Soccer Hosts Penn State Saturday
10/13/2017 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 6 Michigan State men's soccer finally returns home after a season-long three game road trip. The Spartans return to the friendly confines of DeMartin Stadium to take on Penn State on Saturday, Oct. 14 at 3 p.m. It is the first half of a doubleheader with the MSU women's team who takes on Michigan at 6 p.m. During the road stretch MSU went 1-1-1.
MSU Notes vs. Penn StatePenn State NotesWatch Live
In their last outing, the Spartans suffered only their second loss of the season, falling to West Virginia, 1-0. MSU is now 9-2-2 overall and 3-0-2 in B1G action. Penn State is 2-8-2 overall and 0-5-0 in Big Ten play.
If available, live video and live stats links will be at www.msuspartans.com.
SCOUTING REPORT: PENN STATE
Penn State comes into East Lansing with a 2-8-2 overall mark and a 0-5-0 record in Big Ten play. The Nittany Lions have lost five-straight games, including two tough overtime games. PSU's conference schedule includes losses to Maryland (No. 3), Michigan (No. 20) and Indiana (No. 1) when all three teams were ranked.
Evan Finney and Josh Levine have split time in goal. Levine has started the last four games in net, allowing six goals in four games for a 1.61 GAA. He and Evan Finney have both made 31 saves. Finney played in nine games allowing 12 goals for a 1.30 GAA.
Offensively, Penn State is led by a trio of Nittany Lions. Ethan Beckford and Aaron Molloy both have two goals for four points. Christian Sload has one goal and two assists for four points.
SPARTANS-NITTANY LIONS SERIES
The Spartans and the Nittany Lions have a long history with Penn State leading the overall series 22-14-2. In East Lansing, the Nittany Lions lead 6-8-2. Michigan State has won four of the last six meetings.
Last season the teams met twice splitting the two meetings. Penn State won at home, 1-0, while Michigan State captured the win in the Big Ten Tournament in East Lansing, 2-1. Behind impressive goals from Jimmy Fiscus and Giuseppe Barone, fourth-seeded and No. 15 ranked Michigan State men's soccer knocked off fifth-seeded Penn State, 2-1, in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Last season's B1G Tournament game was the first ever at DeMartin Stadium.
DID YOU KNOW?
The Spartans 3-0-2 Big Ten start is their best ever. In 2016 and 2008, Michigan State started league play 3-1. The most Big Ten games MSU has ever won was five in both 2016 and 2008.
LOADED SCHEDULE
Michigan State has reached a loaded portion of its schedule. Western Michigan was the sixth-straight ranked team that the Spartans have faced, taking on No. 16 Ohio State, No. 25 Akron, No. 19 Bowling Green, No. 18 Michigan and No. 3 Maryland. MSU is 4-1-1 against ranked squads.
NEARING A MILESTONE
MSU head coach Damon Rensing is nearing a coaching milestone. With the win against Michigan, the Spartan leader is just three wins away from 100 career wins. Overall. He is 99-60-24 at MSU.
RPI TIME
In the second RPI rankings of the season, Michigan State still stands No. 1. The Spartans tough schedule included six-straight games against ranked teams before taking on Wisconsin last week. MSU is one of three teams B1G ranked in the top 10 along with eighth-ranked Maryland and 10th-ranked Indiana.
CLIMBING THE CHARTS
With six goals so far this season, junior forward DeJuan Jones is now just three from tying forward Ryan Sierakowski's mark of nine goals of last season. The last Spartan to reach double-figures in goals scored was Domenic Barone, brother of Hunter and Giuseppe, who scored 10 in 2010.
Joe Baum: HALL OF FAMER
Former MSU soccer head coach and player Joe Baum was inducted into the MSU Hall of Fame on Thursday, Sept. 29.
Baum was a part of Michigan State soccer as a player, assistant coach and head coach for a combined 39 seasons. As a goalkeeper, he led MSU to back-to-back co-national championships. Later, he served as the head coach of the men's program for 32 years and the women's program for five years, compiling a combined 389 victories. Baum established himself as one of the titans of college soccer during his tenure with the Spartan men's team. He finished his career with 320 victories, becoming just the second coach in Big Ten history to reach the 300-win plateau.
FANS IN THE STANDS
The Spartans are fifth in the nation in attendance, averaging 2,626 fans per home game. Three Big Ten teams are ranked in the top 10 in the nation with Maryland standing No. 1 (4,323), while Indiana is sixth (2,561).
For the second-time this season, Michigan State topped its DeMartin Stadium attendance record when 4,678 fans packed the stadium and a standing room only crowd watched MSU battle to a 0-0 double overtime tie against Maryland on Sept. 22. In the first night game of the season on Sept. 1, 3,515 fans filled DeMartin. The previous high was 3,175 last season when MSU defeated Michigan on Sept. 18, 2016.
DEFENDING DEMARTIN
Due in part to the amazing student section known as the Red Cedar Rowdies, Michigan State is an impressive 13-0-3 in its last 16 games at DeMartin Stadium. Last season, MSU set a school-record with most wins at home going 9-0-2. In 2017, the Spartans are already 3-0-1 at home. MSU defeated No. 16 Ohio State in Big Ten action on October 1.
AMONG THE NATION'S BEST
Michigan State is among the nation's best in the latest NCAA statistics. MSU is sixth in the nation in shutout percentage (.615) and is 11th in team goals against average (0.59). Redshirt-junior goalkeeper Jimmy Hague is second in the nation in shutouts with eight and 13th in goals against average (0.59). Junior forward DeJuan Jones and junior forward Ryan Sierakwoski are 13th in game-winning goals with three.
CLOSE CALLS
In 13 games this season, the Spartans are 8-1 in games decided by one goal. Michigan State has won six 1-0 games and defeated Rutgers, 2-1 on Sept. 8. Last season, the Spartans were an exceptional 10-3 in one-goal games, including four wins in 1-0 decisions.
BIG TIME, BIG TEN
This week the Spartans are No. 6 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll. This week, there are three Big Ten teams ranked in the top 6 with Indiana standing No. 1, while Maryland remains No. 3. Future opponent Notre Dame is No. 7 this week. The mitten state is well represented as Western Michigan is No. 13, while Michigan stands No. 24 this week.
In the latest Top Drawer Soccer poll, Michigan State is currently No. 10. In this week's College Soccer News poll, MSU is still No. 5.
MAKING HISTORY
For the first time since 1968, Michigan State started the season with four-straight shutouts. During that season, the Spartans went on to start the season with seven-straight clean sheets. During the 1968 season, MSU won the second of two-straight Co-NCAA Championships under head coach Gene Kenney. Former head coach Joe Baum was a player on that 1968 squad. Michigan State allowed its first goal of the season on a penalty kick against Rutgers on Sept. 8. The Spartans have not allowed a goal in the run of play yet this season.
SENIOR CLASS AWARD
Senior defender Jimmy Fiscus was one of 60 NCAA® men's and women's soccer student-athletes who excel both on and off the field were selected as candidates for the 2017 Senior CLASS Award® in collegiate soccer. To be eligible for the award, a student-athlete must be classified as an NCAA Division I senior and have notable achievements in four areas of excellence: community, classroom, character and competition. The complete list of candidates follows this release.
CHECK OUT THE STANDINGS
As Michigan State reaches the half-way point of Big Ten action, the Spartans and Indiana are tied for third place with 11 points. Maryland is first with 14 points and a 4-0-2 league mark. Michigan stands alone in second with a 4-1-1 record. Wisconsin is fifth with 10 points and a 3-1-1 record.
Junior forward DeJuan Jones is tied for first in goals scored this season with six along with Indiana's Mason Toye and Wisconsin's Chris Mueller. Jones and Ryan Sierakowski are also tied for third in game-winning goals with three. Redshirt-junior goalkeeper Jimmy Hague is tied for second in shutouts with eight. Hague is also third in goals against average with a mark of 0.59.
SIERAKOWSKI NAMED TO HERMANN WATCH LIST
Michigan State men's soccer junior forward Ryan Sierakowski was named to the Missouri Athletic Club (MAC) Hermann Trophy Watch List. The MAC Hermann Trophy is the most prestigious individual award in college soccer and is presented annually to the most outstanding male and female players of the year.
Sierakowski, a native of McHenry, Illinois, is the first Michigan State men's soccer player named to the Hermann Watch List since goalkeeper Avery Steinlage in 2010. In 2014, midfielder Jay Chapman was named a semifinalist for the Hermann Trophy, becoming the first Spartan in school history to achieve the feat.
OH CAPTAIN MY CAPTAIN
This season, the Spartans have three captains in senior Jimmy Fiscus, Brad Centala and Ryan Scott.
BARONE BUNCH
Sophomore Giuseppe Barone became the fourth member of the Barone family to don the Green and White last season. He joins current Spartan Hunter as well as former MSU players Mark (2008-11) Domenic (2008-12).
NEXT UP
Michigan State concludes a two-game homestand against in-state rival Oakland on Tuesday, Oct. 17 at 7 p.m. MSU will then travel to Northwestern on Friday, Oct. 20 at 8:30 p.m. (ET).
