Kayla Briggs Delivers Late Winner as No. 5/6 Michigan State Escapes Loyola, 1-0

Briggs breaks through in the 83rd minute, while Noelle Henning records her second straight shutout ahead of a top-10 showdown at North Carolina

EAST LANSING, Mich. | Michigan State controlled the pressure, dominated the shot count and spent much of Wednesday night searching for one decisive finish.

Senior Kayla Briggs finally delivered it.

Briggs scored in the 83rd minute to lift the No. 5/6 Spartans to a hard-earned 1-0 victory over Loyola at DeMartin Stadium, breaking through a compact defensive scheme that frustrated Michigan State for most of the match.

The goal was Briggs’ second of the season—and her second game-winner—as Michigan State remained patient despite generating 21 shots and 14 corner kicks. Loyola consistently crowded the penalty area, blocked shooting lanes and forced the Spartans to work for every opportunity.

Michigan State’s persistence eventually proved decisive.

Kennedy Bell started the winning sequence with a pass to Ava Lutke on the left side. Lutke moved the ball to Bella Najera, whose attempt near the left post was blocked by a Loyola defender. Briggs collected the rebound, faked a shot to evade the defender, shifted the ball to her right and then fired across her body into the bottom-left corner.

After more than 82 minutes of resistance, Loyola’s defensive wall had finally cracked.

UC San Diego Women’s Soccer Hits the Road for Tests Against UNLV, Northern Arizona

Tritons look to build on four-goal breakout as they visit Las Vegas and Flagstaff for their first road matches of the season

LA JOLLA, Calif. | UC San Diego women’s soccer will take its early-season momentum on the road this week when the Tritons face UNLV in Las Vegas before traveling to Flagstaff for a matchup against Northern Arizona.

UC San Diego enters the two-game road swing with a 1-1-0 record after producing an impressive four-goal performance against Utah Tech last Saturday. The offensive breakthrough gave the Tritons their first victory of the season and provided a confidence boost ahead of their first matches away from home.

The road trip begins Thursday against UNLV, with kickoff scheduled for 5:30 p.m. in Las Vegas. UC San Diego will then head to Arizona to face Northern Arizona at 1 p.m. Sunday in Flagstaff.

The back-to-back contests should provide an early measure of the Tritons’ ability to translate their home-field success into road results. Playing in two different environments within a matter of days will test UC San Diego’s depth, defensive organization and ability to maintain its attacking rhythm.