EAST LANSING, Mich. — Bella Najera delivered twice when it mattered most, leading #2 Michigan State past #3 Colorado 2-1 Sunday in an NCAA Women's Soccer Championship thriller that had 1,898 fans at DeMartin Stadium on their feet until the final whistle.
Faith Leyba opened the scoring for Colorado in the 32nd minute, collecting Hope Leyba's perfectly weighted through ball before driving a low shot past Noelle Henning from the edge of the box. The Buffaloes' clinical finish against the run of play silenced the home crowd and gave the visitors a 1-0 halftime advantage despite Michigan State controlling possession.
The Spartans emerged from the break with renewed urgency, and Najera leveled the match just two minutes into the second half. Renee Watson's diagonal ball found Najera making a well-timed run behind Colorado's backline, and the junior coolly slotted home from 10 yards to restore parity at 1-1.
Eight minutes later, Najera struck again from the penalty spot after Jordan Whiteaker brought down Maggie Illig in the box. The composed finish - driven low to the keeper's left - proved decisive as Michigan State successfully defended their lead through a tense final 35 minutes.
Colorado pressed desperately for an equalizer, with Reagan Kotschau forcing Henning into a diving save in the 72nd minute and Hope Leyba's header sailing just wide five minutes later. But Michigan State's defense, marshaled by Sofia Beerworth, held firm under sustained pressure.
The statistics reflected Michigan State's edge: 18 shots to Colorado's 12, with both goalkeepers recording seven saves in a back-and-forth contest. The Spartans held a slight territorial advantage with seven corners to Colorado's six, though neither side capitalized on set pieces beyond Najera's spot kick.
For Michigan State (15-3-6), Najera's brace extends their NCAA tournament run as they await the Stanford-BYU winner. Colorado (17-4-3) exits despite a valiant effort that pushed the Spartans to their limit in one of the tournament's most competitive matches.