Eastern Michigan Athletics
Eastern Michigan University
Michigan State
Soccer Battling No. 3 Michigan State Thursday, RMU Sunday
8/26/2026 12:25:00 PM | Soccer
Spartans are highest-ranked opponent Eastern has ever played
| Soccer at No. 3 Michigan State, at Robert Morris | |
| Date | Thursday, Aug. 27 at 5 p.m. | Sunday, Aug. 30 at 1 p.m. |
| Venue | DeMartin Stadium | East Lansing, Mich. | North Athletic Complex | Moon Township, Pa. |
| Preview Info | EMU Notes (PDF) |
| Watch | Watch at Michigan State | Watch at Robert Morris |
| Live Stats | Live Stats |
| @EMUSoccer | @EMUAthletics | |
EAST LANSING, Mich. (EMUEagles.com) – Eastern Michigan University Women's Soccer travels to East Lansing Thursday at 5 p.m. to face No. 3 Michigan State, the highest-ranked opponent the Eagles have faced in recent program history, as the Green and White look to regroup following an 11-day layoff caused by a weather cancellation.
ON THE AIR: Live statistics for Thursday's match are available at stats.statbroadcast.com.
» Eastern Michigan (1-1-0) faces No. 3 Michigan State (United Soccer Coaches poll) Thursday at 5 p.m. in East Lansing — the highest-ranked opponent the Eagles have faced in program history.
» The Spartans are coming off a 3-2 road victory over No. 7 North Carolina, handing the Tar Heels their first non-conference home loss since 2022. MSU was ranked No. 5 in the nation at the time of that win and has since climbed to No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
» Eastern Michigan returns to action for the first time in 11 days after its Aug. 22 home match against North Dakota was canceled due to weather.
» The Eagles have averaged 17.0 shots per game through their first two contests, generating 34 total shots against Duquesne and Detroit Mercy.
» Michigan State leads the all-time series 15-1-3 across 19 meetings. Eastern Michigan's only win in the series came Sept. 3, 1999, by a score of 1-0, and the Spartans have won seven consecutive matchups.
» The last meeting between the two programs, Aug. 31, 2023, resulted in a 6-0 Michigan State victory in East Lansing.
THE RESET: Eastern Michigan enters Thursday's match having not played a completed game since Aug. 16, when the Eagles dropped a narrow 1-0 decision to Detroit Mercy on an 80th-minute goal. The scheduled home match against North Dakota on Aug. 22 was canceled due to weather, creating an 11-day gap between completed contests. Eastern opened the 2026 season with a 3-1 victory over Duquesne Aug. 12 at Scicluna Field and will look to carry the momentum from that performance into East Lansing.
EAGLES ON THE ATTACK: Despite a 1-1-0 record, Eastern Michigan has generated significant offensive volume through two matches, averaging 17.0 shots per game on 34 total attempts. The Eagles have outshot opponents 34-16 on the season and hold a 14-of-34 shots-on-goal mark (41.2%). Eastern has scored three goals against two allowed, with all three coming in the season-opening win over Duquesne.
EAGLE LEADERS: Olivia Sipsock leads Eastern Michigan with six shots through the first two matches of the 2026 season, logging 145 minutes across two starts. Sipsock was an All-MAC Second Team selection in 2025 after leading the team with eight goals and 18 points. Rosalie Takacsy leads the Eagles in assists and points in 2026 with two helpers, both coming in the season-opening win over Duquesne. Takacsy has been the team's primary playmaker in the early going.
A MILESTONE APPROACHING: Sarah Van Euwen has appeared in 49 career matches for Eastern Michigan and will reach her 50th career game Thursday in East Lansing. Van Euwen has started both contests in 2026 and logged 123 minutes. She was the only outfield player to play every minute of every match during the 2025 season.
NEWCOMERS MAKING AN IMPACT: Two first-year Eagles have already found the back of the net in 2026. Madison Hurst, a transfer from Robert Morris, and Christie Fransen, a transfer from Bowling Green, have each scored a goal through the first two matches. Kaylee Synk has also added a goal for Eastern this season.
SPARTANS ON TOP: Michigan State enters Thursday's match ranked No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches poll, carrying a perfect 3-0-0 record after one of the most impressive early-season stretches in program history. The Spartans opened with back-to-back shutout wins over Xavier (2-0) and Loyola before traveling to Chapel Hill and defeating No. 7 North Carolina 3-2 — handing the Tar Heels their first non-conference home loss since 2022. MSU was ranked No. 5 in the nation at the time of that victory and has since climbed to No. 3 in the United Soccer Coaches poll. The Spartans have won their last three games against top-10 opponents in true road settings.
SPARTAN STANDOUTS: Kennedy Bell leads Michigan State with three goals and six points in 2026, including a two-goal performance against No. 7 North Carolina that earned her Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors and a spot on the Top Drawer Soccer Team of the Week. Bella Najera scored the game-winning free kick against the Tar Heels and has moved to 11th all-time in Michigan State program history with 26 career goals. Kayla Briggs has scored two goals in 2026, both game-winners, in the victories over Xavier and Loyola. Goalkeeper Noelle Henning anchors the defense with a 0.67 goals-against average and an .818 save percentage.
SERIES HISTORY: Michigan State leads the all-time series between the two programs 15-1-3 across 19 meetings dating to Sept. 15, 1996. Eastern Michigan's lone victory in the series came Sept. 3, 1999, by a score of 1-0, and the Spartans have won seven consecutive matchups. The most recent meeting, Aug. 31, 2023, resulted in a 6-0 Michigan State win in East Lansing. The Eagles hold an 0-5-2 home record and a 1-11-0 road record in the series, meaning their only all-time win against MSU came away from Ypsilanti.
UP NEXT: Eastern Michigan returns to action Sunday, Aug. 30, traveling to Moon Township, Pa., for a 1 p.m. match at Robert Morris. Live statistics will be available at emueagles.com.
FOLLOW ALONG: Follow Eastern Michigan Women's Soccer on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook for live updates, highlights and behind-the-scenes content throughout the 2026 season.
