Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State University
Nebraska
No. 2 MSU Continues Homestand Thursday vs. Nebraska
9/22/2026 3:03:00 PM | Women's Soccer
| No. 2/7 Michigan State (6-1-2) vs. Nebraska (2-2-5) | |
| Date/Location | Thursday, Sept. 24 | 7 pm DeMartin Stadium, East Lansing, Mich. | Gameday Information |
| Tickets | Spartan Ticket Office |
| Promotions | See all MSU Women's Soccer Promotions |
| Webstream | B1G+ |
| Live Statistics | Click Here |
| Game Notes | Michigan State | Nebraska |
| Stats & Rankings | B1G | NCAA | RPI | MSU Record Book |
| Social Media | Facebook X Instagram |
What you need to know about Spartan women's soccer
• No. 2 Michigan State continues a three-game B1G homestand when it hosts Nebraska on Thursday at DeMartin Stadium. The Huskers are 2-2-5 this season and 0-1-2 in Big Ten play. The series between the teams sits in favor of MSU 5-4-2, thanks to a three-game winning streak by the Spartans. Last year, MSU earned a 1-0 road win in Lincoln in the regular-season finale behind a goal from Emerson Sargeant in the 61st minute.
• Last Sunday, the Spartans fell in the rivalry game vs. Michigan (3-1), snapping a four-game winning streak in the all-time series. Michigan State fell one spot in the IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches national poll this week and now sits at No. 2. The first RPI rankings of 2026 were released on Monday, and the Spartans hold down the No. 1 spot, with a 2-1-1 record against teams with an RPI among the top 25 and 4-1-1 against those in the top 50. MSU's opponents thus far own a combined 42-10-18 record (.729). The Spartans have the fourth-most difficult schedule in Division I to this point of the season (per the NCAA metrics).
• MSU mentor Jeff Hosler owns a record of 76-21-22 at MSU overall, and 309-88-40 in his head coaching career (21st season). In his first season (2021), the Spartans went 5-4-1 in conference play, and are 32-4-9 in the four-plus years since. He is 37-8-10 in Big Ten games.
• MSU is fifth in the Big Ten in total goals (18). The Spartans claim an 8-1 edge over opponents in first-half scoring and 10-8 in the second half. MSU's defense has held opponents to just 92 shot attempts in nine games - 31 have been on target, with nine goals.
• The Spartans have welcomed home crowds of 1,200+ fans for all their home games this year. This includes 2,519 fans last Sunday in a steady, soaking rain vs. Michigan. MSU ranks seventh nationally (10,070) in overall attendance and sixth with an average attendance of 2,014, leading the Big Ten in both categories.
• Emerson Sargeant scored MSU's goal last Sunday vs. UM on an impressive individual effort. It was her third goal of the season and pushed her season stat line to 3-2-8, good for third on the team. Her career scoring line of 15-18-48 puts her 23rd all-time at MSU in points and 12th all-time in assists. Her 15 goals sit three outside MSU's all-time top 20.
• Sargeant and Bella Najera have played their entire careers at MSU, and both are among all-time leaders in both games played and started. Sargeant enters Thursday's game with 74 starts in 80 career contests, which ranks 13th in starts and tied for seventh in matches played. Najera has started 73 of her 78 career contests. The record in both categories is 90 games, held by Samantha White (2018-22).
• Kayla Briggs owns 13 points on five goals and three assists, tied with Kennedy Bell to lead the team in all categories. The duo is tied for fourth in the Big Ten in goals, seventh in assists, and third in total points.
• Briggs has the game-winning goal in four of MSU's six wins this year to lead the Big Ten (second nationally). With nine game-winners in her 32 games as a Spartan, Briggs is tied with Bella Najera for eighth all-time in MSU history. She led the Spartans in that category a year ago with five (fourth all-time in a single season at MSU).
• With a 16-10-42 scoring line in 33 games as a Spartan, Kennedy Bell is four points away from moving into the all-time top 25 in program history, and two goals away from joining MSU's all-time top 20. In her three-plus years in college soccer, she owns a 19-13-51 line.
• Bella Najera has compiled 68 career points, which is 11th among MSU's all-time leading scorers. Her Her 26 career goals ranks 11th, and she ranks 16th in assists (16). She is the most prolific scorer of any player in the Jeff Hosler era.
• Sophia Piotrowski and Ella Janz each appeared in their 50th career game vs. Michigan (9/20). Janz was the hero at Notre Dame (9/3) when her header beat the clock as well as Irish keeper Sonoma Kasica. It was Janz's first score of the season and put her scoring line at 1-2-4. She has started all nine games.
• Keeper Bella Schopp has started each of the last six games for MSU, going 3-1-2 and posting three shutouts. She posted consecutive clean sheets to open Big Ten play, and her stat line is a .611 save percentage and 1.17 GAA.
• Sophomore keeper Noelle Henning returns to the team after representing Canada at the 2026 U20 Women's World Cup in Poland over the last four weeks, where she backstopped her squad to a spot in the quarterfinals. Prior to her international stint, Henning opened her sophomore campaign with back-to-back shutouts of Xavier and Loyola and a 3-0 record after a win at No. 7 North Carolina. She owns a 0.67 GAA and .818 save percentage.
