Fifth-Seeded Michigan State Hosts Western Michigan in NCAA First Round Saturday

EAST LANSING, Mich. - 16th-ranked and fifth-seeded Michigan State women's soccer makes its third-straight appearance in the NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament this weekend, taking on in-state foe Western Michigan on Saturday, Nov. 16 at noon in the first round at DeMartin Stadium.

All NCAA First Round games will stream on ESPN+.

Fans are encouraged to park in Lot 62 (IM West) and the Kellogg Center ramp.

FIRST TOUCH
Saturday's game is the first for MSU (12-2-5, 7-1-3 B1G) since dropping its Big Ten Tournament quarterfinal match to Rutgers on Nov. 2. After the Spartans took a 1-0 lead 37 seconds into the game thanks to a Rutgers own goal, the Scarlet Knights scored late in the first half and the golden goal in overtime to secure a 2-1 win. Rutgers eventually advanced to the championship game, falling to UCLA.

Graduate forward and Second Team All-Big Ten selection Meg Hughes leads the Spartans in points (19) and goals (7) this season. Graduate midfielder Justina Gaynor, a three-time All-Big Ten selection, leads in assists with six, while graduate goalkeeper and Third Team All-Big Ten selection Kaitlyn Parks holds a 0.82 goals-against average.

SCOUTING WESTERN MICHIGAN
Western Michigan is 13-1-6 (8-0-3) this season, its only loss coming in a 3-0 loss at Creighton on Aug. 29. The Broncos won the outright Mid-American Conference regular season title this season and defeated Buffalo, 5-0, in the MAC Tournament Championship to secure the tournament title.

The Broncos are making their fourth overall NCAA Tournament appearance and first since 2015. WMU is 2-3 all-time in the NCAA Tournament, advancing to the second round in its first two appearances in 2003 and 2013. The Broncos' first round win in 2013, a 1-0 result over No. 2 seed Marquette, is the last NCAA Tournament victory by a MAC team.

Graduate forward and MAC Offensive Player of the Year Jen Blitchok leads WMU's blistering offense this season with 45 points from a team-leading 17 goals and 11 assists. Her 45 points rank first in the NCAA this season, while her 17 goals sit in a tie for fourth in the country. Senior forward Abby Werthman has scored 33 points this season from 12 goals and nine assists. Senior goalkeeper Lauren Boafo holds a 0.67 goals-against average and 0.792 save percentage this season.

The Spartans are 11-2 all-time against the Broncos, including a 7-2 record in East Lansing. MSU and WMU last met on Sept. 7 2014, which was a 3-2 win for the Spartans at home. WMU's only wins in the series came in 1-0 victories in 1997 and 2005. The two schools have never met in the NCAA Tournament.

MSU IN THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
The Spartans are playing in their third-straight NCAA Tournament this weekend and will make their seventh overall appearance. This is the first time in program history that MSU has earned a bid to three-consecutive NCAA Tournaments. MSU's 2024 bid is also its third-straight seeded selection. Prior to 2022, MSU had never hosted an NCAA Tournament game.

Last season, the Spartans registered their best NCAA finish in program history. MSU defeated Ohio, 3-0, in the first round before earning its first-ever second round victory in a 1-0 win over fourth-seeded Harvard in Provo, Utah. The Spartans fell to top-seeded and eventual College Cup participant BYU in the third round.

MSU is 5-6 overall in the NCAA Tournament and 3-2 in the last three seasons.

UP NEXT
The winner of Saturday's game will move on to face the winner of No. 4 seed Texas and Boston University in the second round. The highest remaining seed in the region (No. 1 Duke, No. 4 Texas, No. 5 MSU, No. 8 Texas Tech) will host the second and third rounds, scheduled for Nov. 22 and 24, respectively.

Fifth-Seeded Michigan State Hosts Western Michigan in NCAA First Round Saturday

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Players Mentioned

Justina Gaynor

Meg Hughes

Kaitlyn Parks