Even though MSU women's soccer's hopes of a third straight Big Ten title have washed away, head coach Jeff Hosler and his squad closed out the 2024 regular season on the right note.
The Spartans, ranked No. 16 in the RPI, earned their third consecutive win Sunday afternoon against Purdue with a final score of 3-1. Two rapid-fire goals in the last ten minutes settled any nerves of a late Boilermaker comeback.
With the win, the Spartans clinched the No. 4 seed in the upcoming Big Ten Tournament and will face off against No. 5 Rutgers, which the Spartans battled to a 1-1 draw earlier in the season.
After the match Sunday, Hosler spoke about the new Big Ten which has included first-place USC and second-place UCLA for the first time this season.
"The addition of the four West Coast schools definitely added a big element to that," Hosler said. "As a conference, I think we are playing really good soccer, with really high-level coaches in our conference. . . Everyone’s very difficult to gameplan."
The same starters were rolled out for MSU following a 1-0 victory over Northwestern last week — the group that's seemed to solidify itself as MSU's strongest 11 into the postseason.
Purdue, in the final game of the season, started ten seniors who established an aggressive and physical approach from the first whistle. The Spartans were caught off guard. The Boilermakers earned the most dangerous chance of the first 15 minutes.
A forced turnover around midfield following a tackle saw Purdue break into the Spartans' 18-yard box on the counter with a numerical advantage. But senior forward Lexi Fraley couldn't finish, wasting a premier chance with a tame effort.
As the game continued, Purdue looked to fend off the Spartans with a combination of physicality and defensive discipline until a lapse of concentration gifted the hosts a lead.
In the 22nd minute, a soft pass from the Purdue backline to the feet of sophomore goalkeeper Emily Edwards openly invited an MSU high press. Graduate forward Mackenzie Anthony immediately closed Edwards down on her first touch, her tackle sending the ball into the back of an empty net.
Following the gifted goal, the Spartans continuously pushed as the first half dwindled to a close, maintaining 63% of their time spent on the ball in Purdue's half. But MSU struggled to string the passes together and threaten the Boilermaker goal as they took a 1-0 lead into the break.
As the second half started, the Boilermakers made two key adjustments, introducing graduate goalkeeper Claire Wyville and lifting a center back into their forward line to adjust from a 5-3-2 to a 4-3-3.
Despite the change, the Boilermakers struggled to threaten MSU's net until they stumbled upon a sudden equalizer thanks to senior forward Gracie Dunaway, who generated Purdue’s two best chances of the game. The first was a long-ranged effort from the outside of the 18-yard box, which flew off Dunaway's right foot and forced a crucial intervention from graduate goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks in the 62nd minute. Mere moments later, Dunaway lifted an effort up and over Parks as the ball nestled in the back post, unexpectedly leveling the game with just over 25 minutes to go.
With the match level and nothing to lose, Purdue, unlike many teams the Spartans have faced this season, went for the lead, constantly pushing numbers forward in hopes of adding a second goal. Hosler responded by adjusting from his usual 4-4-2 diamond to a 3-5-2 to stabilize the backline while maintaining forward numbers.
The adjustment paid off thanks to the left foot of freshman midfielder Kaleigh McPherson, who pounced on a second ball inside Purdue’s 18-yard box and fired home her first collegiate goal to restore the Spartans' lead.
"I’m excited, I scored my first goal today and to be able to celebrate with the team," McPherson said. "I’ve been waiting for that (goal) all season. . . Right there, it was the one that I wanted."
McPherson has become a mainstay in Hosler’s starting 11 as a true freshman, an unexpected but welcomed revelation for MSU after losing graduate midfielder Regan Dalton within the first 34 minutes of the season.
McPherson spoke about Dalton's importance in her growth over the season, having been taken under the graduate midfielder's wing.
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"I thank her every single day because I would not be without her," McPherson said. "We watch film together, she tells me what I did well, what I could do better and she is just the best encouraging voice I can hear from the sidelines."
MSU tagged on a third goal just a minute later from graduate forward Meg Hughes to close it out.
With regular-season action wrapped up, the Spartans will travel to Minneapolis, MN for the Big Ten tournament quarterfinals.
MSU will face Rutgers on Nov. 2 with kickoff scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Streaming will be available on Big Ten Plus.
