No. 20 Michigan State Takes on Harvard in NCAA Second Round

PROVO, Utah – 20th-ranked and fifth-seeded Michigan State women’s soccer travels to Provo, Utah, to play fourth-seeded Harvard in the NCAA Tournament Second Round on Thursday, Nov. 16 at 6 p.m. ET/4 p.m. MT. The match will take place at BYU’s South Field.

Thursday’s match will stream on ESPN+ with live stats available on MSUSpartans.com.

FIRST TOUCH

The Spartans enter Thursday’s match at 13-4-3 (7-1-2 B1G) after securing a 3-0 first round victory against Ohio on Nov. 10. Freshman forward/midfielder Bella Najera recorded a pair of goals and an assist en route to a five-point night against the Bobcats, while senior midfielder Justina Gaynor added a goal and assist in the 3-0 win. The Spartans are in the NCAA Second Round for the second-straight year, marking the first time in program history MSU has advanced to the second round in back-to-back seasons. Last season, MSU fell in a close battle to fifth-seeded TCU, 1-0, as a No. 4 seed in the second round in South Bend, Indiana.

With a win on Thursday, MSU will advance to the program’s first NCAA Third Round. The winner of Thursday’s match will play the winner of Thursday’s No. 1 BYU/No. 8 USC match on Saturday, Nov. 18 at 8 p.m. ET/6 p.m. MT in the third round.

SCOUTING HARVARD

Harvard is led by eighth-year head coach Chris Hamblin, who holds a 74-30-12 record during his time with the Crimson. Harvard enters Thursday’s match at 13-3-2 (5-1-1 Ivy) after defeating Maine, 3-0, in its first round match on Nov. 11. Harvard also won the inaugural Ivy League Tournament title on Nov. 5 in a 3-0 victory against Columbia and is currently riding a five-match winning streak and nine-match unbeaten streak. Junior midfielder Josefine Hasbo leads Harvard in points (26) and goals (10) and has scored six goals over the Crimson’s last four matches. Harvard boasts one of the best defenses in the NCAA, allowing only 44 shots on goal in 2023, which ranks third in the NCAA. Junior defender Jade Rose is the Ivy League’s back-to-back Defensive Player of the Year.

STORY OF THE SERIES

Thursday’s second round match will be the first-ever meeting between the two schools. MSU and Harvard have faced one common opponent this year – NC State – with both earning wins against the Wolfpack.

UP NEXT

The NCAA Third Round will take place on Nov. 18 at BYU’s South Field. The winner of Saturday’s…