Women Kick Off Soccer DH Thursday vs. EMU

No. 3/4 Michigan State (3-0) vs. Eastern Michigan (1-1)
Dates/Location	Thursday, Aug. 27 \| 5 pm DeMartin Stadium, East Lansing, Mich. \| Gameday Information
Tickets	Spartan Ticket Office
Promotions	Red Cedar Rowdies Weekend \| See all Promotions
Webstream	B1G+
Live Statistics	Click Here
Game Notes	Michigan State \| Loyola
Social Media	Facebook X Instagram

The Starting XI

What you need to know about Spartan women's soccer

• Michigan State has a pair of games at home this week, starting with a Thursday matchup with in-state rival Eastern Michigan. This will be the 20th meeting of the teams and first since 2023; MSU is 15-1-3 all-time against the Eagles and has a winning streak of seven games. This is the first half of the doubleheader at DeMartin, with the men playing SIUE at 7:30 pm.

• MSU enters the game at 3-0 on the season, coming off a Sunday victory on the road at No. 7/8 North Carolina, (3-2). The Spartans are one of just 30 teams across Division I soccer (and two within the Big Ten) without a loss or a tie through the first two weeks of the season. MSU earned 2-0 and 1-0 victories over [RV] Xavier and Loyola to open the campaign and last opened the season with back-to-back shutouts in 2022

• MSU is up to No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches survey this week and is No. 4 in the Top Drawer Soccer poll. This is MSU's highest ranking during the season since September 24, 2024, when the Spartans spent a week atop the United Soccer Coaches Poll. The Spartans were ranked No. 7 in each of the two preseason polls, and also selected as the preseason favorite in the Big Ten preseason coaches poll.

• Kennedy Bell was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week as well as to the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week on Tuesday (Aug. 25). She scored a pair of goals at North Carolina while playing in her home state for the first time in her college career. Bell is currently tied for fourth in the B1G in goals (3) and tied for seventh in points (6).

• Senior Bella Najera scored on a free kick from 19 yards out which stood as the game-winner at North Carolina. It was her first score of the season and 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 among MSU's all-time leading scorers. She sits tied for 22nd in program history in career assists (14) and her nine career game-winning goals is eighth all-time.

• Kayla Briggs had MSU's lone goal in the win over Loyola (Aug. 19) and has gone a full 90 in each of MSU's last two games. The senior also scored the game-winner against [RV] Xavier in the season opener. She led the squad in game-winning goals a year ago with five (fourth all-time in a single season at MSU).

• Emerson Sargeant had the primary assist on Bell's second goal at UNC, a nifty over-her-head flip behind her to a rushing Bell to finish a play started by Mackenzie Kruer. It was her first assist of the season and pushed her career total to 17 - tied for 14th all-time at MSU.

• Ella Janz had two assists in her first three collegiate seasons combined, and has produced two in her first three games of her senior season. Both of her assists have been on Kennedy Bell scores.

• Julia Belli has played 222 of a possible 270 minutes this season after missing all of 2025. She started all 22 games and was a Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection in 2024, and has returned to anchor a young back line for the Spartans this season. Belli played all 90 minutes at North Carolina.

• Sophomore keeper Noelle Henning has surrendered just one goal in the run of play over three games, and one on a penalty kick (both against UNC on the road). She owns a 0.67 GAA and .818 save percentage. She will take leave from the team to play in the upcoming 2026 U20 Women's World Cup Sept. 5-27 in Poland. She was named Best Goalkeeper last summer when Canada captured gold at the 2025 CONCACAF Women's U-20 Championship in Costa Rica.

The Starting XI

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Players Mentioned

Kennedy Bell

Julia Belli

Kayla Briggs

Noelle Henning

Ella Janz

Mackenzie Kruer

Bella Najera

Emerson Sargeant

Michigan State University Athletics