SOUTH BEND, Ind. – Sixth-ranked and fourth-seeded Michigan State women’s soccer prepares for only its third second-round NCAA Tournament game in program history, as the Spartans challenge the 17th-ranked and fifth-seeded TCU Horned Frogs in a 2 p.m. fixture from Alumni Soccer Stadium on Friday, Nov. 18.
HEAD COACH JEFF HOSLER SAID…
“Every day of this process has been extremely special for our group, and we are looking forward to taking the next step as a program on Friday afternoon against TCU. Coach Bell has done an excellent job of bringing a talented team together, and I think they boast a lot of impressive individual athletes who we will have to manage to find success. Even though the temperatures have begun to drop, I’m really encouraged by the way our team has responded to this point. We definitely have more work to do, and I’m looking forward to getting to it.”
KICKIN’ IT
Michigan State rallied from an early 1-0 deficit and overcame a late tying goal in the 90th minute to defeat the Milwaukee Panthers in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The Green & White reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament for only the third time in program history and published a win in their first-ever home game in the Big Dance. MSU rose to 3-4 all time in the NCAA Championships, publishing the program’s first win since Nov. 14, 2008, when the Spartans defeated Milwaukee, 2-1. The 2008 Spartans utilized a brace from newly inducted Michigan State Athletics Hall-of-Famer Laura (Heyboer) Heethuis to secure the victory in South Bend, Indiana.
TAKING THE FIELD WITH TCU
Veteran Head Coach Eric Bell leads TCU into its second-round test boasting a 13-4-5 overall record that included a 5-1-3 finish in the Big 12 Conference. Bell’s squad is making its sixth-consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance, having never made the field of 64 prior to Bell’s hiring. TCU advanced to the second round following a convincing 3-1 win over the UTSA Roadrunners in the opening round at home in Fort Worth. Returning First-Team United Soccer Coaches All-American Messiah Bright leads the Horned Frogs in points (26), goals scored (11) and is tied for first on the team in assists (eight). Junior netminder Lauren Kellett manages the game between the posts, amassing 63 saves on the year against 16 goals allowed for a save percentage of…
Click Here to Read the Full Original Article at Michigan State University Athletics…