East Lansing, Mich. – Senior Bella Najera scored the only goal of the match in the 86th minute, leading No. 2 Michigan State to a 1-0 victory over Illinois. With this win, the Spartans improve to 9-1-2 overall and 5-1 in Big Ten play, while Illinois falls to 4-3-5 and 1-3-2 in the conference.

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Najera, who previously scored a game-winning goal on the road at North Carolina, received her second assist of the season from classmate Kayla Briggs. Najera's left-footed shot found the left side of the net after receiving a back pass from Briggs at the top of the box.

The Spartans earned their second consecutive shutout, thanks to a three-save performance by goalkeeper Noelle Henning, who has returned to the lineup after competing in the U20 Women's World Cup.

Illinois initially believed they had taken the lead shortly after halftime, but Cayla Jackson's goal was disallowed due to an offsides call. The Illini committed three offsides throughout the match and received three yellow cards, compared to two for the Spartans. Illinois also had nine fouls to MSU's six.

Michigan State outshot Illinois 14-6 and held a 7-3 advantage in corner kicks.

In the scoring details, Najera's goal came off an MSU throw-in by Ava Lutke, setting up a late-game opportunity. Emerson Sargeant played the ball to Briggs, who then tapped it back to Najera, resulting in the decisive goal with just three and a half minutes left.

The victory improves MSU to 3-0 in Big Ten road matches and 4-0-1 in games played away from DeMartin Stadium. The Spartans remain competitive in the Big Ten standings alongside Ohio State and UCLA, each holding a 5-1 record. MSU has a head-to-head victory over UCLA and will not face Ohio State again this season.

Najera's 27th career goal ties her for 10th all-time in the Spartan record book with Olivia Stander, while her 10th career game-winner places her in a tie for fifth. She has also moved to ninth in the all-time career points list with 72.

Henning's strong performance has led to back-to-back clean sheets, raising her personal shutout streak to 197:39. This season, she has allowed only two goals in five games, resulting in a 0.40 goals-against average and an .875 save percentage. Henning has recorded 12 career shutouts, tying her for eighth in the program's history.

Kayla Briggs contributed to the win with her sixth assist of the season, while Emerson Sargeant added her third assist of the year.

Next, the Spartans will host Minnesota on Thursday, Oct. 8 at 7 pm at DeMartin Stadium. Tickets for the match can be purchased through the Michigan State women's soccer website.