No. 5 Spartans Travel to Durham to Take on No. 4 Texas in NCAA Second Round
DURHAM, N.C. - 16th-ranked and fifth-seeded Michigan State women's soccer makes its third-straight appearance in the second round of the NCAA Women's Soccer Tournament on Friday, Nov. 22, taking on No. 21 and No. 4 seed Texas (17-3-2, 6-3-1 SEC) at 4 p.m. at Duke's Koskinen Stadium.
All NCAA Second Round matches will stream on ESPN+.
FIRST TOUCH
The Spartans enter Friday's match at 13-2-5 (7-1-3 B1G) after defeating Western Michigan, 3-1, in the first round of the tournament last week at home. Graduate midfielder Emily Mathews, graduate midfielder Justina Gaynor and sophomore midfielder Bella Najera scored goals in that game, with Mathews and Najera each scoring their team-leading seventh goals of the season.
Graduate forward and Second Team All-Big Ten selection Meg Hughes leads the Spartans in points (20), goals (7) and assists (6) this season. Gaynor, a three-time All-Big Ten selection, also has six assists, while graduate goalkeeper and Third Team All-Big Ten selection Kaitlyn Parks holds a 0.83 goals-against average.
SCOUTING TEXAS
Texas is 17-3-2 this season and on a six-game winning streak, including three-straight wins in the SEC Tournament to secure the program's first SEC title in its inaugural season in the conference. The Longhorns are the third SEC opponent for the Spartans this season (Arkansas, Ole Miss).
The Longhorns are making their seventh appearance in the NCAA Tournament in the last eight seasons and and 18th overall appearance. Texas' best finish in the tournament is the third round, which the Longhorns have reached three times - 2004, 2007 and 2023.
Senior midfielder Lexi Missimo, one of the most decorated active players in the NCAA, leads Texas in scoring (36), goals (12) and assists (12) this season. Senior goalkeeper Mia Justus holds an 0.79 goals-against average and 0.851 save percentage in 2024.
While Friday's game will be the first meeting between the Spartans and Longhorns in the NCAA Tournament, the two teams have met three times prior (1995, 1996, 2005). The all-time series is tied 1-1-1, with the last meeting, Sept. 4, 2005, ending in a 0-0 double-overtime draw in East Lansing. MSU got its last win over Texas in the first meeting on Sept. 24, 1995, which was a 2-1 result in East Lansing, while Texas won 4-1 in Austin on Nov. 1, 1996.
MSU IN THE TOURNAMENT
The Spartans are playing in their third-straight NCAA Tournament this weekend and are making their seventh overall appearance. This is the first time in program history that MSU has earned a bid to three-consecutive NCAA Tournaments. MSU's 2024 bid is also its third-straight seeded selection.
MSU is making its third-consecutive appearance in the second round and fifth second-round appearance overall (2005, 2008, 2022-24). Last season, MSU advanced to the third round of the tournament for the first time in program history, also in a No. 4 vs. No. 5 seed match as the No. 5 seed. A second-half penalty kick goal from Justina Gaynor helped MSU to a 1-0 victory over No. 4 Harvard in Provo, Utah, sending the Spartans to the third round against eventual College Cup participant BYU. MSU is 6-6 overall in the NCAA Tournament and 4-2 in the last three seasons.
UP NEXT
The winner of Friday's game will advance to the third round to play the winner of No. 1 Duke and No. 8 Texas Tech on Sunday, Nov. 24 at 6 p.m. at Koskinen Stadium. The winner of that match will advance to the quarterfinals, set for Nov. 29 or 30 on the campus of the highest-remaining seed in the quadrant.
Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.
