Wildcats Host No. 6 Michigan State in Regular Season Finale

EVANSTON, Ill. – Northwestern looks to close out its season with an upset at home against No. 6 Michigan State on Friday. Kickoff from Northwestern Medicine Field at Martin Stadium is slated for 6:30 p.m. CT on B1G+.

The Wildcats (5-10-3, 3-7-1 Big Ten) host their second-straight ranked opponent at home, after jumping out to an early lead before falling to No. 22 Purdue 3-1 on Sunday. 

Can't Stop Camryn 💥 https://t.co/uAo3DllLFp

— Northwestern Soccer (@NUWSoccer) October 25, 2026

Senior defender Maddie Finnerty, first-year defender/midfielder Naomi Lofthouse and senior forward Keira Wagner have all started every game this season for the ‘Cats. Finnerty leads all Wildcats with 1,559 minutes played in 2026.

Northwestern is 6-2-1 at home in its last nine games, including a 4-3-2 mark at home this season. The ‘Cats are 3-2-0 at home in Big Ten play. 

NU is searching for its first victory against the Spartans since its 1-0 victory in the 2020 season. The Wildcats are 12-16-2 all-time against Michigan State, and 7-7-1 at home. The two teams’ last meeting took place in last year’s Big Ten Tournament quarterfinals, with MSU finding a 1-0 victory.

Michigan State (12-3-2, 8-3-0 Big Ten) has maintained a top-6 IWSOC/United Soccer Coaches national poll ranking in every playing week of the 2026 season. The Spartans reached 24 points in Big Ten conference play with a 1-0 win over Maryland on Sunday, securing a spot in the Big Ten Tournament. Senior forward Kennedy Bell leads MSU with eight goals and nine assists on the season. Sophomore goalkeeper Noelle Henning has posted a 0.60 goals against average to go with an .812 save percentage in 10 starts this season.