Bell's Brace Helps Spartans Past No. 7 North Carolina, 3-2

Sunday, August 23

Chapel Hill, NC

1 PM

Michigan State University

3-0-0, 0-0-0

North Carolina

3-1-0, 0-0-0

Team	1	2	Final F
Michigan St.	1	2	3
North Carolina	1	1	2

Kennedy Bell goes to goal for her first of two scores on the road at North Carolina

Photo by: Andy Mead/YCJ

Bell's Brace Helps Spartans Past No. 7 North Carolina, 3-2

8/23/2026 4:24:00 PM | Women's Soccer

Box Score

East Lansing, Mich. – No. 5/6 Michigan State came away with a win on Tobacco Road on Sunday, earning a 3-2 victory at No. 7/8 North Carolina in front of a crowd of 3,723 fans at Dorrance Field.

Charlotte native Kennedy Bell had two goals on the day, and Bella Najera added her first goal of the season on a free kick in the 63^rd minute. Keeper Noelle Henning made three saves as MSU dealt UNC its first loss of the season (3-1) and improves to 3-0 on the year.

Today's result was MSU's first victory over a top ten team since a 3-2 overtime win over No. 4 Texas in the 2024 NCAA Tournament second round. MSU also posted a win on the road at No. 9 Penn State earlier that season (1-0). MSU was 0-2-1 against top 10 teams in 2025 (while playing the most difficult schedule in the nation).

The teams each entered Sunday's game without having yet conceded a goal on the season. The Spartans drew first blood in the 21^st minute on Bell's first goal of the game, and Summer Denigan got the equalizer for the home team just two minutes after Bell had given MSU a 1-0 lead. Tied at 1-1 at the intermission, the teams had combined for 20 first-half fouls, with UNC holding an 11-4 edge in shot attempts.

Bell scored her second of the day in the 53^rd minute, with Emerson Sargeant flicking a pass from Mackenzie Kruer over her head to find Bell behind her to go up 2-0. Najera buried a free kick in the 63^rd minute after a red card for the Heels to give MSU a 3-1 advantage. The home team would not go quietly, however. UNC was awarded a penalty kick after a foul in the box, and freshman Sealey Strawn scored her first goal of her career in the 73^rd minute.

The Tar Heels stepped up their urgency after the penalty goal, pushing MSU into its own end and generating three corner opportunities and a pair of shots that sailed over the cage by both Cali O'Neill and Shaela Bradley three minutes apart with under 10 minutes left. Despite the late push, the Spartans held their ground for their first road victory of the season.

SCORING

21' – MSU 1, UNC 0 - Ella Janz broke up a pass in the Tar Heels transition in the midfield, and sprung it forward for Kennedy Bell. Bell tapped it away from a tackle attempt, outraced two defenders up the left side, and unleased a shot that beat keeper Peyton Trayer into the bottom right corner.

23' – MSU 1, UNC 1 - The home team gained the equalizer two minutes after the Spartans opened the scoring. Scottie Antonucci slid it inside the area on the right side for Summer Denigan, and Denigan went into the bottom left corner for her fourth goal of the season.

53' – MSU 2, UNC 1 - Mackenzie Kruer corralled a UNC clearing attempt just over the midfield line inside the circle. She and sent it forward for Emerson Sargeant, who got her toe on it and flipped the ball back over her head to Bell on the right side of the top of the box. Bell took a touch and found her mark on the left side.

63' – MSU 3, UNC 1 - Sargeant was taken down at the top of the box as she was going to goal, and a red card was called on UNC's Bella Gaetino. That set up a free kick 19 yards out for the Spartans, which Bella Najera buried into the bottom right corner for her first goal of the season.

73' – MSU 3, UNC 2 - MSU was whistled for a foul in the box, which gave UNC a penalty kick opportunity. Freshman Sealey Strawn lined up and went into the bottom left corner for her first collegiate goal.

Notables

Today's result was MSU's first victory over a top ten team since a 3-2 overtime win over No. 4 Texas in the 2024 NCAA Tournament second round. MSU has earned each of its last three top-10 victories in true road games.
Najera's goal was the 26th of her career, moving her into a tie for 11th all time at MSU. She now has 66 career points, which is 12th all time among MSU's all-time leading scorers. She now also has nine career game-winning goals (eighth all-time).
Kennedy Bell's brace was the second of her career. She also had one last year in a home win over Southern Cal, a 4-0 MSU win.
Bell's first-half marker was her second of the season, and each of her first two goals of the season were set up by classmate Ella Janz. Janz had two career assists entering the season and has tied that career total through three games.
Bell's second of the game came off assists from Emerson Sargeant and Mackenzie Kruer, the first assist of the season for both. It was Kruer's first collegiate point after redshirting her freshman season.
Sargeant's assist was the 17th of her career, which ranks in a tie for 14th in MSU's record book with Danielle Stephan (2017-21).
UNC picked up a red and a yellow card in the game, while MSU had a pair of yellows, dealt to Renee Watson and Faith George.
UNC had nine corners to MSU's two, including a 5-0 edge in the second half. Overall, the Heels held a 21-7 edge in shot attempts, but just a 5-4 advantage in shots on goal.
In on-field temperatures that registered over 100 degrees, both Kayla Briggs and Julia Belli played all 90 minutes. Briggs also played all 90 on Thursday against Loyola, and 10 times in 25 games in 2025.

UP NEXT
Michigan State returns to East Lansing for a pair of games next week. The Spartans will host in-state foe Eastern Michigan at 5 pm on Thursday as the first half of a men's-women's doubleheader at DeMartin Stadium. On Sunday, MSU will host No. 17 Colorado in a rematch of the 2025 NCAA Sweet 16 matchup.

Single-game tickets and season memberships for MSU Women's Soccer are available by visiting sprtns.co/WSOC26tix.