No. 23 MSU Men's Soccer Travels to Wisconsin Friday

EAST LANSING, Mich. - After three-straight home games, the No. 22/23 Michigan State men's soccer team hits the road for a pair of games. MSU will travel to Wisconsin on Friday, Oct. 6 at 8 p.m. ET. MSU will remain on the road to Battle for the Big Bear Trophy against Michigan on Tuesday, Oct. 10.

The Spartans remain unbeaten with a 5-0-4 overall record. Last time out, MSU tied No. 25 Penn State, 0-0, on Oct. 1. MSU is off to its best start since opening the 2018 season 8-0-2, but has three of its last four games. Wisconsin is 4-2-4 overall and 1-0-3 in league contests after tying Michigan on the road on Oct. 1.

BACK IN THE POLLS
Michigan State returns to the polls for the first time since Sept. 3, 2019 when the Spartans were ranked No. 16 in the United Soccer Coaches poll. Last week MSU was up to No. 12 in the TopDrawer Soccer Poll and No. 13 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. After a pair of ties last week, MSU is No. 22 in the TDS poll and No. 23 in the USC poll.

LOOKING AT THE BADGERS
Wisconsin holds the overall series lead with Michigan State 24-15-7, including leading 13-6-3 in Madison. The Spartans are unbeaten in their last four games, winning three of the last four. The teams battled to a 1-1 double overtime tie in 2021 on the road.

On Oct. 2, 2022, the Spartans picked up the Alumni Day win, 1-0. Michigan State picked up its second-straight shutout with the victory. Senior midfielder Louis Sala provided the only offense in the game in the 44th minute.

The Badgers are just ahead of the Spartans in the Big Ten standings with six points, compared to MSU's five points. UW is 1-1-3 in its last five games, including tying Michigan in Ann Arbor, 1-1, on Oct. 1.

Wisconsin's Mitchell Dryden is tied for fourth in the Big Ten in game-winning goals with two. Nate Crockford stands fourth in the league in goals against average (0.80) just be MSU's Zac Kelly. Crockford has started all 10 games this season, allowing only eight goals.

DO YOU REMEMBER THE MONTH OF SEPTEMBER
Michigan State did not suffer a setback in the month of September. MSU was 4-0-3 in September after going 1-0 in August. Junior midfielder Sean Kerrigan led the way with six points in September off of three goals. He had the game-winning goal in three of MSU's four games.

GETTING IN THE LINEUP
After the game against Penn State on Oct. 1, five different Spartans have started all nine games this season for Michigan State, including Zac Kelly, Will Eby, Jonathan Stout, Jack Zugay and Jacob Cromer. Eleven Spartans have played in every game this season.

PLAYING IN FRONT OF THE FOLKS
Junior midfielder Sean Kerrigan has his parents in the stands for a big win against Indiana. The Sligo, Ireland native scored the game-winning goal with a penalty kick against Indiana in front of his parents on Sept. 22.

BEST OF THE BEST
Michigan State is 11th in the country in save percentage (.842). Redshirt-sophomore goalkeeper Zac Kelly is 10th in the nation in goals against average (0.67). Junior midfielder Sean Kerrigan is also among the nation's best, standing seventh in the nation and first in the Big Ten in game-winning goals with three.

NO SOPHOMORE SLUMP
Reigning Co-Big Ten Freshman of the Year Jonathan Stout and Jake Spadafora, who was a member of the Big Ten All-Freshman team are showing no signs of a sophomore slump. Stout scored the game-tying goal against Oakland in the 88th minute on Sept. 26. Overall, he has two goals for four points. Spadafora also has two goals this season, including on against Oakland on Sept. 26.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
Michigan State has scored 13 goals this season, and they have been scored by eight different people. Junior midfielder Sean Kerrigan leads the team with three goals scored, while freshman defender Will Eby and sophomore forwards Jake Spadafora and Jonathan Stout all have two goals for four points.

DURING THE DAY
Michigan State is still looking for its first win during the day. The Spartans are 0-0-3 during the day so far this season.

UNDER THE LIGHTS
The Spartans have not shied from the bright lights this season. MSU is 5-0-1 so far in night games, including its 2-2 tie against Oakland on Sept. 26.

KEEPING IT CLEAN
Redshirt-sophomore goalkeeper Zac Kelly now has four shutouts this season, which is the most since Jimmy Hague and the Spartans recorded nine clean sheets in 2018.

Kelly started his first collegiate game against Bowling Green on Aug. 28. He captured his first complete game and clean sheet in MSU's 3-0 win over the Falcons.

He collected his second shutout of the season against Dayton on Sept. 7 and added his third the next game against No. 10 Notre Dame. He earned his first Big Ten shutout against No. 25 Penn State on Oct. 1.

REGIONAL RANKINGS
After being atop the United Soccer Coaches North Region rankings last week, Michigan State has fallen to No. 4 this week after a pair of ties last week. Northwestern has now taken the top spot with an 8-0-2 record.

ADDING ON THE WINS
After finishing last season 6-9-2, the Spartans are now just one wins away from tying last season's win total. So far, MSU stands 5-0-3.

NOTRE DAME BY THE NUMBERS
The win over Notre Dame on Sept. 12 was MSU's first win over a top-10 since beating No. 8 Notre Dame in South Bend, 1-0, in 2018.

This was the sixth-straight meeting between the Spartans and Fighting Irish that had a one-goal differential. Michigan State has either beaten or tied a Notre Dame squad that was ranked in the top 12 in four of its last five trips to South Bend, going unbeaten in all five, tying No. 5 UND in 2014, before winning over No. 12 UND in 2016, No. 8 UND in 2018 and Tuesday's win over the No. 10 Fighting Irish, with a win over unranked Notre Dame in 2021.

AROUND THE B1G
Michigan State is third the Big Ten in fewest goals allowed with eight (0.67 gpg) behind Indiana and Penn State. The Spartans are also fourth in points scored with 35, behind 13 goals and nine assists.

Redshirt-sophomore goalkeeper Zac Kelly is third in the Big Ten with a 0.67 goals against average and second with 3.56 saves per game.

Junior midfielder Sean Kerrigan is still tied for first in the league in game-winning goals with three. Sophomores Jack Guggemos and Jeremy Sharp are tied for third in assists with three each.

ZAC ATTACK
Michigan State redshirt-sophomore goalkeeper Zac Kelly was named Big Ten Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 18. Kelly is the first Spartan to capture back-to-back Big Ten honors.

Kelly, who hails from Holt, Michigan, earned his third clean sheet of the season after a 1-0 win over No. 10 Notre Dame on the road on Sept. 12. He collected four saves in the big win over the Irish. Kelly finished out the week with a 1-1 tie on the road against Rutgers on Sept. 17. He tied his season high with five saves against the Scarlet Knights.

Prior to last week, Michigan State's last Big Defensive Player of the Week honor was on Oct. 4, 2022 when goalkeeper Owen Finnerty earned the honor. The last Offensive Player of the Week honor went to Farai Mutatu on Sept. 21, 2021.

LAST TIME OUT
No. 12/13 Michigan State men's soccer battled to a scoreless draw with No. –/25 Penn State Sunday afternoon in a Big Ten Conference clash at a sun-drenched DeMartin Stadium.

The MSU-PSU men's contest was the second half of a doubleheader, following the Spartan and Nittany Lion women's teams playing earlier Sunday afternoon, with Penn State winning, 3-1.

Sunday's tie keeps Michigan State men's squad unbeaten overall at 5-0-4 overall and 1-0-2 in B1G action, while Penn State is 6-1-3 overall and 2-0-1 in conference action.

The draw also keeps the Spartans unbeaten at home this season, now 3-0-2. Sunday was MSU's third match during the day and the Green & White have tied in all three.

Penn State had a 12-6 advantage in shots, including five on goal, but redshirt-sophomore keeper Zac Kelly made five saves on the day. Kelly's five saves on the day matched his season-high for the second time in the last three matches and the third time overall. He also collected his fourth clean sheet of the season.

PRESEASON HONORS
Michigan State men's soccer team had three players named to the Big Ten Players to Watch List, as announced by the conference office.

Senior forward Greyson Mercer along with sophomore forwards Jake Spadafora and Jonathan Stout were all honored by the league.

NEWCOMERS
The Spartans welcome eight new players to the 2023 roster with six freshmen and two transfers. Junior midfielder Sean Kerrigan comes to MSU from Mercyhurst. Sophomore midfielder Cristiano Bruletti is a transfer from South Carolina. Kerrigan, Bruletti and Ludwig trained with the team during the spring season for extra experience.

OLDTIMERS
Michigan State brings back its top two scorers in sophomore Jonathan Stout and senior Greyson Mercer. Stout led the team in scoring with four goals and four assists for 12 points, while Mercer was second with four goals and two assists for 10 points.

UP NEXT
Michigan State conclude its two game road trip with the annual Battle for the Big Bear at Michigan on Oct. 10. The Spartans will then return home to take on Maryland on Oct. 15.

THE STAFF
MSU head coach Damon Rensing enters his 15th season at the helm of the Spartans. Assistant coaches T.J. Kolba and Nick Barry also return to the bench in 2023. New to the MSU staff this season is Reid Friedrichs, who enters his first year with Michigan State. Friedrichs has plenty of experience in the Green and White as a player, including Big Ten Player of the Year honors in 1996.

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Players Mentioned

Cristiano Bruletti

Jacob Cromer

Will Eby

Owen Finnerty

Jack Guggemos

Zac Kelly

Sean Kerrigan

Greyson Mercer

Louis Sala

Jeremy Sharp

Jake Spadafora

Jonathan Stout

Jack Zugay