Spartans Host Oakland, Colorado at DeMartin

EAST LANSING, Mich. -- The Michigan State women's soccer team returns home for two games at DeMartin Stadium this week against Oakland on Sept. 6, followed by Colorado on Sept. 9.

The Spartans (4-0-1) will kickoff at 7 p.m. ET Thursday against the Golden Grizzlies (0-5) and 12 p.m. ET Sunday when they take on the Buffaloes (4-0-1).

Live video and live stats links are available at www.msuspartans.com.

GAME NOTES

MICHIGAN STATE NOTES
The Spartans are in a four-way tie at the top of the Big Ten standings a week before conference play begins along with Iowa, Northwestern, and Rutgers.

Goalkeeper Reilley Ott is tied for third in the country with four shutouts, just one behind co-leaders Rhylee DeCrane (Mississippi State) and Cosette Morche (Texas A&M).

MSU ranks in the Top 10 of Division I women's soccer in save percentage (third, 0.960) goals-against average (seventh, 0.190), and shutout percentage (ninth, 0.800)

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GRIZZLIES
Oakland heads into Thursday's game with a 0-5-0 record following a 1-0 loss (Sept. 2) at home against Eastern Michigan.

Freshman defender Sophie Wilsey leads the team with one goal (Aug. 17 at UMKC). Senior midfielder Lauren Bos recorded an assist on Wilsey's goal. Senior midfielder Ali Amante leads the team with five shots on the season.

The Spartans lead the all-time series with Oakland by a 12-2-3 margin. MSU won last year's meeting 1-0 in East Lansing.

SCOUTING THE BUFFS
Colorado has won three straight since a 0-0 double-overtime draw with Colorado State on Aug. 19 and sit at 4-0-1 on the season before taking on Marquette (Sept. 6). The Buffs enter this week ranked No. 23 in the TopDrawerSoccer.com Poll and are receiving three votes in the United Soccer Coaches Poll.

Junior forward Tatum Barton is third in the country with a 1.20 goals per game average, trailing just behind co-leaders Mimi Asom (Princeton) and Kelsey Yeager (Presbyterian) at 1.25 gpg.

The only previous meeting between MSU and Colorado was in 2016 with the Spartans taking a 2-1 OT victory in Boulder.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK DUO
Redshirt-juniors Reilley Ott and Michaela Kovacs were named Big Ten Goalkeeper and Big Ten Defender of the Week, respectively, as announced by the conference Tuesday.

It's the first Big Ten Weekly Honor for both Ott and Kovacs, and is the third time a Spartan has earned Player of the Week recognition this season after Sadie Misiewicz was named Offensive Player of the Week on Aug. 21.

Kovacs delivered the game-winning score against Portland on Aug. 30. The Golden Goal came on a running header off a corner kick from junior Kassidy Madrigal in the 94th minute to break a scoreless tie. Kovacs was on the field for all 204 minutes the Spartans played in the Husky/Nike Invitational.

Ott recorded her fourth straight shutout to start the season, making five saves in the win against the Pilots. She tied her career high with 11 saves in Sunday's (Sept. 2) 1-1 draw on the road at Washington. Ott was named the Husky/Nike Invitational Defensive Player of the Tournament and has been in goal for every minute the Spartans have been on the field this season.

PAC-12 x 2
Sunday marks the second time in seven days the Spartans will face a team from the Pac-12 Conference after playing Washington last week.

SAXTON SAYS
"The Oakland game, like all games against in-state teams present an extra challenge because the players know each other, so there's a rivalry factor built in. We also always get the best effort from our in-state rivals. Coming off a road trip with a three hour time difference the main thing we need to do is make sure we're mentally and physically ready to play at our best."

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Players Mentioned

Michaela Kovacs

Kassidy Madrigal

Sadie Misiewicz

Reilley Ott