Charlotte native Kennedy Bell delivered the kind of day that can tilt a season, scoring twice as No. 5/6 Michigan State knocked off No. 7/8 North Carolina, 3-2, on Sunday at Dorrance Field.
Bella Najera added the other Spartans goal, burying a free kick in the 63rd minute, and Noelle Henning made three saves as MSU handed UNC its first loss of the season. The Spartans improved to 3-0, while the Tar Heels fell to 3-1 in front of 3,723 fans on Tobacco Road.
The result gave Michigan State its first win over a top-10 team since a 3-2 overtime victory over No. 4 Texas in the 2024 NCAA Tournament second round. It also marked another road scalp against elite competition for the Spartans, who were 0-2-1 against top-10 teams in 2025 while playing what the report called the most difficult schedule in the nation.
Both teams came in without allowing a goal this season, so the opening stretch carried a little extra bite. Michigan State struck first in the 21st minute when Bell finished a quick transition chance, only for Summer Denigan to answer two minutes later and level the match at 1-1. The first half stayed chippy and physical, with 20 fouls and North Carolina holding an 11-4 edge in shot attempts by halftime.
Bell put MSU back in front in the 53rd minute, finishing off a sequence that started with Mackenzie Kruer winning a clearing attempt and continued with Emerson Sargeant flicking the ball over her head to spring Bell behind the defense. That made it 2-1 Spartans, and seven minutes later they extended the lead when Sargeant was taken down at the top of the box, drawing a red card on UNC’s Bella Gaetino. Najera stepped up and smashed the free kick into the bottom right corner for her first goal of the season and a 3-1 Michigan State advantage.
North Carolina kept coming. The Tar Heels earned a penalty kick after a foul in the box, and freshman Sealey Strawn converted in the 73rd minute for her first collegiate goal.
That cut the lead to 3-2 and sent UNC pressing hard for the equalizer, but Michigan State absorbed the pressure. The Heels piled up corner chances and forced the Spartans deep in their own end late, yet MSU held firm for its first road win of the season.
Bell’s brace was her second career two-goal game, matching the one she had last year in a 4-0 home win over Southern Cal. Her first goal was her second of the season, and both of her goals this year have come off assists from classmate Ella Janz. Janz had two career assists entering the season and has already matched that total through three games.
Bell’s second goal came with help from both Sargeant and Kruer. It was the first assist of the season for each, and Kruer picked up her first collegiate point after redshirting as a freshman. Sargeant’s assist was the 17th of her career, moving her into a tie for 14th in the MSU record book with Danielle Stephan (2017-21).
Najera’s finish carried its own milestone weight. It was the 26th goal of her career, tying her for 11th all time at Michigan State. She now has 66 career points, good for 12th all time among the program’s leading scorers, and her nine career game-winning goals rank eighth.
North Carolina finished with a 21-7 edge in shot attempts and took nine corners to MSU’s two, including a 5-0 advantage in the second half. The Heels also managed a 5-4 edge in shots on goal, but Michigan State’s back line and Henning did enough to protect the lead. UNC picked up a red card and a yellow, while MSU was shown two yellows, to Renee Watson and Faith George.
The heat was no small factor either, with on-field temperatures over 100 degrees. Kayla Briggs and Julia Belli both went the full 90 minutes, and Briggs has now done so 10 times in 25 games in 2025 after also logging all 90 on Thursday against Loyola.
Michigan State heads back home for a two-game stretch next week. The Spartans host Eastern Michigan at 5 p.m.
Thursday in the first half of a men’s-women’s doubleheader at DeMartin Stadium, then welcome No. 17 Colorado on Sunday in a rematch of the 2025 NCAA Sweet 16 matchup.
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