No. 24 Spartans Continue Homestand against Niagara Sunday

Sunday, August 30

East Lansing, Mich.

2 PM

Michigan State University

Niagara

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Andrew Darakjian handles ball against SIUE.

No. 24 Spartans Continue Homestand against Niagara Sunday

8/29/2026 11:24:00 AM | Men's Soccer

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This is the final day of Red Cedar Rowdies Weekend

EAST LANSING, Mich. - No. 24 Michigan State men's soccer will host Niagara Sunday, Aug. 30 at 2 p.m. at DeMartin Stadium. It is the second half of a doubleheader with the Spartan women's team, who will be in action at 11 a.m. against Colorado. It is the finale of Red Cedar Rowdies Weekend on Sunday.

Michigan State has started the season 3-0 for the first time since 2017 when the Green & White opened 7-0.

Adam Nothstine and Elizabeth Senecal will be on the call for the B1G+.

LOOKING AT THE PURPLE EAGLES
Niagara has started the season 0-2 with a home loss to St. Bonaventure, 2-0, and fell on the road to Michigan 3-1 in Ann Arbor on Aug. 27.

Tetsunari Fujishiro is the lone goal scorer for the Purple Eagles. Grant Wyles has played all 180 minutes in goal for Niagara.

NU head coach Bill Boyle spent four seasons at Olivet College in Michigan before going to Niagara.

SERIES HISTORY
The Spartans lead the series with Niagara, 3-0, but the teams have not met since 2015. In the meeting, Michigan State came out on top, 4-0. Current assistant coach Zach Carroll played 62 minutes against the Purple Eagles in the victory on Sept. 7, 2015. The Spartans earned wins in both 2000 (5-0) and 2010 (4-1).

LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS
The Spartans are among the leaders in the NCAA in several categories. Michigan State is third in the country in assists per game and first in the Big Ten with 5.00 apg. MSU is also third in the NCAA and first in the B1G in points per game with 13.0 ppg. The Spartans are first in the nation in assists with 15.

AROUND THE BIG TEN
Four schools have started the season 3-0, including MSU, Indiana, Ohio State and Maryland. Wisconsin is 2-0, while Northwestern and UCLA are 2-0-1.

CLIMBING THE POLLS
This week, the Spartans entered the United Soccer Poll at No. 24. They are one of seven Big Ten teams ranked this week. Maryland leads the way at No. 4. Washington is ranked No. 11 followed by No. 14 Indiana, No. 17 UCLA, No. 22 Ohio State and No. 23 Wisconsin.

Michigan State is one five Big Ten teams in that have both its men and women's teams ranked, along with Ohio State, UCLA, Washington and Wisconsin. This is the first time that MSU has been ranked since the 2023 season.

GETTING IN THE STARTING XI
Eight Spartans have started all three games this season. There have been 23 different players that have seen action in the first three games and among those 23 players 12 have earned a point.

THE BICYCLE HEARD AROUND THE NCAA
Junior forward Oscar Huerta caught a lot of attention with an assist against SIUE on Aug. 27. In the 47th minute, MSU scored a SportsCenter worthy goal started by Huerta's bicycle kick pass. Huerta's kick perfectly found the head of sophomore defender Conner O'Keefe for his second goal of the year.

MIGHTY MUNSON
Junior defender Brandon Munson made his name known in the season opener against UAlbany on Aug. 20. He scored two goals and added an assist for five points. He has already passed last year's point total of three. He scored two headers off of corner kick's from junior forward Richie Ludwig less than two minutes apart. He also added an assist in sophomore forward Kayden Hudson's goal.

Against Seattle U, Munson added another goal for six total points to lead the team.

GETTING ON THE SCOREBOARD
Twelve different Spartans have earned a point in the first three games. Junior defender Brandon Munson, senior midfielder Miles Merritt and senior forward Andrew Darakjian lead the way with two goals apiece. Eight different Spartans have found the back of the net.

Senior midfielder Leo Conneh and sophomore midfielder Luke Spadafora both lead the way with three assists each.

DID YOU KNOW?
This is the first time that both the men's and women's teams have been ranked at the same time since October of 2023. This week, the MSU men are ranked No. 24 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, while the women are No. 3.

HOME SWEET HOME
This is the first time that Michigan State has started the season with five-straight home games. After home wins against UAlbany, Seattle and SIUE, MSU will take on Niagara (Aug. 30), and Pitt (Sept. 3). The Spartans first road game will be at Kansas City on Sept. 11.

MAKING AN IMPRESSION
The Spartans showed off their goal- scoring prowess with six goals in the season opener against UAlbany on Aug. 20. The six goals were the most since a 6-0 win against Western Michigan on Sept. 24, 2008. It was also the most goals scored in a season opener since a 6-1 win against UW-Milwaukee on Sept. 1, 2001. Overall, MSU has scored 12 goals in three games.

SUPER SUB TO THE RESCUE
With the game tied 1-1 in the first half against UAlbany on Aug. 20, sophomore forward Kayden Hudson entered the game at 28:07. Less than a minute later at 28:37, Hudson scored his first collegiate goal to put MSU up 2-1 off of assists from junior defender Brandon Munson and Luke Spadafora.

FULL CIRCLE MOMENT
Freshman midfielder Drew Rensing is following in his father's footsteps in becoming a Spartan. MSU head coach Damon Rensing played at Michigan State from 1993-1996. The younger Rensing has seen action in all three games.

PACKING THE STANDS
Michigan State looks to continue to fill the stands this season. Last year, the Spartans finished the season eighth in the nation in average attendance, averaging 2,236 fans. They stood third in the Big Ten behind Maryland (3,313) and Indiana (3,061).

KEEP YOUR EYES ON THEM
Michigan State men's soccer team had three players named to the 2026 Big Ten Players to Watch List. Senior midfielder Miles Merritt, junior defender Brandon Munson and sophomore midfielder Peter Soudan were all honored by the league.

Merritt, a native of Albuquerque, New Mexico, is in his second season at Michigan State after transferring from Incarnate Word. In 2025, he ended the season tied for the team lead with 10 points. He tied Richie Ludwig for the team lead in goals scored with four. Merritt was also named one of MSU's three captains.

Munson, a junior who hails from Spring Hill, Florida, started 11 games for the Spartans. He scored one goal with one assist for three points. He has been slowed down by injuries his first two seasons.

Soudan, a sophomore from Western Springs, Illinois, was named to the 2025 Big Ten Freshman of the Year. He also earned a spot on the Big Ten All-Freshman team last season. Soudan tied for the team lead in points scored with Merritt with 10 points. Last season, he led the team with four assists and added three goals.

O CAPTAIN! MY CAPTAIN!
Ahead of the start of practice on Aug. 14, Michigan State head men's soccer coach Damon Rensing announced the three captains for the 2026 season in Richie Ludwig, Miles Merritt and Will Eby.

DID YOU ALSO KNOW?
The Spartans added a new member on Aug. 18. Assistant coach Nick Barry and his wife, Maddy, welcomed a Spartan, Charlotte.

UP NEXT
The Spartans will conclude their season-long five-game homestand against Pitt on Thursday, Sept. 3 at 7 p.m. MSU is currently 3-0 during this homestand.

PRESEASON PLAY
The Spartans played two exhibition games in preparation for the 2026 season. On Aug. 8, Michigan State tied Loyola Chicago, 1-1, in East Lansing. In that outing, junior Oscar Huerta scored the first goal of the exhibition slate. On Aug. 14, MSU earned a draw at Notre Dame, 2-2. Richie Ludwig and Brandon Munson were the goal scorers in that outing.

THE STAFF
MSU head coach Damon Rensing enters his 18th season at the helm of the Spartans. Nick Barry enters his seventh year at MSU. Reid Friedrichs, who enters his fourth 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.

Former Spartan Zach Carroll enters his second season as an assistant coach. He 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.

BRINGING BACK THE FIREPOWER
Michigan State brings back five of its top scorers from last season. Top point scorers Miles Merritt (10 points - 4 goals, 2 assists) and Peter Soudan (10 points - three goals, four assists) will be back to lead the Spartans. Captain Richie Ludwig was third in scoring with nine points off of four goals and one assist.

LIKE FATHER LIKE SON
MSU senior midfielder Colin Arce is following in his father's footsteps. Steve Arce played at Michigan State from 1998-01 when current head coach Damon Rensing was an assistant coach.