Michigan State to host Iowa and Purdue

MJ Andrus celebrates a goal against Colorado. Sept.11, 2022 Photo Credit: Sarah Smith/WDBM

Luca Melloni, Sports Editorial Assistant
September 22, 2022

EAST LANSING – Michigan State women’s soccer returns to DeMartin Stadium after a successful Big Ten season-opener on the road against Illinois. Forward Lauren DeBeau led the Spartans’ 3-0 charge scoring all three goals in 11 minutes. The Spartans will host the Iowa Hawkeyes on Thursday night. 

“Our offense is as good as it’s been in my time here,” head coach Jeff Hosler said after Wednesday’s practice. “There’s a lot of confidence [in the team], but they know each day is a new opportunity to perform.”

The Spartans are back in East Lansing after back-to-back hat tricks by different players- the first time it has ever happened in program history. 

Graduate forward Camryn Evans netted a hat trick against Colorado in MSU’s 4-2 win, and then DeBeau followed with a hat trick of her own against Illinois. 

“Iowa is super disciplined, and they will be working really hard not to concede,” Hosler said. 

Iowa comes off a 3-1 loss in the opening conference game against Wisconsin, where Elle Otto scored the only goal for the Hawkeyes in the fifth minute of the game.

The Hawkeyes are 3-4-2 on the season. They lost a tight season-opener against No. 1 UCLA, where the Bruins picked up a slender 1-0 win in Westwood. 

MSU has the quarterfinal game against Iowa from last season in mind. The Spartans suffered a 1-0 loss in the first game of the 2021 conference tournament after having conceded in the 68th minute. 

“They generate counter-attacking opportunities much like they did in the quarterfinals a year ago,” Hosler said. 

Thursday night’s game against the Hawkeyes will start a two-game homestand. The Spartans will face Purdue on Sunday. 

“I would like to see our midfielders create more chances for themselves out the midfield,” Hosler said. “In the first half against Illinois, we were not the same physical presence as we’ve come to be, so we have to get back to that identity.”

Kickoff against Iowa is scheduled for 7 p.m. on Thursday, while Sunday’s game against Purdue will kick off at 1 p.m. MSU will host a camper appreciation day on Sunday, Sept. 25.