After being nominated to its first NCAA Tournament in the 17-year history of its program, the MSU women's soccer team was eliminated, dropping a 2-1 decision to Miami (Ohio) on Friday.
Both teams came out strong in the first half, battling for control. RedHawk midfielder Katie Milligan gave her team a 1-0 lead in the 34th minute after sneaking the ball past Spartan junior goalkeeper Stacy Heller.
The next 40 minutes, Heller was forced to fend off six Miami shots, while MSU could muster just one assault in return.
In the 61st minute the RedHawks increased their lead to two.
Heller leapt up to bat down a shot, causing the ball to fall in front of the goal, where Miami midfielder Ashley Swinehart booted it in.
Junior midfielder Trisha Kenny had the Spartans' lone goal with just more than three minutes left in regulation. Kenny took Miami goalkeeper Leigh Terry one-on-one after maneuvering through a sea of defenders, finding the back of the net to slice the RedHawk lead in half.
Despite outshooting Miami 4-0 in the waning minutes, MSU was unable to strike again and was eliminated from the tournament with the 2-1 defeat.
Men's soccer
After making it to the semifinal round of the Big Ten Tournament on Thursday, MSU was eliminated by Michigan with a 1-0 loss Friday at Penn State.
A corner kick right off the bat proved to be all the Wolverines would need, as midfielder Mike White headed the ball past senior goalkeeper Tyler Robinson for the game-winner just 11:39 into the game.
The Spartans now must hope to find their way into the NCAA Tournament after posting a 12-7 overall record this season. The selection committee will announce its picks at 4:30 p.m. today on ESPNEWS.
Last year MSU earned its first bid since 1969 and advanced to the second round before being eliminated by Indiana in a 1-0 loss.
The Spartans advanced to the semifinals with a 3-2 victory over Ohio State on Thursday night.
With less than four minutes left in regulation, sophomore midfielder Jordan Gruber sent a shot sailing past Buckeye goalkeeper Chad Brown for the game-winner, sending MSU to a matchup with intrastate rival Michigan.
Four Spartans earned All-Big Ten accolades for their efforts this season, including Robinson, who tied with Indiana's Jay Nolly for the first-team goalkeeper spot.
Senior forward Brett Konley, junior midfielder Nick DeGraw and junior defender Kevin Wittig all were honored with spots on the second team.
