Michigan State heads into a demanding Big Ten road trip on Friday with a visit to the nation’s top-ranked team, taking on Northwestern in Evanston, Illinois, at 4 p.m. at Lakeside Field.
The Spartans are coming off a needed boost last Sunday, when they beat Ball State 4-1 on the road in non-conference play. That result moved Michigan State to 4-4 overall and gives the group some momentum before another tough conference assignment.
Friday’s matchup also adds another chapter to a long-running series. It will be the 73rd all-time meeting between Michigan State and Northwestern, with the Spartans holding a 24-48 record in the matchup. MSU’s most recent win in the series came on Nov. 4, 2010, when it earned a 3-1 victory in the Big Ten Conference Tournament.
Northwestern enters the game at 9-0 and ranked No. 1 in the country under 18th-year head coach Tracey Fuchs. The Wildcats are riding a dominant stretch after sweeping a three-game West Coast trip last week, beating Stanford 3-1, No. 18 Cal 2-0 and UC Davis 7-0.
The Wildcats’ offense has been rolling behind forward Ashley Sessa, the reigning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. She produced two goals and four assists during the West Coast run and now has four goals and seven assists on the season, which puts her second in the Big Ten in assists.
Olivia Bent-Cole has also been a major part of the attack, posting four goals and five assists in seven games. Both players sit among the top 15 in the conference in goals and assists.
Northwestern has been just as sharp defensively. Junior goalkeeper Juliana Boon has anchored a unit that has allowed only five goals in nine games and collected six shutouts. Among goalkeepers with at least five starts this season, Boon ranks second in goals allowed, goals against average, shots faced and saves, while leading the Big Ten in save percentage, wins and shutouts.
In Other News...
Michigan States Hot Start Just Ran Into A Big Ten Reality Check
Michigan States unbeaten run in volleyball came to an end in its Big Ten opener, as Washington handed the Spartans their first loss of the season in four sets. The result was a reminder of how quickly conference play can raise the level of difficulty, even for a team that had rolled to a 10-0 start before the trip into league play.
Alanna Bankston led Michigan State with 14 kills, while Malayah Long finished with 26 assists, but it was not enough to slow a Washington team that stayed perfect at 10-0. The Spartans are now 10-1 overall and 0-1 in the Big Ten, with the early setback creating an immediate test for how they respond in one of the nations toughest conferences. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Took A Brutal Loss But One Spartans Effort Stood Out
Michigan State field hockey ran into the No. 1 team in the country on Friday at Lakeside Field and spent most of the afternoon on the back foot in a 6-0 Big Ten loss to Northwestern. The Wildcats controlled possession, piled up chances and kept the Spartans under pressure with a heavy edge in shots and penalty corners, leaving Michigan States defense and goalkeepers to absorb the brunt of the action.
Even in a lopsided result, there were a few Spartans efforts worth noting. Lola Munoz de Verger and Catherine Wolf combined for 10 saves, and the back line had to deal with wave after wave of Northwestern pressure. Michigan State never found the offensive breakthrough it needed, but the way it kept battling in the circle and in front of goal offered one of the few bright spots on a difficult day. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan State Just Made Its Strongest Early Season Statement Yet
Michigan States mens soccer team kept building on its fast start Friday night at DeMartin Stadium, using Alumni Night to deliver another performance that looked every bit like an early statement in the Big Ten. Richie Ludwig scored twice and Dom Dono added the other goal as the Spartans rolled past Wisconsin 3-0, with the match turning sharply after the Badgers were reduced to 10 men.
All three goals came in a seven-minute burst around halftime, the kind of stretch that can flip a conference match in a hurry and leave little doubt about which team seized control. The result pushed MSU to 3-0-0 in Big Ten play and 7-1-1 overall, the best league start in program history, and it gave the Spartans another reminder that their early-season momentum is no fluke. [Read more 🡒]