No. 10/25 MSU Soccer Hits the Road to Face RV/#19 Kansas City

Friday, September 11

Kansas City, Mo.

8 PM ET

Michigan State University

No. 19 Kansas City

Luke Spadafora on offense against Kansas City

No. 10/25 MSU Soccer Hits the Road to Face RV/#19 Kansas City

9/10/2026 3:40:00 PM | Men's Soccer

MSU Notes Kansas City Notes Live Stats Watch Live

This is only the second meeting between the Spartans and the Roos.

EAST LANSING, Mich. - For the first time this season, No. 10/25 Michigan State men's soccer will hit the road, taking on No. 19 Kansas City on Friday, Sept. 11. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET.

With a 4-0-1 record, Michigan State has started the season undefeated for the first time since 2017 when the Green & White opened 7-0. This is the first time that the Spartans have been in the top 10 since August of 2019.

Blake Aerni will be on the call for the Summit League Network.

LOOKING AT THE ROOS
No. 19 Kansas City has gotten off to a fast start with a 3-1-1 record. The Roos earned a 1-1 road tie against then-No. 3 SMU on Sept. 4. On Sept. 7, Kansas City topped Drake 1-0. The Roos and the Spartans have one common opponent this season. Kansas City defeated SIUE 5-0 in the season opener, while Michigan State defeated the Cougars, 4-0 on Aug 27. The Roos only loss of the season came against San Francisco, 3-2 on Aug. 30.

Raphael Kistmann leads the team in scoring with three goals and one assist for seven points. Mark Ramarola and Ian Hughes-Witis are tied for second with four points each. Brandon Kincaid has played every minute in goal this season, allowing four goals for a 0.80 GAA.

Roos head coach Ryan Pore is in his seventh season at Kansas City with a record of 48-38-26.

SERIES HISTORY
Kansas City leads the brief series with Michigan State, 1-0. Last season, the Roos ruined the Spartans Senior Day with a 2-0 win at DeMartin Stadium on Oct. 26, 2025.

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 4.00 apg. MSU is also sixth in the NCAA and first in the B1G in points per game with 10.4 ppg. The Spartans are third in the nation in assists with 20.

GREK STEPPING UP
Junior goalkeeper Jake Grekowicz has had a strong start to the season. In his first season as the Spartans' starter, he has allowed only four goals for a 0.80 GAA. He also has earned two shutouts this season against SIUE and Pitt. He is fourth in the Big Ten in shutouts.

AROUND THE BIG TEN
Maryland, Ohio State and Wisconsin all stand atop the Big Ten so far this season with matching 5-0 records. Indiana is right there with a 5-0-1 mark, while MSU is 4-0-1.

Senior midfielder Leo Conneh is tied for fifth in the Big Ten in points with seven, while teammates junior defender Brandon Munson, sophomore midfielder Peter Soudan and sophomore defender Conner O'Keefe are tied for 10th with six points. Senior midfielder Richie Ludwig is tied for second in assists with four.

MAKING BIG STRIDES
This week, the Spartans stand No. 10 in the United Soccer Poll. They are one of six Big Ten teams ranked this week. Maryland leads the way at No. 2. Ohio State is ranked No. 3 followed by No. 5 Indiana, No. 8 Wisconsin and No. 11 UCLA. This week, MSU entered the Top Drawer Soccer Poll at No. 25.

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

GETTING IN THE STARTING XI
Eight Spartans have started all four games this season. There have been 25 different players that have seen action in the first four games and among those 25 players 13 have earned a point. After missing all of last season with a torn ACL, junior forward Mohamed Saad saw his first action against Niagara on Aug. 30. Freshman Ezra Horlings made his collegiate debut in goal in the second half against the Purple Eagles on Aug. 30. Newcomers Leo Conneh and Conner O'Keefe have both started all five games this season.

LIGHTING UP THE SCOREBOARD
Thirteen different Spartans have earned a point in the first five games. Senior transfer midfielder leads the team in points with two goals and three assists for seven points. Sophomore transfer defender Conner O'Keefe, sophomore midfielder Peter Soudan and junior defender Brandon Munson are tied for second with six points. Nine different Spartans have found the back of the net.

Last season, Michigan State scored 19 goals in 16 games. So far in four games, MSU has netted 16 goals already.

WHAT A WEEK!
The Spartan offense came out strong the second week of the season with a 4-0 win over SIUE and a 4-1 win over Niagara. MSU ended the week with 27 points after earning eight goals and 11 assists. Six different Spartans found the back of the net with Peter Soudan and Conner O'Keefe leading the way with two goals each.

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.

DID YOU KNOW?
Michigan State has 52 points through five games with 16 goals and 20 assists. In 16 games last season, MSU had 57 points off of 19 goals and 19 assists.

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, SIUE, and Niagara, MSU closed out the homestand with a 0-0 tie against Pitt. The Spartans first road game will be at No. 23 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.

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 four games this season.

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.

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.

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 return home to take on Northwestern on the Big Ten Network on Tuesday, Sept. 15 at 7 p.m.

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.