Regular Season Concludes Sunday at Nebraska

No. 13 Michigan State (9-3-5, 6-1-3 B1G) at Nebraska (8-4-5, 3-4-3B1G)
Dates/Location	Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025 \| 1 pm ET / 12 pm CT Hibner Stadium, Lincoln, Neb. \| GameDay Information
Television	none
Webstream	Watch on BTN+
Live Statistics	Click Here
Game Notes	Michigan State \| Nebraska
Press Conference	Coach Hosler Weekly Availability
Social Media	Facebook X Instagram

The Particulars

• The regular-season finale is on tap for No. 13 Michigan State, as it travels to Lincoln, Nebraska to take on the Cornhuskers.

• Sunday's game will have a webstream on B1G+. Links to all broadcasts, webstreams, live stats, and more can be found on the schedule page at MSUSpartans.com.

• MSU leads the all-time series, 5-4-2 - which includes a 4-1 win for the Spartans in September of 2024. This will be just the fourth meeting of the teams in the tenure of Jeff Hosler - the Spartans previously posted a 2-2 tie (2021) and a 2-1 win in the Big Ten Tournament (2022) in the first two.

• MSU earned a pair of wins at home last week: a 2-0 victory on Thursday over Indiana and 5-1 vs. Illinois in its regular-season home finale on Sunday. The Huskers took a west coast trip last weekend, downing Southern Cal (3-2) on Thursday before a 3-0 loss to UCLA on Sunday.

Team Notes
• MSU has guaranteed a seed no lower than fifth for the upcoming Big Ten Tournament. If the Spartans finish somewhere in the 2-5 range, they would have a first round bye and advance directly into the semifinals.

• Washington (8-0-2, 26 points) clinched its first-ever Big Ten regular season title last Sunday with a 1-0 win over Wisconsin. Michigan State (6-1-3, 21 points) moved into second place with its win over Illinois, ahead of UCLA (6-2-2, 20 points) and the Badgers (6-3-1, 19 points). Against Nebraska, MSU will look to solidify the No. 2 seed in the upcoming B1G Tournament, while the Huskers are fighting to finish among the top 10 to make the tournament field. Entering the weekend, Nebraska has 12 conference points (3-4-3) and is tied for 11th with Michigan, one point behind 10th-place USC (4-5-1, 13 points).
   The 2025 Big Ten Women's Soccer Tournament begins Thursday, Oct. 30 with the first round and quarterfinal matchups (Nov. 1-2) hosted by Purdue University. This year's semifinals and championship match will be played at Energizer Park in St. Louis on Nov. 6 (semifinals) and 9 (final).

• Through games of Oct. 20, MSU's schedule has been rated the toughest in the nation, with opponents boasting a 149-61-42 record (.675). When accounting for the full regular-season slate, MSU's opposition (past and upcoming) owns a .671 winning percentage, which is also the most difficult in the country. Northwestern owns the second-highest rank strength of schedule among B1G teams, (.620, 15th nationally).

• Among MSU's seven non-conference opponents, Notre Dame (ACC), Dayton (A10), Buffalo (MAC) and Milwaukee (Horizon) and Xavier (Big East) are all leading their leagues or one point out of the top spot with games in hand. Seven Spartan opponents appear in the top 25 (or receiving votes) in either the United Soccer Coaches or Top Drawer Soccer national polls, including consensus No. 1 Notre Dame.

•   Michigan State is the highest ranked Big Ten squad in the RPI, coming in at No. 9 (up two spots from last week). Iowa (19) and UCLA (20), Washington (22) and Wisconsin (23) round out the top 25.

• The Spartans returned to the win column last week with wins over Indiana and Illinois after having a seven-game unbeaten streak snapped in a wild 5-3 loss at No. 7 Iowa (Oct. 19).

• All three of MSU's losses this season have come to ranked teams – Notre Dame (No. 2), Iowa (No. 7) and Xavier (No. 20).

• MSU completed its regular season with a 6-1-3 record at DeMartin Stadium, the lone setback to No. 3 Notre Dame.

• MSU secured its program-high fifth tie of the season when it played to a 1-1 decision with No. 21 Ohio State (10/5). MSU set the school record with five ties in 2005 and matched that total in 2024.

• With 43 goals through 17 games, MSU is first in the Big Ten in both total goals (sixth nationally) and goals per game (2.53, 15th nationally).

• MSU had five different goal scorers in the win over Illinois and now has 17 different players with at least a goal this season (seven with three goals or more). In a survey of Division I programs, the 17 different players with at least a goal appears to be the national lead, while only Stanford (with nine 3+ goal scorers) is ahead of MSU in that category.

• MSU has had two, three-game stretches of scoring 10 goals or more in Big Ten games. In late September, the Spartans put 12 on the board vs. USC (4-0), Minnesota (2-1) and No. 20 Wisconsin (6-0), and over the last three, MSU has scored three in a loss at Iowa, and then followed up with wins over Indiana (2-0) and Illinois (5-1). MSU had a three-game stretch in late August with 14 goals scored against NC State (3-0), Milwaukee (9-0) and Buffalo (2-1).

• Of MSU's 43 goals on the season, 27 of them have come in the second half, compared to just six goals for Spartan opponents. MSU had four goals in the second half in its most recent game vs. Illinois.

• The Spartans have outshot their opponents 251-169, and nearly doubling up opponents with a 153-80 edge in the second half.

•   MSU started the 2025 campaign with back-to-back ties: a 1-1 decision at Colorado and 0-0 against Dayton at home. This was the first time in program history that MSU started the season with ties in its first two games, and is now is the first time in school history that MSU has opened the B1G season with consecutive draws (1-1 vs. both Rutgers and UCLA).

• MSU is 7-1-1 when scoring the first goal of the game, which it did in each of its last four games. MSU is 2-1-3 when conceding the first score, last vs. Ohio State (10/5).
• All three of MSU's draws in Big Ten play were 1-1 finals - at Rutgers (9/12) and at home against No. 4 UCLA (9/18) and No. 21 Ohio State (10/5). MSU has outscored its Big Ten opponents 21-9 in its nine Conference games.

• The Spartans rank second in the Big Ten in corner kicks per game (6.00). MSU has 102 corners to just 57 allowed, which includes a 9-3 edge in the last game vs. Illinois after being tied 3-3 at the half.

• Michigan State returned to the United Soccer Coaches national poll on Sept. 30 after a three-week absence, and this week is at No. 13, its second-highest spot this season. In the preseason, MSU came in at No. 12 - its highest preseason ranking in program history. The Spartans completed the 2024 season at No. 14 after advancing to the NCAA Round of 16.

• Starting off the season at 3-0-2, the Spartans were ranked as high as No. 12 and opened their fourth season in five under Hosler with a five-game unbeaten streak or more.

• The Spartans scored 45 goals in 22 games in 2004, (2.05 per game), and are on pace to surpass that with 43 through 17 games in 2025 (2.53). With a seasoned corps of keepers a year ago, MSU owned a 0.861 team GAA; with a pair of freshmen, MSU owns a 1.14 GAA (and the toughest schedule in the country).

• The Big Ten owned a 69-30-20 record (.663) through non-conference play. The ACC has the most victories of any conference at 76-21-24 (.727), the SEC posted 72-27-14 (.699), and Big 12 narrowly leads in winning percentage (66-19-18, .728).

• The Spartans have welcomed home crowds of 1,100+ fans for all seven of their home games this fall, with a single-match high of 2,420 vs. Indiana on Oct. 16 and a doubleheader total of 4,025 on Aug. 21 vs. NC State. MSU ranks fifth nationally in overall attendance (19,389) and eighth in average attendance (1,939), both second in the B1G.
   MSU ranked fifth nationally in overall (28,397) and sixth in average (2,184) attendance last season.

Player Notes - Field Players
• Michigan State has four players who have started every game this season, and nine who have played in all 17.

• Junior Kayla Briggs has a point in seven of 10 B1G games, and most recently scored in both games vs. Indiana and Illinois last week. She owns the team lead in assists (7, second B1G/33rd nationally). Her seven assists and 15 points are both career bests. Her two assists vs. Wisconsin (9/28) tied her single-game career high.

• In Conference games only, Briggs leads the B1G with six assists and her 12 points is tied for third (1.20 per contest).

• Briggs leads the Spartans for the most minutes played this season (1306), with centerback Maggie Illig (1304) second and Najera third (1217). Illig and Briggs have each played all 90 minutes six times.

• Briggs joined the Spartans after two seasons at Providence, where she combined for five goals, three game-winners, and seven assists over those two years. She now has a career scoring line of 9-14-32, which is fourth on the team in career scoring behind Najera (22-14-58) and Bell (13-7-33), and tied with Sargeant (8-16-30).

• Kennedy Bell has been named to the Missouri Athletic Club's Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List. This is the first time that the award, which honors the top men's and women's soccer player in the nation, has released a midseason watch list.

• Bell is the Big Ten leader in goals (10, 26th NCAA), and her 24 points leads the B1G and is 29th nationally.

• Bell's 10 goals ranks in a tie for 17th in MSU's all-time single season records. It's the most goals for a Spartan since Lauren DeBeau had 11 in 2022. Her 24 points ties her for 21st all-time in a single season, which both Bella Najera and Justina Gaynor had in 2023. DeBeau gad 26 points in 2022.

• In Conference games only (the criteria on which the All-Big Ten honors are decided) Bell leads the Spartans and the B1G with 15 points (10 GP, 6-3-15), and shares the lead in goals (6). Her three assists ranks in a tie for sixth.

• Bell's brace against USC (9/21) was her first as a Spartan and the second of her career. She had a two-goal game in 2024 at Maryland against VCU.

• Through 17 games, Bell has more than tripled her three career goals that she scored in two seasons at Maryland, (where her role was primarily defensive). With 24 points, she is also approaching tripling her career total entering 2025 (9).

•   Maggie Illig had one goal in each of her first three collegiate seasons, and she scored on a header vs. Illinois to open the scoring. She has three goals and an assist this season, and with seven points is close to matching her career scoring line through her first three college seasons combined (3-4-10).

• Illig was the most decorated Spartan in the pre-season, earning a spot on the Hermann Trophy Watch List, the United Soccer Coaches Defenders to Watch, and also is among the Big Ten Players to Watch. She was a Second Team All-Big Ten pick a year ago and was also a United Soccer Coaches All-Region pick.

• Mimi Hallier scored her first career goal on Sunday vs. Illinois, and had her first career point against Buffalo (8/28). The outside back has all four of her career points this season, where she has started 15 of the 16 games in which she has played. She has logged time in 47 career contests.

• Redshirt sophomore Shelby Vaughn is one of six Spartans with multiple goals this season (3), and she had a goal and an assist last week against Indiana and Illinois. She made her collegiate debut on Aug. 24 against Milwaukee, and scored her first collegiate goal in that contest.

• Emerson Sargeant has tied her career best with four goals this season, and she's added three assists for 11 points - three shy of her career best set in 2023. She has a 8-16-32 career scoring line, which is tied for third among active players.

• With two scores at Wisconsin (9/28), Sargeant is one of four Spartan player to record a brace this season - Kennedy Bell recorded hers against USC, while Renee Watson (8/24 vs. Milwaukee) and Bella Najera (8/28 vs. Buffalo) gave MSU its first occurrence of braces in back-to-back games under Jeff Hosler. The Spartans also posted four, two-goal games in 2024.

• Senior Sofia Beerworth had her second assist of the season setting up Illig's goal vs. Illinois. She has started five consecutive games and has played in 16 of 17 overall. At Iowa (10/12), she had a goal and an assist to register her second career multiple-point game, her first coming in October 2024 when she had a goal and an assist in a 2-0 win over Wisconsin.

• Junior Ella Janz scored a highlight-reel goal against Indiana (10/16), which stood as her first goal of the season. She took a pass from Shelby Vaughn and split three defenders to give the Spartans a 2-0 lead headed into halftime. She has played in 36 games over her three collegiate seasons.

• Renee Watson returned to the starting lineup vs. Illinois and played a team-high 84 minutes. On the season, she has 13 points on four goals and five assists - career bests in all three categories. She ranks fourth on the team in points and tied for second in assists, playing in all 17 games.

• Watson had a career day against Milwaukee (8/24) with two goals and two assists - it was her first collegiate goal, brace, and multi-point game. It remains the third-highest point total in a single game for any B1G player this season.

• Bella Najera is tied for second on the team with Kayla Briggs (15 points) for second on the team and tied for 11th among B1G players.

• Najera had MSU's score in the 1-1 deadlock vs Ohio State (10/5). Of her five goals on the year, two have stood as game-tying tallies and one as a game-winner.

• Najera has points in eight of MSU's 16 games, tied for the team lead with Kennedy Bell.

• Najera is steadily climbing among the all-time scoring leaders in program history. She has 58 career points, tied with Leasa Klix (1986-88) and Jamie Cheslik (2014-17) for 13th in the Spartan annals. Her 22 career goals finds her alone in 14th place among the Spartan goal scorers. Najera's start vs. Illinois was the 56th in her career, in her 61st game.

• Najera was a Big Ten Player to Watch and a United Soccer Coaches Midfielder to Watch in the pre-season. The 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year has earned Third Team All-Big Ten honors in each of the last two seasons.

• Bell (2), Sargeant (2), Illig (2), Najera, Briggs, and Watson have MSU's nine game-winning goals this season, with Najera (2) and Bell each notching game-tying scores.

• Senior Remini Tillotson has played valuable, increasing minutes over this recent stretch for the Spartans - over the last five games, she has averaged 46 minutes, with a season-high of 60 played in the Big Ten opener at Rutgers. She scored her first goal as a Spartan when she converted a penalty kick against USC (9/21). It was also the first PK for her in her collegiate career. She has appeared in all 17 games.

• Samantha Maroni has started each of MSU's 10 Big Ten games, including going all 90 against Minnesota (9/25). She's played in 15 games after appearing in just three as a freshman.

• Kaleigh McPherson had an assist on Sophia Beerworth's score at Iowa (10/12), her first of the season. She has started each of MSU's 10 Big Ten games and 12 overall. She was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team in 2024.

• Regan Dalton missed nearly all of the 2024 season after being injured just 30 minutes into the opener. She has played in all 17 games this year, starting seven - most recently vs. Indiana. She played a team-high 82 minutes vs. the Hoosiers.
• Freshman Ava Lutke earned her first career start vs. Notre Dame (9/4) and has started six total, which includes five of MSU's nine B1G games. She has appeared in 14 Spartan games and her 782 total minutes leads all freshmen. She has one goal on the year, scored against NC State (8/21), and had an assist on Bell's game-winner vs. USC (9/21).

• Junior Sophia Piotrowski also netted her first goal of the season at Wisconsin (9/28), and the second of her career. The junior has appeared in 14 of MSU's 17 games this season.

• Adelle Francis has played in 14 of MSU's 17 games and earned three starts. She has a goal and an assist after contributing a pair of assists in 19 games last year as a redshirt freshman.

• Senior fullback Allie Mairn has started six games and played in 13.

Player Notes - Keepers
• Noelle Henning has started each of the last nine games. She and Kennedy Zorn shared the net in the pre-conference schedule, and Zorn played the B1G opener at Rutgers.

• Henning was named the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week on Tuesday (10/21). Last week, she posted her fifth clean sheet of the season in a four-save effort vs. Indiana on Thursday, and then had four more stops in Sunday's 5-1 win over Illinois. She has made 18 saves over her last four games.
   This was the second weekly honor for the first-year keeper. She was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week on Sept. 30 after stopping seven of the eight shots she faced in wins at Minnesota (9/25) and Wisconsin (9/28). She made five saves against the Gophers, one behind her career-best six.

• Henning has started 13 MSU games, and owns a 1.44 GAA and .719 save percentage. Her five shutouts ranks in a tie for seventh in the Big Ten. In Conference games only, her four shutouts are fifth, her 1.00 GAA is sixth, and .786 save percentage rank seventh. Henning's 3.67 saves per game in Conference action is 10th among B1G keepers.

• Zorn earned the start in the Big Ten opener at Rutgers, and was credited with three saves and one goal against in her most recent outing.

• In four starts and five appearances (405 MP), Zorn has 10 saves (.833 Sv%), and two goals against (0.44 GAA).

•    All players must appear in 75% of their team's games in order to appear in Big Ten rankings - and overall, neither of MSU's freshman keepers appears in the Conference statistics.

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Players Mentioned

Sofia Beerworth

Kennedy Bell

Kayla Briggs

Regan Dalton

Adelle Francis

Justina Gaynor

Mimi Hallier

Noelle Henning

Maggie Illig

Ella Janz

Ava Lutke

Allie Mairn

Samantha Maroni

Kaleigh McPherson

Bella Najera

Sophia Piotrowski

Emerson Sargeant

Remini Tillotson

Shelby Vaughn

Renee Watson

Kennedy Zorn