Vaughn's Late Tally Closes Regular Season With 1-0 Win at Northwestern

Friday, October 30

Evanston, IL

7:30 PM ET/6:30 PM CT

Michigan State University

13-3-2, 9-3-0

Northwestern

5-11-3, 3-8-1

Team	1	2	Final F
Michigan St.	0	1	1
Northwestern	0	0	0

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Shelby Vaughn brings a ball forward against Maryland

10/30/2026 11:16:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

East Lansing, Mich. – Renee Watson's impressive run set up Shelby Vaughn's game-winning score in the 88^th minute for No. 6 Michigan State to capture a 1-0 victory on the road at Northwestern to close the Big Ten regular season Friday night.

Renee Watson CONTINUES to dazzle! This run to set up Shelby Vaughn's goal in the 88th minute makes it 1-0 MSU. https://t.co/5E2DmHxXtV
— Michigan State Women's Soccer (@MSU_wsoccer) October 31, 2026

Vaughn's score – a vindication after she had two good looks in the first half – was the beautiful finish to Watson's run that set her up. The Spartans (13-3-2, 9-3-0 B1G) had applied an increased level of pressure over the final 10 minutes, which is when six of MSU's 12 second-half shots were fired at keeper Nyamma Nelson.

The play started in the midfield as Northwestern had possession and looked to transition to offense, but Watson intercepted it at midfield. She ran past a pair of Wildcat defenders and got the ball to Vaughn at the top of the box on the left side. Vaughn took one touch and with the outside of her right foot redirected the ball into the right-side netting for her third goal of the season – and MSU's latest game-winning goal this season. On seven occasions this year, MSU scored in the final seven minutes of a game, with five of them determining the game's outcome.

Michigan State created more offensive chances as it got deeper into the first half, outshooting the Wildcats 6-3 overall in the frame (and 3-0 on target). MSU had a good look when a chance by Vaughn first hit a defender and then hit the crossbar off the rebound, and the keeper Nelson pounced on a shot by Kennedy Bell with 90 seconds remaining that preserved the scoreless draw into the intermission.

The best chances for Northwestern came in the 76^th minute. Noelle Henning came up with a big save, punching a Northwestern shot wide. On the ensuing corner kick, Northwestern got dangerously close again, but Bella Najera stepped in and cleared it away just ahead of the goal line to preserve the tie.

Bella Najera with a goal-line save here in the 76'. https://t.co/P7hN9Depam
— Michigan State Women's Soccer (@MSU_wsoccer) October 31, 2026

Notables

Shelby Vaughn's goal was her third of the season, tying her sophomore season total. She has started each of the last two games – the first of her career – and played a full 90 minutes tonight after logging a then-career-high 80 last week vs. Maryland
Vaughn's score was the latest a game-winner had been tabulated for MSU this season, but not the latest for a deciding goal: that was from the head of Ella Janz to tie the game at Notre Dame with just four seconds remaining in regulation.
Renee Watson has a point in each of MSU's last four games – two goals and two assists. Her season scoring line is 3-3-9 – and all of her points are in Big Ten contests. She played all 90 minutes for the 10^th time this season (and the fifth game in a row).
Noelle Henning tied her freshman total with her eighth shutout of the season, and MSU's 11^th clean sheet in 2026. The 2025 squad posted 10 shutouts, and the school record of 13 was set in 1987. Henning finished with two saves.
Henning's eighth shutout is tied in MSU's record book for fifth in a single season, while her 16 is tied in the career category. Her eighth shutout came in her 11^th game this season.
Bella Najera was responsible for MSU's team save, in the 76^th minute. As Northwestern was scrambling in front, the senior swooped in and took a ball off the end line and pushed it out of trouble to preserve the scoreless tie. Najera was playing in her 87^th career game (tied for third all-time with Emerson Sargeant). The school record is 90.
Lacey Kindel played in her first game since returning from the U17 World Cup in Morocco. She went 26 minutes.
Senior Mimi Hallier, who played in her first game this season last Sunday at Maryland, logged 51 minutes, the most of any reserve. Addison Baldus contributed 45, which was her season high.
MSU outshot their hosts 28-7, and 7-3 on target. MSU had a decisive 8-1 edge in corner kicks, and the Spartans committed double-digit fouls (10) for just the third time in a Big Ten game this season.

UP NEXT
Big Ten Tournament play begins mid-week in St. Louis, Mo.at Energizer Park. The Spartans will play their first game on Thursday; the matchups will officially be released after all of Friday's games have been completed.