PHOTO: Michigan State’s Justina Gaynor advances the ball in the Spartans’ NCAA win over Texas at Duke.

By TOM SHANAHAN

DURHAM, N.C. – Michigan State women’s soccer scaled another height on its steady climb to national prominence with its second straight trip to the NCAA tournament’s third round.

And the fifth-seeded Spartans (14-2-5) did it in dramatic, resilient fashion – upsetting No. 4 seed Texas (17-4-2) in overtime 3-2 Friday night at Duke University’s Koskinen Stadium

Michigan State graduate player Mackenzie Anthony’s second goal of the match was the sudden-death game-winner with only 2:11 elapsed in overtime. She secured the rebound of Maggie Illie’s shot from close range. Texas goalie Mia Justus made the save, but when she wasn’t able to secure the ball and was left sprawled on the turf, Anthony redirected the ball into the net.

“I knew Maggie was going to smash it, so we talked over and over in practice, follow the ball, follow the ball,” Anthony said. “I saw the goalie fumble it, and knew it had to go in the back of the net.”

Anthony’s presence on the pitch turned the tables on pre-match conversation focused on Texas having recruited Amalia Villareal, a Lansing Sexton High graduate and SEC Freshman of the Year, from the Spartans’ backyard.

Anthony played her second season for the Spartans after she transferred from Baylor, a school in Waco, Texas, that lives in Austin school’s shadow.

“Well, it feels good because when I was at Baylor, we never won against Texas, either ties or losses,” Anthony said. “So, this felt good to get a win against Texas. Yeah, that was probably like, what sixth time I played Texas? So, yeah, it felt really good.”

Last week Michigan State clinched its third straight trip to the second round with a 3-1 win over Western Michigan. And now the Spartans have their second trip in a row to the third round.

For perspective, this was only Michigan State’s fifth second-round match since the program was started in 1986.

HOW IT WENT DOWN

The Spartans had reason to feel at home on the first goal as Anthony scored at the end of the stadium faced by the Skandaleris Field House and Pavilion. Michigan State’s football building, of course, is named the Skandeleris Center for donations from Robert and Julie Skandaleris. Their son, Lee Skandeleris, played soccer at Duke.

With 7:49 elapsed in the first half, Michigan State sophomore Bella Najera lined up from the right side on a free kick. She sent the ball across the middle. Justus appeared well positioned in goal with Anthony facing her in the middle, but Anthony slipped the ball to her left into the net.

Villareal responded for Texas with 32:50 elapsed for 1-1 halftime tie on an assist rom Jilly Shimkin. A little more than a minute earlier Villareal had a shot on goal from straight on that went over the net.

Texas, the SEC Tournament champion, came out more aggressively to open the second half, but the Spartans supported goalie Kaitlyn Parks – five saves for the night – with numerous close-range blocks.

The Spartans took a 2-1 lead at 78:59 into the match when Najera added a goal to her earlier assist. The score came following frantic action around the net. Texas blocks prevented a score, but on a rebound Michigan State’s Gabby Mueller controlled the ball. She passed to Adelle Francis and Francis set up Najera for the score.

PHOTO: I never miss a chance to cover the Spartans when their nearby. Here I am as they warm up for the Texas match at Duke’s stadium. Follow my coverage here and social media and share with fellow Spartans.

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“Dell had a great ball,” Najera said. “I was kind of wide open in the box. I knew we just had to keep making runs in the box. And I took a touch, saw the goalie to the left, so I just placed it where she wasn’t.”

At that point the score was Michigan State and Lansing Sexton 3, everybody else 0.

TURNING POINT

Although Michigan State led 2-1 with 17:36 to play, Texas delayed the Spartans’ celebration when Holly Ward scored on an assist from Lexi Missimo. The goal was Ward’s fifth of the NCAA tournament after she scored all four goals in the Longhorns’ 4-0 win over Boston University.

Letting a lead slip away for the second time against a program with Texas’ history might have deflated Michigan State’s lesser experienced teams, but the Spartans responded quickly in overtime.

“We can play so, so well at times, and then just kind of let other teams off the hook a little bit,” Michigan State coach Jeff Hosler said. “And the difference today is that we found a way to keep fighting back. We found a way in overtime to get that that final goal.

“We had five draws in the regular season. A lot of it was kind of the way this one went. But, man, to have the resiliency to step back up and find that game winner in overtime, I think says a lot about the character of this group.”

WHAT’S NEXT

Michigan State’s veteran players returned this season for another shot at advancing to Sweet Sixteen and claiming the school’s first trip the Elite Eight. The Spartans advanced to the Sweet Sixteen match at 6 p.m. Sunday when they face the host, top-seeded Duke (15-2-1). The Blue Devils defeated No. 8 seed Texas Tech (14-5-2) in the nightcap 3-0.

THIS IS A BIGGIE TEAM

Biggie Munn would have loved this team.

Michigan State’s College Football Hall of Fame coach (1947-53) was more than gridiron guy. As the Spartans’ athletic director (1954-71), Munn valued an all-around athletic program and provided his programs with resources and hired successful coaches.

Munn’s time, of course, pre-dated 1972 Title IX legislation mandating school’s sponsor women’s teams followed by women’s sports gaining maturing among the populace in the 1980s and 1990s and exploding in popularity in recent years.

But Munn’s model fits the recent NCAA trips for MSU women’s teams in cross country, soccer, gymnastics, track and field and basketball.

For the record, the peak of Michigan State’s all-round success under Munn – unmatched since then — was the mid-1960s.

— Football won back-to-back national titles under coach Duffy Daugherty, 1965 and 1966.

— Hockey NCAA title, coach Amo Bessone, 1967.

— Men’s soccer NCAA title, coach Gene Kenney, 1967 and 1968.

— Wrestling NCAA title, coach Grady Peninger, 1967

— Other NCAA titles the Spartans won during Munn’s tenure were men’s cross country (1955, 1956, 1959) and men’s gymnastics (1958).

— And among the many NCAA individual sport champions were 1964 Olympic swimming silver medalist Gary Dilley and 1968 Olympic wrestling silver medalist Don Behm.

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Tom Shanahan is an award-winning sportswriter and frequent contributor to Spartanamag.com. His new book on Michigan State leading college football integration is, “THE RIGHT THING TO DO, The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s.” His first book was “RAYE OF LIGHT, Jimmy Raye, Duffy Daugherty, the Integration of College Football and the 1965-66 Michigan State Spartans.”

I invite you to follow me on Twitter @shanny4055

Below are links to click on to purchase my books focused.

My books tell the true story of college football integration in the 1960s and address the myths and fiction that allowed a false narrative surrounding the 1970 USC-Alabama game to usurp the credit from the true pioneers. As I said when I spoke at the National Sports Media Association book festival, no two books provide an accurate portrayal more than RAYE OF LIGHT and THE RIGHT THING TO DO.

I’ll put my facts up against anybody, anytime, anywhere. Watch here.

Click here for my story on the 1962 Rose Bowl and Segregation awarded first place by the Football Writers Association of America. I tell untold stories on Michigan State’s leading role and the true pioneers of college football integration. Click here to read the summary as a first-place story.

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Click here to purchase The Right Thing To Do

THE RIGHT THING TO DO

The True Pioneers of College Football Integration in the 1960s

Foreword by Ruffin McNeill

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Click here to purchase Raye of Light.

RAYE OF LIGHT

Jimmy Raye, Duffy Daugherty, the 1ntegration of College Football and the 1965-66 Michigan State Spartans

Foreword by Tony Dungy

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Click here to purchase my children’s book, Bubba’s Dad, Duffy and College Football’s Underground Railroad

The book for now is only a Kindle version on Amazon. Print and audio platforms available soon.