Michigan State University Athletics
Michigan State Men's Soccer Announces 2016 Schedule
8/1/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State men's soccer head coach Damon Rensing has released the Spartans' schedule for the upcoming season. The schedule will feature nine home games at DeMartin Soccer Complex and eight away games in 2016.
Complete 2016 Schedule
Michigan State will take on seven 2015 NCAA Tournament qualifiers in their 17-game regular-season schedule, including six teams that finished in the NCAA RPI Top 25 and seven teams that finished in the NSCAA Top 25. The Spartans challenging schedule also includes 10 teams with 10 or more wins in 2015.
"It is a very difficult schedule and that is by design. We want to challenge our players both on the road and at home. It is an exhibition but we open up with Syracuse, which was in the Final Four. Akron was in the Final Four, so we have half of the Final Four in our schedule," Rensing said. "We also open up against SMU, which made the round of 16."
The Spartans' will take on a pair of Ivy League teams this season, facing on Columbia and Yale. This is the first-ever meeting between the MSU and Columbia. Yale is coached by former Michigan State assistant coach Kylie Stannard.
"It is neat to play two Ivy League teams in non-conference, that will be a little bit different. Kevin (Anderson) at Columbia and former MSU assistant Kylie Stannard at Yale will be great to have at DeMartin," Rensing said.
The first chance to see the Spartans in action is the Green and White Scrimmage on Saturday, Aug. 13 at 6 p.m. at DeMartin. Michigan State will also play two exhibition games to open the season, beginning with taking on Syracuse at the Shindingz National Soccer Festival in Fort Wayne, Indiana, on Thursday, Aug. 18. Last season, the Orange reached the NCAA semifinals. The Spartans will also square off with Butler on Saturday, Aug. 20 in preseason action in Indianapolis.
MSU will open the regular season on the road for the second-straight season, traveling to Dallas to take on SMU on Friday, Aug. 26 at 8 p.m. ET. The Spartans and the Mustangs have met only one other time, in 2014 with MSU earning the 1-0 win in East Lansing. SMU advanced to the Sweet Sixteen of the NCAA Tournament, falling to another 2015 MSU opponent, Akron. On Sunday, Aug. 28, MSU will face on Oral Roberts at SMU at 1 p.m.
Michigan State begins the home portion of the schedule at the friendly confines of DeMartin Soccer Complex, hosting Columbia on Monday, Sept. 5 at 1 p.m. The Spartans take on Rutgers in their Big Ten opener on Friday, Sept. 9 at 5 p.m., in a match that will be televised on the Big Ten Network. Rutgers reached the second round of the NCAA Tournament before also falling to Akron.
MSU will face another team that reached the NCAA Tournament when traveling to Rochester, Michigan to face Oakland on Wednesday, Sept. 14 at 7 p.m. The Spartans will return home for another in-state battle with Michigan on Sunday, Sept. 18 at 12 p.m., in MSU's second game televised on BTN.
On Friday, Sept. 23, Michigan State will travel to Big Ten Tournament Champion Maryland. Match time is set for 7 p.m. in College Park, Maryland. Last season, the Terrapins and the Spartans battled to a 0-0 double overtime tie in East Lansing. Maryland reached the quarterfinals of the NCAA Tournament last season. The month of September ends with MSU hosting Bowling Green on Wednesday, Sept. 28 at 4 p.m.
"You take those non-conference games, and you take those exhibitions and you stack that on top of the Big Ten which is really, really difficult. I couldn't say which games we are going to win and which we are going to lose because you can do any or all, and I think that most coaches would say that. We are looking forward to those home games with Rutgers, Wisconsin, Northwestern and certainly Michigan. The Big Bear Trophy is always a big rivalry game," Rensing added. "It is a very difficult schedule, but if we are able to be successful it will certainly prepare us for the NCAA Tournament."
October begins with the Spartans playing three of their first four games of the month at DeMartin Stadium. MSU opens October at Big Ten regular-season champs Ohio State on Sunday, Oct. 2 at 2 p.m. on the Big Ten Network. The Buckeyes advanced to the Sweet 16 in 2015, falling to eventual champion Stanford.
MSU will then play three-straight games at home, hosting Western Michigan on Wednesday, Oct. 5, Wisconsin on Sunday, Oct. 9 and Akron on Tuesday, Oct. 11. The Zips made the College Cup last season, dropping a 0-0 decision in penalty kicks to Stanford.
On Saturday, Oct. 15, Michigan State will travel to Penn State to take on the Nittany Lions at 7 p.m. Last season, the teams split games with MSU winning in East Lansing and PSU capturing the win in the Big Ten Tournament.
The Spartans will return home on Wednesday, Oct. 19 to host their second Ivy League team of the season, taking on Yale at DeMartin Stadium at 3 p.m. On Saturday, Oct. 22, Michigan State will host its final home game of the season against Big Ten rival Northwestern at 3 p.m.
The final two games of the regular season take place in the Hoosier State. On Tuesday, Oct. 25, the Spartans travel to South Bend, Indiana to tangle with Notre Dame, who reached the Sweet 16 in 2015. The Fighting Irish finished last season No. 8 in the final NSCAA poll. MSU concludes the rough stretch in Bloomington, Indiana, where the Spartans will finish Big Ten action at Indiana on Sunday, Oct. 30 at 1 p.m. Last season, the Hoosiers reached the third round of the NCAA Tournament.
The 2016 Big Ten Tournament will begin on Sunday, Nov. 6 at the top four seeds' home sites. The semifinals will follow on Friday, Nov. 11 and the championship will be held on Sunday, Oct. 13. The Big Ten semifinal and championship will be played at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana.
The 2016 NCAA College Cup will be played Dec. 9 and 11 at BBVA Compass Stadium in Houston, Texas, which is the home of the MLS' Houston Dynamo.
Michigan State finished the 2015 season 8-9-2. The Spartans bring back 16 players from last season's squad, including seven starters.
