Spartan Soccer Opens Big Ten Action at Rutgers Sunday

Michigan State Rutgers

2023 Record	4-0-1, 0-0 B1G	2-3-1, 0-0 B1G
2022 Record	6-9-2, 3-4-1 B1G	8-7-2, 4-2-2 ACC
Head Coach	Damon Rensing	Jim McElderry
Career Record	140-103-38(15th)	159-151-60 (21st)
at Current School	Same	32-26-13 (5th)

EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State concludes its two-game road trip, opening Big Ten action against Rutgers on Sunday, Sept. 17 at 2 p.m. at Yurcak Field.

The Spartans remain hot, improving to 4-0-1 after a 1-0 win at No. 10 Notre Dame on Sept. 12 on the road. MSU is off to its best start since opening the 2018 season 8-0-2. Rutgers improved to 2-3-1 after a 2-0 win against Columbia on Sept. 13.

Kristian Dyer and Dom Savino will be on the broadcast for the B1G+.

BIG TEN OPENER
MSU opens Big Ten action at Rutgers on Sept. 17. The Spartans are 6-1-3 in their last 10 Big Ten openers. Last season, MSU tied No. 16 Indiana to open league play. In 2021, MSU tied Wisconsin 1-1 in Madison.

Prior to the last two seasons, Michigan State had begun B1G action against RU for five-straight seasons, going 4-1-0 during that span.

LOOKING AT THE SCARLET KNIGHTS
Michigan State leads the overall series with Rutgers, holding an overall record of 7-1-1. The Scarlet Knights only win came in the COVID-19 shortened season, coming out on top 2-0. MSU stands 4-0-0 against RU in Piscataway. The Spartans have won the last two meetings, including a thrilling 2-1 overtime battle in New Jersey in 2021.

Last season, Michigan State came out on top 4-3 in East Lansing on Oct. 16, 2022. It was a coming out party for then-freshman Jonathan Stout who record two goals and two assists in the win.

Rutgers currently stands 2-3-1 this season and is 2-0-1 at home. After a 4-0 loss to UCLA in Los Angeles on Sept. 9, the Scarlet Knight responded nicely with a 2-0 win against Columbia on Sept. 13. Jackson Temple and Luciano Sanchez provided the offense in the win. RU also has a home win against Saint Peter's on Sept. 4.

Temple leads the team in scoring with two goals and two assists for six points. Sanchez is second with two goals and one assist for five points. Two different Scarlet Knights have spent time in net this season with Ciaran Dalton playing in five games, allowing 11 goals for a 2.20 GAA. Aurie Briscoe recorded a shutout in the 2-0 win against Saint Peter's.

NOTRE DAME BY THE NUMBERS
The win over Notre Dame 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.

SPREADING THE WEALTH
Michigan State has scored eight goals this season and they have been scored by seven different people. Junior midfielder Sean Kerrigan leads the team in scoring with two goals for four points. Sophomore Josh Mason and Jeremy Sharp are tied for second in scoring with three points each.

CLEAN SHEETS
Redshirt-sophomore goalkeeper Zac 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.

Kelly collected his second shutout of the season against Dayton on Sept. 7 and added his third the next game against No. 10 Notre Dame. Kelly stands tied for 10th in the NCAA with a 0.40 GAA.

OFF TO A FAST START
The Spartans are off to their best start since the 2018 season when MSU began 8-0-2.

PUTTING IN THE MINUTES
Eight different Spartans have started all five games this season for Michigan State, including Zac Kelly, Jeremy Sharp and Will Eby who have all played all 450 minutes this season. Jake Spadafora, Jonathan Stout, Cristiano Bruletti, Jack Zugay and Jacob Cromer have also started all five games.

GETTING HIS FLOWERS
Michigan State redshirt-sophomore goalkeeper Zac Kelly was named Big Ten Men's Soccer Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 12.

Kelly, who hails from Holt, Michigan, earned the Spartans' first Player of the Week honor of the 2023 season after MSU went 1-0-1 last week. The goalkeeper allowed only one goal in two games last week which was a penalty kick versus Villanova on Sept. 4. Against the Wildcats he recorded three saves.

In MSU's 1-0 win against Dayton on Sept. 7, Kelly captured his second clean sheet of the season, making two saves. For the week, he registered five saves, playing all 180 minutes.

LAST TIME OUT
Behind a stalwart defense and timely scoring, Michigan State men's soccer captured a 1-0 upset of No. 10 Notre Dame on Tuesday night at Alumni Stadium.

Both teams had early chances, but were not able to find the back of the net in the first 15 minutes. In the 19th minute the reigning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week, Zac Kelly corralled a blast by Notre Dame's Eno Nto to keep the score 0-0.

Michigan State took the lead in the 35th minute with what would be the only goal of the game. Sophomore midfielder Jack Guggemos took a deflection off a Notre Dame defender and found junior midfielder Sean Kerrigan, who slipped the ball to the lower left corner past UND goalkeeper Bryan Dowd. The goal was Kerrigan's second in as many games.

AROUND THE B1G
Michigan State is first in the Big Ten in fewest goals allowed with two. The Spartans are also third in points scored with 23, behind eight goals and seven assists.
Redshirt-sophomore goalkeeper Zac Kelly is first in the Big Ten with an 0.40 goals against average and third with 3.20 saves per game.

Sophomore defender Jeremy Sharp is fourth in the league in assists with three, while also standing ninth in shots with 2.20 shots per game.

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.

PRESEASON
The season opener was the Spartans first home game of the season, as MSU's two exhibitions were on the road. Michigan State tied Purdue Fort Wayne, 2-2 in its first game. Against No. 5 Pitt, the Spartans fell just short, 4-3.

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
The Spartans will now turn their attention to Big Ten action, traveling to Rutgers on Sunday, Sept. 17 at 2 p.m.

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.

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Cristiano Bruletti

Jacob Cromer

Will Eby

Jack Guggemos

Zac Kelly

Sean Kerrigan

Josh Mason

Greyson Mercer

Jeremy Sharp

Jake Spadafora

Jonathan Stout

Jack Zugay