Illini Host No. 2 MSU Sunday

No. 2/3 Michigan State (8-1-2, 4-1 B1G) at Illinois (4-2-1, 1-0 B1G)
Dates/Location	Sunday, Oct. 4 \| 2 pm ET / 1 pm CT Demirjian Park, Champaign, Ill.
Television	none
Webstream	B1G+
Live Stats	Click Here
Game Notes	Michigan State \| Illinois
Social Media	Facebook X Instagram

What you need to know about Michigan State women's soccer

• Michigan State will play three of its next four games on the road, beginning with Sunday's game in Champaign against Illinois.   The Illini hold a significant lead in the all-time series (21-6-3), but MSU has posted three straight victories, including a 5-1 win in East Lansing last season. Spartan mentor Jeff Hosler is 3-1 all-time against Illinois after suffering a 2-1 loss in his first season.

• Katie Hultin is in her second season guiding the Illini. Her squad enters Sunday's match with a 4-2-5 record, and most recently defeated Oregon at home to earn its first Big Ten win of the season (1-2-2). Illinois has played to a pair of scoreless ties with No. 4 Wisconsin and Iowa, dropping games to Michigan (0-2) and Purdue (0-3).

• Michigan State maintains its No. 2 ranking in the IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches national poll this week and has been among the top five in that poll in every playing week this season. The Spartans did move up to No. 3 in the Top Drawer Soccer poll. MSU's schedule features six teams that appear in the current Top 25 of either poll (or are receiving votes).

• The first RPI rankings of 2026 were released on Sept. 21, and the Spartans continue to hold down the No. 1 spot.  Four of MSU's non-conference opponents are among the top 27 teams in the most recent RPI (Sept. 29). MSU owns a 4-1-1 record against teams with an RPI among the top 25 and are 6-1-1 against those in the top 50. MSU has not played a team with an RPI below 110 this year. The full RPI ranking can be found at bit.ly/WSOCRPI

• MSU has earned wins over four teams ranked in the top 20 of the IWSOC poll this season, as well as a win and a tie over teams receiving votes in the national poll at the time of the game. The Spartans' strength of schedule ranks No. 2 in the nation to this point of the season (via NCAA metrics) as its opponents are a combined 59-17-28 (702).

• No Big Ten team has gone undefeated through five games of Conference play. MSU is currently tied for the top spot, sharing a 4-1 record (12 points) with Ohio State, Purdue, and UCLA.

• With 24 goals, MSU ranks third in the Big Ten (41st nationally). At 2.18 goals per game, the Spartans check in at second in the B1G in scoring offense. MSU's defense has held opponents to just 113 shot attempts in 11 games, with 37 on target. The Spartans have forced opposing keepers to make more than five saves per game over 11 contests (5.17), and MSU has averaged 17.72 shots attempts per game (15th nationally). Spartan keepers average 2.36 saves per game with a 1.00 GAA.   MSU ranks fifth in the Big Ten with a .545 shutout percentage (six in 11 games).

• MSU mentor Jeff Hosler owns a 39-8-10 record in Big Ten games. In his first season (2021), the Spartans went 5-4-1 in conference play, and are 34-4-9 in the four-plus years since. He is 78-21-22 at MSU overall, and 311-88-40 in his head coaching career (21st season).

• Seniors Kennedy Bell and Kayla Briggs have been named to the 2026 Hermann Trophy Mid-Season Watch List, which was announced on Wednesday. Both were on the preseason watch list that contained 62 athletes, and that list has been narrowed to 30 athletes at mid-season.   MSU is one of seven schools nationally (and just two in the Big Ten) to have two midseason honorees.

• Freshmen Lacey Kindel and Samantha Powell are among the 21 athletes who will represent Team Canada at the upcoming U17 FIFA World Cup in Morocco. The pair are among the three US collegiate players on the roster, which was announced on Sept. 29.   Keeper Noelle Henning just returned from her stint with the Canadian national team at the U20 World Cup in Poland, guiding her squad to the quarterfinals.

• Bell had a goal and two assists last week vs. Nebraska and Washington. She owns a 6-5-17 scoring line, ranking fourth in the Big Ten in both goals and points and tied for third in assists. Briggs owns 15 points and five goals. She and Bell are tied for the team lead in assists, which is third in the Big Ten/38th nationally.

• Noelle Henning made two saves in a shutout victory over Washington.   She has posted clean sheets in three of her four starts this season and now owns 11 in her career, which is 10th all-time in MSU's record book. Henning has surrendered just one goal in the run of play, and one on a penalty kick (both against UNC on the road). She owns a 0.50 GAA and .846 save percentage.

• Emerson Sargeant owns a 4-2-10 scoring line, good for third on the team. She now boasts career totals of 16 goals and 18 assists and has become the 23rd player in program history to achieve 50 points.

• Bella Najera contributed assists on two of MSU's three goals against Nebraska (9/24). She now has 70 career points, moving her into 10th place among MSU's all-time leading scorers. She is the most prolific scorer of any player in the Jeff Hosler era.

• MSU's three goals in the victory over Washington came from Ella Janz, Lacey Kindel, and Grace Jackson. Kindel and Jackson each had their first goals of the season, while Janz's game-winner was her second of the year. Janz's scoring line is now 2-2-6, and Kindel's 1-2-4. Freshman LJ Pearcy had her first collegiate point when she set up Jackson's goal.

• Junior defender Faith George contributed a pair of assists in the game vs. Washington.   She has started each of MSU's 11 games this season, totaling 796 minutes on MSU's back line.

What you need to know about Michigan State women's soccer

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Players Mentioned

Kennedy Bell

Kayla Briggs

Faith George

Noelle Henning

Grace Jackson

Ella Janz

Lacey Kindel

Bella Najera

LJ Pearcy

Samantha Powell

Michigan State University Athletics