Friday, October 12
Columbus, Ohio
5 PM
Michigan State University
at
Ohio State
No. 8 MSU Completes Week at OSU Friday
10/11/2018 6:35:00 PM | Men's Soccer
The Spartans return to Big Ten action.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 8 Michigan State men's soccer completes a busy week taking on its second team from the Buckeye State, traveling to Ohio State on Friday, Oct. 12 at 5 p.m. The game is the first half of a doubleheader with the OSU women's team. It is also Senior Day for the Buckeyes.
The Spartans look to rebound after a tough home loss to Akron on Oct. 9, 2-1. Overall, Michigan State is 9-2-2 overall and 3-1-0 in league play. Ohio State is 1-9-2 this season and 0-3-1 in Big Ten action.
If available, live video and live stats links will be at www.msuspartans.com.
SECOND-HALF SURGE
Michigan State has been a second-half scoring machine this season. The Spartans have scored six goals in the first half and 19 in the second. Last season, MSU netted 11 in the first and 16 in the final period of regulation.
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
The Ohio State buckeyes are currently sitting with a 1-9-2 overall record and are 0-3-1 in the Big Ten conference. Their 2018-19 season opened with tough competition as the faced Penn State, Syracuse, and No. 19 Michigan. They look to capture their second win of the season as the host the #8 Spartans.Â
The buckeyes offense has seen some strong play from midfielder, Jake Scheper and forward, Devyn Etling. Scheper, a redshirt-junior, has totaled three assists on the season and scored the lone goal in the win over Hofstra. Etling, a redshirt-freshman, leads his team in goals with two, both against Big Ten opponents.Â
The Spartans and the Buckeyes matched up twice last year. In the regular season, Michigan State came out on top with a 5-1 victory. Ohio State later evened the series with a 2-1 victory that stopped the Spartans run early in the Big Ten tournament.Â
TIME WINDING DOWN
Michigan State has now completed non-conference play and has only four regular-season contests remaining. MSU is currently in third place with four left. The Spartans have nine points, while Indiana is first with 12 points. Michigan is second with 10 points. MSU has two home games left and two on the road. The Spartans will travel to Ohio State (Oct. 12) and Indiana (Oct. 28). Michigan State hosts Northwestern on Senior Night (Oct. 19) and Michigan on BTN (Oct. 23).
FAST START SPARTANS
For the second-straight season, the Spartans are undefeated through the first eight games. In 2017, MSU was 7-0-1 through the first eight games before falling to Akron on Sept. 27. After defeating Penn State on Sept. 26, Michigan State tied for its best start since the 1974 team started the season 8-0-2. MSU suffered its first loss of the season against Wisconsin on Sept. 30.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Senior goalkeeper Jimmy Hague now has 24 career clean sheets in the Spartan Green and White, which now puts alone in second in the Spartan record books, passing Avery Steinlage (2008-10) and John Spink (1984, 86-88). MSU great Zach Bennett (2012-15) is the all-time shutout leader with 35.
MAKING AN IMPACT
This season, the Spartans have had five Spartans earn their first point this season.  Freshman forward Farai Mutatu is fourth in scoring with three goals and two assists  for eight points.  Sophomore Patrick Nielsen had two goals this season. Freshman Jack Beck and redshirt-freshman Nick Woodruff also scored their first goals of their collegiate careers in 2018. Junior Michael Wetungu also captured his first Spartan goal against Akron on Oct. 9.
RPI TIME
The Spartans currently have the 19th-best RPI in the nation. Indiana holds the top spot, while another MSU opponent, Notre Dame, is fourth. Maryland is the next-highest Big Ten team holding the No. 28 spot.
DID YOU KNOW
The Sept. 26 win against Penn State was head coach Damon Rensing's 200th career game at MSU. He has a record of 112-63-28 in his 10th season at Michigan State.
RYAN'S RISEÂ
MSU senior forward Ryan Sierakowski is rising up the Michigan State all-time scoring charts. He currently has 75 points in 69 games in a MSU uniform, which is good for 13th all-time. He has  30 goals and 15 assists in four seasons. His 30 goals place him tied for eighth with Zdravko Rom (1973-76). He is two points away from tying Rubens Filizola for 10th (1960-62) with 77 points.
DEFEND DEMARTIN
Michigan State has been solid at home over the last few years. The Spartans were 9-0-2 at home in 2016 and 7-1-2 last season. MSU's only loss came during the Big Ten Tournament last season. In 2018, the Spartans are 5-2-1 at home. Michigan State is 18-2-4 during the regular season in the last three years.
THE SPARTANS VS. THE NCAA
This week in the NCAA statistics, Michigan State is 22nd in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 2.00 goals per game. Wake Forest is first in the nation in scoring with 2.83 gpg. The Spartans are 13th in the nation and second in the Big Ten in total goals with 24. This season, MSU has scored 22 goals off of 28 assists. Michigan State is also ninth in the nation in assists with 28.
Junior midfielder Giuseppe Barone is seventh in the nation in total assists with seven in 12 games. On the defensive side of the ball, senior goalkeeper Jimmy Hague is sixth in the country in shutouts with 6.0.
SUPER SIERAKOWSKI
Senior forward Ryan Sierakowski is looking to become the first Spartan to lead the team in points for four-straight seasons. Sierakowski had 17 point as a freshman, 23 as a sophomore and 21 as a junior. He currently leads the team in scoring with five goals and four assists for 14 points.
LAST TIME OUT
Despite junior defender Michael Wetungu's first career goal, No. 8 Michigan State men's soccer was topped by Akron, 2-1, Tuesday night in a non-conference match at DeMartin Stadium.
The Spartans rallied from an early 1-0 deficit, leveling the match early in the second half, but the visiting Zips score the game winner in the 82nd minute.
MSU is now 9-2-2 overall after the loss, while Akron improves to 5-4-2. The pair of perennial powers Spartans and Zips are regional rivals and have battled tough of late, as Tuesday's 2-1 score was the sixth-straight one-goal match in the series in East Lansing, and the 12th match determined by a goal or a draw in the last 15 meetings overall.Â
Akron out-shot MSU, 12-10, with Spartan senior goalkeeper Jimmy Hague making two saves in the match, including a spectacular diving finger-tip save to his right.
The visiting Zips got on the board first, taking advantage of an MSU foul just outside the box at the arc with a free kick and Skye Harter snuck it through the Spartan wall and into the net.Â
The Spartans continued the pressing attack in the opening minutes of the second stanza and it paid off in the 54th minute when MSU took advantage of a free kick of its own. Junior forward Giuseppe Barone took the kick from the right wing and fired a ball into the box that senior forward DeJuan Jones tapped toward the goal and Wetungu flicked it home for his first career goal.
The next few minutes was back-and-forth, end-to-end action, until the 82nd minute when Akron's David Egbo had a close-range flick and into the net for a 2-1 Zips' lead.
AROUND THE BIG TEN
Michigan State is second in the Big Ten in points scored with 80, averaging 6.15 points per game. Indiana is first with 83 for 6.92 ppg. Senior forwards DeJuan Jones and Ryan Sierakowski are tied for fourth in goals with five. Senior forward Hunter Barone, freshman forward Farai Mutatu and Sierakowski are tied for second in the league in game-winning goals, behind Indiana's Andrew Gutman who has four. Senior goalkeeper Jimmy Hague is tied for second in shutouts with six. He is also first in save percentage (.804). Hague is second in goals against average (0.68) behind Indiana's Trey Muse (0.65). Junior midfielder Giuseppe Barone is first in the league in assists with eight in the first 13 games.
O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!
This season, Michigan State will have three captains in seniors Connor Corrigan, Jimmy Hague and DeJuan Jones.
KING OF THE Â NORTH
This week, Indiana remains first in the North regional rankings. Michigan is second, while Michigan State stands third. Wright State is fourth in the region, while SIUE moves up to fifth this week.
BARONE BUNCH
Junior 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).
UP NEXT
MSU will then play its final two regular-season home game against Northwestern (Oct. 19) and Michigan (Oct. 23).
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The Spartans look to rebound after a tough home loss to Akron on Oct. 9, 2-1. Overall, Michigan State is 9-2-2 overall and 3-1-0 in league play. Ohio State is 1-9-2 this season and 0-3-1 in Big Ten action.
If available, live video and live stats links will be at www.msuspartans.com.
SECOND-HALF SURGE
Michigan State has been a second-half scoring machine this season. The Spartans have scored six goals in the first half and 19 in the second. Last season, MSU netted 11 in the first and 16 in the final period of regulation.
SCOUTING OHIO STATE
The Ohio State buckeyes are currently sitting with a 1-9-2 overall record and are 0-3-1 in the Big Ten conference. Their 2018-19 season opened with tough competition as the faced Penn State, Syracuse, and No. 19 Michigan. They look to capture their second win of the season as the host the #8 Spartans.Â
The buckeyes offense has seen some strong play from midfielder, Jake Scheper and forward, Devyn Etling. Scheper, a redshirt-junior, has totaled three assists on the season and scored the lone goal in the win over Hofstra. Etling, a redshirt-freshman, leads his team in goals with two, both against Big Ten opponents.Â
The Spartans and the Buckeyes matched up twice last year. In the regular season, Michigan State came out on top with a 5-1 victory. Ohio State later evened the series with a 2-1 victory that stopped the Spartans run early in the Big Ten tournament.Â
TIME WINDING DOWN
Michigan State has now completed non-conference play and has only four regular-season contests remaining. MSU is currently in third place with four left. The Spartans have nine points, while Indiana is first with 12 points. Michigan is second with 10 points. MSU has two home games left and two on the road. The Spartans will travel to Ohio State (Oct. 12) and Indiana (Oct. 28). Michigan State hosts Northwestern on Senior Night (Oct. 19) and Michigan on BTN (Oct. 23).
FAST START SPARTANS
For the second-straight season, the Spartans are undefeated through the first eight games. In 2017, MSU was 7-0-1 through the first eight games before falling to Akron on Sept. 27. After defeating Penn State on Sept. 26, Michigan State tied for its best start since the 1974 team started the season 8-0-2. MSU suffered its first loss of the season against Wisconsin on Sept. 30.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Senior goalkeeper Jimmy Hague now has 24 career clean sheets in the Spartan Green and White, which now puts alone in second in the Spartan record books, passing Avery Steinlage (2008-10) and John Spink (1984, 86-88). MSU great Zach Bennett (2012-15) is the all-time shutout leader with 35.
MAKING AN IMPACT
This season, the Spartans have had five Spartans earn their first point this season.  Freshman forward Farai Mutatu is fourth in scoring with three goals and two assists  for eight points.  Sophomore Patrick Nielsen had two goals this season. Freshman Jack Beck and redshirt-freshman Nick Woodruff also scored their first goals of their collegiate careers in 2018. Junior Michael Wetungu also captured his first Spartan goal against Akron on Oct. 9.
RPI TIME
The Spartans currently have the 19th-best RPI in the nation. Indiana holds the top spot, while another MSU opponent, Notre Dame, is fourth. Maryland is the next-highest Big Ten team holding the No. 28 spot.
DID YOU KNOW
The Sept. 26 win against Penn State was head coach Damon Rensing's 200th career game at MSU. He has a record of 112-63-28 in his 10th season at Michigan State.
RYAN'S RISEÂ
MSU senior forward Ryan Sierakowski is rising up the Michigan State all-time scoring charts. He currently has 75 points in 69 games in a MSU uniform, which is good for 13th all-time. He has  30 goals and 15 assists in four seasons. His 30 goals place him tied for eighth with Zdravko Rom (1973-76). He is two points away from tying Rubens Filizola for 10th (1960-62) with 77 points.
DEFEND DEMARTIN
Michigan State has been solid at home over the last few years. The Spartans were 9-0-2 at home in 2016 and 7-1-2 last season. MSU's only loss came during the Big Ten Tournament last season. In 2018, the Spartans are 5-2-1 at home. Michigan State is 18-2-4 during the regular season in the last three years.
THE SPARTANS VS. THE NCAA
This week in the NCAA statistics, Michigan State is 22nd in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 2.00 goals per game. Wake Forest is first in the nation in scoring with 2.83 gpg. The Spartans are 13th in the nation and second in the Big Ten in total goals with 24. This season, MSU has scored 22 goals off of 28 assists. Michigan State is also ninth in the nation in assists with 28.
Junior midfielder Giuseppe Barone is seventh in the nation in total assists with seven in 12 games. On the defensive side of the ball, senior goalkeeper Jimmy Hague is sixth in the country in shutouts with 6.0.
SUPER SIERAKOWSKI
Senior forward Ryan Sierakowski is looking to become the first Spartan to lead the team in points for four-straight seasons. Sierakowski had 17 point as a freshman, 23 as a sophomore and 21 as a junior. He currently leads the team in scoring with five goals and four assists for 14 points.
LAST TIME OUT
Despite junior defender Michael Wetungu's first career goal, No. 8 Michigan State men's soccer was topped by Akron, 2-1, Tuesday night in a non-conference match at DeMartin Stadium.
The Spartans rallied from an early 1-0 deficit, leveling the match early in the second half, but the visiting Zips score the game winner in the 82nd minute.
MSU is now 9-2-2 overall after the loss, while Akron improves to 5-4-2. The pair of perennial powers Spartans and Zips are regional rivals and have battled tough of late, as Tuesday's 2-1 score was the sixth-straight one-goal match in the series in East Lansing, and the 12th match determined by a goal or a draw in the last 15 meetings overall.Â
Akron out-shot MSU, 12-10, with Spartan senior goalkeeper Jimmy Hague making two saves in the match, including a spectacular diving finger-tip save to his right.
The visiting Zips got on the board first, taking advantage of an MSU foul just outside the box at the arc with a free kick and Skye Harter snuck it through the Spartan wall and into the net.Â
The Spartans continued the pressing attack in the opening minutes of the second stanza and it paid off in the 54th minute when MSU took advantage of a free kick of its own. Junior forward Giuseppe Barone took the kick from the right wing and fired a ball into the box that senior forward DeJuan Jones tapped toward the goal and Wetungu flicked it home for his first career goal.
The next few minutes was back-and-forth, end-to-end action, until the 82nd minute when Akron's David Egbo had a close-range flick and into the net for a 2-1 Zips' lead.
AROUND THE BIG TEN
Michigan State is second in the Big Ten in points scored with 80, averaging 6.15 points per game. Indiana is first with 83 for 6.92 ppg. Senior forwards DeJuan Jones and Ryan Sierakowski are tied for fourth in goals with five. Senior forward Hunter Barone, freshman forward Farai Mutatu and Sierakowski are tied for second in the league in game-winning goals, behind Indiana's Andrew Gutman who has four. Senior goalkeeper Jimmy Hague is tied for second in shutouts with six. He is also first in save percentage (.804). Hague is second in goals against average (0.68) behind Indiana's Trey Muse (0.65). Junior midfielder Giuseppe Barone is first in the league in assists with eight in the first 13 games.
O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!
This season, Michigan State will have three captains in seniors Connor Corrigan, Jimmy Hague and DeJuan Jones.
KING OF THE Â NORTH
This week, Indiana remains first in the North regional rankings. Michigan is second, while Michigan State stands third. Wright State is fourth in the region, while SIUE moves up to fifth this week.
BARONE BUNCH
Junior 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).
UP NEXT
MSU will then play its final two regular-season home game against Northwestern (Oct. 19) and Michigan (Oct. 23).
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Players Mentioned
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