No. 5 Notre Dame women’s soccer proved too strong for an impressive Michigan State side, as the Fighting Irish dismantled the Spartans 3–0, snapping their home unbeaten streak. While the scoreline does little to reflect the balance of play, it was Notre Dame who capitalized on their opportunities, leaving Michigan State to rue their missed ones.

Sophomore forward Annabelle Chukwu scored all three goals for Notre Dame, putting the finishing touch on the strong team performance. 

From the opening whistle, the match was highly contested with a fast tempo. Michigan State started strong, keeping a high line and aggressively pressuring the Notre Dame defensive line. The key to MSU’s positive start was in the midfield with juniors Emerson Sargeant, Kayla Briggs and Bella Najera covering ground quickly and with real intention.

“We finally got off to a quick start for the first time,” MSU women’s soccer head coach Jeff Hosler said. “When we do that, we show how much pressure we can put on our opponent.” 

Michigan State failed to capitalize on their fiery start, and Notre Dame took the lead in the 25th minute through Chukwu, who headed a perfect cross from senior midfielder Leah Klenke into the bottom corner at the far post. Her effort just evaded MSU freshman goalkeeper Noelle Henning’s reach, as the defenders were caught waiting for the ball to go out.

From the moment they scored, the Fighting Irish shifted gears. They relentlessly pressured MSU, keeping a high line and forcing errors. Though the Spartans showed positive signs, once Notre Dame gained control, they did not let it slip from their grasp. 

Chukwu effectively put the game to bed in the 48th minute with a curling shot from the top of the box that soared past an outstretched Henning—a strike few goalkeepers could have saved. Just two minutes later, the red-hot forward struck again, this time heading in a corner from Morgan Roy.

Although it was Chukwu who netted three times against the Spartans, the player who gave MSU the most trouble was senior Leah Klenke. The midfielder, who won a bronze medal with the U-20 U.S. Women’s National Team at the 2024 U-20 World Cup, seemed to be everywhere on the pitch—whether stifling an attack with her adept 1v1 defending or creating a goalscoring opportunity with a dangerous cross.

“They’re a very complete team,” Hosler said. “They really don’t miss a step.”

This team performance solidified the Fighting Irish’s status as one of the very best in the country, with a roster stacked full of stars and a depth that allowed them to dominate every phase of the game. 

For the Spartans, it was Sargeant who shone from the start in the middle of the park, alongside impressive performances from Maggie Illig, Allie Mairn and Kayla Briggs. When Sargeant was on the field, MSU often had more attacking momentum, thanks to her tireless running and her commitment to winning the ball back — even while playing out of position.

Hosler was especially impressed with Briggs and pointed to her as a bright spot of the tough loss. Briggs had MSU’s most promising chances of the match, but ultimately did not get the ball out from her feet quick enough to score any goals. 

Both teams had 13 shots, but Notre Dame made the most of their chances, whereas MSU did not. The possession was largely even, as well as the amount of corners and goalie saves, but in the end nothing counts except for goals scored. 

As this loss comes off the back of a 5-2 loss at Xavier, one could see this as a worrying sign heading into conference play next week. Hosler acknowledged how the result will be taken, but reaffirmed his belief in his team.

“Theres a lot of fixing to do, but I’m optimistic with how hard this group is., Hosler said. “We’re gonna have to dig deep. It’s a situation we’re not used to in our program to lose back-to-back games and to be conceding so many goals … I believe in this group, I believe in our staff, and we’ll figure out a way.”

Even with the consecutive losses, the Spartans can take away newfound determination and insight from their recent performances. The players proved they can bounce back after conceding and continue to fight, creating dangerous chances. Their pressing and tackling were of high quality and often threw Notre Dame for a loop. Had MSU performed at this level against almost any other team, they likely would have come away with a positive result.

“We’re just growing and learning more about ourselves as a team every day,” Briggs said. “We’re excited for this opportunity for conference play. We’re ready to get in there with a clean slate. We’re gonna put on the gas and just go for it.”

Michigan State will play their first conference game at Rutgers on Sept. 12. 

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