EAST LANSING, Mich. – Top-ranked Michigan State women’s soccer travels to Columbus, Ohio, to face No. 11 Ohio State on Thursday, Sept. 26 at 7 p.m. before returning to DeMartin Stadium to host Rutgers on Sunday, Sept. 29 at noon for Alumni Day.
Both matches will stream on B1G+.
FIRST TOUCH
The Spartans are 8-0-2 (3-0-0 B1G) and on a five-match winning streak after a 4-1 home victory over Nebraska on Sept. 19 and 1-0 shutout at No. 9 Penn State on Sept. 22. MSU’s 8-0-2 record to begin the season is its best start in program history, topping its previous-best unbeaten streak of nine games.
Graduate forward Meg Hughes leads MSU in scoring this season with 14 points from five goals and four assists. Graduate midfielder Emily Mathews leads the team in goals with six, while graduate midfielder Justina Gaynor has tallied a team-leading five assists. Gaynor scored the game-winning goal in the third minute at Penn State, her third goal of the season. All three of Gaynor’s goals this season have been game winners.
Graduate goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks made a career-high 11 saves in MSU’s win at Penn State and is just the second goalkeeper to hold the Nittany Lions without a goal in a game this season. She earned Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Week honors on Tuesday.
MSU claimed the top spot in the United Soccer Coaches Poll this week, its first-ever No. 1 ranking.
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
Ohio State is led by head coach Lori Walker-Hock, who holds a 298-304-61 record in 28 seasons at Ohio State. The Buckeyes are 7-1-2 after going 1-0-1 at home last week, earning a 1-1 draw against then-No. 18 Iowa before a 2-1 win over Northwestern on Sept. 22. Sophomore forward/midfielder Amanda Schlueter is third in the Big Ten in scoring this season with 18 points from seven goals and four assists. Teammate Kailyn Dudokovich leads the Buckeyes in goals scored with eight.
Thursday’s meeting between Ohio State and MSU will be the 30th all-time between the two schools. Ohio State leads the series, 16-12-1, including a 13-3 record in Columbus. MSU holds a 2-0-1 edge in the last three meetings after a 1-1 draw in East Lansing last season. The Spartans clinched the 2022 Big Ten regular season title in the last meeting in Columbus, which was a 1-0 victory for the Spartans on Oct. 20.
Ohio State will be the second-straight top 15 opponens for the Spartans…
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