Women's Soccer Battles Nebraska, Iowa on the Road

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State women's soccer is on the road this week, heading west for a pair of Big Ten games. They kick things off at Nebraska on Thursday, Sept. 30.

The Spartans sit at 7-1-2 on the season with a 2-1 record in Big Ten play, good for a fourth-place spot in league standings. The team holds the 15^th-best save percentage in the nation in Division I women's soccer, allowing just five goals from opponents over ten matches.

LAST TIME OUT
Michigan State split a pair of conference matches this past week, losing a heartbreaker at home 1-0 to Wisconsin before coming back into winning form for a 2-1 win over Minnesota on Sunday.

Despite both teams staying head-to-head on offense with 13 shot attempts each in the first half, the Badgers were able to capitalize in the 35^th minute with a goal by Claire Odmark. Michigan State played hard for a comeback in the second half, totaling five shots on target, but Wisconsin held on for the win. Goalkeeper Lauren Kozal kept the deficit at 1-0 with three saves, allowing just her fourth goal of the season.

On Sunday against the Golden Gophers, the Spartans put on a show to come away with the victory. Holding on to a 1-0 lead thanks to a penalty kick goal by Zivana Labovic in the 37^th minute, Michigan State was momentarily stalled when Minnesota came up with the equalizer with ten minutes left in regulation. With time running out, Raegan Cox sped the ball up the right sideline, sending a cross toward the box. MJ Andrus was there for the score just pass the Minnesota goalkeeper, earning the game-winner and the first goal of her career.

NATIONAL AND LEAGUE RECOGNITION
Two Spartans made headlines last week for their performances so far this season.

Raegan Cox was named to the TopDrawerSoccer National Team of the week on Tuesday, Sept. 22. She played a full 90 minutes against Indiana on Sept. 19 as part of the Spartan defensive force, anchoring the back line against Indiana's frequent attack. Cox has logged 554 minutes of action so far this season and has appeared in the starting lineup of all eight games.

Lauren Kozal was named the Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week for the week of Sept. 19. She helped secure a conference-opening win for the Spartans and her fifth shutout of the season at Indiana.

Kozal's save percentage of .875 is the highest in the league and she has totaled 35 saves so far this season. Second in the conference in shutouts, she has recorded five on the season for a shutout percentage of .625, and has the second-lowest goals against average at .479.

QUOTING COACH HOSLER
"It was a really good week for us, going 1-1 … We like where we are right now. [The] kids keep growing every day, and we can get better. We have a long road trip ahead with Nebraska and Iowa back-to-back this week."

"Our back line's really been in tune, whether that's our goalkeeper with our back line or the back line as a unit. Our group has had to play three different games, our three Big 10 games, against three different systems. And that means our back lines look different each time out. But they have responded really, really well. And you know, I'm really excited about the growth in the back line."

SCOUTING THE HUSKERS
Nebraska is 4-6-1 on the season and 0-2 in Big Ten play. They are currently in a winless skid over the last five matches, falling 1-0 at No. 9 Rutgers on Sunday. The Huskers are led by seasoned head coach John Walker in his 27^th year at the helm of Nebraska women's soccer.

Nebraska's Reagan Raabe leads the Husker offense with six goals scored on the season and one assist. The defense has been anchored by a combination of four different goalkeepers, totaling 47 saves and allowing 11 opponent goals scored. They have totaled 16 goals this season.

The Spartans are 4-4-1 all-time against the Huskers. Their 2-0 win in spring 2021 was the only league victory for MSU that season.

SCOUTING THE HAWKEYES
Iowa currently holds a 7-3-1 record with a 1-2 mark in league competition. Prior to the match against MSU, they will play Maryland on Thursday. Alyssa Walker leads the Hawkeyes this season with five goals, while Hailey Rydberg has been credited with six of the team's 20 assists. The squad is coached by Dave Dianni in his eighth season.

Michigan State has an 11-8-5 advantage in playing history against Iowa. They have gone 3-2 in their last five meetings and hope to turn things around after back-to-back losses in 2021 and 2019. Both teams have had a strong offense so far this season with 18 goals scored. Iowa has allowed nine opponent scores while the Spartans have held rivals to five total goals.

NEXT UP
The Spartans are back to host a game at DeMartin Stadium on Sunday, Oct. 10 against Ohio State. Kickoff in East Lansing is set for 1 p.m.

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Players Mentioned

MJ Andrus

Raegan Cox

Lauren Kozal

Zivana Labovic