Road Weekend Starts Thursday for Women's Soccer

Michigan State (4-2-3, 1-0-2 B1G) at Minnesota (5-3-1, 1-1-1 B1G)
Dates/Location	Thursday, September 25 \| 8 pm ET/ 7 pm CT Elizabeth Lyle Robbie Stadium , Minneapolis, Minn.
Television	none
Webstream	Watch on BTN+
Live Statistics	Click Here
Game Notes	Michigan State \| Minnesota
Social Media	Facebook X Instagram

The Particulars
• Michigan State takes its longest road trip of the season when it starts a weekend set at Minnesota on Thursday night (8 pm ET/7 pm CT). The game will be streamed on BTN+.

• The series is fairly even, with the Spartans holding a 15-14-1 mark over the Gophers, but MSU is 5-7-3 on the road in this series. MSU is 3-0 under Jeff Hosler, which matches MSU's current streak against Minnesota. The last meeting of the teams was in September of 2023, a 3-1 Spartan win in Minneapolis. Going back to 2018, MSU is 3-1-2 in the last six meetings between the squads.

• All 18 schools have earned at least one point in the Big Ten standings through three game games. No school has started 3-0, and none have gone 0-3.

Team Notes
• MSU went 1-0-1 against the California Big Ten schools last week, playing to a 1-1 deadlock against No. 4 UCLA Thursday night on BTN before posting a 4-0 win over Southern California on Sunday.

• Sunday's win was MSU's second-highest offensive output in a game this season, the most since a 9-0 decision over Milwaukee (8/24). Its also the most goals for MSU in a Big Ten game since last September (9/19), a 4-1 victory at Nebraska.

• Thursday's tie vs. the fourth-ranked Bruins was MSU's fourth of the season, one shy of the school record of five set in 2005 and matched last year.

• 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, and it is now also is the first time in school history that MSU has opened the B1G season with consecutive draws.

• MSU scored the first goal of the game in both matchups last week, and for just the third and fourth time this season (3-0-1). MSU has conceded the first score in five matches.

• With 23 goals through eight games, MSU is first in the Big Ten in both total goals (29th nationally) and goals per game (2.30, 35th nationally).

• The Spartans have outshot their opponents 150-105, with a commanding 93-53 edge in the second half. MSU outshot the Women of Troy 10-3 in the second half on Sunday.

• Of MSU's 23 goals on the season, 15 of them have come in the second 45, compared to just three goals for Spartan opponents.

• The Spartans lead the Big Ten and rank 19th nationally in corner kicks per game (6.90). MSU has 69 corners to just 31 allowed and have a 38-14 edge in corners in the second stanza.
• Michigan State is not ranked in either national poll this week. In fact, the Sept. 8 poll was the first time since Sept. 19, 2023 that the Spartans were not 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.

• 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.

• MSU's full-season strength of schedule ranks 16th nationally and first in the Big Ten. Spartan opponents are a combined 88-38-20 (.660).

• 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).

• 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 returned 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 seven 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 (13,953) and seventh in average attendance (1,993).
   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 every game this season, and nine who have played in all 10.

• MSU has 10 different goal scorers of its 18 goals on the season. Four have multiple goals.

• Kennedy Bell had herself a week, with three goals and an assist for seven points against the California schools. She scored MSU's lone goal against UCLA, and then had a hand in every MSU goal scored in the run of play on Sunday vs USC. SHe was named both the Top Drawer Soccer National Player of the Week and the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week.

• Bell shares the Big Ten lead in goals (7), which ranks 15th among Division I players. Her 16 points ranks second in the B1G and 25th nationally. She is first in the Big Ten in goals per game (0.70, 32nd NCAA) and second in points per game (1.60, 41st NCAA.)

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

• Bell is the third Spartan player to record a brace this season - 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 posted four, two-goal games in 2024, two in 2023, and one in 2021 - but this was the first time it happened in consecutive games.

• Through 10 games this season, Bell has doubled her eight career points and nearly tripled her three career goals that she scored in two seasons at Maryland, where her role was primarily as a defensive player.

• Junior Kayla Briggs had a four-point week, as she set up Bell for her goal against UCLA, and then ha a goal and an assist in the game vs. USC. She shares the team lead in assists (3) with Renee Watson, and the pair are also tied for third on the team in points (7).

• Briggs has played the most minutes of any player on the team, (758), which included going all 90 minutes against Colorado, Buffalo, Rutgers and UCLA; Maggie Illig (748 minutes) played all 90 vs. Colorado, Dayton, Rutgers, and UCLA. Najera (732 minutes) logged 90 at Rutgers and vs. Buffalo, and rank 1-2-3 on the team in minutes played.

• 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 7-10-24, which is third on the team in career scoring behind Bella Najera (21-11-53) and Kennedy Bell (10-5-25).

• Bella Najera is second on the team with 10 points, which is also tied for 10th among B1G players. Her four goals ranks 11th in the league. She has 27 shots / 2.70 shots per contest, which rank eighth and sixth in the league, respectively.

• Najera has a point in five of MSU's 10 games, the second-most on the team behind Bell (6).

• Najera's marker against Rutgers (9/12) was the 21st of her career, which puts her in a tie for 14th in the Spartan annals with Camryn Evans (2018-22), Jennifer Huegli (1988-89) and Jamie Cheslik (2014-17). Her 53 career points moves her into a tie for 17th all-time with Erin Konheim (15-23-53, 2002-05). She played in her 50th career collegiate game against Xavier (8/31).

• 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 third-highest point total in a single game for any B1G player this season.

• 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 eight games this season.

• Senior Remini Tillotson had her first goal as a Spartan when she converted a penalty kick against USC. It was also the first PK for her in her collegiate career. She has appeared in all 10 games for MSU.

• Redshirt junior Emerson Sargeant suffered a season-ending injury five games into the 2024 season. She has started all 10 games, played all 90 minutes against UCLA, and is one of four players to contribute 600 minutes or more this season. In her four seasons at MSU, she has a 4-14-22 career scoring line, which is fourth on the team.

• Freshman Ava Lutke earned her first career start vs. Notre Dame (9/4) and has started four straight, which includes each of MSU's three B1G games. She has appeared in all 10 Spartan games and her 561 total minutes leads all freshmen. She has one goal on the year, scored against NC State (8/21), and had an assist on Kennedy Bell's game-winner vs. USC (9/21).

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

•   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.

• Kaleigh McPherson has started each of the last four games (and started five overall). She was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team in 2024.

• Redshirt sophomore Shelby Vaughn is one of four Spartans with multiple goals this season (2). She made her collegiate debut on Aug. 24, against Milwaukee, and scored her first collegiate goal in that contest. She added a second goal on the year against Xavier, (8/31), the first time she played more than 17 minutes in a game. She did not play in the game vs. UCLA but appeared in each of MSU's previous five games, and played in nearly 40 minutes in three.

• Vaughn's blocked shot attempt at Rutgers (set up by Kayla Briggs) directly led to the Najera equalizer in the 66th minute.

• Adelle Francis started vs. Notre Dame and the season opener at Colorado, and has played in nine of MSU's 10 games overall. She contributed a pair of assists in 19 games last year as a redshirt freshman.

• Junior Ella Janz started MSU's Big Ten opener at Rutgers, after missing three games with an injury. Janz had her first point of the year on an assist on Kennedy Bell's second goal against USC, and nearly had a goal of her own on a header attempt. She has played in 32 games over her three collegiate seasons.

• Samantha Maroni has played in nine games after appearing in just three as a freshman. Her role and time on the field has consistently increased as the season has worn on, as she has started all three of MSU's Big Ten contests.
• Mimi Hallier had her first career point against Buffalo (8/28), when she set up Najera for the game-winner. Hallier has started eight games this season and has played 40 career contests.

• Regan Dalton missed nearly all of the 2024 season after being injured just 30 minutes into the opener. She has played in all 10 games this year, starting six.

• 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.

• 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.

Player Notes - Keepers
• MSU has platooned its two freshmen keepers - through 10 games, Noelle Henning has 495 minutes, and Kennedy Zorn 405. Henning started the game at Xavier, and Zorn came in to play the second half.

• Henning earned both starts last week. She made a six saves in the 1-1 tie against No. 4 UCLA, and another three in the 4-0 win over USC.

• Henning made a pair of impressive saves late in the game vs. the Bruins, punching the ball out of harm's way on a corner kick with seven minutes left and then a huge stop with 51 seconds remaining on the clock to preserve the tie. Her six saves was her career-best - she previously had five saves against NC State (8/21).

• Both Henning and Zorn have two shutouts to their credit this season - that ranks in a tie for 14th in the Big Ten.

• Henning's 3.66 saves per game ranks fifth in the Big Ten. She owns a 1.82 GAA and .688 save percentage in six games, all starts. She owns a 2-2-2 record.

• 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%, sixth in the Big Ten) and two goals against (0.44 GAA, fourth B1G),

•    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

Ella Janz

Ava Lutke

Samantha Maroni

Kaleigh McPherson

Bella Najera

Emerson Sargeant

Remini Tillotson

Shelby Vaughn

Renee Watson

Kennedy Zorn