Lansing Sun

Michigan State's women's soccer team, ranked fifth in the nation, is set to face off against ninth-ranked Penn State in a high-stakes match scheduled for Sunday, September 22. The game will be broadcast nationally on Big Ten Network.

Michigan State enters the matchup with an impressive record of 7-0-2, marking their best start since 2009. They recently secured a decisive 4-1 victory over Nebraska, another Big Ten co-champion. In this recent win, four different players contributed goals: graduate students Meg Hughes and Emily Mathews scored in the first half, while senior Jordyn Wickes and sophomore Ella Janz added goals in the second half. Hughes leads her team with 14 points this season, while Mathews has scored six goals.

Currently ranked fifth by the United Soccer Coaches Poll for three consecutive weeks, Michigan State reached its highest rank at No. 4 earlier this year on August 27. The team has already faced three top-15 opponents in non-conference play and topped the NCAA RPI rankings released earlier this week.

Penn State's head coach Erica Dambach boasts an impressive career record of 282-93-30 over her 18 seasons with the Nittany Lions. This season, Penn State holds an 8-1-1 overall record and remains undefeated in conference play after a narrow victory against Northwestern on September 19.

Senior forward Kaitlyn MacBean is Penn State's leading scorer with ten goals and ranks among the top goal scorers nationally. Senior midfielder Jordan Fusco has recorded six assists this season and assisted MacBean's winning goal against Northwestern.

The upcoming match marks the 33rd encounter between Michigan State and Penn State. Historically, Penn State leads the series with a record of 26 wins to Michigan State's six. However, Michigan State won their last visit to University Park on September 29, 2022.

Following Sunday's match against Penn State, Michigan State will travel to Columbus to take on Ohio State on Thursday, September 26.