Michigan State University Athletics
Beck, Mercer and Perkins Named Preseason Big Ten Men’s Soccer Players to Watch
8/22/2022 12:02:00 PM | Men's Soccer
MSU was picked sixth in B1G preseason poll.
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State men's soccer team had three players named to the Big Ten Players to Watch list on Monday, as announced by the conference office.
Graduate midfielder Jack Beck, redshirt-senior defender Will Perkins and junior forward Grayson Mercer were all honored by the league.
The Big Ten preseason poll was also released Monday, as voted on by the nine league coaches. MSU was voted to pick sixth, while reigning Big Ten Tournament champion, Penn State, was voted to finish first. Indiana was voted to finish second, with Maryland taking the third position.
Beck, a native of DeWitt, Michigan, is a two-time All-Big Ten selection for the Spartans, earning first-team honors last season. He was second on the team in scoring in 2021 with nine points. Beck ended last season third in the Big Ten in assists with seven.
Perkins, a Detroit, Michigan native, returns for his fifth season with Michigan State. He started all 17 games last season. Also in 2021, Perkins was fourth on the team in scoring with two goals and two assists for six points.
Mercer, who hails from Heber City, Utah, enters his third season with the Spartans. He has played in 13 games over the last two seasons with four starts.
The Spartans return captains and seniors Beck, Perkins and Louis Sala. The 2021 MSU team finished the season with a 6-9-2 overall record and were 2-4-2 in Big Ten action.
Michigan State opens the regular season against Army on Friday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. at DeMartin Stadium.
2022 BIG TEN MEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL
1. Penn State
2. Indiana
3. Maryland
4. Michigan
5. Rutgers
6. Michigan State
7. Northwestern
8. Wisconsin
9. Ohio State
2022 BIG TEN MEN'S SOCCER PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST
Herbert Endeley, Sr., M, Indiana
Daniel Munie, RS-Sr., D, Indiana
Ryan Wittenbrink, RS-Sr., M, Indiana
Josh Bolma, RS-So., F, Maryland
Malcolm Johnston, Sr., M, Maryland
Niklas Neumann, Sr., GK, Maryland
Bryce Blevins, Jr., M, Michigan
Kevin Buca, Grad., M, Michigan
Iñaki Rodriguez, Sr., M, Michigan
Jack Beck, Grad., M, Michigan State
Greyson Mercer, Jr., F, Michigan State
Will Perkins, RS-Sr., D, Michigan State
Vicente Castro, Sr., M, Northwestern
Ethan Dudley, Grad., D, Northwestern
Justin Weiss, Jr., F, Northwestern
Xavier Green, Sr., M, Ohio State
Laurence Wootton, Jr., M, Ohio State
Deylen Vellios, Jr., D, Ohio State
Obafemi Awodesu, Jr., D, Penn State
Seth Kuhn, Grad., M, Penn State
Peter Mangione, Jr., F, Penn State
Matt Acosta, So., M, Rutgers
MD Myers, Sr., F, Rutgers
Jackson Temple, Sr., F, Rutgers
Tim Bielic, Jr., M, Wisconsin
Inaki Iribarren, Sr., M, Wisconsin
Ignasi Marques, Sr., M, Wisconsin
Graduate midfielder Jack Beck, redshirt-senior defender Will Perkins and junior forward Grayson Mercer were all honored by the league.
The Big Ten preseason poll was also released Monday, as voted on by the nine league coaches. MSU was voted to pick sixth, while reigning Big Ten Tournament champion, Penn State, was voted to finish first. Indiana was voted to finish second, with Maryland taking the third position.
Beck, a native of DeWitt, Michigan, is a two-time All-Big Ten selection for the Spartans, earning first-team honors last season. He was second on the team in scoring in 2021 with nine points. Beck ended last season third in the Big Ten in assists with seven.
Perkins, a Detroit, Michigan native, returns for his fifth season with Michigan State. He started all 17 games last season. Also in 2021, Perkins was fourth on the team in scoring with two goals and two assists for six points.
Mercer, who hails from Heber City, Utah, enters his third season with the Spartans. He has played in 13 games over the last two seasons with four starts.
The Spartans return captains and seniors Beck, Perkins and Louis Sala. The 2021 MSU team finished the season with a 6-9-2 overall record and were 2-4-2 in Big Ten action.
Michigan State opens the regular season against Army on Friday, Aug. 29 at 7 p.m. at DeMartin Stadium.
2022 BIG TEN MEN'S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL
1. Penn State
2. Indiana
3. Maryland
4. Michigan
5. Rutgers
6. Michigan State
7. Northwestern
8. Wisconsin
9. Ohio State
2022 BIG TEN MEN'S SOCCER PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST
Herbert Endeley, Sr., M, Indiana
Daniel Munie, RS-Sr., D, Indiana
Ryan Wittenbrink, RS-Sr., M, Indiana
Josh Bolma, RS-So., F, Maryland
Malcolm Johnston, Sr., M, Maryland
Niklas Neumann, Sr., GK, Maryland
Bryce Blevins, Jr., M, Michigan
Kevin Buca, Grad., M, Michigan
Iñaki Rodriguez, Sr., M, Michigan
Jack Beck, Grad., M, Michigan State
Greyson Mercer, Jr., F, Michigan State
Will Perkins, RS-Sr., D, Michigan State
Vicente Castro, Sr., M, Northwestern
Ethan Dudley, Grad., D, Northwestern
Justin Weiss, Jr., F, Northwestern
Xavier Green, Sr., M, Ohio State
Laurence Wootton, Jr., M, Ohio State
Deylen Vellios, Jr., D, Ohio State
Obafemi Awodesu, Jr., D, Penn State
Seth Kuhn, Grad., M, Penn State
Peter Mangione, Jr., F, Penn State
Matt Acosta, So., M, Rutgers
MD Myers, Sr., F, Rutgers
Jackson Temple, Sr., F, Rutgers
Tim Bielic, Jr., M, Wisconsin
Inaki Iribarren, Sr., M, Wisconsin
Ignasi Marques, Sr., M, Wisconsin
Players Mentioned
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