Peter Soudan: Making the Most of his Opportunities
11/5/2025 11:26:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Freshman midfielder Peter Soudan received his first wake-up call for Division I soccer, four games into Michigan State's men's soccer season. It was a 1-0 loss to Bowling Green, and would fuel the rise of one of the Spartans' most impressive young standouts.a. It was four games into Michigan State's men's soccer seasonreshman midfielder Peter Soudan received his first wake-up call for Division I soccer, F
Five minutes into the match, Soudan and the Spartans already trailed Bowling Green, a surprising start for a player used to competing against older, more experienced opponents.
He learned that underestimating any opponent at the collegiate level comes with danger.
"It was just a huge kind of wake-up call to what college soccer really was like," he said. "I came in starting the game, I hear Bowling Green, and I'm expecting kind of an easy win, and these guys come out flying, tackles everywhere, and I kind of got swallowed up by the moment, to be completely honest."
Before arriving at Michigan State, Soudan honed his skills with the Chicago Fire FC U-19 Academy in the MLS NEXT program, where he regularly trained and competed against older and more experienced players.
"I've been playing with older kids most of my life," Soudan said. "Growing up as a young kid, and also with the Fire, I got some chances to train with the first team, where there's 30-year-old guys who are professionals doing this for a living."
One game after that loss, Soudan's freshman season began to shift. He scored his first collegiate goal against Oakland, added a second against Ohio State a week later, and then netted the game-winner against No. 3 Indiana.
Three days after helping take down the 2-1. , the Spartans traveled to Ann Arbor, and defeated No. 5 MichiganHoosiers
It marked the first time that Michigan State had beaten two top-five opponents in the same week. Soon after, Soudan was named Big Ten Freshman of the Week.
"It's obviously a huge individual honor, to be recognized in such a competitive league like that," Soudan said. "But it's really a team award. It shows that as a team we're growing, and I was lucky enough to get that award as a representation of how we're doing."
Soudan has shown how dangerous he is in the final qualities aren't always the most visible.'s effective oach Damon Rensing said the SoudanCead H. For a player still adjusting to the college game, Michigan State minutes of matches
"Peter's got high confidence, a really high soccer IQ and good technical ability," Rensing said. "When you combine those, it doesn't matter what environment you're in, you'll make quick adjustments and have an impact."
To Rensing, the difference between a talented freshman and one who becomes an immediate contributor often comes down to how quickly they can grasp the pace of college soccer.
"You break it into four categories," he said. "There's the physical piece, the technical piece, the tactical piece and the psychological. At this level, you can't just be good at one, you have to be exceptional at multiple."
Soudan's strength lies in his understanding of the game and his ability to stay composed in high-pressure moments.
"Peter's not an exceptional athlete," Rensing said. "But he's got exceptional technical ability, exceptional decision-making and exceptional mental confidence. Those are the things that allow you to make the jump."
Rensing said every freshman faces a moment of reckoning when they step into college soccer.
"All freshmen get smacked in the mouth, metaphorically," he said. "And how you respond to that is really what decides how much you play."
For Soudan, that moment came against Bowling Green. With aspirations of one day representing the national team, a dream he's had since childhood, he's approached every match with maturity beyond his years.
"I feel like there's no point in playing soccer if you're not going to give everything to it," Soudan said.
, into his personal life.hat effort extends beyond soccerT
"I'm someone who's super strong in my faith," he said.
It's his mindset, grounded in faith, hard work and belief from his coaches that has determined his success so early on.
"He (Rensing) said, 'I believe in you,'" Soudan said. "That's just given me the confidence to go on and play like I have been so far."
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