Spartans Take Unbeaten Cal to the Wire in 3-2 Thriller

Sunday, September 13

East Lansing, Mich.

12 PM

Michigan State University

(3-4)

Cal

(6-0)

Team	1	2	3	4	Final F
California	0	0	1	2	3
Michigan St.	0	0	1	1	2

Lilian Knorr inserts a penalty corner for Michigan State field hockey at Ralph Young Field

Photo by: Evan Peacock

9/13/2026 3:44:00 PM | Field Hockey

Box Score

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Things came down to the wire in Michigan State field hockey's 3-2 loss to unbeaten Cal on Sunday afternoon at Ralph Young Field. After a scoreless first half, the sides traded blows until Cal score the game-winner in the 52nd minute.

MSU moves to 3-3 overall, while Cal improves to 6-0. The Spartans are set to open Big Ten play next Friday at home against rival Michigan at 4:00 p.m. on Big Ten Network.

The Golden Bears held a 23-9 advantage in total shots, a 12-5 margin in shots on goal, and earned nine penalty corners to Michigan State's three in the contest.

Sophomore goalkeeper Catherine Wolf started in goal for MSU and delivered five saves with one goal allowed over 30 minutes split between the first and third frames, while junior goalkeeper Lola Munoz de Verger recorded three saves and allowed two fourth quarter goals across 30 minutes of action in the second and fourth periods.

Senior Bianca Pizano and junior Lilian Knorr each scored for the Spartans, and senior Minke Klijn and sophomore Ella Tambroni had assists. Pizano has already tied her career-high of five goals just six games into her senior season. Redshirt sophomore Nina Angeli led the team with two shots on goal. Junior back Caro Schaefer added a defensive save in the opening quarter, notching her team leading third defensive save of the season.

Following a scoreless, defense-heavy first half that featured six combined saves between Wolf and Munoz de Verger, the Spartan offense broke through midway through the third quarter. In the 37th minute, Pizano worked a give-and-go with Tambroni off a penalty corner insertion and buried the game's opening goal for her team-leading fifth of the season. Cal answered in the 42nd minute on an unassisted strike to level the score at 1-1 entering the final frame.

Bianca Pizano gives us a 1-0 lead in the third! pic.twitter.com/LHrZxKxV3K
— Michigan State Field Hockey (@MSU_FieldHockey) September 13, 2026

The fourth quarter saw a flurry of offense, beginning when Cal found the back of the net in the 50th minute to give the Golden Bears a 2-1 edge. Michigan State answered right back just 34 seconds later, as Knorr tallied her first goal of the season off a redirect in front of the net from Klijn, slotting a shot past the Cal goalkeeper to knot the game at 2-2.

Lili Knorr ties us back up at 2-2 in the fourth! pic.twitter.com/YhQhdJ50Xs
— Michigan State Field Hockey (@MSU_FieldHockey) September 13, 2026

Cal regained the lead in the 52nd minute, scoring off a penalty corner setup. The Spartans mounted a late push to equalize, earning a penalty corner in the 55th minute and generating shots from Pizano and junior Carmen Maudlin, but the Golden Bears held on to the lead down the stretch.

UP NEXT
Michigan State opens Big Ten play on Friday, September 18, hosting rival Michigan at 4:00 p.m. at Ralph Young Field. The contest will be televised nationally on Big Ten Network.