Thursday, October 14
Ann Arbor, Mich.
7 PM
Michigan State University
at
Michigan
Spartans Head to Michigan, Rutgers for Last Regular-Season Road Games
10/13/2021 12:23:00 PM | Women's Soccer
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State women's soccer heads back on the road this week for their last away games of the regular season. They face off against Michigan in Ann Arbor on Thursday, Oct. 14 before heading to Piscataway, New Jersey to play Rutgers on Sunday, Oct. 17.
The Spartans hold a 9-1-3 overall record and a 4-1-2 mark in Big Ten play, good for a third-place spot in league standings just over halfway through the conference season.
LAST TIME OUT
The Green & White won a nail-biter at home on Sunday against Ohio State for their fourth conference victory of the season.
With the match kept scoreless through the first 80 minutes of play, the Spartans were finally able to capitalize. Lauren DeBeau came up with the strike, dribbling up the sideline to take a long shot attempt between two defending Buckeyes, sending the ball into the top right corner of the net for the goal.
With a 1-0 lead, Michigan State was put into a defensive danger zone. Ohio State earned a penalty kick off a handball in the 85th minute. The Buckeye goal attempt went low and to the right, and MSU goalkeeper Lauren Kozal was right there for the save, dashing Ohio State's hopes of an equalizer. Regulation play ended two minutes later to secure the Spartan victory.
B1G-TIME GOALKEEPING
Spartan goalkeeper Lauren Kozal has now been named the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the week two times this season.
Kozal earned her sixth shutout of the year on Sunday against the Buckeyes. With four saves recorded by the redshirt junior, each one was key to the Michigan State 1-0 victory. Kozal came up with the save on the late-game Ohio State penalty kick, diving low and to the right to follow the strike and landing on the ball, ending the Buckeye's hopes for a last-minute equalizer.
Kozal sits atop several leadership categories in both Big Ten and NCAA goalkeeping. She has the highest save percentage (.862) of any Big Ten keeper, the 25th-best in the NCAA. She boasts 3.85 saves per game and has allowed just eight goals to score from opponents on the season for a goals-against average of .585. She is in a tie at 20th for the most shutouts of any NCAA Division I goalkeeper.
Michigan State is 25th in the NCAA in goals allowed, allowing less than ten opponent goals while scoring 23 of their own.
QUOTING COACH HOSLER
On the progress the team has seen throughout Big Ten play: "The staff has thrown a lot at this group from week to week and they have done an incredible job processing it all and then executing on game day. We've developed a variety of ways to attack and are finding balanced scoring. There has been great improvement in our flank play while we are still looking for more success on attacking set pieces."
On the challenges ahead: "Back-to back road games are tough, but we will draw from our recent success in that extended trip to Nebraska and Iowa. This group's maturity and drive will serve us well. We need to hunt this week. Be the aggressor, win our individual battles and be prepared to execute key moments."
On opponents Michigan and Rutgers: "Both sides have a lot of talent up and down their roster and have a good understanding of roles as very disciplined teams. We will need to be at our best to stay in the hung for a Big Ten title."
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES
Michigan holds a 9-2-3 record and are 3-1-2 in conference play. Led by head Coach Jennifer Klein, they hope to improve from a 5-3-3 record last season.
Nicki Hernandez and Raleigh Loughman pace the Wolverines with five goals scored each, Loughman totaling four assists while Hernandez has two. Goalkeeper Hillary Beall has played the majority of minutes for the team, making 50 saves while allowing 12 goals for a .806 save percentage.
Michigan State is 13-15-7 all-time against the Wolverines. The Spartans had their last victory in rivalry play in 2017.
SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
With Mike O'Neill at the helm in his eighth season, Rutgers sits atop the Big Ten with an 11-2 record overall, 6-0 in Big Ten competition. The Spartans hope to break the Scarlet Knight winning streak, both this season and historically, as Rutgers is 8-0 against MSU all-time.
Frankie Tagliaferri leads the Scarlet Knights with ten goals and six assists on the season. Goalkeeper Meagan McClelland has 35 saves with ten goals allowed.
UP NEXT
Following this week's games, the Spartans will return to DeMartin Stadium to play their last two regular-season games at home against Maryland and Penn State. The Oct. 21 game against Maryland will air on the Big Ten Network at 6 p.m.
The Spartans hold a 9-1-3 overall record and a 4-1-2 mark in Big Ten play, good for a third-place spot in league standings just over halfway through the conference season.
LAST TIME OUT
The Green & White won a nail-biter at home on Sunday against Ohio State for their fourth conference victory of the season.
With the match kept scoreless through the first 80 minutes of play, the Spartans were finally able to capitalize. Lauren DeBeau came up with the strike, dribbling up the sideline to take a long shot attempt between two defending Buckeyes, sending the ball into the top right corner of the net for the goal.
With a 1-0 lead, Michigan State was put into a defensive danger zone. Ohio State earned a penalty kick off a handball in the 85th minute. The Buckeye goal attempt went low and to the right, and MSU goalkeeper Lauren Kozal was right there for the save, dashing Ohio State's hopes of an equalizer. Regulation play ended two minutes later to secure the Spartan victory.
B1G-TIME GOALKEEPING
Spartan goalkeeper Lauren Kozal has now been named the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the week two times this season.
Kozal earned her sixth shutout of the year on Sunday against the Buckeyes. With four saves recorded by the redshirt junior, each one was key to the Michigan State 1-0 victory. Kozal came up with the save on the late-game Ohio State penalty kick, diving low and to the right to follow the strike and landing on the ball, ending the Buckeye's hopes for a last-minute equalizer.
Kozal sits atop several leadership categories in both Big Ten and NCAA goalkeeping. She has the highest save percentage (.862) of any Big Ten keeper, the 25th-best in the NCAA. She boasts 3.85 saves per game and has allowed just eight goals to score from opponents on the season for a goals-against average of .585. She is in a tie at 20th for the most shutouts of any NCAA Division I goalkeeper.
Michigan State is 25th in the NCAA in goals allowed, allowing less than ten opponent goals while scoring 23 of their own.
QUOTING COACH HOSLER
On the progress the team has seen throughout Big Ten play: "The staff has thrown a lot at this group from week to week and they have done an incredible job processing it all and then executing on game day. We've developed a variety of ways to attack and are finding balanced scoring. There has been great improvement in our flank play while we are still looking for more success on attacking set pieces."
On the challenges ahead: "Back-to back road games are tough, but we will draw from our recent success in that extended trip to Nebraska and Iowa. This group's maturity and drive will serve us well. We need to hunt this week. Be the aggressor, win our individual battles and be prepared to execute key moments."
On opponents Michigan and Rutgers: "Both sides have a lot of talent up and down their roster and have a good understanding of roles as very disciplined teams. We will need to be at our best to stay in the hung for a Big Ten title."
SCOUTING THE WOLVERINES
Michigan holds a 9-2-3 record and are 3-1-2 in conference play. Led by head Coach Jennifer Klein, they hope to improve from a 5-3-3 record last season.
Nicki Hernandez and Raleigh Loughman pace the Wolverines with five goals scored each, Loughman totaling four assists while Hernandez has two. Goalkeeper Hillary Beall has played the majority of minutes for the team, making 50 saves while allowing 12 goals for a .806 save percentage.
Michigan State is 13-15-7 all-time against the Wolverines. The Spartans had their last victory in rivalry play in 2017.
SCOUTING THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
With Mike O'Neill at the helm in his eighth season, Rutgers sits atop the Big Ten with an 11-2 record overall, 6-0 in Big Ten competition. The Spartans hope to break the Scarlet Knight winning streak, both this season and historically, as Rutgers is 8-0 against MSU all-time.
Frankie Tagliaferri leads the Scarlet Knights with ten goals and six assists on the season. Goalkeeper Meagan McClelland has 35 saves with ten goals allowed.
UP NEXT
Following this week's games, the Spartans will return to DeMartin Stadium to play their last two regular-season games at home against Maryland and Penn State. The Oct. 21 game against Maryland will air on the Big Ten Network at 6 p.m.
Players Mentioned
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/ Women's Soccer
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