No. 5 MSU Blanks USC, 5-0, in B1G Opener

Thursday, September 10

Los Angeles, CA

9 PM ET/6 PM PT

Michigan State University

5-0-2, 1-0-0

USC

1-4-2, 0-1-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Michigan St.	3	2	5
Southern California	0	0	0

Kayla Briggs celebrates her game-opening goal at USC

9/10/2026 11:55:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

East Lansing, Mich. – Defending Big Ten Forward of the Year Kennedy Bell recorded a brace and classmate Kayla Briggs had a goal and two assists to help No. 5 Michigan State open Big Ten play with a convincing 5-0 victory on the road at USC on Thursday night.

The Spartans (5-0-2, 1-0 Big Ten) had an explosive first half: a 10-3 edge in shots and 4-2 advantage in corners, with five of the MSU shots on net. MSU kept its offensive pressure high as it ventured into the second frame, with five corner opportunities in the first 15 minutes. The sizeable lead allowed MSU to go deep into its bench, with all healthy field players getting into the game.

After Briggs opened the scoring in the sixth minute, Bell scored twice in a 2:14 span (both assisted by Bella Najera) to give MSU a 3-0 lead before intermission. Senior Renee Watson scored her first goal of the season in the 66^th minute, and junior Shelby Vaughn added her first of the year in the 87^th to cap the scoring.

Fifth-year keeper Bella Schopp made two saves (both in the first half) to improve to 2-0-2 on the year with her second clean sheet. It is the fourth shutout of the season for the Spartans in seven games.

USC freshman keeper Josie Biehl was impressive for USC (1-4-2, 0-1 B1G), keeping her team in the game early. She made a pair of big saves on Bell before the senior scored her brace.

SCORING
6' – MSU 1,USC 0 | On a counter, Kayla Briggs settled the ball by heading the ball down to the left side for Kennedy Bell. Bell took a touch and sent it ahead right onto the feet of Briggs. Briggs dribbled into the box on the left side, and sent a sharp-angle shot from 15 yards out into the bottom right corner.
28' – MSU 2,USC 0 | Lacey Kindel forced a turnover at midfield on the right side, and Bella Najera sent it up ahead for Briggs. Briggs sent a pass across the top of the penalty area, and it was a one-touch effort for Bell to find the back of the net.
31' – MSU 3,USC 0 | Just 2:14 after Bell's first score, she pushed the Spartan lead to 3-0. Kindel had the ball on the left side and fed Najera in the middle. Najera went to her left to find Bell, and she sent a shot into the lower left corner.
66' – MSU 4,USC 0 | Briggs possessed the ball in front of the MSU bench on the right side, and lofted a pass to Watson, who was motoring into scoring position on the left side of the box. Watson settled the ball with her left, took one additional touch, and took a left-footed shot from top left corner of the penalty area into the right-side netting.
87' – MSU 5,USC 0 | Shelby Vaughn capped the scoring in the waning minutes of the game. Eden Bretzer initiated the play with a long pass from behind the center line ahead to Vaughn, who made an impressive run into the offensive third. The keeper came out to try to play the ball, but Vaughn poked it to the right and had a wide-open net for her first of the season.

Notables

MSU had its largest scoring output of the season. The Spartans have scored 10 goals in their last three games after combining for six in the first four contests of the season.
The Spartan defense had its fourth shutout of the season in seven games. MSU has allowed six goals this season – all to teams that were ranked or receiving votes at the time of the game (2 each vs. No. 7 North Carolina, 2 vs. No. 12 Colorado, and 2 vs. RV Notre Dame).
Kayla Briggs scored her fourth goal of the season to get MSU on the scoreboard in the sixth minute. All four of Briggs' goals have been the first goal of the game for MSU. She added a pair of assists for a four-point night.
Briggs' goal stood as the game-winner, her eighth in an MSU uniform. She is now tied for ninth place all-time at MSU in that category.
Kennedy Bell scored twice in a span of 2:14 to blow open the game in the first half. She also had a brace against USC when the teams played last fall in East Lansing. Thursday's goals were her fourth and fifth of the season.
Bella Najera had a pair of assists – both coming on Bell scores. It pushed her career assist total to 16, which is tied for 16^th all-time at MSU. Her 68 career points is 11^th in the Spartan record book.
Emerson Sargeant and Najera made their 72^nd and 71^st career starts for the Spartans tonight, which ranks in a tie for 12^th and 15^th, respectively in the MSU career annals.
Renee Watson scored her first goal of the season. The senior had a career best in goals, assists and points last year when she played in the Spartan midfield, but she has switched positions and is playing on MSU's back line this year – a back line that has conceded just six goals in seven games.
Shelby Vaughn also scored her first goal of the season, which she put home in the 87^th minute.
Lacey Kindel had her second career assist in as many games. She is the top scorer in the freshman class.
Fifth-year Eden Bretzer had her first point as a Spartan - an impressive pass to set up Vaughn's goal in the 87^th minute,.
Freshmen Olivia Rubinich and Elise Karas each saw their first game action. MSU played all 24 of their healthy/available field athletes.

UP NEXT
Michigan State continues its California trip with a showdown against No. 16 UCLA on Sunday afternoon (4 pm ET/1 pm PT). Michigan State returns home on Sunday, Sept. 20 against Michigan at DeMartin Stadium.

Single-game tickets and season memberships for MSU Women's Soccer are available by visiting sprtns.co/WSOC26tix.