Friday, November 7
East Lansing, Mich.
8 PM
Michigan State University
5-8-3, 2-5-3
3
vs
4
No. 1 Maryland
12-0-3, 8-0-2
1
2
F
Maryland
3
1
4
Michigan St.
1
2
3
Spartan Men’s Soccer Topped By No. 1 Terps Friday In Wild Finale
11/8/2025 12:01:00 AM | Men's Soccer
MSU falls to UMD in high-scoring final match of season.
EAST LANSING, Mich. -- Michigan State men's soccer pushed the number one team in the Big Ten Conference and the NCAA, Maryland, to the brink, falling in a wild season-finale Friday night, 4-3, at DeMartin Stadium.
The Spartans tied their season-high with the three goals, while UMD hadn't given up three goals all season until MSU did so Friday night, pulling within 4-3 with three minutes left, but were unable to net the equalizer. With the win, Maryland secured the 2025 B1G Regular Season title, finishing with an 8-0-2 B1G record and 12-0-3 overall record, and will be the No. 1 see in next week's B1G Tournament. Michigan State finished the 2025 season with a 5-8-3 overall ledger and 2-5-3 in B1G play.
"First off, congratulations to Maryland and their program. They proved why they're the number one team in the country, and they're definitely deserving of the Big Ten Championship," MSU head coach Damon Rensing said. "As far as our guys go, I'm so, so proud. It just shows you how well we played against some of the top teams in the conference. We've had two wins against the top teams, a tie and then you take the number one team in the country all the way to the end in a 4-3 battle. The heart and character of this program is alive and well, and I'm just so proud of the seniors and how they represented us on the field, how they do it off the field and the spirit that they drove these guys, the young guys, to play and what they did for our seniors was special today."
Spartan seniors Zac Kelly, Josh Adam, Josh Mason, Michael Sly Jr., Ryan Van De Winkle, Jack Guggemos and Jake Spadafora all played their final game in MSU men's soccer uniforms Friday night.
A spirited crowd gave a great ovation to all the seniors as they checked in and out in their final match played at DeMartin Stadium.
"DeMartin's a special place. It's one of the best environments in the country, it's one of the best settings," Rensing said. "Our student section, the (Red Cedar) Rowdies, are second to none and obviously the local community and the kids come out and it's a special place. Our guys really get fired up to play at DeMartin."
Adam netted the first goal of his Spartan career in his final game in the Green & White, coming early in the second half. Junior midfielder Miles Merritt and sophomore midfielder Oscar Huerta scored MSU's other goals Friday night.
Merritt netted a long-range goal off a set piece in the final minute of the first half, while Adam scored his Spartan goal in the 76th minute and Huerta scored in the 87th minute. It was Merritt's fourth goal of the season, which tied for the team lead with junior forward Richie Ludwig, while Huerta scored his first goal of the 2025 campaign.
Kelly finished his final game as a Spartan with a season-high six saves, before turning over the net-minding duties to Sly in the 83rd minute.
Freshman forward Chim Okeke earned a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box and wide of the elbow of the box. Junior forward Richie Ludwig took the set piece kick, sliding the ball to Merritt, who teed it up and unleashed a firecracker to the upper right corner past sprawling UMD goalkeeper Laurin Mack, for just his 10th goal allowed this season and the first of the three on the night.
Adam scored his first career goal in the 76th minute, knocking home the ball off a set piece. Merritt took the corner and lofted a pass to the far post, where freshman defender Charlie Norkett was waiting and he headed the ball into the mixer in front of the net, where fellow freshman defender back-heel passed it to Adam, and the senior slotted the ball home for his first career tally.
Maryland got on the board first, scoring in the 23rd minute, when Sadam Masereka slotted a shot that got through the MSU backline and Kelly.
UMD added to its lead in the 26th minute, Masereka knocked in a deflection after a save by Kelly. Masereka completed his first-half hat trick in the 34th minute, when he corralled another deflection to net both his and the Terps' third goal of the opening 45 minutes.
MSU generated several scoring chances in the waning minutes of the first half, but were unable to get the ball in the net on any of those opportunities until the final minute. That's when Merritt unleashed his long-range shot to the upper right corner in the final minute to pull the Spartans within 3-1 at intermission.
The second half began with both teams generating chances, mixing in fouls and free kicks on both sides.
Kelly made a great save in the 65th minute to turn back the Terps, keeping the score 3-1.
The score changed to 3-2 in the 76th minute on Adam's goal, and swinging the momentum fully in the Spartans' favor. However, the Terps turned the tide back with a goal in the 83rd minute when Stephane Njike slide a show just inside the post and into the net for a 4-2 UMD advantage.
The Spartans did not go quietly into the brisk, dark autumn night on the banks of the Red Cedar River. MSU ramped up its attack and were rewarded in the 87th minute on a nifty give-and-go from midfielder Peter Soudan and Huerta. Soudan threaded the needle on a pass to Huerta, who back-heeled back to Soudan for one dribble and slotted the ball through the UMD defense line to Huerta. The Spartan striker took one touch and perfectly placed a left-footed shot past and around Mack into the side of the net for the goal. Huerta's first goal of the season pulled the home team Spartans within 4-3 with just over three minutes left, but MSU was unable to get the equalizer, ending the game and the Spartans' season.
"This team showed a lot," Rensing said. "We're losing some seniors, but we got a lot of young guys and new talent as well. It'll be fuel for the offseason. Honestly, right now I'm just really proud of this group, we really played some good football throughout the season. College soccer is so fast-and-furious that you really need to kind of be on the right end and the timing, and a break here, a cross bar here, an inch there; this year just wasn't quite our year towards the end."
The Spartans tied their season-high with the three goals, while UMD hadn't given up three goals all season until MSU did so Friday night, pulling within 4-3 with three minutes left, but were unable to net the equalizer. With the win, Maryland secured the 2025 B1G Regular Season title, finishing with an 8-0-2 B1G record and 12-0-3 overall record, and will be the No. 1 see in next week's B1G Tournament. Michigan State finished the 2025 season with a 5-8-3 overall ledger and 2-5-3 in B1G play.
"First off, congratulations to Maryland and their program. They proved why they're the number one team in the country, and they're definitely deserving of the Big Ten Championship," MSU head coach Damon Rensing said. "As far as our guys go, I'm so, so proud. It just shows you how well we played against some of the top teams in the conference. We've had two wins against the top teams, a tie and then you take the number one team in the country all the way to the end in a 4-3 battle. The heart and character of this program is alive and well, and I'm just so proud of the seniors and how they represented us on the field, how they do it off the field and the spirit that they drove these guys, the young guys, to play and what they did for our seniors was special today."
Spartan seniors Zac Kelly, Josh Adam, Josh Mason, Michael Sly Jr., Ryan Van De Winkle, Jack Guggemos and Jake Spadafora all played their final game in MSU men's soccer uniforms Friday night.
A spirited crowd gave a great ovation to all the seniors as they checked in and out in their final match played at DeMartin Stadium.
"DeMartin's a special place. It's one of the best environments in the country, it's one of the best settings," Rensing said. "Our student section, the (Red Cedar) Rowdies, are second to none and obviously the local community and the kids come out and it's a special place. Our guys really get fired up to play at DeMartin."
Adam netted the first goal of his Spartan career in his final game in the Green & White, coming early in the second half. Junior midfielder Miles Merritt and sophomore midfielder Oscar Huerta scored MSU's other goals Friday night.
Merritt netted a long-range goal off a set piece in the final minute of the first half, while Adam scored his Spartan goal in the 76th minute and Huerta scored in the 87th minute. It was Merritt's fourth goal of the season, which tied for the team lead with junior forward Richie Ludwig, while Huerta scored his first goal of the 2025 campaign.
Kelly finished his final game as a Spartan with a season-high six saves, before turning over the net-minding duties to Sly in the 83rd minute.
Freshman forward Chim Okeke earned a free kick from just outside the 18-yard box and wide of the elbow of the box. Junior forward Richie Ludwig took the set piece kick, sliding the ball to Merritt, who teed it up and unleashed a firecracker to the upper right corner past sprawling UMD goalkeeper Laurin Mack, for just his 10th goal allowed this season and the first of the three on the night.
Adam scored his first career goal in the 76th minute, knocking home the ball off a set piece. Merritt took the corner and lofted a pass to the far post, where freshman defender Charlie Norkett was waiting and he headed the ball into the mixer in front of the net, where fellow freshman defender back-heel passed it to Adam, and the senior slotted the ball home for his first career tally.
Maryland got on the board first, scoring in the 23rd minute, when Sadam Masereka slotted a shot that got through the MSU backline and Kelly.
UMD added to its lead in the 26th minute, Masereka knocked in a deflection after a save by Kelly. Masereka completed his first-half hat trick in the 34th minute, when he corralled another deflection to net both his and the Terps' third goal of the opening 45 minutes.
MSU generated several scoring chances in the waning minutes of the first half, but were unable to get the ball in the net on any of those opportunities until the final minute. That's when Merritt unleashed his long-range shot to the upper right corner in the final minute to pull the Spartans within 3-1 at intermission.
The second half began with both teams generating chances, mixing in fouls and free kicks on both sides.
Kelly made a great save in the 65th minute to turn back the Terps, keeping the score 3-1.
The score changed to 3-2 in the 76th minute on Adam's goal, and swinging the momentum fully in the Spartans' favor. However, the Terps turned the tide back with a goal in the 83rd minute when Stephane Njike slide a show just inside the post and into the net for a 4-2 UMD advantage.
The Spartans did not go quietly into the brisk, dark autumn night on the banks of the Red Cedar River. MSU ramped up its attack and were rewarded in the 87th minute on a nifty give-and-go from midfielder Peter Soudan and Huerta. Soudan threaded the needle on a pass to Huerta, who back-heeled back to Soudan for one dribble and slotted the ball through the UMD defense line to Huerta. The Spartan striker took one touch and perfectly placed a left-footed shot past and around Mack into the side of the net for the goal. Huerta's first goal of the season pulled the home team Spartans within 4-3 with just over three minutes left, but MSU was unable to get the equalizer, ending the game and the Spartans' season.
"This team showed a lot," Rensing said. "We're losing some seniors, but we got a lot of young guys and new talent as well. It'll be fuel for the offseason. Honestly, right now I'm just really proud of this group, we really played some good football throughout the season. College soccer is so fast-and-furious that you really need to kind of be on the right end and the timing, and a break here, a cross bar here, an inch there; this year just wasn't quite our year towards the end."
Team Stats
UMD
MSU
Goals
4
3
Shots
17
6
Shots on Goal
10
4
Saves
1
6
Corners
3
4
Fouls
9
17
Scoring Plays
Sadam Masereka (9)
Assisted By: Luca Costabile , Joseph Umberto Picotto
GOAL by UMD Masereka, Sadam Assist by Costabile, Luca and Picotto, Joseph Umberto.
22:39
Sadam Masereka (9)
Assisted By: Stephane Njike , Joseph Umberto Picotto
GOAL by UMD Masereka, Sadam Assist by Njike, Stephane and Picotto, Joseph Umberto.
25:53
Sadam Masereka (9)
Assisted By: Joseph Umberto Picotto , Stephane Njike
GOAL by UMD Masereka, Sadam Assist by Picotto, Joseph Umberto and Njike, Stephane.
33:56
Miles Merritt (4)
Assisted By: Richie Ludwig
GOAL by MSU Merritt, Miles Assist by Ludwig, Richie.
43:48
Josh Adam (1)
Assisted By: JEB Knox , Charlie Norkett
GOAL by MSU Adam, Josh Assist by Knox, JEB and Norkett, Charlie.
75:25
Stephane Njike (7)
Assisted By: Sadam Masereka
GOAL by UMD Njike, Stephane Assist by Masereka, Sadam.
82:15
Oscar Huerta (1)
Assisted By: Peter Soudan
GOAL by MSU Huerta, Oscar Assist by Soudan, Peter.
86:48
Game Leaders
Shots
2
SOG
1
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
2
SOG
2
Goals
1
Assists
0
Shots
1
SOG
0
Goals
0
Assists
1
Players Mentioned
M
/ Men's SoccerF
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's SoccerM
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's Soccer
GK
/ Men's SoccerM
/ Men's Soccer
F
/ Men's Soccer
D
/ Men's SoccerDamon Rensing | Men's Soccer Press Conference | Oct. 6, 2025
Monday, October 06
Damon Rensing | Men's Soccer Press Conference | Sep. 29 2025
Monday, September 29
Spartans All-Access | Keeper of the Turf
Thursday, November 14
Playing Out His Dream | Spartans All-Access
Thursday, October 31