Sunday, October 12
Iowa City, Iowa
2 PM ET / 1 PM CT
Michigan State University
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Iowa
Wild Game in Iowa City Goes to Homestanding Hawkeyes
10/12/2025 4:54:00 PM | Women's Soccer
East Lansing, Mich. – No. 18 Michigan State had its seven-game unbeaten streak snapped in a wild 5-3 loss at No. 7 Iowa on Sunday. The teams combined for five second-half goals, with both teams looking to solidify their spots in the Big Ten standings. Iowa improves to 10-2-3, 5-1-2 B1G and moves into second place behind Washington; MSU is now 7-3-5, 4-1-3 in Conference action and is one point out of third place behind next Sunday's opponent Illinois and Wisconsin.
The Hawkeyes were able to manufacture a pair of goals off rebounds in the final 20 minutes. Freshman keeper Noelle Henning made the initial saves on each, with unfortunate bounces finding their way onto the feet of the Hawkeye players. The go-ahead goal came in the 66th minute and the backbreaker with just 32 seconds left in regulation.
Henning tied her career best with six saves on the day while Iowa keeper Fernanda Mayrink made two, and scored one of her own on a penalty kick.
The game was physical from the onset, both with no-calls and a 7-1 edge in fouls against the Hawkeyes by the midpoint and 12-4 overall in the first half. The Spartans got on the board first with a tally by redshirt junior Emerson Sargeant, set up by Kayla Briggs and Bella Najera in the 15th minute. Iowa countered with goals in the 28th and 37th minutes, each well-placed shots that just eluded the reach of Henning.
MSU had tons of pressure in the final five minutes of the half, as Iowa had to frantically defend the pressure. MSU had five of its six corners, four throw-ins, three blocked Spartan shots, and a good look by Regan Dalton that the Iowa keeper Fernanda Mayrink was able to keep out of the back of the net. Each team had seven shot attempts in the half, with Henning earning a pair of saves.
MSU's pressure from the first half carried over after halftime, as the second half featured three goals in the opening eight minutes. MSU scored on its first two shots – a laser from the left side by Sofia Beerworth tied it at 2-2, and the Mayrink converted a penalty kick in the 51'. Less than two minutes later, Beerworth's corner kick found Maggie Illig on the goal line, and the senior sent it home to once again tie the game (3-3).
Iowa had 16 shot attempts to MSU's 14 and had 20 fouls to MSU's 10. Each team had eight corners.
SCORING
15' –MSU 1, IOWA 1: Bella Najera sent a lead pass forward for Kayla Briggs, and Briggs carried it into the offensive third. Briggs sent it between a pair of Hawkeye defenders for Emerson Sargeant, and the junior put it on net from the right side. Keeper Fernanda Mayrink got fingertips on it, but it was not enough to change the direction of Sargeant's shot, which found the bottom left of the net.
29' –MSU 1, IOWA 1: The Hawkeyes tied the game with a goal by Liana Tarasco. Her shot from the left side went just under the crossbar, skimming the fingers of the leaping Henning.
37' –MSU 1, IOWA 2: The Hawkeyes took a lead in the 37th minute. Eileen Solomon was tied up with a Spartan defender who was knocked down, and she got the ball into the center of the top of the box for Kelly McGroarty. Her shot went to the lower right 90 and just past a diving Henning.
46' –MSU 2, IOWA 2: The Spartans wasted no time getting an equalizer. Just a minute into the period, Kaleigh McPherson tapped it out to Beerworth at the top of the left side of the box, and the senior found her first goal of the year with a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner.
51' –MSU 2, IOWA 3: A foul in the box led to a penalty kick for the Hawkeyes, and keeper Fernanda Mayrick lined up for the shot. She went into the lower left corner to retake the lead.
53' –MSU 3, IOWA 3: Beerworth lined up to take a corner kick in the left corner, and put the shot into the middle of the area for Maggie Illig, who headed it home to re-tie the score.
66' –MSU 3, IOWA 4 : Henning came up with a big save on a shot by Shae Doherty, tipping it up to carom off the crossbar. Elle Wildman put back the rebound to give her team a lead.
66' –MSU 3, IOWA 5 : Henning made another big-time save by stopping Berkley Bingelli point-blank, but the ball came back to the Hawkeye in front, and she switched to a left-footed shot and set it back past the keeper.
MATCH NOTES
UP NEXT
The Spartans return home for their final two home games of the season in the coming week – the Spartans host Indiana on Thursday evening, and then welcome Illinois to DeMartin on Sunday afternoon.
The Hawkeyes were able to manufacture a pair of goals off rebounds in the final 20 minutes. Freshman keeper Noelle Henning made the initial saves on each, with unfortunate bounces finding their way onto the feet of the Hawkeye players. The go-ahead goal came in the 66th minute and the backbreaker with just 32 seconds left in regulation.
Henning tied her career best with six saves on the day while Iowa keeper Fernanda Mayrink made two, and scored one of her own on a penalty kick.
The game was physical from the onset, both with no-calls and a 7-1 edge in fouls against the Hawkeyes by the midpoint and 12-4 overall in the first half. The Spartans got on the board first with a tally by redshirt junior Emerson Sargeant, set up by Kayla Briggs and Bella Najera in the 15th minute. Iowa countered with goals in the 28th and 37th minutes, each well-placed shots that just eluded the reach of Henning.
MSU had tons of pressure in the final five minutes of the half, as Iowa had to frantically defend the pressure. MSU had five of its six corners, four throw-ins, three blocked Spartan shots, and a good look by Regan Dalton that the Iowa keeper Fernanda Mayrink was able to keep out of the back of the net. Each team had seven shot attempts in the half, with Henning earning a pair of saves.
MSU's pressure from the first half carried over after halftime, as the second half featured three goals in the opening eight minutes. MSU scored on its first two shots – a laser from the left side by Sofia Beerworth tied it at 2-2, and the Mayrink converted a penalty kick in the 51'. Less than two minutes later, Beerworth's corner kick found Maggie Illig on the goal line, and the senior sent it home to once again tie the game (3-3).
Iowa had 16 shot attempts to MSU's 14 and had 20 fouls to MSU's 10. Each team had eight corners.
SCORING
15' –MSU 1, IOWA 1: Bella Najera sent a lead pass forward for Kayla Briggs, and Briggs carried it into the offensive third. Briggs sent it between a pair of Hawkeye defenders for Emerson Sargeant, and the junior put it on net from the right side. Keeper Fernanda Mayrink got fingertips on it, but it was not enough to change the direction of Sargeant's shot, which found the bottom left of the net.
29' –MSU 1, IOWA 1: The Hawkeyes tied the game with a goal by Liana Tarasco. Her shot from the left side went just under the crossbar, skimming the fingers of the leaping Henning.
37' –MSU 1, IOWA 2: The Hawkeyes took a lead in the 37th minute. Eileen Solomon was tied up with a Spartan defender who was knocked down, and she got the ball into the center of the top of the box for Kelly McGroarty. Her shot went to the lower right 90 and just past a diving Henning.
46' –MSU 2, IOWA 2: The Spartans wasted no time getting an equalizer. Just a minute into the period, Kaleigh McPherson tapped it out to Beerworth at the top of the left side of the box, and the senior found her first goal of the year with a left-footed shot into the bottom left corner.
51' –MSU 2, IOWA 3: A foul in the box led to a penalty kick for the Hawkeyes, and keeper Fernanda Mayrick lined up for the shot. She went into the lower left corner to retake the lead.
53' –MSU 3, IOWA 3: Beerworth lined up to take a corner kick in the left corner, and put the shot into the middle of the area for Maggie Illig, who headed it home to re-tie the score.
66' –MSU 3, IOWA 4 : Henning came up with a big save on a shot by Shae Doherty, tipping it up to carom off the crossbar. Elle Wildman put back the rebound to give her team a lead.
66' –MSU 3, IOWA 5 : Henning made another big-time save by stopping Berkley Bingelli point-blank, but the ball came back to the Hawkeye in front, and she switched to a left-footed shot and set it back past the keeper.
MATCH NOTES
- All three of MSU's losses this season have come to ranked teams – Notre Dame (No. 2), Iowa (No. 7) and Xavier (No. 20).
- During the game, the NCAA Women's Soccer Committee revealed its top 16 teams as of October 12. MSU was the highest-ranked team at No. 11, and Iowa was No. 12.
- Iowa's five goals was the most the Spartans have conceded to a Big Ten opponent since a 7-3 decision against Michigan in the Spring 2021 season which was affected by COVID-19. The eight combined goals were the most in a Big Ten game for the Spartans since the same contest.
- Emerson Sargeant scored her fourth goal of the season, matching her career best when she had the same total in 2023.
- Sofia Beerworth had a goal and an assist in the opening eight minutes of the second half. Her goal was her first of the season.
- Maggie Illig scored MSU's third goal, heading it home for her second of the season. She had one goal in each of her first three collegiate seasons, and her 2-1-5 scoring line is now her single-season career best.
- Kayla Briggs netted her seventh assist of the year on the Sargeant score, and Bella Najera added her fifth.
- Kaleigh McPherson assisted on the Beerworth score, her first of the season.
- Noelle Henning faced her first career PK in the 51st minute – the Iowa keeper Fernanda Mayrink took the shot, and put it into the left corner. She had tied her career best of six saves, set earlier this season against No. 4 UCLA.
UP NEXT
The Spartans return home for their final two home games of the season in the coming week – the Spartans host Indiana on Thursday evening, and then welcome Illinois to DeMartin on Sunday afternoon.
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