2024-09-08 06:05:02
LEADING OFF
Loyola Chicago travels to East Lansing, Mich. to meet No. 5 Michigan State for the seventh all-time matchup and first since 2010. This match marks the Ramblers final Big Ten opponent of the regular season.
QUICK KICKS
SCOUTING MICHIGAN STATE
Michigan State is 4-0-2 overall and is ranked fifth in the nation, per the United Soccer Coaches poll. In their season opener, the Spartans defeated then-ranked No. 15 Notre Dame, 2-1. They forced two 2-2 draws against then-No. 9 Arkansas and then-No. 15 Xavier. Most recently, Michigan State downed Queens (N.C.) 6-0. The Spartans are an attack hungry team with a strong defensive unit that will put the Ramblers’ backline to the test.
SPARTANS TO WATCH
- Meg Hughes, a graduate student who played four years at Providence, leads the Spartans in points (10) and tied for first in goals (4). She’s already had two braces this season, one against Ohio and the other against Queens. Hughes is fourth on the team in minutes and is an important asset for Loyola to defend.
- Michigan State veteran Justina Gaynor is in her fifth and final year at and has been an integral part of the program’s success since her first season in 2021. Last season Gaynor was named Big Ten Midfielder of the Year, selected to the First Team All-Big Ten team and a United Soccer Coaches First Team All-North Region pick.
- Goalkeeper Kaitlyn Parks, another graduate student, is at the helm of the Spartans’ brick wall defense. Last year, in her debut season as a Spartan, Parks totaled nine shutouts to rank fifth in a single-season at Michigan State and posted 14 wins, the second-most in a single season in the program’s goalkeeper history.
SERIES HISTORY
Michigan State own the series advantage, 6-0-0, with the most recent meeting in 2010, a 3-0 shutout against Loyola. The Ramblers have only scored one goal ever against the Spartans, 31 years ago in 1993.
