No. 5 Michigan State women’s soccer defeated No. 16 UCLA 1-0 in a gritty team victory to sweep its California trip and start the Big Ten season with six points.

MSU and UCLA had never played each other before last season, but their history is competitive, albeit brief. In their first meeting, the Spartans held the No. 4 team to a 1-1 draw, and in their second, senior midfielder Emerson Sargeant led MSU to an overtime victory that sent them to the Big Ten Championship.​

With the tables turned and MSU favored to win this time, the Spartans came out fast and attacked with confidence. These fast starts have consistently defined the Spartans’ success.

Senior midfielder Kayla Briggs scored the lone goal in the seventh minute, her fifth of the season and her fourth match-winner. Her goal didn’t open the floodgates as it did against USC, but it gave the Spartans a boost as they fought hard against the Bruins.

Briggs may have won the game for the Spartans, but it was an effort that required all hands on deck at both ends of the field. The Bruins were strong in front of their own goal, crowding their defensive area and forcing extra passes that broke MSU’s attacking momentum. The Spartans threw everything at UCLA, but never added the cushion of a second goal.

The early goal meant the Spartans were forced to defend a one-goal lead for 83 minutes. After Thursday night’s goal-scoring blitz, the defensive display was a good indicator of where the Spartans are in terms of a full-team performance. UCLA managed two shots, both early on. This was largely due to the immediate tactical collapse of MSU’s midfield and defense to redirect the Bruins.

This time last season, the Spartans were not as hot as they are now. In their first eight games of the 2025 season, MSU went 3-2-3. Even with that slower start, the Spartans achieved historic milestones. Head coach Jeff Hosler's squad reached the Big Ten Tournament final, earned a No. 2 seed in the NCAA Tournament and achieved the team's first ever Elite Eight birth.

The Spartans have the potential to attain even more success this season, with few departures from 2025. The No. 7 recruiting class only cemented that. While none of the freshmen have made a major case for starting yet, they have not been given significant playing time. 

The core players, most of whom started all of last season, still have prominent roles this year. Despite Maggie Illig, the longtime heart of MSU’s defense, graduating, the Spartans have looked impressive on defense for large stretches of the early season. Junior defender Julia Belli, who spent last season out injured, and sophomore defender Mackenzie Kruer, are leading the charge from the backline. In the middle, Briggs keeps things ticking alongside junior midfielder Kayleigh McPherson and senior midfielder Bella Najera — all of whom started last season. Up top, Belli and Sargeant have similarly retained their starting spot and impressive form.

The difference between this season and last season is the minimal disparity between MSU's starters and its substitutes. This consistency allowed MSU to put together a complete 90-minute performance. The Spartans functioned as a solid unit in edging out the Bruins to remain undefeated.