Spartans Women’s Soccer Tops Perennial Powerhouse, Big Ten Offenses Heating Up

The non-conference slate continued to heat up as Big Ten women’s soccer hit its second weekend. From a top-10 battle to key regional road tests, momentum is officially building across the conference. 

Spartan Statement: No. 5 MSU Defeats No. 7 UNC in Chapel Hill 

No. 5 Michigan State earned a marquee statement win on Sunday, topping No. 7 North Carolina — a 23-time national champion program — 3-2 at Dorrance Field in Chapel Hill. Charlotte native Kennedy Bell spearheaded the Spartan attack with a two-goal performance, opening the scoring in the 21st minute and retaking the lead in the 53^rd after the teams went into halftime tied 1-1.  

After UNC drew a red card in the 63rd minute, Bella Najera capitalized on the ensuing free kick for her first goal of the season, curling a strike past the wall to extend the advantage to 3-1. Despite a late Tar Heel penalty kick, MSU’s back line held firm down the stretch to secure a historic top-10 road victory and hand UNC its first non-conference home loss since 2022. Read the full recap  here . 

The Spartans extend their perfect 3-0 start to the season with a massive statement win that cements their place among the nation's elite. Michigan State now returns to East Lansing to host Eastern Michigan on Thursday before welcoming No. 17 Colorado. 

Quick Updates 

We saw a couple more standout moments this weekend: 

• After falling to No. 11 Wake Forest, Iowa bounced back immediately, defeating UNC Greensboro 5-1 to improve to 3-1 on the season. In all three Iowa victories — over Milwaukee, Loyola Chicago, and UNC Greensboro — the Hawkeyes have scored 5+ goals. 
• Purdue is red-hot following blowout wins over Chicago State (7-0) and Eastern Illinois (8-0), fueled by multi-goal games from  Rosa Maalouf , Megan Santa Cruz, and Jaiden Anderson. The dominant stretch marks the first time in program history the Boilermakers have scored 7+ goals in three straight matches. 
• Though the match was ruled a non-contest (weather), it did not stop  Ella Jablinskey  from scoring one of the craftiest goals of the early season, along with tallying an assist, in Michigan’s home opener.   

You can see all the weekend’s highlights  @b1gsoccer .  

Up Next: Three Squads Eye Upsets 

This week, there are some big matchups on the slate, including multiple showdowns against ranked teams. 

UCLA vs. Stanford  

A West Coast rivalry takes center stage as No. 20 UCLA takes a shot at the No. 1 team in the country, Stanford, in a ranked non-conference matchup. Both programs bring elite technical quality and high-octane transition play. The Bruins will look to disrupt Stanford's possession game, setting up a playoff-like intensity between two perennial national title contenders. 

Michigan vs. Notre Dame  

Vying for a spot in the top 25, Michigan welcomes No. 8 Notre Dame to Ann Arbor for its biggest non-conference contest of the season. The Wolverines were up 6-0 in the second half against Xavier — including  this crafty goal  — on Saturday before the weather forced a no-contest. They'll carry that offensive confidence into a clash against a Fighting Irish squad hot off a 3-0 win. 

Minnesota vs. BYU  

Minnesota hits the road for a hostile environment at South Field against No. 9 BYU. The Golden Gophers will need clinical finishing on potentially limited chances against a Cougar defense that hasn’t given up more than a goal to an opponent this season. If Minnesota can remain disciplined on the back line, the Gophers could stifle the relentless BYU attack and bring a top-10 upset back to Minneapolis. 

For complete game times, streaming information, and the full season schedule, visit the Big Ten Women's Soccer Schedule  here . 

Photo by Andy Mead/YCJ via  msuspartans.com .