B1G Play Opens Friday at Rutgers

Michigan State (3-2-2) at Rutgers (2-0-3)
Dates/Location	Friday, September 12 \| 4 pm Yurcak Field , Piscataway, NJ
Television	none
Webstream	Watch on BTN+
Live Statistics	Click Here
Game Notes	Michigan State \| Rutgers
Social Media	Facebook X Instagram

The Particulars
• Michigan State heads east for its Big Ten Conference opener, and will take on Rutgers on Friday afternoon.

• The game will air live on BTN+. Links for webstreams, live statistics, game previews and more can be found above or on the schedule page at MSUSpartans.com.

• These teams met twice last season - a 1-1 draw in East Lansing, and a 2-1 OT victory for the Scarlet Knights in the Big Ten Tournament. All-time, Rutgers is in control of the series with a 10-2-1 record against the Spartans, who are 1-5-0 in games played in New Jersey. This is MSU's first trip to Piscataway since 2021. Coach Hosler is 1-3-1 all-time in this series.

• In 12 all-time meetings of the squads, only once has the game been decided by more than a goal - in March of 2021, the Scarlet Knights posted a 3-1 victory. Eleven of the 12 meetings have come since Rutgers joined the Big Ten in the fall of 2014.

Team Notes
• MSU is 11-15-6 all-time in Big Ten openers, which includes a 2-0-2 record under head coach Jeff Hosler.

• With a 5-2 loss at Xavier (8/31) and a 3-0 setback vs. No. 5 Notre Dame (9/4), MSU has dropped back-to-back contests in the regular season for the first time in the five-year tenure of Jeff Hosler. The only other time they have lost consecutive games under Hosler was in his first season, when the Spartans fell 2-1 to Penn State in the regular-season finale and 1-0 in the Big Ten Tournament to Iowa.

• The Notre Dame result was MSU's first home loss since a 2-1 loss to Iowa in the first round of the 2023 Big Ten Tournament. The Spartans had a 17-game regular-season home unbeaten streak entering that game.

• Against Notre Dame, MSU was shut out for the second time this season, also playing to a scoreless draw against Dayton (8/17).

• MSU surrendered its first second-half goals of the season to the Irish. Its first eight goals allowed this season (including one to Notre Dame) came in the first 34 minutes of games, including two given up in the first 3:30 (vs. Colorado and Xavier). Notre Dame scored twice in the first five minutes of the second half to blow open a game that was 1-0 at the intermission.

•   MSU's loss at Xavier was its first regular-season setback since Oct. 13 of last year on the road at Washington. MSU has dropped just 11 regular-season games in the four-plus years tenure of Jeff Hosler and only seven since the start of the 2022 season.

•   The five goals by Xavier was the most allowed to an opponent since a 7-3 loss to Michigan in the Spring 2021 COVID-shortened campaign - the final season under Tom Saxton.

• 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 2024 Spartans set the school record with a 14-game unbeaten streak to start the year, surpassing the previous record of 10 set in 2009. The 2023 MSU squad won three straight to open the year.

• With 17 goals through five games, MSU leads the conference in both total goals (27th nationally) and goals per game (2.43). The Spartans rank is second in the league in goal differential (+7) and in corner kicks (51, 7.29 per game), with a 51-22 advantage in corners over their opponents.

• MSU started the 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.

• The Spartans have scored six first-half goals this season, and 11 in the second. MSU's seven second-half tallies against Milwaukee were a DeMartin Stadium record.

• MSU's strength of schedule ranks 24th among all team's cumulative opposition (both teams already played and future opponents). MSU's remaining schedule difficulty is ranked 13th among all Division I programs - and the most difficult of any B1G school.

• Michigan State is not ranked in either national poll this week, the first time this season that MSU has not been included. In fact, it is the first time since Sept. 19, 2023 that the Spartans have not been in the top 25 or receiving votes in the United Soccer Coaches national poll. In the preseason survey, 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.

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

• Michigan State is coming off a 2024 season in which it compiled a 14-3-5 overall record, and went 7-1-3 in Big Ten games. MSU finished fourth (25 points), one point out of third place and two out of second. The Spartans claimed Big Ten regular-season titles in 2022 and 2023, and advanced to the Sweet 16 in both 2023 and 2024.

• The Spartans lost 28 of 45 total goals and 80 of 134 points from the 2024 team, as well as both keepers who played last season. Michigan State returns 19 players from the 2024 roster, however - and welcome nine freshmen and two junior transfers.

• In the first four years of Jeff Hosler's tenure at MSU, the Spartans owned an overall record of 55-16-16, and is 28-6-6 in Big Ten play. In that stretch, the Spartans own the most B1G victories of the 14 teams who played all four years in the league (two ahead of Rutgers' 26) and the second-most overall wins, behind Penn State's 58. The Green & White is also the only team to finish in the top four of the Big Ten in each of those four seasons.
   Two of the newest members of the Big Ten own 71 (UCLA) and 55 (USC) victories over the last four seasons overall.

• The Spartan schedule features 11 home dates and 18 total games, and nine contests against opponents who appeared in the final United Soccer Coaches top 25 poll last December. MSU takes the field against nine teams which qualified for the NCAA Tournament a year ago, including Notre Dame (No. 2 in the preseason poll); season opening opponent Colorado not only qualified for the tournament, but the unseeded Buffs reached the second round and the Irish advanced to the final eight. Of the nine B1G squads that made the NCAA Tournament field a year ago (including MSU), eight won at least one game, six advanced into the round of 16 and two into the quarterfinals. MSU's strength of schedule for 2025 is 13th nationally, with eight of the top 15 in that ranking hailing from the Big Ten.

• MSU's 2025 recruiting class ranked No. 12 nationally by Top Drawer Soccer, with all nine first-year players earning three-star rankings or higher and five players among the top 200 incoming freshmen per the outlet's individual rankings.

• The Spartans have welcomed home crowds of 1,200 fans for all five of their home games this fall, with a single-match high of 2,214 vs. Notre Dame and a doubleheader total of 4,025 on Aug. 21 vs. NC State. MSU ranks fourth nationally in overall attendance (10,656) and seventh in average attendance (2,131).
   MSU ranked fifth nationally in overall (28,397) and sixth in average (2,184) attendance last season.

Player Notes - Field Players
• Michigan State has five players who have started all seven games this season, and 15 who have played in all seven.

• MSU has 10 different goal scorers of its 17 goals on the season. Four have multiple goals.

• Kennedy Bell netted her fourth goal of the season on the road at Xavier (8/31). She owns the team lead in that category and is tied for sixth in the Big Ten; her nine points ranks in a tie for eighth in the Big Ten, and her 1.29 points per game is 12th..

• Through seven games this season, Bell has already surpassed her three career goals she had in her two seasons at Maryland, where she was a defensive player.

• Shelby Vaughn had MSU's second-half goal at Xavier (8/31). It was her second goal of the season in her third appearance; she redshirted the 2024 campaign and scored her first career goal in her collegiate debut vs. Milwaukee (8/24). Vaughn is one of four Spartans with multiple goals this season.

• Bella Najera had her second and third goals of the season against Buffalo (8/28). She notched her first goal of the season against Milwaukee (8/24) after assists in two of the first three MSU games.

• Najera is second among Spartans and tied for 12th in the Big Ten in both points (8) and goals (3). She leads the team with 20 shot attempts, which is tied for eighth among B1G players. She had three shot attempts against Notre Dame.

• Najera's two goals against Buffalo (8/28) pushed her career total to 20, which puts her alone in 17th place on MSU's list of all-time goal scorers. Her 51 points ranks in a tie for 19th all-time in program history. She played in her 50th career collegiate game against Xavier (8/31).

• The 2023 Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Najera made her way into the single-season record books that year at MSU, with a 9-6-24 scoring line - the 21st most points and 24th most points in a season.

• 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.

• Renee 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 is also the most points in a single game for any B1G player this season.
• Watson (8/24 vs. Milwaukee) and Najera (8/28 vs. Buffalo) gave MSU its first occurrence of braces in back-to-back games under Jeff Hosler. The Spartans posted four, two-goal games in 2024, two in 2023, and one each in 2021 - but this was the first time it happened in consecutive games.

• Watson missed a month of the Spartan season in 2024 with the Canadian Women's National Team at the FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup. She returned in mid-September and started 13 of her 15 games on the year. She has started all six games this season.

• Bell, Najera, and Maggie Illig have MSU's three game-winning goals this season.

• Maggie Illig scored her first goal of the season just minutes into the Milwaukee game (8/24). It was the fourth of her career - she had one goal in each of her first three collegiate seasons.

• 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.

• Kayla Briggs had a goal against NC State (8/21) and an assist against Milwaukee (8/24) to get into the Spartan scoring column. She 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 had a team-high four shots against Notre Dame (9/4).

• Briggs has played all 90 minutes against both Colorado and Buffalo; Maggie Illig played all 90 vs. both Colorado and Dayton, and Bella Najera logged 90 vs. Buffalo.

• Adelle Francis had a goal and an assist in back-to-back games vs. NC State (8/21) and Milwaukee (8/24), giving her three points on the year. She started in the most recent game vs. Notre Dame, and also started the season opener at Colorado. She contributed a pair of assists in 19 games last year as a redshirt freshman.

• Kaleigh McPherson started the game vs. Notre Dame, and also had a start in the opener at Colorado. She was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team in 2024.

• Freshman Ava Lutke earned a her first career start vs. Notre Dame (9/4), and played 64 minutes. She has appeared in all seven Spartan games (383 total minutes, averaging 54 per game) and has one goal on the year, scored against NC State (8/21).

• Redshirt junior Emerson Sargeant recorded her first point of the year vs. Milwaukee, setting up Shelby Vaughn's second-half score. Sargeant suffered a season-ending injury five games into the 2024 season. She had four assists in those five games last season before the injury. In her four seasons at MSU, she has a 4-14-22 career scoring line, second only to Bella Najera.

• Mimi Hallier had her first career point against Buffalo (8/28), when she set up Najera for the game-winner. Hallier has started six games this season and has played 38 career contests.

• The Spartans returned six players with 16 or more starts last year: Seniors Sofia Beerworth and Maggie Illig, juniors Bella Najera and Renee Watson, and sophomores Julia Belli and Kaleigh McPherson. A pair of Spartan starters from 2023 lost their 2024 seasons to injury (Regan Dalton and Emerson Sargeant), and returned healthy for the 2025 campaign to provide MSU a solid corps of seasoned veterans with an eye on making a run at their third Big Ten title in three seasons.

• The early-season losses of Regan Dalton and Sargeant a year ago left a hole in the Spartan midfield - Dalton was injured in the first game of the year, and Sargeant in the fifth. Sargeant had a 4-6-14 scoring line as a sophomore and already had four assists to her credit in the first four games of 2024 before suffering the injury.
   Regan Dalton played 70 minutes against Colorado, more than double the minutes she logged before suffering her season-ending injury in the 2024 opener.
   Sargeant was injured five games into last season, and has played 449 minutes in starting all seven games this year - she played in 384 a year ago.

• Sophomore centerback Julia Belli was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team in 2024, but she has not been active for a game yet this season. Belli started every game as a freshman and has one goal in 22 career games.

Player Notes - Keepers
• Noelle Henning played in MSU's most recent game vs. Notre Dame, stopping three shots.

• Henning started the game at Xavier, and Kennedy Zorn came in to play the second half. Henning made three stops in 45 minutes, and Zorn made two in 45 minutes of shutout action. It is the only game this season not played completely by one keeper.

• In three starts and four appearances (315 MP), Zorn has seven saves (.875 Sv%, 40th nationally) and one goal against (0.286 GAA, 15th nationally), both which rank as fifth and third, respectively, in the B1G. She ranks in a tie for 10th in the Big Ten in shutouts (2).

• Henning earned her first career victory and shutout against NC State (8/21), making five saves. She made her collegiate debut as the Spartan keeper vs. Colorado (8/14), and made two saves - one in each half. She started each of MSU's last two games, and owns a 2.57 GAA and .591 save percentage. She has made four appearances, all starts.

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

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Players Mentioned

Sofia Beerworth

Kennedy Bell

Julia Belli

Kayla Briggs

Regan Dalton

Adelle Francis

Mimi Hallier

Noelle Henning

Maggie Illig

Ava Lutke

Kaleigh McPherson

Bella Najera

Emerson Sargeant

Shelby Vaughn

Renee Watson

Kennedy Zorn