No. 13 Spartan Soccer Travels to Maryland Friday

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Friday's match-up between No. 13 Michigan State and Maryland will be a rematch of the 1968 National Championship game, where the teams battled to a 2-2 draw. The Spartans honored the 50th anniversary squad last week. The Terps will honor the 1968 squad on Friday.

For the second-straight week, the game will be broadcast on BTN with Dean Linke and former All-American Jason Garey on the call. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.

MSU suffered its first loss of the season on Sept. 30 against Wisconsin, 1-0, in overtime. The Spartans are 8-1-2 overall and 2-1-0 in B1G play. Maryland is 4-3-2 overall and 2-1-0 in league action.

If available, live video and live stats links will be at www.msuspartans.com.

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.

SECOND-HALF SURGE
Michigan State has been a second-half scoring machine this season. The Spartans have scored five goals in the first half and 17 in the second. Last season, MSU netted 11 in the first and 16 in the final period of regulation.

SCOUTING MARYLAND
Maryland has won two-straight games with wins against Rutgers and No. 18 Coastal Carolina. Maryland is 4-3-2 overall and 2-1 in Big Ten action with wins over Rutgers and Northwestern. Like, MSU the Terps also fell to Wisconsin at home.

Freshman William James Herve leads the team in scoring with three goals and two assists for eight points. Sophomore Eric Matzelevich is second with one goal and three assists for five points. Much like the Spartans, Maryland is a second-half teams with two first half goals and six in the second half.

The Terps defense continues to be stingy led by redshirt-goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair, who has allowed only seven goals this season for a 0.72 GAA.

SPARTANS VS. TERRAPINS
Overall, Michigan State holds a 5-3-4 overall record against Maryland. The Spartans won three of the first four meeting dating back to 1964. Last season the teams battled to a 0-0 tie in East Lansing. In 2016, The Terps stopped the Spartans twice in the regular season and in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament. MSU last win against Maryland came on the road in 2014 with Michigan State winning 1-0.

DID YOU KNOW
Wednesday's win against Penn State was head coach Damon Rensing's 200th career game at MSU. He has a record of 111-62-28 in his 10th season at Michigan State.

RYAN'S RISE
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 5-1-1 at home. Michigan State is 18-1-4 during the regular season in the last three years.

THE SPARTANS VS. THE NCAA
This week in the NCAA statistics, Michigan State is 15th in the nation in scoring offense, averaging 2.20 goals per game. Wake Forest is first in the nation in scoring with 3.11 gpg. The Spartans are 10th in the nation and second in the Big Ten in total goals with 22. This season, MSU has scored 22 goals off of 28 assists. Michigan State is also fifth in the nation in assists with 28.

Junior midfielder Giuseppe Barone is fourth in the nation in total assists with seven in 10 games. On the defensive side of the ball, senior goalkeeper Jimmy Hague is fifth in the country in shutouts with 5.0.

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 four five goals and four assists for 14 points.

LAST TIME OUT
No. 5 Michigan State men's soccer lost its first game of the season in heartbreaking fashion, 1-0, in overtime against Wisconsin on a cool and rainy day at DeMartin Stadium on Sunday.

The day began with a celebration as the Spartans unveiled plaques honoring the 1967 and 1967 National Championship teams led by MSU Hall of Famer and former head coach Joe Baum. Sunday was also alumni day as Spartans from six different decades were honored at half time.

After suffering its first loss of the season, the Spartans fall to 8-1-2 overall and 2-1 in league action. Wisconsin improves to 5-4-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten.

The game-winning goal for the Badgers came in the 98th minute when Alex Alfaro scored his first goal of the season. Alfaro battled in the box, taking the deflection off a Spartan defender and sliding the ball past MSU senior goalkeeper Jimmy Hague. The goal was only the seventh allowed this season by Hague.

SIERAKOWSKI EARNS B1G HONOR
Michigan State senior Ryan Sierakowski was honored on Tuesday as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week. Penn State's Ryan Gallagher picked up Defensive Player of the Week honors.
This is the first career Player of the Week honor for Sierakowski, who is the Spartans leading scorer with 14 points. This is the second B1G Offensive Player of the Week honor for MSU this season as DeJuan Jones earned the honor on Sept. 11.

Sierakowski, a forward from McHenry, Illinois, earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors after scoring the game-winning goal in the Spartans' Big Ten opener against Rutgers, 2-1. He scored two goals in the win against the Scarlet Knights as MSU improved to 7-0-2 overall and 1-0-0 in league play. Sierakowski converted a penalty kick in the 64th minute, while sealing the win in the 80th minute.

CLIMBING THE CHARTS
Senior goalkeeper Jimmy Hague has 23 career clean sheets in the Spartan Green and White, which puts him tied with Avery Steinlage (2008-10) and John Spink (1984, 86-88) for second in the Spartan record books.

AROUND THE BIG TEN
Michigan State is second in the Big Ten in points scored with 71, averaging 6.45 points per game. Indiana is first with 80 for 8.00 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 second in shutouts with five. He is also second in save percentage (.816). Hague is second in goals against average (0.62) behind Indiana's Trey Muse (0.57). Junior midfielder Giuseppe Barone is second in the league in assists with seven in the first 11 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 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.

AROUND THE HORN
Michigan leads the Big Ten with 10 points with a 3-0-1 record. Indiana is second with nine points and a 3-0-0 record. Michigan State, Maryland and Wisconsin are all tied with six points and 2-1-0 marks. Northwestern and Ohio State are both looking for their first conference wins.

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
After the game against Maryland, the Spartans will return to non-conference play, taking on Akron on Tuesday, Oct. 9 at 7 p.m. at DeMartin Stadium.

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Players Mentioned

Giuseppe Barone

Hunter Barone

Connor Corrigan

Jimmy Hague

DeJuan Jones

Farai Mutatu

Ryan Sierakowski