Thursday, March 28, 2024

Heroics from Lauren DeBeau and Lauren Kozal save the game for the Spartans

October 11, 2021
<p>Both teams ran out the clock of the second overtime trying to break the tie from the first half of the game. After 110 minutes, the MSU women&#x27;s soccer team ended their match against Florida Atlantic University 1-1 on August 30, 2021.</p>

Both teams ran out the clock of the second overtime trying to break the tie from the first half of the game. After 110 minutes, the MSU women's soccer team ended their match against Florida Atlantic University 1-1 on August 30, 2021.

Photo by Chloe Trofatter | The State News

There's a little less than 7 minutes remaining in the game. The scoreboard reads 0-0. Junior forward Lauren DeBeau inches up the field and kicks it towards goal.

It's good! The shot is good!

The Spartan's defeated the Ohio State bucks 1-0 at today's matchup. After a long game with the scoreboard reading 0-0 until the very end, Michigan State took home the win.

"I thought we got into some good spots, we just didn't create anything dangerous in the first half," Michigan State Head Coach Jeff Hosler said. "Early on we had the ability to get into some tough spaces and I think we ran out of gas to be honest with you ... We had two really good chances on corner kicks that we didn't capitalize on."

DeBeau turned the game around as she put up the one and only goal.

"You miss 100% of the shots you don't take so, I had to shoot it, went in luckily," DeBeau said. "Lauren Kozal is not only a brick wall but solid matter, and she saved the game and won the game for us. I am just incredibly proud of this team and we'll be back at it Thursday."

Following DeBeau's game winning goal, Ohio State was given a penalty kick with three minutes left in the game. Goalkeeper Lauren Kozal saved the game as she dove to block the shot.

"Obviously it was not the call we wanted late in the game but we had to deal with it and had to get my mindset right in preparation for that shot," Kozal said. "There's a lot of things in my head right now, but it was a huge win for us today."

Graduate student forward Ava Cook kept on the Buckeyes offensively and took 7 of the 17 shots throughout the entirety of the game.

"I don't know if there's a better feeling than right now," Cook said. "This was a huge win for us and I'm more than proud of everyone on the team. That could not have been a better win."

The Spartans go up against the Michigan Wolverines this Thursday in Ann Arbor at 7pm. The team is ready for the big rivalry game and will spend the upcoming few days preparing.

"Winning college soccer matches is really, really challenging," Hosler said. "As one of our players said, 'This must be what cloud nine feels like.' We're certainly going to enjoy this tonight and let them have that excitement carry through into our off-day tomorrow and we will come back Tuesday focused and ready for Michigan."

Rivalry games bring out the best in teams, that will be no exception on Thursday.

"I'm super ready" DeBeau said. "We've been doing pretty good in Big Ten play preparing and getting our bodies and minds ready. We're going to go into it like we go in every game at 100%."

"I think that this was definitely a step in the right direction," Cook said. "We're one of those teams that will celebrate today, but tomorrow and this next week we've gotta get right back to it."

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