EAST LANSING, Mich. (Michigan News Source) – It was a historic night for the MSU women’s soccer program as they knocked off #6 Penn State University in University Park, Pa., 2-1. The win for the Spartans is the first top-10 win in at least a decade for the program and the first-ever on the road over Penn State. The win puts MSU at 3-0-1 the Big Ten and 8-1-3 overall.

“Tonight was really special for us because we stuck to our identity and maintained our style of play,” says head coach Jeff Hosler. “Penn State is the standard in the Big Ten, and they have so much quality up and down their roster. With that being said, we were up for the fight tonight, and we executed in key moments so we could come out on top.”

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It was a scoreless first half but PSU controlled what was going on. They recorded seven shots with two on goal. MSU only took five shots with two on goal. PSU also had four corner kicks. In the first 25 minutes, PSU posted three shots with one on goal. MSU fired back with their own three shots as one was on goal. PSU took the last shot on goal in the 33rd minute as it was 0-0 at the half.

MSU took over in the second half firing off 10 shots with five on goal and held PSU to just five shots and one on goal. The first goal came in the 58th minute by Justina Gaynor off assists from Camryn Evans and Jordyn Wickes. It was 12 minutes later that Wickes made it 2-0 on an assist from Emerson Sargeant. PSU did cut the lead to one, 2-1, in the 82nd minute but MSU held onto the upset win in the final eight minutes.

Hosler said after the game, “Belief. Our players believe in the process, and they believe in one another. Everyone in our locker room is fully committed to what we are building here. This group is hungry to keep growing and to continue getting better every day.”

MSU next plays at Maryland on October 2 at 1:00 p.m.