Wednesday, March 31
East Lansing, Mich.
2 PM
Michigan State University
3-6-0, 3-6-0
4
vs
1
Wisconsin
1-7-1, 1-7-1
1
2
F
Wisconsin
1
0
1
Michigan St.
3
1
4
Team Stats
WIS
MSU
Goals
1
4
Shots
6
13
Shots on Goal
3
7
Saves
3
1
Corners
4
3
Fouls
12
12
Scoring Plays
Olu Ogunwale (1)
Blast to lower rt corner
07:33
Andrew Akindele (3)
Assisted By: Henri Tophoven
Off free kick to lower rt corner
17:00
Jack Zugay (1)
Assisted By: Olu Ogunwale
GOAL by MSU Zugay, Jack Assist by Ogunwale, Olu.
26:04
Will Perkins
MSU Will Perkins PENALTY KICK GOAL.
40:18
Louis Sala (1)
Deep shot from to lower left corner
84:33
Game Leaders
Players
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
1
mid
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
mid
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Players Mentioned
GK
/ Men's Soccer
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/ Men's Soccer
Spartan Offense Explodes for 4-1 Win Over Wisconsin on Senior Day
3/31/2021 6:55:00 PM | Men's Soccer
Michigan State celebrated lone senior Isiah Handspike before the game.
EAST LANSING, Mich. – With a spot in the Big Ten Tournament on the line, the Michigan State men's soccer team exploded for a demonstrative 4-1 win over Wisconsin on Senior Day at DeMartin Stadium.
The Spartans improve to 3-6 this season, snapping a three-game losing streak. Wisconsin falls to 1-7-1 with the loss.
"We had a tough stretch going into these games with some good teams that have played really well and didn't have a lot to show for it in the result column, and I thought our guys were rewarded today. They played really well as a group, we started off with a good tempo and tone right from the start and got an early goal," MSU head coach Damon Rensing said. "We responded well to their goal, and that's always what you want to see."
All four of the Spartan goals were scored by different players, with all four being their first goals of the season, and three of them netted their first goals of their MSU careers in Jack Zugay, Will Perkins and Louis Sala.
"We got some good minutes and a lot of good plays from guys, and some guys scored their first MSU goal in Will (Perkins), (Jack) Zugay and (Louis) Sala," Rensing said. "It was so cool to see Isiah Handspike get in the game at the end and catch that cross to end Senior Day in front of his parents and family, he's been great, and he's just such a good team player."
Michigan State wasted no time getting on the board in the eighth minute when junior midfielder Olu Ogunwale raced up the left side with a slicing shot to the lower right corner, giving the Spartans a 1-0 lead.
Less than 10 minutes later, the Badgers found the equalizer. After a Spartan foul, Henri Tophoven's free kick found Andrew Akindele for his third goal of the season.
In the 27th minute, Michigan State scored what would be the game-winning goal. After a Ogunwale shot was blocked, he collected the ball and delivered to the freshman midfielder Jack Zugay. His close-range shot put the Spartans up 2-1. Before the half ended, Perkins converted a penalty kick to give MSU the 3-1 advantage.
The Spartans continued to apply pressure for much of the second half. In the 84th minute, junior midfielder Louis Sala put the icing on the cake with a deep direct kick that bent past Wisconsin goalkeeper Carter Abbott.
For the game, MSU out-shot Wisconsin, 13-6.
Prior of the game, MSU celebrated its lone senior Isiah Handspike is the lone senior on this year's Spartan roster, and he was recognized before the game, as well as getting in the last few minutes of the match, thwarting a late Wisconsin threat on a corner by snaring the cross. Handspike's effort throughout his time as a Spartan was not lost on head coach or his teammates.
"Isiah came to us from Spring Arbor, but he grew up in DeWitt, so I think he's always been a Michigan State guy and his parents work at the University," Rensing said. "You can see people who have an impact on the program when they play a lot, you can see how Farai (Mutatu) impacts the team, you can see how Nick Stone or Jack Beck or leaders like Michael Miller do, but it's sometimes harder to see the impact that someone like Isiah has, who doesn't play on the field all the time, but he has got such a good, calming influence, he puts a lot of hard work in and the players respect his hard work and effort and his abilities, and his role, and he's willing to do that. I'm so happy for him, and I know he'll be successful in life, for sure."
Michigan State will conclude the regular season at Ohio State on Sunday, April 4 at 2 p.m.
The Spartans improve to 3-6 this season, snapping a three-game losing streak. Wisconsin falls to 1-7-1 with the loss.
"We had a tough stretch going into these games with some good teams that have played really well and didn't have a lot to show for it in the result column, and I thought our guys were rewarded today. They played really well as a group, we started off with a good tempo and tone right from the start and got an early goal," MSU head coach Damon Rensing said. "We responded well to their goal, and that's always what you want to see."
All four of the Spartan goals were scored by different players, with all four being their first goals of the season, and three of them netted their first goals of their MSU careers in Jack Zugay, Will Perkins and Louis Sala.
"We got some good minutes and a lot of good plays from guys, and some guys scored their first MSU goal in Will (Perkins), (Jack) Zugay and (Louis) Sala," Rensing said. "It was so cool to see Isiah Handspike get in the game at the end and catch that cross to end Senior Day in front of his parents and family, he's been great, and he's just such a good team player."
Michigan State wasted no time getting on the board in the eighth minute when junior midfielder Olu Ogunwale raced up the left side with a slicing shot to the lower right corner, giving the Spartans a 1-0 lead.
Less than 10 minutes later, the Badgers found the equalizer. After a Spartan foul, Henri Tophoven's free kick found Andrew Akindele for his third goal of the season.
In the 27th minute, Michigan State scored what would be the game-winning goal. After a Ogunwale shot was blocked, he collected the ball and delivered to the freshman midfielder Jack Zugay. His close-range shot put the Spartans up 2-1. Before the half ended, Perkins converted a penalty kick to give MSU the 3-1 advantage.
The Spartans continued to apply pressure for much of the second half. In the 84th minute, junior midfielder Louis Sala put the icing on the cake with a deep direct kick that bent past Wisconsin goalkeeper Carter Abbott.
For the game, MSU out-shot Wisconsin, 13-6.
Prior of the game, MSU celebrated its lone senior Isiah Handspike is the lone senior on this year's Spartan roster, and he was recognized before the game, as well as getting in the last few minutes of the match, thwarting a late Wisconsin threat on a corner by snaring the cross. Handspike's effort throughout his time as a Spartan was not lost on head coach or his teammates.
"Isiah came to us from Spring Arbor, but he grew up in DeWitt, so I think he's always been a Michigan State guy and his parents work at the University," Rensing said. "You can see people who have an impact on the program when they play a lot, you can see how Farai (Mutatu) impacts the team, you can see how Nick Stone or Jack Beck or leaders like Michael Miller do, but it's sometimes harder to see the impact that someone like Isiah has, who doesn't play on the field all the time, but he has got such a good, calming influence, he puts a lot of hard work in and the players respect his hard work and effort and his abilities, and his role, and he's willing to do that. I'm so happy for him, and I know he'll be successful in life, for sure."
Michigan State will conclude the regular season at Ohio State on Sunday, April 4 at 2 p.m.
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