Last season, Michigan defeated MSU, 2-1, in overtime when Michigan defender Shelina Zadorsky found midfielder Emily Jaffe in the final minute of overtime.

MSU will look to avenge last year’s loss, but it will be a tougher game, sophomore defender Mary Kathryn Fiebernitz said. Fiebernitz leads MSU with four goals on the year.

“We’re two rivals, so it’s cutthroat,” she said. “It’s going to be a very physical, hard-fought game.”

Michigan returns four members from last season’s All-Big Ten first and second teams. Forward Nkem Ezurike, defenders Shelina Zadorsky and Holly Hein all were named first team All-Big Ten, while midfielder Meghan Toohey was named to the second team. Sophomore Corinne Harris was named to last year’s All-Freshman team.

Michigan freshman goalkeeper Taylor Bucklin also is one of the top goalkeepers in the conference. She leads the conference in goals against average with only .50 goals against per game.

“They have a couple very, very noteworthy veteran personality players that we have to contend with, but we’ve done that with other teams this year, so I’m confident,” MSU head coach Tom Saxton said.

Saxton said the Spartans will look to continue to improve offensively and defensively as a team.

“They’re a little more direct than we are, they’re going to get the ball forward quickly and get in behind and knock the ball down,” Saxton said. “We play a little bit more of a possession game and I would like to see the possession game win out.”

Injury update

In Sunday’s matchup against Wisconsin, redshirt freshman midfielder Jessica White sustained a knee injury that will leave her on the sidelines for the near future.

Saxton said White is out indefinitely and the injury might require surgery, but couldn’t comment on the specificity of the injury other than it wasn’t an anterior cruciate ligament tear.

White is the third Spartan to suffer a knee injury already this season. She also had to redshirt last year because of a knee injury only three games in the season.

In the first weekend of play, junior forward Paige Wester and junior midfielder/forward Lisa Vogel suffered knee injuries against Buffalo and Milwaukee.