Michigan State University Athletics
No. 4 MSU Soccer Travels to No. 24 Akron Wednesday
9/26/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 4 Michigan State men's soccer will face its fourth-straight ranked team, traveling to No. 24 Akron on Wednesday, Sept. 27 at 7 p.m. The game will be televised on ESPN3.
MSU Notes vs. Akron | Watch Live | Live Stats
The Spartans earned a 0-0 double overtime tie against No. 3 Maryland last week in front of a school-record 4,678 fans at DeMartin Stadium. Redshirt-junior goalkeeper Jimmy Hague tied a career-high with seven saves against the Terrapins, fighting off the tough Maryland offense.
If available, live video and live stats links will be at www.msuspartans.com. The game will be streamed on ESPN3.
SCOUTING REPORT: AKRON
Akron moved up to No. 24 in the latest Top Drawer Soccer poll and is receiving votes in the United Coaches poll. The Zips are currently 3-2-1 with two losses to ranked teams. Akron lost the season opener to then-No. 16 Utah Valley, 0-1, and then-No. 3 Denver, 1-0. Since those losses, the Zips are 3-0-1 with wins against No. 10 Washington, 2-0, No. 21 UMass Lowell, 5-0. Akron is 2-2-0 against ranked teams this season.
The Zips are led by Sam Gainford who is first on the team in scoring with four goals and one assist for nine points. Marcel Zajac is second in scoring with two goals for four points. Ben Lundt is back in goal for Akron, starting all six games. Lundt has allowed only three goals this season for a 0.48 GAA.
SPARTANS-ZIPS SERIES
Akron holds the overall series lead 26-12-2 and 14-4-1 at home. Last season, Ryan Sierakowski and Hunter Barone both found the back of the net as the No. 19 Michigan State men's soccer team stopped No. 23 Akron, 2-1, on a seasonably warm day at DeMartin Soccer Field. In the last five games, the teams are very even with the series standing 2-2-1.
LOADED SCHEDULE
Michigan State has reached a loaded portion of its schedule. Akron will be the fourth-straight ranked team that the Spartans have faced with over No. 19 Bowling Green, No. 18 Michigan and a tie against No. 3 Maryland. MSU next two opponents are also ranked in No. 16 Ohio State and No. 9 Western Michigan.
FANS IN THE STANDS
For the second-time this season, Michigan State topped its DeMartin Stadium attendance record when 4,678 fans packed the stadium and a standing room only crowd watched MSU battle to a 0-0 double overtime tie against Maryland on Sept. 22. In the first night game of the season on Sept. 1, 3,515 fans filled DeMartin. The previous high was 3,175 last season when MSU defeated Michigan on Sept. 18, 2016.
DEFENDING DEMARTIN
Due in part to the amazing student section known as the Red Cedar Rowdies, Michigan State is an impressive 12-0-3 in its last 15 games at DeMartin Stadium. Last season, MSU set a school-record with most wins at home going 9-0-2. In 2017, the Spartans are already 3-0-1 at home. MSU tied No. 3 Maryland in tis Big Ten home opener last week.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
Michigan State is at the top of several categories in the latest NCAA statistics. MSU is first in the nation in save percentage (.963), as well as shutout percentage (.880). Redshirt-junior goalkeeper Jimmy Hague is tied for first in the nation in shutouts with seven and first in save percentage .963). Hague is second in goal against average of 0.12. Junior forward DeJuan Jones is fourth in game-winning goals with three.
CLOSE CALLS
In eight games this season, the Spartans are 7-0 in games decided by one goal. Michigan State has won five 1-0 games and defeated Rutgers, 2-1 on Sept. 8. Last season, the Spartans were an exceptional 10-3 in one-goal games, including four wins in 1-0 decisions.
BIG TIME, BIG TEN
After playing eight-straight games with out a loss, Michigan State is up to No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. This week, there are three Big Ten teams ranked in the top 4 with Indiana standing No. 1, while Maryland remains No. 3. Future opponent Notre Dame is No. 7 this week. A total of five B1G teams are currently ranked with Michigan standing Ohio State standing No. 16 and Michigan holding on to the No. 20 position. The mitten state is well represented as Western Michigan enters the top 10 at No. 9 this week.
For the second-straight week, the Spartans are ranked No. 1 in the latest Top Drawer Soccer poll. This is the firs time that the Spartans have ever been ranked No. 1. In the latest, College Soccer News poll, MSU is No. 5.
MAKING HISTORY
For the first time since 1968, Michigan State started the season with four-straight shutouts. During that season, the Spartans went on to start the season with seven-straight clean sheets. During the 1968 season, MSU won the second of two-straight Co-NCAA Championships under head coach Gene Kenney. Former head coach Joe Baum was a player on that 1968 squad. Michigan State allowed its first goal of the season on a penalty kick against Rutgers on Sept. 8. The Spartans have not allowed a goal in the run of play yet this season.
MSU is off to its fastest start since the 1967 season when Michigan State started 8-0-1. That season the Spartans were 12-0-2.
NEARING A MILESTONE
MSU head coach Damon Rensing is nearing a coaching milestone. With the win against Michigan, the Spartan leader is just three wins away from 100 career wins. Overall. He is 97-58-23 at MSU.
SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Senior defender Jimmy Fiscus was one of 60 NCAA® men's and women's soccer student-athletes who excel both on and off the field were selected as candidates for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate soccer. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The complete list of candidates follows this release.
LOOKING AT THE LEAGUE
Ohio State is currently in first place in the league with nine points and a perfect 3-0-0 conference record. Indiana and Maryland are tied for second with eight points with matching 2-0-2 marks. MSU stands tied for fourth with Michigan with seven points. The Spartans are 2-0-1 in league play, while the Wolverines are 2-1-1.
Junior forward DeJuan Jones is tied for first in the B1G in game-winning goals with three. He is tied for second in the Big Ten with Wisconsin's Chris Mueller with four goals behind Maryland's Gordon who has five goals. Last season, Jones ended the season with two total goals. Jimmy Hague and OSU's Parker Siegfried are tied for first in the nation and in the league with seven shutouts.
MICHIGAN STATE NOTES
• In the first eight games, six different Spartans have scored a goal. Overall, eight different players have registered a point. Junior forward DeJuan Jones leads the team in scoring with four goals and one assist for nine points. Junior forward Ryan Sierakowski is second in scoring with one goal and two assists for four points. Three MSU players have registered three points.
• In five of the first eight games of the season, MSU has used only one starting lineup. Four different Spartans have played all 750 minutes in goalkeeper Jimmy Hague, defenders Jimmy Fiscus and Michael Wetungu and midfielder John Freitag.
• Michigan State men's soccer team was voted fourth in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches Poll, the conference. Seniors Jimmy Fiscus and Ken Krolicki, along with junior Ryan Sierakowski were also named to the Big Ten Preseason honors list.
HAGUE NAMED B1G DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Michigan State goalkeeper Jimmy Hague earned Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week by the league after a stellar performance in MSU's 0-0 double overtime tie against No. 3 Maryland last week.
Hague, a redshirt-junior goalkeeper from Walled Lake, Michigan, earned his second Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honor this season. This was the third career honor for Hague who also was honored by the league on Oct. 4, 2016. The goalkeeper had a clean sheet against the Terrapins and tied his career high with seven saves.
The goalkeeper also named to the Team of the Week by both Top Drawer Soccer and College Soccer News this week.
SIERAKOWSKI NAMED TO HERMANN WATCH LIST
Michigan State men's soccer junior forward Ryan Sierakowski was named to the Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy Watch List. The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer and is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female players of the year.
Sierakowski, a native of McHenry, Illinois, is the first Michigan State men's soccer player named to the Hermann Watch List since goalkeeper Avery Steinlage in 2010. In 2014, midfielder Jay Chapman was named a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy, becoming the first Spartan in school history to achieve the feat.
Sierakowski is one of four players from the Big Ten on the watch list along with Maryland's Gordon Wild, Indiana's Grant Lillard and Wisconsin's Chris Mueller. A total of 31 players were named to the watch list.
OH CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN
This season, the Spartans have three captains in senior Jimmy Fiscus, Brad Centala and Ryan Scott.
BARONE BUNCH
Sophomore Giuseppe Barone became the fourth member of the Barone family to don the Green and White last season. He joins current Spartan Hunter as well as former MSU players Mark (2008-11) Domenic (2008-12).
NEXT UP
MSU will next host No. 16 Ohio State on Sunday, Oct. 1 at 3 p.m.
