MSU saw its conference tournament hopes come to an end Sunday afternoon, after a loss to Northwestern, 2-0.
Because the Spartans have just one game left, it is not mathematically possible for MSU to finish in the top eight in the Big Ten, thus ending any chance for a postseason appearance.
Both teams took a while to get rolling in the first half, and neither team had much offensive cohesion in the early minutes.
MSU didn’t take its first shot until the 34th minute, when junior defender Alexandra Gjonaj put a ball from distance on goal.
MSU struggled connecting on the offensive end, and on numerous occasions, the Spartans missed out on taking advantage of well placed through balls.
Northwestern had a chance to score in the first half, when MSU redshirt senior goalkeeper Courtney Clem came out of the goal to punch away a shot in the 22nd minute. Northwestern controlled the rebound and put a ball across the goal line. However, the goal was negated by an offsides call against the Wildcats.
Northwestern finally broke through with a goal, just seconds before the end of the first half.
A Wildcat fired a 25 yard shot and MSU’s Clem went to the make save. Clem couldn’t control it and the ball bounced away to Northwestern sophomore forward/midfielder Maria Grygleski who converted the rebound into a goal from short distance.
Going into the half, MSU trailed 1-0. The statistics reflected MSU’s offensive struggles, as Northwestern outshot the Spartans, 9-1.
In the second half, MSU showed its frustration when senior defender/midfielder Nicole Caruso two-hand shoved a Northwestern player down the sideline. Caruso drew a yellow card on the play.
Northwestern extended its lead when junior midfielder/defender Nandi Mehta scored on a free kick in the 63rd minute.
The home team drew up a nice set play, and a Wildcat player ran across Clem’s face just as Mehta’s shot made its way to the net. Clem appeared to lose sight of the ball, and it got through for the second goal of the game.
Redshirt junior goalkeeper Gabrielle Gauruder entered the game for the Spartans in the 69th minute. It was just Gauruder’s second appearance in a game this year.
The move to play Gauruder was followed up with a few changes in MSU’s lineup down the stretch, but ultimately, the Spartans were unable to generate any goals and the team dropped its third straight game.
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