EAST LANSING — Michigan State’s road trip this week starts with the one that matters most for Spartan fans: a rivalry date at Michigan. The Spartans (6-2-5, 3-0-3 Big Ten) travel to UM Soccer Stadium on Thursday night with a chance to extend a recent run of success against the Wolverines.
MSU arrives with an offense that’s been great all season. The Spartans have scored 32 goals in 13 games, which tops in the conference and among the national leaders. They’ve shown a knack for deciding matches in the second half (21 of those goals have come after halftime).
That firepower seems to be driven by junior forward Kennedy Bell, who leads the Big Ten in goals (9) and points (22) and recently earned a spot on the Hermann Trophy Midseason Watch List. Bell’s ability to create and finish in tight spaces has been the Spartans’ most consistent threat.
Balance comes from the middle of the field. Junior midfielder Bella Najera has accumulated five goals and 14 points, while playmakers like Kayla Briggs and Renee Watson have pushed MSU’s attack beyond a one-person show.
14 different Spartans have found the net this season.
Freshman keeper Noelle Henning has kept the back line strong; as a result, she earned Big Ten Freshman of the Week honors after standout performances at Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The rivalry has always been close on paper.
The all-time series is tied at 16-16-7. Historically, teams play better at home. Michigan is 10-5-3 in Ann Arbor, but the recent trend favors MSU, which has won three straight games in the series, including a 3-2 victory in Ann Arbor last season.
MSU’s Head coach, Jeff Hosler, is 3-1-0 against the Wolverines, a mark that signals MSU’s growing comfort in this matchup.
Beyond bragging rights, there’s still conference importance. The Big Ten table is tightly packed, and every point matters. A win in Ann Arbor would help MSU’s case as one of the league’s top sides and strengthen its position heading into the middle of the season.
For Michigan, a home victory would be an opportunity to swing momentum back their way and move toward a positive conference record.
Kickoff is at UM Soccer Stadium at 7 p.m. ET, airing on B1G+.
