2023 Women's Soccer Roster
Roster
Gaynor, Justina
GK
/ Women's SoccerGK
/ Women's SoccerGK
/ Women's SoccerD
/ Women's SoccerM
/ Women's SoccerM
/ Women's SoccerM
/ Women's SoccerM
/ Women's SoccerD
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's SoccerM
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's SoccerD
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's SoccerD
/ Women's SoccerD
/ Women's SoccerM
/ Women's SoccerM
/ Women's SoccerD/M
/ Women's SoccerF/M
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's SoccerD
/ Women's SoccerM
/ Women's SoccerD/F
/ Women's SoccerM
/ Women's SoccerD/F
/ Women's SoccerF
/ Women's Soccer
Jersey Number 18
Justina Gaynor
- Position:
- Midfielder
- Height:
- 5-8
- Class:
- Senior
- High School:
- Notre Dame Preparatory
- Hometown:
- Shelby Township, Mich.
- Prev School:
- Butler
Bio
2024 (Graduate Student): Became MSU's fourth United Soccer Coaches All-American, earning third team honors ... Named First Team All-Big Ten for the third-consecutive season ... Earned a spot on the United Soccer Coaches All-North Region First Team ... Named United Soccer Coaches First Team Scholar All-North/Central Region ... United Soccer Coaches First Team Scholar All-America ... CSC Academic All-District and Second Team Academic All-America ... Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and Academic All-Big Ten... NCAA Woman of the Year nominee ... Played in 21 games for the Spartans, making 20 starts ... Totaled 16 points from five goals and a team-high six assists in 1,569 minutes of play ... All five goals were game-winners ... Named to the MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List at the start of the season ... Scored the game-winning goal in a 2-1 season-opening win at No. 15 Notre Dame (8/15) ... Named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week on Aug. 20 ... Played 87 minutes in a 2-2 tie with Arkansas (8/22) ... Played all 90 minutes in a 1-0 win over Ole Miss (8/29) ... Tallied assists on both goals in a 2-2 draw with Xavier (9/1) ... Notched an assist in the 6-0 rout of Queens (N.C.) (9/5) ... Scored the game-winning goal in the 84th minute in MSU's 1-0 win against Loyola Chicago (9/8) ... Recorded back-to-back assists in wins at Maryland (9/12) and against Nebraska (9/19) ... Scored the game-winner in MSU's 1-0 win at No. 9 Penn State (9/22) ... Played 90 minutes in a 2-2 draw at No. 11 Ohio State (9/26) ... Recorded an assist in a 1-1 draw vs. Rutgers (9/29) ... Scored the game-winning penalty kick in MSU's 1-0 win against Michigan (10/5) ... Played all 92 minutes against Rutgers in the Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals (11/2) ... Scored the opening goal and played 83 minutes in the Spartans' 3-1 NCAA First Round victory against Western Michigan (11/16) ... Recorded a trio of shots and played all 93 minutes in MSU's 3-2 overtime win against Texas in the second round of the NCAA Tournament (11/22) ... Played 84 minutes against Duke in the NCAA Sweet 16 (11/24).
2023 (Senior): Named Big Ten Midfielder of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten and United Soccer Coaches First Team All-North Region ... CSC First Team Academic All-America and Academic All-Big Ten ... MSU's Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient ... One of four Spartans to play and start in all 22 matches, playing the most minutes of any field player with 1,763 ... Played 10 90-minute matches ... Finished in a tie for first on the team with 24 points from six goals and a team-high 12 assists ... Scored at least a point in all but seven games in 2023 ... Played 78 minutes in the season-opening 1-0 win over Cincinnati (8/17) ... Scored her first goal of the season in the 3-1 win against Bowling Green (8/20) ... Notched an assist in 60 minutes of play in the 7-0 win at Northern Colorado (8/24) ... Recorded assists in two-straight matches against Eastern Michigan (8/31) and Notre Dame (9/3) ... Registered assists in draws with Dayton (9/10) and Ohio State (9/17) ... Netted a penalty kick goal for her second of the season in the 3-1 win at Minnesota to open B1G road play (9/21) ... Added an assist on Bella Najera's game-winner in MSU's historic 1-0 win at Wisconsin (9/24) ... Had assist in back-to-back B1G contests vs. Maryland (9/28) and Penn State (10/1) ... Scored the game-tying goal in a 1-1 decision at Indiana (10/12) ... Recorded her third goal of the season in the 2-1 comeback win against Illinois (10/19) ... Added a pair of assists in the 3-0 win over Iowa to clinch MSU's second-straight B1G title (10/22) ... Named to the CollegeSoccerNews National Team of the Week on Oct. 23 after her performance against Iowa ... Scored a goal and added an assist in MSU's 3-0 win over Ohio in the NCAA First Round ... Slotted home a penalty kick to secure MSU's first-ever NCAA Second Round victory in a 1-0 defeat of Harvard (11/16) ... Played 90 minutes in the NCAA Third Round at BYU (11/18).
2022 (Junior): All-Big Ten First Team recognition in the midfield and was named Second Team All-Region by the United Soccer Coaches ... Took home United Soccer Coaches Third-Team Scholar All-America, CSC Academic All-District and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, and Academic All-Big Ten honors in the postseason ... Finished tied for fourth on the roster with 10 total points split between four goals and a pair of assists… Appeared and started in all 23 games, playing the second-most minutes among Spartan fielders with 1,708… Started in the first game of the season at Bowling Green, playing 79 minutes and attempting two shots (8/18)… Earned 62 minutes in her second start of the season at Cincinnati, logging two shots (8/21)… Put a ball in the back of the net on a header that proved to be the game-winning goal against Binghamton (8/28)… Logged 79 minutes and dished out an assist on the road to defeat Illinois (9/18)… Found the net for her second goal of the season in a 3-1 win over Purdue (9/25)… Landed a spot as an honorable mention TopDrawerSoccer National Team of the Week member after her performance against Purdue… Notched a goal for the second-straight game in a 2-1 road win at Penn State, playing the full 90 minutes in the contest (9/29)… Played 76 minutes and appeared on the scoresheet with her second assist of the season in a win over Michigan (10/9)… Recorded 89 and 83 minutes respectively to finish off the regular season with wins against Ohio State and Rutgers (10/20, 10/23)… Played all but five minutes across Michigan State’s three Big Ten Tournament games, reaching the tournament’s title game for the first time in program history… Notched a goal on six shots in a career-high 104 minutes of work against Milwaukee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament (11/11)… Appeared on the College Soccer News National Team of the Week following her opening round performance… Played 90 minutes with a shot on goal against TCU in the tournament’s second round (11/18).
Fall 2021 (Sophomore): Made a significant impact in her first season with the Spartans, tying for the fourth-most goals scored of any player … Saw action in 17 games, making 11 starts … Made seven consecutive starts from 8/19 to 9/12 … Scored a goal in the home opener against Detroit Mercy (8/19) … Scored the equalizer in a 2-2 decision at Nebraska (9/30) … Totaled 12 shot attempts, four taken on goal.
Spring 2021 (at Butler): Started all 12 matches for the Bulldogs as a freshman...scored two goals and added an assist for five points...her five points tied for seventh on the team.
Prior to MSU: Was a member of the Nationals Development Academy ... She was a 3x US Youth Soccer National Champion, 3x Regional Champion, and 5x Michigan State Cup Champion ... Selected to the Olympic Development Program state team, regional team and national training camp ... She won the 2015 Golden Ball Award at the US Youth Soccer National Championships ... She was also selected to the “Best XI Team” at the 2015 and 2016 USYS National Championship Series.... As a freshman at Notre Dame Preparatory, earned All-District, All-Region and All-State Third Team accolades.... Off the field, was a four-year Notre Dame Preparatory Highest Honor selection... An International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidate ... Member of both National Honors Society and Spanish Honors Society ... She was also a four-year varsity basketball player ...
Personal: Daughter of Paul and Rita Gaynor ... Has two older siblings, Nathanial and Celia; Celia is also a Michigan State women's soccer alum.
2023 (Senior): Named Big Ten Midfielder of the Year, First Team All-Big Ten and United Soccer Coaches First Team All-North Region ... CSC First Team Academic All-America and Academic All-Big Ten ... MSU's Big Ten Medal of Honor recipient ... One of four Spartans to play and start in all 22 matches, playing the most minutes of any field player with 1,763 ... Played 10 90-minute matches ... Finished in a tie for first on the team with 24 points from six goals and a team-high 12 assists ... Scored at least a point in all but seven games in 2023 ... Played 78 minutes in the season-opening 1-0 win over Cincinnati (8/17) ... Scored her first goal of the season in the 3-1 win against Bowling Green (8/20) ... Notched an assist in 60 minutes of play in the 7-0 win at Northern Colorado (8/24) ... Recorded assists in two-straight matches against Eastern Michigan (8/31) and Notre Dame (9/3) ... Registered assists in draws with Dayton (9/10) and Ohio State (9/17) ... Netted a penalty kick goal for her second of the season in the 3-1 win at Minnesota to open B1G road play (9/21) ... Added an assist on Bella Najera's game-winner in MSU's historic 1-0 win at Wisconsin (9/24) ... Had assist in back-to-back B1G contests vs. Maryland (9/28) and Penn State (10/1) ... Scored the game-tying goal in a 1-1 decision at Indiana (10/12) ... Recorded her third goal of the season in the 2-1 comeback win against Illinois (10/19) ... Added a pair of assists in the 3-0 win over Iowa to clinch MSU's second-straight B1G title (10/22) ... Named to the CollegeSoccerNews National Team of the Week on Oct. 23 after her performance against Iowa ... Scored a goal and added an assist in MSU's 3-0 win over Ohio in the NCAA First Round ... Slotted home a penalty kick to secure MSU's first-ever NCAA Second Round victory in a 1-0 defeat of Harvard (11/16) ... Played 90 minutes in the NCAA Third Round at BYU (11/18).
2022 (Junior): All-Big Ten First Team recognition in the midfield and was named Second Team All-Region by the United Soccer Coaches ... Took home United Soccer Coaches Third-Team Scholar All-America, CSC Academic All-District and Big Ten Distinguished Scholar, and Academic All-Big Ten honors in the postseason ... Finished tied for fourth on the roster with 10 total points split between four goals and a pair of assists… Appeared and started in all 23 games, playing the second-most minutes among Spartan fielders with 1,708… Started in the first game of the season at Bowling Green, playing 79 minutes and attempting two shots (8/18)… Earned 62 minutes in her second start of the season at Cincinnati, logging two shots (8/21)… Put a ball in the back of the net on a header that proved to be the game-winning goal against Binghamton (8/28)… Logged 79 minutes and dished out an assist on the road to defeat Illinois (9/18)… Found the net for her second goal of the season in a 3-1 win over Purdue (9/25)… Landed a spot as an honorable mention TopDrawerSoccer National Team of the Week member after her performance against Purdue… Notched a goal for the second-straight game in a 2-1 road win at Penn State, playing the full 90 minutes in the contest (9/29)… Played 76 minutes and appeared on the scoresheet with her second assist of the season in a win over Michigan (10/9)… Recorded 89 and 83 minutes respectively to finish off the regular season with wins against Ohio State and Rutgers (10/20, 10/23)… Played all but five minutes across Michigan State’s three Big Ten Tournament games, reaching the tournament’s title game for the first time in program history… Notched a goal on six shots in a career-high 104 minutes of work against Milwaukee in the first round of the NCAA Tournament (11/11)… Appeared on the College Soccer News National Team of the Week following her opening round performance… Played 90 minutes with a shot on goal against TCU in the tournament’s second round (11/18).
Fall 2021 (Sophomore): Made a significant impact in her first season with the Spartans, tying for the fourth-most goals scored of any player … Saw action in 17 games, making 11 starts … Made seven consecutive starts from 8/19 to 9/12 … Scored a goal in the home opener against Detroit Mercy (8/19) … Scored the equalizer in a 2-2 decision at Nebraska (9/30) … Totaled 12 shot attempts, four taken on goal.
Spring 2021 (at Butler): Started all 12 matches for the Bulldogs as a freshman...scored two goals and added an assist for five points...her five points tied for seventh on the team.
Prior to MSU: Was a member of the Nationals Development Academy ... She was a 3x US Youth Soccer National Champion, 3x Regional Champion, and 5x Michigan State Cup Champion ... Selected to the Olympic Development Program state team, regional team and national training camp ... She won the 2015 Golden Ball Award at the US Youth Soccer National Championships ... She was also selected to the “Best XI Team” at the 2015 and 2016 USYS National Championship Series.... As a freshman at Notre Dame Preparatory, earned All-District, All-Region and All-State Third Team accolades.... Off the field, was a four-year Notre Dame Preparatory Highest Honor selection... An International Baccalaureate Diploma Candidate ... Member of both National Honors Society and Spanish Honors Society ... She was also a four-year varsity basketball player ...
Personal: Daughter of Paul and Rita Gaynor ... Has two older siblings, Nathanial and Celia; Celia is also a Michigan State women's soccer alum.
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