Michigan State University
2-0-0, 0-0-0
Bowling Green
0-1-0, 0-0-0
Spartans Top Falcons, 3-1, on Senior Day
8/20/2023 4:54:00 PM | Women's Soccer
EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 17 Michigan State women's soccer defeated Bowling Green, 3-1, Sunday afternoon at DeMartin Stadium on Senior Day.Â
MSU moves to 2-0-0 (0-0-0) with the win, while Bowling Green dropped to 0-0-1 (0-0-0 MAC). The Spartans extended their unbeaten streak against the Falcons to 20 matches with the victory.Â
The Spartans held an 18-4 shot advantage, including a 10-3 shots on goal advantage, and 7-1 edge in corner kicks. Graduate goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks earned her second-straight win in goal for the Spartans in 62 minutes of play, while redshirt junior Ellie Thallman played the remaining 28 minutes for her first career appearance in the Green and White.Â
The Spartans and Falcons played a balanced opening 15 minutes with senior midfielders Justina Gaynor and Kelly Severini recording the only shots on either side. A Bowling Green yellow card in the 17th minute awarded senior Gabby Mueller with a free kick that was blocked before Gaynor put the ball in the center of the goal to give the Spartans a 1-0 lead.Â
Less than a minute later, Severini doubled the MSU lead, sending the ball into the lower left corner of the net after a right-side pass from Emerson Sargeant. MSU maintained its offensive pressure throughout the remainder of the half, notching four more shots while holding the Falcons to a shotless half.Â
Bowling Green netminder Lili Berg took over goalkeeping duties for the Falcons in the second half and recorded two saves after on-target shots from graduate defender Raegan Cox and senior forward Mackenzie Anthony in the 51st and 52nd minutes, respectively. Â
The Spartans made it 3-0 after an Emerson Sargeant free kick from a second Bowling Green yellow card was headed into the net by senior Zivana Labovic. With the goal, Sargeant was credited with her second assist of the day.Â
A Bowling Green goal from Lizzie Bultynck in the 81st minute halted the Spartan shutout.
In total, eight of MSU's nine recognized seniors found themselves on the stat sheet Sunday afternoon, with forwards Ranya Senhaji and MJ Andrus each recording a shot and Labovic scoring her first goal of the season. Raegan Cox, Celia Gaynor and Regan Dalton all started for the Green and White while both Thallman and Parks spent time in goal.Â
"Part of the reason we do Senior Day early is that we want to celebrate what they are about to do, moving forward," said head coach Jeff Hosler. "To have them all show up in the stat sheet was amazing. I thought that group really raised the level for the entire day."Â
Up next, MSU travels to Colorado for its first road tests of the season, taking on Northern Colorado at 9 p.m. ET in Greeley, Colorado, on Thursday, Aug. 24 before facing Pac-12 opponent Colorado in Boulder, Colorado, at 2 p.m. ET on Sunday, Aug. 27.Â
Team Stats
Justina Gaynor (1)
Off the wall middle of the goal
16:16
Kelly Severini (1)
Assisted By: Emerson Sargeant
from right side to lower lft corner
16:56
Zivana Labovic (1)
Assisted By: Emerson Sargeant
Header off free kick
57:46
Lizzie Bultynck (1)
Lower lft corner
80:36
