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  Women's Soccer Hosts Ohio State in Home Finale
 
Spartans will honor seniors prior to the match.
 
 
Lauren Hill and the Spartans will look to upset No. 11 Ohio State on Friday.
 
Lauren Hill and the Spartans will look to upset No. 11 Ohio State on Friday.
 
 

Nov. 5, 2009

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Coach Tom Saxton | Lauren Hill | Megan Brown

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EAST LANSING, Mich. - The Michigan State women's soccer team will host No. 11 Ohio State at 3 p.m. on Friday (Nov. 6) at DeMartin Stadium in its final regular-season game of the year. For the Spartans (10-4-4, 3-4-2), it will be their most critical game of the season to this point, as a win would give them a great opportunity to earn a NCAA Tournament bid. Ohio State (14-2-2, 7-1-1) will be playing for a share of the Big Ten championship.

The game will be televised on the Big Ten Network and will air on Sunday (Nov. 8) at 4 p.m.

The Last Time Out: MSU got a much-needed victory on Sunday, defeating Iowa, 3-2, in overtime. Cara Freeman got the game-winner off a corner kick just over three minutes into OT. Olivia Stander and Lauren Hill also scored for MSU.

Ohio State Series History: Michigan State trails the all-time series with the Buckeyes, 7-8. The two schools have split the last four meetings, with MSU winning last year's match, 5-1. After trailing, 1-0, the Spartans scored five-unanswered goals, keyed by a hat trick from Laura Heyboer.

10+ Wins Again: For the eighth time in the last 10 seasons, the Spartans have won 10 games. MSU last won at least 10 regular-season games in 2008 and 2005, making the NCAA Tournament in each season.

 

 

Thank You, Seniors: Six Spartans will be honored prior to Friday's game: Lauren Sinacola, Kate Rehor, Lauren Hill, Megan Brown, Kelsey Tait and Danielle Petri. This group of seniors won 39 games over their four years, including a 14-win season, which is tied for second-most in school history, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament in 2008.

Hill Ranks Near the Top: Lauren Hill will leave her mark at MSU as one of the program's all-time great scorers. With 37 career goals, Hill currently stands alone in second place on the MSU all-time goals list behind Michele Wise (1986-89, 39 goals). Her 89 career points also put her in second on the all-time points chart behind Wise (99 points).

Nearly one-third of her career goals were game-winners (12) - tying her for the program best in that category with Tiffany Laskowski (2000-03).

MASH Unit: The Green and White has lost four players to season-ending injuries this season, including three starters. Senior Kate Rehor (knee), a key reserve midfielder, was the first to go down in September, followed by fellow senior captain and four-year starter, Lauren Sinacola (knee). MSU lost freshman midfield starter Jordan Mueller (knee) in mid-October and sophomore All-America and leading scorer, Laura Heyboer (leg), suffered a season-ending injury when she scored the game-winner against Minnesota.

OT Heros: MSU's 3-2 overtime win over Penn State was its first extra-session win in seven tries - since 2005 when it beat Texas A&M, 1-0. Last weekend's 3-2 triumph over Iowa in OT marked the first time the Spartans won two overtime games in the same season since defeating Minnesota and Iowa in 2000.