Women's Soccer Hosts Ohio State on Sunday

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State women's soccer is back on their home field this Sunday, Oct. 10. After back-to-back road games against Nebraska and Iowa, the Spartans are set to host Ohio State at DeMartin Stadium for a 1 p.m. match.

The Green & White picked up a win on the road against Iowa and battled to a tie with Nebraska last week in Big Ten play. With an 8-1-3 overall record and 3-1-2 in league competition, the Spartans sit at third place in conference rankings.

LAST TIME OUT
Thursday's match at Nebraska ended in a 2-2 draw with the Huskers. Facing a 1-0 lead heading into the second half by their opponents, the Spartans came up with the equalizer in the 60^th minute. Despite the Huskers answering less than five minutes later, Michigan State stayed resilient. The goal for the 2-2 draw came from Justina Gaynor in the 71^st minute, assisted by Jordyn Wickes. Neither team was able to earn a game-winner in double overtime, ending the contest with a tie.

Sunday's game earned the Spartans three points in league play with a big 2-1 win at Iowa. Again playing down 1-0, Ava Cook opened up scoring for the Green & White in the 70^th minute of the match. Facing a 1-1 tie, Wickes was the one to come up with the game-winner, giving Michigan State the win with a goal just nine minutes after their first.

FRESHMAN SUPERSTAR
Jordyn Wickes was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week for her performances in last week's games. It's the first Freshman of the Week honor for Wickes and Michigan State's first since 2019.

Wickes recorded a goal and an assist last week on the road. Against Nebraska, she earned an assist on the second goal of the game, which brought the match into a 2-2 tie and secured a point for the Spartans in conference play. On Sunday, the team faced a 1-1 tie with Iowa until Wickes scored the game-winner in the 80^th minute. It was her second goal, and second assist, of the season.

PACING THE LEAGUE
The Spartans hold high statistical rankings in several categories among both the Big Ten and the NCAA this season.

Goalkeeper Lauren Kozal continues to be a strong force in net for MSU. She ranks third in the Big Ten (33^rd/NCAA) in saves and save percentage, totaling 46 saves while allowing just eight opponent goals. She also sits at third in goals against average, and fourth in saves per game with 3.83.

Ava Cook is coming off of scoring goals in back-to-back contests last week. She ranks second in the conference in total shots with 54, and averages 4.42 per game. She is in a tie for second-most shots on goal, recording 20 so far for an average of 1.67 per game.

The Spartans hold the second-lowest total goals allowed in the Big Ten (31^st/NCAA) behind Indiana who has only let in five goals from opponents- including one by the Green & White on Sept. 19. That's an average of less than one goal per game scored on Michigan State over 12 games.

SCOUTING THE BUCKEYES
The Buckeyes are currently 7-5-1 with a 2-2-1 mark in league play. Ohio State has had a gritty schedule that has seen them play a total of six ranked opponents, going 2-4 against those teams. Most recently, they dropped a 2-1 decision to No. 9 Rutgers on Oct. 3.

Michigan State is 10-16-0 all-time against the Buckeyes but hold a strong 8-2 advantage at their home field. The Spartans hope to snap a five-match losing streak to Ohio State.

Ohio State is coached by Lori Walker-Howk, a tenured coach in her 25^th season with the Buckeyes. They are paced by Kailyn Dudukovich with five goals scored this season. Their goalkeeper, Bailey Kolinski, has played all 1,190 minutes for the Buckeyes so far, totaling 41 saves but allowing 22 goals to score by opponents.

NEXT UP
Michigan State heads back on the road on Thursday, Oct. 14. They will face No. 16 Michigan at 7 p.m. in Ann Arbor.

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Players Mentioned

Ava Cook

Justina Gaynor

Lauren Kozal

Jordyn Wickes