EAST LANSING – On November 23, Michigan State hosted Colorado Boulder at DeMartin Field for a high-stakes Sweet Sixteen matchup in the NCAA Tournament- and it turned into a massive moment for the Spartans.
MSU junior midfielder Bella Najera and the Spartans came out aggressively. Her fast decision-making allowed Michigan State to take advantage of an early fast break, cutting through Colorado Boulder’s back line and not letting them settle. The possession of clean passes and aggressive runs allowed the Spartans to score a goal in the opening minute. A goal that significantly shifted the momentum of the game, energized the crowd in DeMartin Field, and gave MSU control in the Sweet Sixteen matchup.
In the beginning stages of the match, Colorado was having trouble finding their rhythm, as it spent most of the first half playing catch-up to Michigan State’s intensity. However, as the match continued, the Boulders began to settle into the match and pass with better rhythm and organize into better methods of gainful possession. Colorado put together a good attacking sequence, allowing them to score- bringing new energy into the match and adding more pressure towards the Spartans.
Just as the second half started to unfold, Michigan State was awarded a crucial penalty kick, as sustained pressure brought Colorado to a critical defensive error inside the box. Najera confidently stepped up and sent her shot into the back of the net, which lit up the DeMartin Field as the Spartans found themselves leading 2-1.
From that point on, Michigan State took all of the momentum. The Spartans settled in defensively by shutting down passing lanes for Colorado and winning battles for the ball in the midfield to slow down the tempo of Boulder’s offense. Colorado did threaten late with a few dangerous looks at goal, but Michigan State’s goalkeeper and backline held strong, clearing away crosses, blocking shots, and preventing an equalizer.
As time wound down, Michigan State possessed with purpose of the ball to control play time consistently, and consistently pushed through and used their depth to extinguish the game in the final minutes. With the final whistle, they polish the primary goal of securing a monumental Sweet Sixteen win, one of the biggest postseason victories in program history, on their home field at DeMartin.
What’s Next:
With the win, Michigan State moves on to the Elite Eight for the first time in program history, where it will face the winner of tonight’s Stanford vs BYU game. Michigan State will await its next opponent, knowing that winning puts it in the College Cup.
