Thursday, October 13
East Lansing, Mich.
7 PM
Michigan State University
11-1-3, 6-0-1
1
vs
0
Indiana
2-6-6, 0-6-1
1
2
F
Indiana
0
0
0
Michigan St.
1
0
1
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell
Labovic’s Goal Lifts No. 15 Michigan State Past Indiana
10/13/2022 10:30:00 PM | Women's Soccer
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Junior midfielder Zivana Labovic scored her second goal of the season, and the No. 15 Michigan State women's soccer team booked a gritty 1-0 win over the Indiana Hoosiers on Thursday night at DeMartin Stadium.
MSU continues its historic start to Big Ten Conference play, rising to 6-0-1 in league action with an 11-1-3 overall mark in 2022. The Spartans are in the midst of a nine-game unbeaten streak dating to a scoreless draw with Oakland on Sept. 8. In the interim, the Green & White have published two wins over nationally ranked opponents and have garnered their first national ranking since Sept. 29, 2009. In defeat, Indiana drops to 2-6-6 overall with an 0-6-1 ledger in the B1G.
In her first start since Aug. 21 against Cincinnati, Labovic faced off against the flagship institution from her home state and booked her second goal in the last three games. Senior forward Lauren DeBeau and freshman midfielder Emerson Sargeant each booked assists on the score. In the box score, Michigan State ran up a 15-4 differential in shots with a 6-3 edge in shots on goal. The most dominant defense in the Big Ten remained as such, logging its 10th shutout of the year and its third-straight.
Michigan State got out to a red-hot start through the opening five minutes, as the Spartans booked the first shot in the third minute and maintained possession well throughout the period. The Green & White got on the board first in the fifth minute of work, as Labovic's header found the back-right corner of the net. An up-tempo scoring opportunity began around midfield, as Celia Gaynor battled for possession and threaded a pass to DeBeau on the right side. DeBeau's pass reached Sargeant inside the box, and the freshman midfielder served a magnificent ball far-post to Labovic for the score.
Both defenses packed in as the first half wore on, as both squads put up only four combined shots on goal by the intermission. Labovic put another shot on goal later in the period, and sophomore forward Jordyn Wickes attempted to net one in the 34th, both to no avail. Michigan State's offense remained opportunistic, outshooting Indiana by a 7-2 margin in the first half but failed to add another score before the break.
As the temperature continued to drop, both offenses ground to a halt in the second period. The Spartans sent a pair of shots toward the goal that resulted in Indiana saves, while the Hoosiers notched two on-target shots of their own in the period. With time winding down, Indiana entered desperation mode offensively.
An MSU foul in the Hoosier attacking midfield laid the foundation for IU's best scoring opportunity of the night. In the 89th minute, Indiana sophomore midfielder Alaina Kalin found herself in the penalty area with a clear view of the left side of the Spartan goal. She sent a powerful right-footed shot towards the net, but her equalizer attempt was thwarted by a fully outstretched Kozal. The final minute passed quietly, and the Spartans came out with yet another crucial conference win.
Kozal published yet another superlative performance between the posts, notching her 11th individual win this season while chronicling her eighth complete-game shutout. The Ada, Michigan, native has played a key role in 10 total shutouts by the Spartans in 2022, adding two combined shutouts alongside sophomore keeper Belle Okoroafo. For Indiana, sophomore Jamie Gerstenberg allowed only one score for the second-straight game and published five saves in the loss.
POSTGAME QUOTES
MICHIGAN STATE QUOTES
Head Coach Jeff Hosler
On his thoughts from the game…
"I thought we played well for the first twenty-five minutes of the match. We obviously controlled possession and territory. I thought we were really, really sharp against the low block. We inserted Z (Zivana Labovic) into the first 11 today because we felt it could give us an aerial target in the box against the low block, and she delivered exactly how we scripted it. I was thrilled for her, thrilled for our team. It wasn't pretty all the time - we relinquished some chances late - but it's a game where Lauren Kozal showed up and showed why I think she's the best goalkeeper in the country."
On how the team needs to improve before the next match against Northwestern…
"We definitely have to be more opportunistic. Northwestern is an incredible side, really in all facets. They are similar in their identity, being possession-first. It's going to be a really interesting match because the styles are so similar, and it's really going to come down to who executes in those moments. For big games, you have to create chances and you have to capitalize on those chances. So, whoever is going to come away with the result, that's what the name of the game is going to be on Sunday."
On Zivana Labovic's Goal…
"Incredible, incredible. So thrilled for her. I think it's been an adjustment through the course of the year. She was an everyday starter a year ago and has become someone who comes off the bench now in different moments. To step into our first 11 today and deliver the way she knows she's capable of, that was great to see."
Junior Midfielder Zivana Labovic
On the team's performance…
"I'm really proud of them. We knew this was going to be a hard game, with both teams feeling like they had something to prove. It was definitely a game where we had to stick to our principles, play our style and own the game, and I thought we did a good job of that tonight."
SCORING SUMMARY
5' – An up-tempo scoring opportunity began around midfield, as Celia Gaynor battled for possession and threaded a pass to DeBeau on the right side. DeBeau's pass reached Sargeant inside the box, and the freshman midfielder served a ball far-post to Labovic for the header score. MSU 1, IU 0
UP NEXT
No. 15 Michigan State women's soccer hits the road for a highly anticipated matchup with No. 5 Northwestern on Sunday, Oct. 16. Kick time between the Spartans and Wildcats is slated for 2 p.m. (ET) at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium.
FOLLOW THE SPARTANS
Visit MSUSpartans.com for more information on Michigan State women's soccer. Fans can keep up to date with the Spartan women's soccer team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter by following @MSU_WSoccer.
MSU continues its historic start to Big Ten Conference play, rising to 6-0-1 in league action with an 11-1-3 overall mark in 2022. The Spartans are in the midst of a nine-game unbeaten streak dating to a scoreless draw with Oakland on Sept. 8. In the interim, the Green & White have published two wins over nationally ranked opponents and have garnered their first national ranking since Sept. 29, 2009. In defeat, Indiana drops to 2-6-6 overall with an 0-6-1 ledger in the B1G.
In her first start since Aug. 21 against Cincinnati, Labovic faced off against the flagship institution from her home state and booked her second goal in the last three games. Senior forward Lauren DeBeau and freshman midfielder Emerson Sargeant each booked assists on the score. In the box score, Michigan State ran up a 15-4 differential in shots with a 6-3 edge in shots on goal. The most dominant defense in the Big Ten remained as such, logging its 10th shutout of the year and its third-straight.
Michigan State got out to a red-hot start through the opening five minutes, as the Spartans booked the first shot in the third minute and maintained possession well throughout the period. The Green & White got on the board first in the fifth minute of work, as Labovic's header found the back-right corner of the net. An up-tempo scoring opportunity began around midfield, as Celia Gaynor battled for possession and threaded a pass to DeBeau on the right side. DeBeau's pass reached Sargeant inside the box, and the freshman midfielder served a magnificent ball far-post to Labovic for the score.
Both defenses packed in as the first half wore on, as both squads put up only four combined shots on goal by the intermission. Labovic put another shot on goal later in the period, and sophomore forward Jordyn Wickes attempted to net one in the 34th, both to no avail. Michigan State's offense remained opportunistic, outshooting Indiana by a 7-2 margin in the first half but failed to add another score before the break.
As the temperature continued to drop, both offenses ground to a halt in the second period. The Spartans sent a pair of shots toward the goal that resulted in Indiana saves, while the Hoosiers notched two on-target shots of their own in the period. With time winding down, Indiana entered desperation mode offensively.
An MSU foul in the Hoosier attacking midfield laid the foundation for IU's best scoring opportunity of the night. In the 89th minute, Indiana sophomore midfielder Alaina Kalin found herself in the penalty area with a clear view of the left side of the Spartan goal. She sent a powerful right-footed shot towards the net, but her equalizer attempt was thwarted by a fully outstretched Kozal. The final minute passed quietly, and the Spartans came out with yet another crucial conference win.
Kozal published yet another superlative performance between the posts, notching her 11th individual win this season while chronicling her eighth complete-game shutout. The Ada, Michigan, native has played a key role in 10 total shutouts by the Spartans in 2022, adding two combined shutouts alongside sophomore keeper Belle Okoroafo. For Indiana, sophomore Jamie Gerstenberg allowed only one score for the second-straight game and published five saves in the loss.
POSTGAME QUOTES
MICHIGAN STATE QUOTES
Head Coach Jeff Hosler
On his thoughts from the game…
"I thought we played well for the first twenty-five minutes of the match. We obviously controlled possession and territory. I thought we were really, really sharp against the low block. We inserted Z (Zivana Labovic) into the first 11 today because we felt it could give us an aerial target in the box against the low block, and she delivered exactly how we scripted it. I was thrilled for her, thrilled for our team. It wasn't pretty all the time - we relinquished some chances late - but it's a game where Lauren Kozal showed up and showed why I think she's the best goalkeeper in the country."
On how the team needs to improve before the next match against Northwestern…
"We definitely have to be more opportunistic. Northwestern is an incredible side, really in all facets. They are similar in their identity, being possession-first. It's going to be a really interesting match because the styles are so similar, and it's really going to come down to who executes in those moments. For big games, you have to create chances and you have to capitalize on those chances. So, whoever is going to come away with the result, that's what the name of the game is going to be on Sunday."
On Zivana Labovic's Goal…
"Incredible, incredible. So thrilled for her. I think it's been an adjustment through the course of the year. She was an everyday starter a year ago and has become someone who comes off the bench now in different moments. To step into our first 11 today and deliver the way she knows she's capable of, that was great to see."
Junior Midfielder Zivana Labovic
On the team's performance…
"I'm really proud of them. We knew this was going to be a hard game, with both teams feeling like they had something to prove. It was definitely a game where we had to stick to our principles, play our style and own the game, and I thought we did a good job of that tonight."
SCORING SUMMARY
5' – An up-tempo scoring opportunity began around midfield, as Celia Gaynor battled for possession and threaded a pass to DeBeau on the right side. DeBeau's pass reached Sargeant inside the box, and the freshman midfielder served a ball far-post to Labovic for the header score. MSU 1, IU 0
UP NEXT
No. 15 Michigan State women's soccer hits the road for a highly anticipated matchup with No. 5 Northwestern on Sunday, Oct. 16. Kick time between the Spartans and Wildcats is slated for 2 p.m. (ET) at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium.
FOLLOW THE SPARTANS
Visit MSUSpartans.com for more information on Michigan State women's soccer. Fans can keep up to date with the Spartan women's soccer team on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter by following @MSU_WSoccer.
Team Stats
IU
MSU
Goals
0
1
Shots
4
15
Shots on Goal
3
6
Saves
5
3
Corners
1
1
Fouls
11
9
Scoring Plays
Zivana Labovic (2)
Assisted By: Emerson Sargeant , Lauren DeBeau
Header from inside box
04:59
Game Leaders
Shots
4
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
3
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
2
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
Shots
2
SOG
2
Goals
0
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
F
/ Women's Soccer
M
/ Women's Soccer
GK
/ Women's Soccer
D
/ Women's Soccer
GK
/ Women's SoccerM
/ Women's Soccer
F
/ Women's SoccerJeff Hosler Postgame Press Conference | UCLA
Thursday, November 06
Jeff Hosler | Women's Soccer Press Conference | Oct. 20 2025
Monday, October 20
Jeff Hosler | Women's Soccer Press Conference | Oct. 13 2025
Monday, October 13
Jeff Hosler Postgame Comments | Michigan
Friday, October 10