Lansing Sun

In a defensive contest, the No. 1 Michigan State women's soccer team extended its unbeaten streak to 12 games with a 1-1 draw against Rutgers at DeMartin Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

With this result, Michigan State now holds an 8-0-4 record (3-0-2 in the Big Ten), while Rutgers stands at 8-1-2 (4-0-1 in the Big Ten).

The Spartans dominated offensively, maintaining possession for most of the game. They had an 11-10 advantage in shots and limited Rutgers to one corner kick while earning six themselves. Graduate forward Mackenzie Anthony scored for Michigan State in the 80th minute, marking her third goal of the season and first since their win over Ohio on August 25.

Graduate goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks played all 90 minutes and made five saves. This match also ended Rutgers' seven-game shutout streak that began on August 25. The goal by Michigan State was only the third conceded by Rutgers this season.

The opening ten minutes were marked by physical play with few offensive opportunities. Shaela Bradley of Rutgers took the first shot in the 10th minute, but it was off target.

Michigan State took control offensively after that initial shot from Rutgers. In the 22nd minute, Gabby Mueller and Bella Najera had blocked shots. Mimi Hallier had a close chance in the 27th minute but missed wide right.

Despite controlling possession for much of the half, Michigan State managed only two more shots as Rutgers' defense held firm. Parks made a diving save five minutes before halftime to keep it scoreless.

In the second half, Michigan State continued to dominate possession. Parks made a crucial save in the 63rd minute during one of Rutgers' few threatening moments. After nearly 20 minutes without a shot from either side, Anthony broke through with a goal in the 80th minute following assists from Justina Gaynor and Adelle Francis.

Parks made two more saves as Rutgers sought an equalizer. In the 86th minute, video review confirmed a handball by Michigan State in their penalty area, leading to a penalty kick converted by Gabriela Gil to tie the game.

Michigan State pushed for another goal but could not create any significant chances before time expired.

"You just have to keep your cool, calm and composure, and a big way of that is just to keep the ball," said head coach Jeff Hosler. "So you just have to be more disciplined, and you have to make that adjustment on the fly. I think we're probably looking forward to having a few days to train, as opposed to always recovering in a two-game week. We have got to fix some things as we’re kind of stagnant and we've got to take some steps forward."

Next up for Michigan State is a match against rival Michigan on Saturday, October 5 at DeMartin Stadium at 7 p.m., which will be streamed on B1G+.