Penn State Showdown Thursday Starts Homestand for No. 5 MSU

No. 5/4 Michigan State (11-2-2, 7-2 B1G) vs. Penn State (7-3-4, 5-2-2 B1G)
Dates/Location	Thursday, Oct. 22 \| 6 pm DeMartin Stadium, East Lansing, Mich. \| Gameday Information
Tickets	Spartan Ticket Office
Promotions	Season Ticket Holder Appreciation \| See all Promotions
Television	Big Ten Network \| Stream on the Fox Sports App Dean Linke (pxp), Jackie Manny (analysis)
Live Statistics	Click Here
Game Notes	Michigan State \| Penn State
Social Media	Facebook X Instagram

The Starting XI

What you need to know about Spartan women's soccer

• Michigan State plays its penultimate regular-season home game on Thursday evening, hosting Penn State (6 pm, Big Ten Network). The all-time series tips in favor of the Nittany Lions, who are 26-7-0 against the Spartans in a series that goes back to 1994.   Two of MSU's wins have come in the Jeff Hosler era - in regular-season meetings in both 2022 (2-1) and 2024 (1-0). Hosler is 2-3-0 against Penn State in his tenure. MSU is looking for its first home victory over PSU since 2016.

• This is Erica Dambach's 20th season at the helm of the Penn State program, and earlier this season she earned her 300th victory in State College. Overall, she is in her 26th season as a head coach, with a 346-138-42 record. Penn State is 6-3-4 on the season, and most recently earned a 1-0 home victory over Rutgers last Saturday. The Nittany Lions have a 5-2-2 mark in Big Ten play.

• Just two weeks/three games remain in the regular season for all Big Ten teams. The Big Ten Tournament has a new format in 2026 - the field has been reduced to eight teams, with the quarterfinals (Nov. 4-5) and semifinals (Nov. 8) slated for Energizer Park in St. Louis, Missouri (the home of MLS's St. Louis City SC.) The Big Ten Championship game will be played on Friday Nov. 13 at the home site of the highest remaining seed. Michigan State is among the four teams that have already clinched a spot in the quarterfinals.

• Five teams have between 19 and 24 points at the top of the Big Ten standings - Ohio State has the current lead with 24 points, with UCLA (22) and MSU (21) still within one result. Washington (20) and Purdue (19) round out the top five. Sixth-place Penn State has 17 points, two ahead of Michigan and three ahead of Wisconsin to round out the teams battling for a spot in St. Louis. MSU has or will play five of the other seven teams currently in playoff position - MSU does not play Ohio State or Wisconsin this season.

• Michigan State maintains its spot at No. 5 in the IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches national poll, and has been among the top five in that poll in every playing week this season. The Spartans also hold at No. 4 in the Top Drawer Soccer poll.   The Spartans are currently No. 4 in the RPI rankings: through 15 games, MSU has played five opponents in the current RPI top 25, and three more who appear between 26-35. Penn State ranks No. 30 this week. MSU's non-conference RPI ranks as No. 1 in the country.

• Michigan State has registered shutouts in four of its last five games, all Big Ten opponents: vs. Washington (9/27), Illinois (10/4), Minnesota (10/ 8), and Indiana (10/16).    MSU had three straight clean sheets in non-conference games in each of the last two seasons but last posted three consecutive B1G shutouts in 2022 vs. Maryland, Michigan, and Indiana.

• MSU's 32 total goals rank third in the Big Ten (39th, NCAA), and its scoring offense of 2.13 goals per game is second. The Spartans also rank second in the Big Ten in both assists (42, sixth nationally) and total points (10, 13th).

• MSU's team GAA is 0.867, good for eighth in the Big Ten. Its shutout percentage (0.600, nine in 15 games) is second in the league and 15th nationally. MSU had 10 shutouts in 25 games a year ago, and the school record is 13, set in 1987.

• In Big Ten games only, MSU is second to Purdue in goals (22-21), leads the league in shots (161), points (74), corner kicks (78), and shutouts (6), and ranks sixth in goals allowed (7).

• MSU's defense has held opponents to just 140 shot attempts in 15 games, with 54 on target. The Spartans have forced opposing keepers to average more than five saves per game over 15 contests (5.46), and MSU has averaged 17.4 shot attempts per game (3rd B1G/17th nationally). Spartan keepers average 2.6 saves per game with a 0.866 GAA.

• Jeff Hosler has coached his teams to a 42-9-10 record in Big Ten games since coming to MSU. In his first season (2021), the Spartans went 5-4-1 in conference play and are 37-5-9 in the five seasons since. He is 81-22-22 at MSU overall, and 314-898-40 in his head coaching career (21st season).

• MSU boasted four of the Big Ten's top 10 scorers in 2025, and all four currently sit in the top four spots of MSU's scoring chart in 2026: Kennedy Bell, Kayla Briggs, Bella Najera and Emerson Sargeant. All four are among MSU's top 30 career point producers in program history as well.

• Kennedy Bell assisted on both of MSU's goals at Indiana last Friday. Through 15 games, Bell ranks third in the Big Ten in goals (8) and points (24) and second in assists (8). A year ago, she led the Big Ten in both points (29) and goals (11) in 25 games. Her 24 points ranks 22nd in a season in the single-season record book - her 29 points (in 25 games) a year ago is 12th. She is averaging 1.60 points per game, which would be ninth in the single-season annals. Her eight assists rank 16th all-time in a single season and is her career best.
      Bell now has 53 points (19g, 13a) in her 40 career games as a Spartan. She is the 24th player in program history to achieve 50 points, ranking 21st in career points and 19th in career goals. Combined with two seasons at Maryland, (75 games), she owns a 22-18-62 scoring line.

• Emerson Sargeant opened the scoring at Indiana (10/16) in the 33rd minute, a goal that stood as the game-winner. She owns a 6-4-16 scoring line, good for third on the team. She is tied for second on the team with Kayla Briggs in both goals (6) and game-winning goals (4). Their four game-winners rank 12th in a single season at MSU.
      Sargeant now boasts career totals of 18 goals and 20 assists (56 points); she ranks 17th in points in the Spartan record book and ninth all-time in assists. Her 18 goals rank 20th, and her nine career game-winners ranks in a tie for ninth (with Briggs). She is the 23rd player in program history to achieve 50 points.

• Kayla Briggs assisted on Sargeant's tally at Indiana (10/16), and has posted 21 points on six goals and a career-best nine assists. Her nine assists is tied for eighth in a single season at MSU. Her 21 points is two shy of the 23 she posted in 25 games as a junior.

• Noelle Henning returned to East Lansing on Sept. 22 after a month as the starting keeper for Canada at the FIFA U20 World Cup. She has delivered shutouts in four of her five games since returning to the lineup: vs. Washington (9/27), vs. Illinois (10/4), vs. Minnesota (10/8), and at Indiana (10/16). Henning has produced six shutouts in eight games overall; she boasts a 0.50 GAA (second, B1G/ 17th NCAA) and .857 save percentage (third B1G/37th NCAA).

• Henning has surrendered just two goals in the run of play, and two on penalty kicks. All four of her goals conceded this season came at UNC (8/23)and Purdue (10/11), both on the road.

• Henning owns 14 career shutouts, which is seventh all-time in MSU's record book. The school record of 29 is held by Jill Flietstra (2008-11). She had eight shutouts last year, which ranked fifth in a single season.   She now has 20 career victories for the Spartans in 29 career games, which ranks 10th all-time.
     In Conference games, Henning's four shutouts ranks tied for fifth, despite her playing only five games. The conference lead is six, shared by Avery Gillahan of Nebraska, Tanner Ijams of Washington, and Drew Stover of Wisconsin - who have all played nine games.

• Henning's 1.077 career GAA ranks among some of the program's finest. Currently, she is seventh all-time. Flietstra earned the program record (0.739). Her 0.50 GA this season is third all-time in an MSU season.

• Bella Najera is the most prolific scorer in the Jeff Hosler era and will eventually leave MSU as one of its top offensive performers in program history. She owns 27 career goals, (10th all time) and her 10th career game-winners is tied for fifth place. The senior ranks ninth in career points (73) and is 12th in career assists (19).   She is a three-time All-Big Ten selection, including being named the B1G Freshman of the Year in 2023. Only one player in program history has earned All-Big Ten honors in four seasons: MSU Hall of Famer Laura Heyboer, who earned First Team honors in 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011.

• Renee Watson had MSU's second goal at Indiana last Friday (10/16), her second of the year. She leads the team in minutes played this season, (1218). Watson has gone all 90 in six of MSU's nine B1G games, and seven games overall. After a career-best 13-point junior season in the Spartan midfield, the senior has started all but one game this season on MSU's back line to provide both experience and versatility.

• Ava Lutke has played all 15 games, starting each of the last three and four total. She is averaging 44 minutes per game, including 80+ against both Minnesota and Indiana.

• Freshman LJ Pearcy has seen more time on the field in recent games, averaging 33 minutes over MSU's last four matches. She earned her first collegiate start at Indiana, where she played 46 minutes; she recorded her first career point in MSU's victory over Washington (9/20), on Grace Jackson's goal (73').

Penn State Showdown Thursday Starts Homestand for No. 5 MSU

The Starting XI

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Players Mentioned

Kennedy Bell

Kayla Briggs

Noelle Henning

Grace Jackson

Ava Lutke

Bella Najera

LJ Pearcy

Emerson Sargeant

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