Michigan State closed its four-game homestand in style Sunday afternoon, delivering a complete 5-0 non-conference win over Longwood at Ralph Young Field.
The Spartans handled the day from start to finish. They piled up a 25-3 edge in total shots, put 20 attempts on goal to Longwood’s one, and owned the penalty corner battle 15-1. The result moved MSU to 5-8 overall, while the Lancers dropped to 0-11.
Junior midfielders Mora Cavazza and Lilian Knorr led the offense with matching two-goal performances, and both were sharp every time they fired, sending all of their shots on target. Senior back Serena Mailhe added a goal and an assist, finishing with three of her four shots on frame. Nina Angeli, Carmen Maudlin, and Emmy Wellejus each picked up an assist as Michigan State kept the pressure on throughout.
The Spartans got on the board early in the first quarter, using a set piece to break through. In the seventh minute, Knorr inserted a penalty corner and Mailhe’s first effort was denied, but she stayed with the play, collected her own rebound and found Cavazza for the opening goal.
Cavazza doubled the lead in the 19th minute. On another penalty corner, Maudlin controlled the ball and set up Cavazza, who finished for her second goal before halftime.
Michigan State kept stretching the margin in the third quarter. In the 35th minute, Angeli drove into the circle and set up Mailhe, who scored her first goal of the season to make it 3-0. Eight minutes later, Knorr added her first of the afternoon off an unassisted strike from a corner sequence to push the lead to four.
The final goal came in the 58th minute, when Wellejus connected with Knorr for Knorr’s second score of the day and fifth goal of the season.
In goal, junior Lola Munoz de Verger picked up the win after stopping the only shot she saw across 30 scoreless minutes in the first and third quarters. Sophomore Catherine Wolf handled the second and fourth quarters and completed the combined shutout, keeping Longwood off the board and without a shot on target in her 30 minutes of work.
In Other News...
Pat Fitzgerald Furious After Call Defined Michigan States Loss
Michigan States late-game frustration in its loss to Illinois centered on one of the most debated plays of the afternoon, an onside kick that seemed to swing momentum before it was wiped away. Freshman wide receiver Samson Gash was flagged for offsides on the attempt, and after an extended review, officials upheld the penalty and forced the Spartans to kick again. It was the sort of sequence that can change the feel of a game in an instant, especially when a team believes it has finally created a break.
Pat Fitzgerald made it clear afterward that he disagreed with the ruling and plans to take his concerns to Big Ten officiating leadership. For Michigan State, the complaint is about more than one call, because the play came at a pivotal moment and left the Spartans chasing a result that felt even more out of reach after the ruling stood. With the dust still settling, the broader issue now is how the conference answers for a decision that will linger well beyond this one loss. [Read more 🡒]
Michigan States First Ranked Big Ten Test Ended In A Frustrating Call
No. 2 Michigan States first ranked Big Ten test turned into a painful lesson in margin for error, as the Spartans fell 2-1 at No. 25 Purdue in a match that hinged on one early second-half moment. Kayla Briggs gave Michigan State the lead, but Emilia Deppe brought Purdue level before the home side went in front on a penalty kick from Irene Campo.
Noelle Henning did her part to keep the Spartans in it, turning away a season-high six shots even as her shutout streak came to an end on Purdues equalizer. But Michigan State never fully recovered from the sequence that followed, and the result left a strong conference opening with a frustrating ending. [Read more 🡒]
Illinois Escaped Michigan State But Fans Can't Ignore One Problem
Illinois escaped East Lansing with a 38-37 overtime win, but the final score only told part of the story for a team that spent much of the night trying to hang on to an early cushion. Illinois built the lead it wanted, yet the second half brought defensive problems that let Michigan State back into the game and turned what looked manageable into a tense finish.
Michigan States offense also had to adjust when starting quarterback Katin Houser was injured late in the third quarter, forcing freshman Michael Clayton II into a difficult spot. Clayton handled the pressure well enough to keep the Spartans alive deep into overtime, and Illinois ultimately survived when it stopped the two-point conversion attempt that decided the game. [Read more 🡒]