While MSU’s freshman goalkeeper Noelle Henning had a quiet night, making only three saves on non-threatening chances, Wake Forest’s Valentina Amaral kept her side in it with an incredible performance. Amaral totaled nine saves, many of which were from close range or even acrobatic.

"She’s been doing it all year," Wake Forest head coach Tony da Luz said post-match. "We have the best goalkeeper in the country."

It took a truly special goal to beat Amaral. In the 69th minute, junior midfielder Kayla Briggs unleashed a spectacular one-touch shot that skimmed the underside of the crossbar and beat Amaral for the first time all night. Although redshirt freshman Shelby Vaughn set her up well, Briggs still had to strike the ball perfectly — and she did. Fittingly, it stood as the game-winner.

Briggs says it ranked pretty highly in the goals she’s scored throughout her career. "It’s a pretty special one, especially to do it with this group of girls," Briggs said. "I just feel really lucky to play with them."

Junior forward Kennedy Bell is still searching for the goal that would place her in the Spartan record book as the highest single-season scorer, as her lone shot of the night was tipped just wide by Amaral. The Big Ten Forward of the Year will have at least one more chance to net her 12th goal of the season and surpass Lauren DeBeau’s 2022 record.

Although the scoreline was sparing, MSU head coach Jeff Hosler expressed his happiness with his team’s performance, citing their retention of the ball and momentum going forward. 

"When you’re playing a team like that — that’s got a goalkeeper on fire, you've got to keep making her work," Hosler said. "Keep making it work in different ways … it really did take a special finish in the moment from Kayla."

The game was won in the midfield, where the Spartans operated in a diamond setup with sophomore Kayleigh McPherson at the base, juniors Bella Najera and Renee Watson on the sides and Briggs at the top. While McPherson anchored the group and Briggs supplied creativity, Najera and Watson served as transitional players who kept MSU’s momentum flowing. McPherson was vital in protecting the back line and keeping the Spartans in constant attacking motion.

"We had a really good game plan given to us by our coaches, so we knew what we had to do — win every ball in the air or on the ground," McPherson said. "We tried to work on that really hard."

Adding to their performance, the Spartans demonstrated skillful game management as they defended their one-goal lead. As the clock ticked down with no safety net for the Spartans, Watson and Najera shifted completely into defensive roles and formed an impenetrable six-person back line. 

Hosler made no substitutions in the first half — a shift from his usual frequent rotations — as he aimed to build consistency and rhythm within the starting lineup. The first changes came around the 60th minute, bringing on Vaughn, who provided the assist to Briggs and graduate midfielder Regan Dalton. Hosler’s coaching influence was evident in the win, with clear tactics executed on the field.

"I’m super thrilled for our group to be in the third straight Sweet Sixteen," Hosler said. "It’s a pretty special thing and opportunity with a great crowd here at DeMartin to be able to turn around and do it again on Sunday."

The Spartans will face a familiar foe in Colorado, whom they tied 1-1 in their season opener. To reach the third round, the Buffaloes routed Xavier 4-1 at DeMartin Stadium before MSU’s match against Wake Forest. Although Colorado displayed strong attacking play, Xavier managed to expose some defensive weaknesses — giving the Spartans an idea of how to approach Sunday’s matchup.