan State Soccer (@MSU_wsoccer) November 6, 2022
“Obviously, it was an incredible regular season for this group, including going undefeated in conference play and winning our first trophy together. I think this group is hungry for more,” said head coach Jeff Hosler. “I’m excited to see a quality soccer match, and I’m excited to see our team give their very best.”
Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year and MAC Hermann Trophy watch list member Lauren Kozal recorded a program-record 16th individual win for goalkeepers. Kozal surpassed Renee Richert’s record of 14, set in 1986.
No. 21 Penn State comes into the Championship game boasting a 12-4-3 overall record, and 5-3-2 in Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions seek their ninth Big Ten Tournament title, with their last one coming in 2019.
The all-time series record between the two schools favors Penn State 24-6-0. Michigan State defeated Penn State 2-1 in University Park on Sept. 29. The game was MSU’s first road victory in the series.
Penn State forward Ally Schlegel has scored six goals in her last five games. She recorded her 100th career point on Oct. 16 against Michigan.
Kickoff for the Big Ten Championship is set for 2 p.m. at Lower.com Field, the home of Major League Soccer’s Columbus Crew. The game can be seen on Big Ten Network.
EAST LANSING – The Michigan State women’s soccer team advanced to the Big Ten Tournament semifinal after a 2-1 victory over the Minnesota Golden Gophers on Sunday. Sophomore forward Jordyn Wickes’ second-half brace inspired a comeback victory for MSU at DeMartin Stadium. “We were undefeated in the regular season, but we didn’t get a chance...
EAST LANSING – The No. 6 Michigan State women’s soccer team begins its postseason on Sunday, Oct.30, against Minnesota. The Spartans are on the quest for the Big Ten double after winning the conference title. Hosler led MSU to its best regular-season finish in program history by winning its first-ever Big Ten title and having...
Host Luca Melloni, joined by Jay DeCoster and Cameron McClarren, interviews East Lansing High School boy’s soccer coach Julian Birge. The crew talked about MSU women’s team and how they could win a championship this week. The men’s team is surprising some with a second-place standing and they preview their matchup against Maryland.
EAST LANSING – Michigan State women’s soccer continued their impressive run on Thursday night with a 1-0 win over the Indiana Hoosiers at DeMartin Stadium. Thursday’s success made it five straight wins for the Spartans, making it 6-0-1 on the season in Big Ten play. Zivana Labovic’s first-half goal proved to be the game-winner. Labovic’s...
EAST LANSING – The Michigan State women’s soccer team continues its homestand on Thursday, where the Spartans (10-1-3) will face off against the Indiana Hoosiers (2-5-6) for the last regular season home night game. Earlier this week, MSU earned the No.15 spot in the NCAA national rankings for the first time since Sept. 29, 2009. ...
EAST LANSING – Both Michigan State soccer programs are 2-0 against Michigan this season after the women’s team defeated the Wolverines on Sunday. Forwards Jordyn Wickes and Lauren DeBeau were on the scoresheet once again and earned the Spartans a 2-0 win in front of a record-breaking DeMartin Stadium crowd for women’s soccer. “That was...
EAST LANSING– Michigan State midfielder Justina Gaynor was named in the TopDrawerSoccer National Women’s Team of the Week as an honorable mention on Tuesday. The junior from Shelby Township, Michigan, attempted a trio of shots, with one finding the back of the net on Sunday, Sept.25 against Purdue. Gaynor’s performance lifted the Spartans to a...
EAST LANSING, Mich.– After a scoreless draw against Iowa on Thursday night, Michigan State women’s soccer was able to revive its offense with a 3-1 win against the Purdue Boilermakers on Sunday afternoon at DeMartin Stadium. Sunday’s result improved the Spartan’s record to 7-1-3 on the season, while Purdue fell to 3-7-0 and 0-3 in...
EAST LANSING – On a crisp, cool night in East Lansing, Michigan State women’s soccer recorded its seventh shutout of the season, led by senior goalkeeper Lauren Kozal, in a scoreless draw against the Iowa Hawkeyes on Thursday night at DeMartin Stadium. Thursday’s result puts the Spartans at 6-1-3, while the Hawkeyes go to 3-4-3...
EAST LANSING – Michigan State women’s soccer returns to DeMartin Stadium after a successful Big Ten season-opener on the road against Illinois. Forward Lauren DeBeau led the Spartans’ 3-0 charge scoring all three goals in 11 minutes. The Spartans will host the Iowa Hawkeyes on Thursday night. “Our offense is as good as it’s been...
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Following her hat trick in just 11 minutes at Illinois on Sunday, Michigan State Senior Lauren DeBeau earned Big Ten Women’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week. This honor is handed out to one offensive player in the Big Ten each week, along with the award for Defensive Player of the...
EAST LANSING — A little rain never stopped the Michigan State women’s soccer team as they were able to take down the undefeated No. 19 Colorado Buffaloes 4-2 on Sunday afternoon. The Spartans were led by graduate forward Camryn Evans who scored a hat trick in front of the home crowd. Today’s results put the...
East Lansing- Michigan State women’s soccer came out of Thursday night’s matchup at DeMartin Stadium, with a 0-0 draw against in-state opponents Oakland University. Yesterday’s result puts MSU at 4-1-2 on the season, while Oakland moves to 3-1-3. “We were not the same team tonight that we’ve been all year,” head coach Jeff Hosler said....
EAST LANSING — After suffering its first defeat of the season against No. 11 Arkansas, the Michigan State women’s soccer team returns to East Lansing to face Oakland University on Thursday and then No. 19 Colorado on Sunday, Sept. 11. The Spartans (4-1-1) visited the Razorbacks last Sunday and were on the short end of...
EAST LANSING- In the opening game of a doubleheader at DeMartin Stadium, the Michigan State women’s soccer team defeated the Dartmouth Big Green 4-1 on Thursday night. The Spartans are now 4-0-1 overall on the year, making it the best start for the program since 2018. Dartmouth suffered its first loss of the year, making...