Najera's Brace Sends MSU to B1G Semifinals - Michigan State University Athletics

Thursday, November 5

St. Louis, Mo.

5 PM ET / 4 PM CT

Michigan State University

14-3-2, 9-3-0

Washington (B1G Quarterfinal)

12-3-4, 7-2-3

Team	1	2	3	Final F
Washington	0	2	0	2
Michigan St.	1	1	1	3

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11/5/2026 9:50:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

St. Louis, Mo. – Bella Najera scored her second goal of the game in the 96^th minute to propel Michigan State into the Big Ten Tournament semifinals with a 3-2 win over Washington in St. Louis on Thursday afternoon.

Big. Game. Bella. On to the Semis - we've got a date with the Wolverines. #GoGreen https://t.co/uMC5S8dfE0
— Michigan State Women's Soccer (@MSU_wsoccer) November 6, 2026

The Spartans (14-3-2) recorded their second win of the season over Washington and now will take on Michigan in the Sunday afternoon semifinals. The Wolverines are No. 8 seed and upset regular-season champion Ohio State on Wednesday. Sunday's game will be played at Energizer Park in St. Louis.

Najera's golden goal came off of a corner play, MSU's 11^th corner of the game. Faith George, who scored the only goal of the first half, initiated the play from the far corner to the left of the goal. Local product Addison Baldus got a head on it and sent it netward, but Washington keeper Tanner Ijams was able to swipe at it and connected, clearing it away. Najera was there to corral the rebound and send the winner into the back of the net to send Michigan State into the semifinals for the second straight season. The celebration was delayed as the officials went to replay, but Najera and the Spartans celebrated as the play was upheld.

Michigan State opened the scoring in the 13^th minute when outside back Faith George scored her first goal as a Spartan off assists from Kennedy Bell and Emerson Sargeant. That was the score as the teams entered the intermission, with MSU holding a 6-0 edge in shots (2-0 on frame) and had a 4-1 edge in corners. Najera's doubled MSU's lead in the 50^th minute, as Bell and Sargeant once again teamed up for the assists.

Sargeant draws attention to the left side, and she slides to Bell. Bell goes to George on the right, and her extra touch puts it on her left foot. https://t.co/2dEVdVlbgC
— Michigan State Women's Soccer (@MSU_wsoccer) November 5, 2026

Washington (12-3-4), the No. 5 seed in the tournament, got on the board in the 59^th minute off a restart, which gave its offense some confidence and a flurry of looks in their own offensive third. Washington had five shots in the second half, with just two on target – with both shots on goal finding their mark. Their first goal came from Maylen Montoya, who set up the second goal, which drew the Huskies even with just over eight minutes to go. She started the play, and Lucy Newlin's shot took a weird angle off her foot – but Andrea Leyva settled it and put it in the back of the net for her third goal of the season.

MSU held a 13-5 edge in attempts through regulation, and held a 2-1 edge in the overtime period. The Spartans also had the 11-4 advantage in corners. Noelle Henning had one save – coming in the OT period.

Scoring
13' – UW 0, MSU 1 | Emerson Sargeant dribbled up the left side into traffic, drawing defenders to that side of the box. She went to the center for Kennedy Bell, and a patient Bell slid it over to the top right corner for Faith George. George took an extra touch to put it onto her left foot, and sent a shot into the short side.

50' – UW 0, MSU 2 | Ava Lutke initiated the play with a throw-in from the far sideline, and Ella Janz was able to pop it out of traffic up the right side for Sargeant. Sargeant found Bell, and she fed Bella Najera all alone at the top of the area, and she powered it past Ijams for a 2-0 Spartan lead.

59' – UW 1, MSU 2 | The Huskies had a free kick from the left side taken by Samiah Shell. She placed it to the top of the area on the right side, and Malen Montoya popped it past Henning.

82' – UW 2, MSU 2 | Montoya served it into the box from the right side and Lucky Newlin's touch popped up instead of going forward. Andrea Leyva was able to get a foot on it to put it on net out of the reach of Henning, and it knotted the game at 2-2.

96' – UW 2, MSU 3 | Faith George took the corner kick, and lofted it in front for Addison Baldus. Baldus got a head on it and sent it netward, but keeper Tanner Ijams was able to swat it away with one hand in a clearing attempt. Najera was there on the doorstep and able to redirect it into the right corner for the winner.

Big -game Bella comes through again! Bell and Sergeant have set up both goals today as MSU takes a 2-0 lead on the Najera score. https://t.co/6aFFsjP93E
— Michigan State Women's Soccer (@MSU_wsoccer) November 5, 2026

Notables

Michigan State and Washington went to overtime for the second straight season in the Big Ten Tournament; in 2025, the squads met in the B1G Championship game. The teams traded goals in the opening 11 minutes of that contest and played through a pair of overtimes knotted at 1-1, with the Huskies prevailing on penalty kicks.
The Spartans are now 5-11-2 all-time in B1G quarterfinal games and look to improve their 2-4-0 mark in semifinals when they take on Michigan on Sunday. It will be the third time that MSU will meet Michigan in the Big Ten Tournament and the first time since 2001. The teams met on Sept. 20 in East Lansing, with the Wolverines earning a 3-1 upset victory over then-No. 1 MSU.
The Big Ten Tournament saw a pair of upsets on Wednesday in the first set of quarterfinals. No. 8 seed Michigan defeated top seed Ohio State, and No. 7 Wisconsin stunned No. 2 UCLA in overtime. The highest remaining seed after Sunday's semifinals will host the Big Ten Championship game next Friday.
Bella Najera delivered her first brace of the season and her OT score was her third game-winner of the season. The three game-winners matched her career best, established as a freshman and tied in both her junior and senior seasons.
Right back Faith George scored MSU's first goal of the game, her first score as a Spartan. She also had an assist on Najera's game-winner.
Emerson Sargeant and Kennedy Bell each assisted on both of MSU's first two goals. Bell now has 11 assists this season, good for third all-time in a single season in the MSU annals; her 27 points ranks 16^th all-time in the Spartan single-season annals and is two shy of the 29 she had in 25 games a year ago.
Sargeant and Najera played in their 88^th career games on Thursday. The school record is 90, held by Samantha White (2018-22).
Najera moved up among MSU's all-time leading scorers with her brace. She now boasts 29 goals (T-sixth) and 77 points, which is tied for seventh. Her 11^th game-winner is tied for fourth place.
The UW goal in the 59^th minute snapped Noelle Henning's active shutout streak vs. the Huskies at 256:11, dating back to last year's Big Ten Championship game. Washington got on the board in the fourth minute in that game, which went double OT; MSU recorded a 3-0 shutout win back in September in East Lansing.

UP NEXT
Big Ten Tournament continues in St. Louis, Mo.at Energizer Park on Sunday. The Spartans will play archrival Michigan for a spot in the Big Ten Championship game.