Michigan State Men Host Bowling Green Monday

Michigan State Bowling Green

2023 Record	0-0, 0-0 B1G	1-0, 0-0 MVC
2022 Record	6-9-2, 3-4-1B1G	6-5-5, 4-2-2 MAC
Head Coach	Damon Rensing	Eric Nicholas
Career Record	136-103-37(15th)	172-127-41 (19th)
at Current School	Same	113-105-39 (15th)

GAMEDAY
Michigan State men's soccer will look to play a complete 90-minute contest on Monday, Aug. 28, facing Bowling Green State University. Kickoff time is set for 7 p.m. The Spartans season opener against Loyola Chicago was washed away due to storms in the East Lansing area. Monday is Move-In Madness with free t-shirts for MSU students.

Owen Oszust and Joe DesVergnes will be on the call on the Big Ten Network+ broadcast.

The Spartans ended the 2022 season with a 6-9-2 record and a 3-4-1 mark in Big Ten action. MSU will look to replace second-team All-Big Ten honoree Owen Finnerty in goal.

LOOKING AT THE FALCONS
Michigan State holds a 24-17-7 overall series lead with Bowling Green, leading at home 13-7-3. The last Falcon win came at DeMartin Stadium in 2021 with a commanding 3-0 win. Last season, the teams battled to hard-fought, physical 1-1 tie. Sophomore midfielder Jack Guggemos scored his first collegiate goal in that match.
The Falcons started the season with a 3-2 come-from-behind win at home against Cleveland State on Thursday. Sophomore Andrew Shaffer scored a pair of goals less than nine minutes apart to eliminate the deficit.

Alberto Anaya is the Falcons' top returning scorer from a year ago. He had 10 points on three goals and four assists in 2022, despite missing four of the Falcon's 16 matches due to injury.

THEN THE SKIES PARTED
Michigan State men's soccer had its season opener against Loyola Chicago declared a no contest due to severe weather in the East Lansing area.

In the 54th minute, the game was initially delayed due to lighting in the area and the teams retreated to Jenison Field House. The match would not resume from that point as the rain, thunder and lightning intensified and was declared a no contest.

The Spartans were leading 1-0 at the time of the stoppage. Sophomore forward Jonathan Stout scored what would have been the first game of 2023 with a brilliant strike to the upper right corner of the net. Stout took the well-timed pass from sophomore defender Jeremy Sharp.

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 Monday.

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

The Big Ten preseason poll was also released Monday, as voted on by the nine conference coaches. MSU was voted to pick seventh, while Maryland was once again picked to win the league. The 2022 NCAA runner-up Indiana was chosen second, with Ohio State standing third.
Mercer, who hails from Heber City, Utah, enters his fourth season with the Spartans. He was named to the preseason list last season as well. In 2022, Mercer was second on the team in scoring with four goals and two assists for 10 points, playing in all 17 games.

Stout, a native of Wyoming, Michigan, led the team in scoring last season with four goals and four assists for 12 points. He shared Big Ten Co-Freshman of the Year honors as a rookie, as well as being named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team. Stout played in 12 games as a freshman.

Spadafora, who hails from Northville, Michigan, played in 16 games last season, starting 13. He had one goal and one assist for three points during his rookie campaign, scoring the game-winning goal in the season opener against Army in 2022. He also joined Stout as a member of the All-Freshman Team.

PRESEASON
The season opener will be 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 now hit the road for a pair of games on the East Coast. Michigan State will face Army on Friday, Sept. 1 and Villanova on Monday, Sept. 4 at 3 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.

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Players Mentioned

Cristiano Bruletti

Owen Finnerty

Jack Guggemos

Sean Kerrigan

Greyson Mercer

Jeremy Sharp

Jake Spadafora

Jonathan Stout