Thursday, August 21
East Lansing, Mich.
5 PM
Michigan State University
vs
UC Riverside
Spartan Men's Soccer Opens Season Against UC Riverside Thursday
8/20/2025 11:02:00 AM | Men's Soccer
This is the first half of a second half of a doubleheader with the MSU women's team.
** Best parking options are Lot 67 and the Kellogg Center **
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State men's soccer will open the 2025 season, hosting UC Riverside on Thursday, Aug. 21 at 5 p.m. at DeMartin Stadium. This is the earliest start to the season for the Spartans. The game is the first half of a doubleheader with the MSU women's team. The women will take on NC State at 7:30 p.m. Thursday is also Welcome Back Students Night.
The Spartans ended the 2024 season with a 5-7-4 record and a 4-4-2 mark in Big Ten action.
Jacob Maurer and Kyle Keegan will be on the call for BTN+
LOOKING AT THE HIGHLANDERS
UC Riverside was picked to finish eighth in the Big West with Cal Poly voted to finish first. The Highlanders have three Big Ten teams on the schedule with Michigan and Northwestern joining MSU.
UCR finished last season with a 5-6-5 overall record and stood 3-2-4 in Big West action.
SERIES HISTORY
Michigan State leads the brief history with UC Riverside, 2-0. The first meeting between the two teams came on Aug. 25, 2006 in Corvallis, Oregon with the Spartans coming out on top 2-1 in overtime. More recently, MSU beat UCR 5-1 in East Lansing on Sept. 3, 2018. In that game, the Spartans had five different goal scorers.
SEASON OPENERS
During Coach Rensing's tenure, the Spartans are 11-2-3 in season openers. Michigan State is 7-2-2 at home to start the season and 4-0-1 on the road.
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 on Tuesday.
The Big Ten preseason poll was also released Tuesday, as voted on by the 11 conference coaches. Perennial favorites Indiana was picked first, while Maryland and Ohio State were voted second and third, respectively. Michigan State was picked to finish to finish seventh.
Kelly, who hails from Holt, Michigan, is the reigning Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year. He is also one of the Spartans' three captains along with senior Josh Adam and junior Will Eby. Last season, he was the first Michigan State athlete to earn B1G Goalkeeper of the Year honors since Jimmy Hague in 2017. Kelly started all 17 games for MSU last season, earning seven shutouts.
Merritt, a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was named a United Soccer Coaches Midfielder to Watch. The midfielder is in his first season with the Spartans after playing two years at Incarnate Word. He played in 16 games in 2024, scoring one goal.
Munson, a sophomore who hails from Spring Hill, Florida, was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team last season. The defender played in 14 games before sustaining a season-ending injury that kept him out of the final two games of the season.
O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!
Ahead of the start of practice on Aug. 5, Michigan State head men's soccer coach Damon Rensing announced the three captains for the 2025 season in Zac Kelly, Josh Adam and Will Eby.
"The 2025 team is in good hands with Josh, Zac, and Will as their captains," Rensing said. "These three possess all the qualities we look for in a captain at MSU soccer. Off the field, they are very good students and represent MSU soccer and MSU athletics with character and class. In training, they are some of our hardest workers. On the field, they are very good communicators and demand high standards for our team. They have also played in big games for MSU Soccer. I am happy for them and the team!"
PRESEASON PLAY
The Spartans played two exhibition games in preparation for the 2025 season. On Aug. 10, Michigan State defeated Butler at DeMartin Stadium, 2-0. On Aug. 15, the Spartans came away with a 2-1 win at UIC.
NEWCOMERS
Michigan State welcomes 12 newcomers to the 2025 team. Eleven of the 12 newcomers played in the Spartans' two exhibitions to start the season. Andrew Darakdjian, a transfer from Oakland, is out for the season after tearing his ACL in the Spring. Against Butler, transfer Miles Merritt had an assist, while Kayden Hudson scored MSU's second goal. In the road win at UIC, freshman Chim Okeke scored both Spartan goals.
GUESS WHO'S BACK?
Despite losing its top two scorers in Jonathan Stout and Sean Kerrigan, Michigan State four of its top seven scorers. Junior forward Richie Ludwig was third in scoring with two points and two assists for six points.
Senior goalkeeper Zac Kelly returns in net for the Spartans. Kelly is the reigning Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year. Last season, he had a 1.14 GAA with six shutouts.
UP NEXT
After the home opener, MSU will hit the road to take on No. 7 Pitt on the road on Monday, Aug. 25
THE STAFF
MSU head coach Damon Rensing enters his 17th season at the helm of the Spartans. Assistant coach T.J. Kolba is in his seventh season, while Nick Barry enters his sixth year at MSU. Reid Friedrichs, who enters his third 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.
This year there is a new face on the Spartan bench in former Spartan Zach Carroll, who was the No. 38 overall pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft by the New York Red Bulls. He earned first-team All-Big honors in 2015.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State men's soccer will open the 2025 season, hosting UC Riverside on Thursday, Aug. 21 at 5 p.m. at DeMartin Stadium. This is the earliest start to the season for the Spartans. The game is the first half of a doubleheader with the MSU women's team. The women will take on NC State at 7:30 p.m. Thursday is also Welcome Back Students Night.
The Spartans ended the 2024 season with a 5-7-4 record and a 4-4-2 mark in Big Ten action.
Jacob Maurer and Kyle Keegan will be on the call for BTN+
LOOKING AT THE HIGHLANDERS
UC Riverside was picked to finish eighth in the Big West with Cal Poly voted to finish first. The Highlanders have three Big Ten teams on the schedule with Michigan and Northwestern joining MSU.
UCR finished last season with a 5-6-5 overall record and stood 3-2-4 in Big West action.
SERIES HISTORY
Michigan State leads the brief history with UC Riverside, 2-0. The first meeting between the two teams came on Aug. 25, 2006 in Corvallis, Oregon with the Spartans coming out on top 2-1 in overtime. More recently, MSU beat UCR 5-1 in East Lansing on Sept. 3, 2018. In that game, the Spartans had five different goal scorers.
SEASON OPENERS
During Coach Rensing's tenure, the Spartans are 11-2-3 in season openers. Michigan State is 7-2-2 at home to start the season and 4-0-1 on the road.
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 on Tuesday.
The Big Ten preseason poll was also released Tuesday, as voted on by the 11 conference coaches. Perennial favorites Indiana was picked first, while Maryland and Ohio State were voted second and third, respectively. Michigan State was picked to finish to finish seventh.
Kelly, who hails from Holt, Michigan, is the reigning Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year. He is also one of the Spartans' three captains along with senior Josh Adam and junior Will Eby. Last season, he was the first Michigan State athlete to earn B1G Goalkeeper of the Year honors since Jimmy Hague in 2017. Kelly started all 17 games for MSU last season, earning seven shutouts.
Merritt, a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was named a United Soccer Coaches Midfielder to Watch. The midfielder is in his first season with the Spartans after playing two years at Incarnate Word. He played in 16 games in 2024, scoring one goal.
Munson, a sophomore who hails from Spring Hill, Florida, was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team last season. The defender played in 14 games before sustaining a season-ending injury that kept him out of the final two games of the season.
O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!
Ahead of the start of practice on Aug. 5, Michigan State head men's soccer coach Damon Rensing announced the three captains for the 2025 season in Zac Kelly, Josh Adam and Will Eby.
"The 2025 team is in good hands with Josh, Zac, and Will as their captains," Rensing said. "These three possess all the qualities we look for in a captain at MSU soccer. Off the field, they are very good students and represent MSU soccer and MSU athletics with character and class. In training, they are some of our hardest workers. On the field, they are very good communicators and demand high standards for our team. They have also played in big games for MSU Soccer. I am happy for them and the team!"
PRESEASON PLAY
The Spartans played two exhibition games in preparation for the 2025 season. On Aug. 10, Michigan State defeated Butler at DeMartin Stadium, 2-0. On Aug. 15, the Spartans came away with a 2-1 win at UIC.
NEWCOMERS
Michigan State welcomes 12 newcomers to the 2025 team. Eleven of the 12 newcomers played in the Spartans' two exhibitions to start the season. Andrew Darakdjian, a transfer from Oakland, is out for the season after tearing his ACL in the Spring. Against Butler, transfer Miles Merritt had an assist, while Kayden Hudson scored MSU's second goal. In the road win at UIC, freshman Chim Okeke scored both Spartan goals.
GUESS WHO'S BACK?
Despite losing its top two scorers in Jonathan Stout and Sean Kerrigan, Michigan State four of its top seven scorers. Junior forward Richie Ludwig was third in scoring with two points and two assists for six points.
Senior goalkeeper Zac Kelly returns in net for the Spartans. Kelly is the reigning Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year. Last season, he had a 1.14 GAA with six shutouts.
UP NEXT
After the home opener, MSU will hit the road to take on No. 7 Pitt on the road on Monday, Aug. 25
THE STAFF
MSU head coach Damon Rensing enters his 17th season at the helm of the Spartans. Assistant coach T.J. Kolba is in his seventh season, while Nick Barry enters his sixth year at MSU. Reid Friedrichs, who enters his third 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.
This year there is a new face on the Spartan bench in former Spartan Zach Carroll, who was the No. 38 overall pick in the 2016 MLS SuperDraft by the New York Red Bulls. He earned first-team All-Big honors in 2015.
Players Mentioned
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