B1G Lead on the Line as No. 15 Spartans Challenge No. 5 Northwestern

EAST LANSING, Mich. – No. 15 Michigan State women's soccer gears up for its first top-15 matchup in program history, as the Spartans take on No. 5 Northwestern on Sunday, Oct. 16, with kick set for 2 p.m. (ET). The winner of Sunday's contest will assume sole possession of the top spot in the Big Ten Conference standings with three games remaining on the ledger.

HEAD COACH JEFF HOSLER SAID…
"They have some real, key playmakers. Josie Aulicino is having a special season, and she really stirs the drink for them. The hardest thing about this game against Northwestern is the mismatches that they create in the attack. We have to find ways to stay organized while applying some pressure to the ball. They present a lot of unique challenges for us, but at the same time, their style of play mirrors ours in many ways. If we can be disciplined and stay organized, then it will come down to whichever team executes better in their key moments."

KICKIN' IT
The Spartans are coming off a gritty 1-0 win over Indiana on Oct. 13 at DeMartin Stadium, with junior midfielder Zivana Labovic scoring the only goal of the game in the fifth minute. Senior keeper Lauren Kozal made a tough defensive stand in the final two minutes of the game, as an Indiana attacker found herself with a clear view of the bottom left corner of the net. Kozal completely laid out and saved Michigan State's victory in the process. MSU continues its best start to Big Ten play in program history, boasting a 6-0-1 league record in addition to the team's 11-1-3 overall ledger, surpassing both victory tallies from a year ago.

WATCHING THE WILDCATS
In his 11th season in Evanston and 26th overall year as a head coach, Michael Moynihan leads fifth-ranked Northwestern into the fray boasting a stunning 12-1-2 overall record coupled with a 6-0-1 start in the B1G, matching MSU's league start. One of the biggest surprises in college soccer this year, Northwestern was predicted to finish 11th in the Big Ten in a preseason poll of the conference's coaches. The Wildcats currently stand tied atop the league table with Michigan State at 19 points. Junior midfielder Josie Aulicino is Northwestern's statistical leader in every significant offensive stat category, boasting 21 total points with seven goals and seven assists in 2022. In goal, graduate keeper Mia Raben owns a save percentage of .900, allowing only four goals with 36 saves so far this year. She holds a 6-1-1 record between the posts.

STORY OF THE SERIES: NORTHWESTERN
Michigan State and Northwestern square off in women's soccer for the 26th time in an all-time series which dates to the 1994 season. In that span, both sides have played it close, with the Spartans eeking out a 13-11-1 lead. Northwestern has won each of the last five meetings, with MSU last defeating the Wildcats in the 2013 season on the road in Evanston by a 2-1 margin. In games played at Lanny and Sharon Martin Stadium, NU holds a slim 7-6 advantage all time. The most recent meeting on Oct. 11, 2019, went the way of Northwestern, as Paige Webber's goal for the Spartans in the ninth minute was MSU's only score in a 2-1 loss.

THE TOP OF TOPDRAWER
TopDrawerSoccer, the nation's official provider of college and club scores for over 100,000 players and 5,000 teams, released its midseason Top-100 Players and Top-100 Freshmen rankings. The Green & White landed one player apiece on each list, with Kozal garnering recognition as a top-100 prospect. The Ada, Michigan, native has led Michigan State to 10 total shutouts in the 2022 season, racking up 42 total saves on the year and publishing 11 wins in the process. Freshman midfielder Courtney Koehler landed a spot in the freshman rankings, coming in at No. 43. Koehler is the only player in Michigan State program history to take home two Big Ten Freshman of the Week accolades in a single season.

FOLLOW THE ACTION
One of the league's most highly anticipated matchups will be streamed to a worldwide audience via B1G+ from the campus of Northwestern University. Authenticated subscribers can access the live simulcast of the game via the B1G+ app on their computers, mobile phones, tablets, smart TVs and other connected devices. Live stats via StatBroadcast are available here.

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.

B1G Lead on the Line as No. 15 Spartans Challenge No. 5 Northwestern

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Players Mentioned

Courtney Koehler

Lauren Kozal

Zivana Labovic