Women’s Soccer Earns First NCAA Tournament Bid Since 2009
11/7/2022 5:47:00 PM | Women's Soccer
EAST LANSING, Mich. – For the first time since the 2009 season, the Michigan State Spartans earned an at-large bid into the 2022 NCAA Women's Soccer Championships, as announced Monday. The Green & White will make their fifth NCAA Tournament appearance in program history, and first in 13 years.
The Spartans were tabbed as the No. 4 seed in the South Bend regional, the first seeded selection in program history. Michigan State (16-2-3) welcomes the Milwaukee Panthers (12-3-3) to DeMartin Stadium on Friday, Nov. 11, with kick time set for 6 p.m. MSU will host its first-ever NCAA Tournament fixture in program history, having traveled in all four of its previous NCAA bids.
Click here to purchase tickets for the 2022 NCAA Tournament on the Banks of the Red Cedar. General admission tickets will be sold online and at the gate beginning one hour before kick. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 1-800-GO-STATE. Gates will open one hour before the start of the game.
Head coach Jeff Hosler earns his first Division I tournament selection in just his second season at the helm in East Lansing. Hosler is one of the top-three winningest active coaches in Division I by win percentage, with his .760 mark trailing North Carolina legend Anson Dorrance (.898) and Stanford head coach Paul Ratcliffe (.781). Before taking the head coaching job at MSU, Hosler was a standout coach at both Alma College and Grand Valley State, winning a trio of Division II National Championships with GVSU. The Spartan skipper was named B1G Coach of the Year in the league's postseason accolades, released on Oct. 27.
Prior to the start of the NCAA Tournament, the Spartans have already amassed the most wins in a single season in program history with 16. The 2022 edition of the Green & White became the program's first officially recognized conference champion, winning the Big Ten Regular Season title following a 9-0-1 finish in league play. MSU is led on the field by a quartet of All-B1G First Team performers in senior goalkeeper Lauren Kozal, senior forward Lauren DeBeau, graduate defender Ruby Diodati and junior midfielder Justina Gaynor. The trio of DeBeau, Diodati and Kozal each won the Big Ten Player of the Year Award for their respective positions.
Michigan State stands as the second highest-seeded team from the Big Ten, and joins Penn State (No. 2 - Los Angeles), Northwestern (No. 4 – Los Angeles), Rutgers (No. 5 – Tuscaloosa) and Ohio State (No. 6 – Tallahassee) in the field of 64. Additionally, MSU's non-conference opponent Arkansas (No. 3 – Tallahassee) landed a spot in the national tournament. Defending national champion Florida State garnered the No. 1 overall seed and will have the opportunity to host in every round until the Women's College Cup, which will be played at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, beginning on Dec. 2 and concluding on Dec. 5.
MICHIGAN STATE QUOTES
Head Coach Jeff Hosler
On seeing the team's name pop up…
"It's super exciting. This group, the joy they play with, and with how hard they have been working, I think this is extremely special. Going through what we went through last year, it was a much longer selection show, waiting to watch it all the way anxiously to the end and not hearing your name called. I'm so thrilled for this group, and I'm thrilled for this opportunity. I think this team is in a really great place with more games to play."
On what the team is feeling…
"I think there is definitely an opportunity for us to rebound from our loss to Penn State. I don't think we have been as sharp in some of the details the last couple weeks. And when you lose a match that way, particularly surrounding some details we talked about, it is a hard pill to swallow. The good news is we had an incredible week and we played at an incredible venue.
On playing a challenging non-conference games slate…
"I go back to that match at Arkansas. A tough loss, but being able to play in that environment against a team that won the SEC three years in a row; many schools won't take that challenge on. I think it is great for us. Overall, our schedule is significantly better than a year ago. This group is carrying a lot of confidence despite the setback in the Big Ten final against Penn State."
On being MSU's first tournament team since 2009…
"It's pretty wild. I think those types of things really fuel this group. It's exciting. People have used the word historic for this season because it has been that. At the same time, the excitement of it all keeps us going. We will have very spirited training sessions for the next couple days."
Graduate forward Camryn Evans
On what an NCAA Tournament berth means for the program...
"It's incredible. I think a lot of us that have been here from the beginning, through the changes and everything that has happened; we are just stoked to be in this position. It's definitely new, and it's exciting. We were so close last year, and then to just miss out, it was difficult. To come back around this season; not only making it, but making it in a convincing fashion is really encouraging."
On when the NCAA Tournament seemed like a real possibility in her career...
"I mean, I definitely had no idea what to expect coming into college soccer. My first couple of years were not like they are now. But I think as soon as the coaching staff changed and Jeff stepped in, I knew this program was going to head in a good direction."
On how the team can use the Penn State loss as fuel for the rest of the season...
"It's our first loss since September, so it's definitely something we're not used to, which isn't a bad thing. But I think it comes at a time when it reminds us that it is do or die, and it's all about giving everything you have. We just have to push and continue getting better each game."
On what it feels like being able to host an NCAA Tournament game...
"It's exciting. And I'm excited for our fans to get to be a part of it with us. They're such a huge part of us as a unit, and their support all season has been unmatched by anyone I've seen. So, to get to bring the game to them and have them be a part of it is awesome."
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS
FIRST ROUND
DeMartin Stadium – East Lansing, Michigan
Friday, November 11, 2022
Milwaukee (12-3-3) at Michigan State (16-2-3) - 6 p.m. (ET)
MICHIGAN STATE AT THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
TEAM APPEARANCES……… 5 (2002, '05, '08, '09, '22)
ALL-TIME TEAM RECORD… 2-4
BEST FINISH……………………. Second Round (2005, '08)
HIGHEST SEED………………… No. 4 (2022)
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.
The Spartans were tabbed as the No. 4 seed in the South Bend regional, the first seeded selection in program history. Michigan State (16-2-3) welcomes the Milwaukee Panthers (12-3-3) to DeMartin Stadium on Friday, Nov. 11, with kick time set for 6 p.m. MSU will host its first-ever NCAA Tournament fixture in program history, having traveled in all four of its previous NCAA bids.
Click here to purchase tickets for the 2022 NCAA Tournament on the Banks of the Red Cedar. General admission tickets will be sold online and at the gate beginning one hour before kick. For more information or to purchase tickets, call 1-800-GO-STATE. Gates will open one hour before the start of the game.
Head coach Jeff Hosler earns his first Division I tournament selection in just his second season at the helm in East Lansing. Hosler is one of the top-three winningest active coaches in Division I by win percentage, with his .760 mark trailing North Carolina legend Anson Dorrance (.898) and Stanford head coach Paul Ratcliffe (.781). Before taking the head coaching job at MSU, Hosler was a standout coach at both Alma College and Grand Valley State, winning a trio of Division II National Championships with GVSU. The Spartan skipper was named B1G Coach of the Year in the league's postseason accolades, released on Oct. 27.
Prior to the start of the NCAA Tournament, the Spartans have already amassed the most wins in a single season in program history with 16. The 2022 edition of the Green & White became the program's first officially recognized conference champion, winning the Big Ten Regular Season title following a 9-0-1 finish in league play. MSU is led on the field by a quartet of All-B1G First Team performers in senior goalkeeper Lauren Kozal, senior forward Lauren DeBeau, graduate defender Ruby Diodati and junior midfielder Justina Gaynor. The trio of DeBeau, Diodati and Kozal each won the Big Ten Player of the Year Award for their respective positions.
Michigan State stands as the second highest-seeded team from the Big Ten, and joins Penn State (No. 2 - Los Angeles), Northwestern (No. 4 – Los Angeles), Rutgers (No. 5 – Tuscaloosa) and Ohio State (No. 6 – Tallahassee) in the field of 64. Additionally, MSU's non-conference opponent Arkansas (No. 3 – Tallahassee) landed a spot in the national tournament. Defending national champion Florida State garnered the No. 1 overall seed and will have the opportunity to host in every round until the Women's College Cup, which will be played at WakeMed Soccer Park in Cary, North Carolina, beginning on Dec. 2 and concluding on Dec. 5.
MICHIGAN STATE QUOTES
Head Coach Jeff Hosler
On seeing the team's name pop up…
"It's super exciting. This group, the joy they play with, and with how hard they have been working, I think this is extremely special. Going through what we went through last year, it was a much longer selection show, waiting to watch it all the way anxiously to the end and not hearing your name called. I'm so thrilled for this group, and I'm thrilled for this opportunity. I think this team is in a really great place with more games to play."
On what the team is feeling…
"I think there is definitely an opportunity for us to rebound from our loss to Penn State. I don't think we have been as sharp in some of the details the last couple weeks. And when you lose a match that way, particularly surrounding some details we talked about, it is a hard pill to swallow. The good news is we had an incredible week and we played at an incredible venue.
On playing a challenging non-conference games slate…
"I go back to that match at Arkansas. A tough loss, but being able to play in that environment against a team that won the SEC three years in a row; many schools won't take that challenge on. I think it is great for us. Overall, our schedule is significantly better than a year ago. This group is carrying a lot of confidence despite the setback in the Big Ten final against Penn State."
On being MSU's first tournament team since 2009…
"It's pretty wild. I think those types of things really fuel this group. It's exciting. People have used the word historic for this season because it has been that. At the same time, the excitement of it all keeps us going. We will have very spirited training sessions for the next couple days."
Graduate forward Camryn Evans
On what an NCAA Tournament berth means for the program...
"It's incredible. I think a lot of us that have been here from the beginning, through the changes and everything that has happened; we are just stoked to be in this position. It's definitely new, and it's exciting. We were so close last year, and then to just miss out, it was difficult. To come back around this season; not only making it, but making it in a convincing fashion is really encouraging."
On when the NCAA Tournament seemed like a real possibility in her career...
"I mean, I definitely had no idea what to expect coming into college soccer. My first couple of years were not like they are now. But I think as soon as the coaching staff changed and Jeff stepped in, I knew this program was going to head in a good direction."
On how the team can use the Penn State loss as fuel for the rest of the season...
"It's our first loss since September, so it's definitely something we're not used to, which isn't a bad thing. But I think it comes at a time when it reminds us that it is do or die, and it's all about giving everything you have. We just have to push and continue getting better each game."
On what it feels like being able to host an NCAA Tournament game...
"It's exciting. And I'm excited for our fans to get to be a part of it with us. They're such a huge part of us as a unit, and their support all season has been unmatched by anyone I've seen. So, to get to bring the game to them and have them be a part of it is awesome."
NCAA WOMEN'S SOCCER CHAMPIONSHIPS
FIRST ROUND
DeMartin Stadium – East Lansing, Michigan
Friday, November 11, 2022
Milwaukee (12-3-3) at Michigan State (16-2-3) - 6 p.m. (ET)
MICHIGAN STATE AT THE NCAA TOURNAMENT
TEAM APPEARANCES……… 5 (2002, '05, '08, '09, '22)
ALL-TIME TEAM RECORD… 2-4
BEST FINISH……………………. Second Round (2005, '08)
HIGHEST SEED………………… No. 4 (2022)
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.
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