The MSU women’s soccer team celebrates together after scoring against Rutgers University at the game on Sept. 29, 2024.
Five days after making its first-ever appearance as the No. 1 team in the country, MSU women’s soccer drew its second game in a row Sunday.
Unlike its 2-2 finish with No. 15 Ohio State Thursday, Sunday's 1-1 draw with Rutgers was a disappointing outcome for the Spartans.
MSU faced perhaps the best defensive side it's seen this season. The current Big Ten leader Rutgers buckled down, willingly suffering for most of the match to earn a hard-fought point.
The Spartans dominated across the 90 minutes, but a handball call in the 86th minute led to a free goal for Rutgers redshirt freshman midfielder Gabriela Gil.
After the match, MSU head coach Jeff Hosler displayed his disappointment in his side for "giving gifts" once again.
"This is at least three times this year we’ve shot ourselves in the foot late," Hosler said. "It lacks discipline, it lacks effort, it lacks energy and those aren’t three things that this team is known for."
Rutgers, already a strong defensive side, prioritized a solid defensive shape for most of the match — a strategy Hosler’s team has begun to routinely encounter amidst its best start in program history.
Hosler highlighted the pragmatic approach that's led to Rutgers only conceding three goals in eleven games this season.
"They don’t concede goals," Hosler said. "They sit with a back four and two sixes (center defensive midfielders) and really keep numbers behind the ball. They’re very comfortable out of possession, especially on the counterattack."
Rutgers’ approach bore fruit early on as it looked to frustrate the hosts. MSU played through the Knights’ press comfortably, but whenever the Spartans approached the visitor's 18-yard box, they were constantly met by a wall of red that looked to block shots and force poor attempts.
MSU generated seven shots across the first 45 minutes, but only two attempts called on Rutgers sophomore goalkeeper Olivia Bodmer to produce saves.
"In the first half, players weren’t ready to make the next play," Hosler said. "Against a side like Rutgers, the details matter, and we didn’t take care of the specific details that we knew we had to to be successful today."
On the offensive side, Rutgers, like many others this season, struggled to establish possession against MSU’s suffocating offensive setup, which looked to trap the game in Rutgers' half. In the first 45 minutes, the Spartans spent over 57% of their time on the ball in Rutgers' defensive half, recycling possession to keep the pressure on the visitor's 18-yard box.
The second half showed much of the same as MSU continuously approached Rutgers' danger zone but struggled to fashion shots on goal. The Knights held firm, answering each threat the Spartans posed.
As the match dwindled to a close, frustration continued to boil amongst the Spartans, who only managed two shots in the second half by the 70-minute mark.
But, like any other side the Spartans have faced this season, Rutgers only held on for so long.
MSU's goal started at the feet of graduate midfielder Justina Gaynor, who zipped a pass to redshirt freshman Adelle Francis on the top of the 18-yard box. The ball found the path of graduate forward Mackenzie Anthony, who tidily tucked the ball away in the back of the net.
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The Spartans looked to close out the match's final ten minutes until they surrendered a penalty kick in the 86th minute for a handball on freshman defender Julia Belli.
Following the result, No. 1 MSU sits at 8-0-4 in the season and 3-0-2 in the Big Ten Conference.
The Spartans will return to Big Ten action next Saturday, Oct. 5 for an in-state derby against University of Michigan at DeMartin Stadium. Big Ten Plus will stream the game. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
