This is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.
EAST LANSING, Mich. - Michigan State men's soccer continues its road trip, taking on No. 15 UCLA on Friday, Sept. 27 at 10 p.m. (ET) at Wallis Anneberg Stadium. This is the first-ever meeting between the Spartans and the Bruins.
MSU holds a 2-4-2 overall and 1-1-0 mark in league play after a 2-1 loss at Penn State on Sept. 20. Junior midfielder Jonathan Stout scored for the second-straight game.
Nick Koop will be on the call for B1G+.
FINDING HIS GROOVE
Junior midfielder Jonathan Stout leads the team in scoring with three goals and one assist for seven points. He is also tied for the team lead in shots on goal with eight with senior midfielder Sean Kerrigan. Sophomore forward Richie Ludwig, senior midfielder Sean Kerrigan and freshman forward Mohamed Saad have also found the back of the net this season.
LOOKING AT THE BRUINS
After defeating Westmont 5-1 on Sept. 24, UCLA improved to 4-2-3. The Bruins are 1-1-1 in their first season in the Big Ten. They have a win over Northwestern and a loss to Wisconsin. UCLA also tied Michigan 3-3 at home.
Edrey Caceres and Nikolai Rojel lead the Bruins in scoring with six points each. They both have netted three goals this season. Sveinn Hauksson is third in scoring with two goals and one assist for five points. Sam Joseph has played six games in goal, while Wyatt Nelson has played three.
SERIES HISTORY
This is the first-ever meeting between the Spartans and the Bruins.
LOOKING AT THE NUMBERS
Junior midfielder Jonathan Stout is tied for eighth in the Big Ten in goals scored with three. Wisconsin's Dean Boltz is first with eight. Redshirt-junior goalkeeper Zac Kelly is tied for second with Indiana's JT Harms and Penn State's Andrew Cooke for most saves with 24.
FRESHMAN FRENZY
Freshman defender Brandon Munson has made the most of his brief time as a Spartan. He has played in all eight games, starting seven. Against Washington on Sept. 13, his bicycle kick back save prevented the Huskies from scoring and was the No. 1 play on ESPN SportsCenter. Fellow freshman forward Mohamed Saad has also played in all eight games, starting four. He has scored one goal this season against Oregon State.
PACKING THE STANDS
Michigan State is 10th in the nation in attendance this season, averaging 1,808 fans per game this season. That stands third in the Big Ten behind Indiana (3,177) which is fourth and Maryland (2,214), which is fifth.
GETTING IN THE LINEUP
Through eight games this season, MSU has used six different starting lineups. In the first seven games, four Spartans have started every in Zac Kelly, Cristiano Bruletti, Jeremy Sharp, and Josh Adam.
BIG TIME B1G
Five teams in the Big Ten are ranked in either the United Soccer Coaches Poll or the Top Drawer Soccer Poll. In the USC poll, Ohio State is ranked No. 4, while Wisconsin is No. 8, Maryland is No. 19 and Michigan is No. 25. In the Top Drawer Poll, Wisconsin is No. 8, while Ohio State (No. 10), UCLA (No. 15), Maryland (No. 18) and Michigan (No. 18) are all ranked.
BIG TEN OPENER
MSU opened Big Ten action against new Big Ten member Washington on Sept. 13. The Spartans are 7-1-2 in their last 10 Big Ten openers. Last season, the Spartans tied Rutgers on the road 1-1 in the league opener. In 2022, MSU tied No. 16 Indiana to open league play. In 2021, MSU tied Wisconsin 1-1 in Madison.
Prior to the last three seasons, Michigan State had begun B1G action against RU for five-straight seasons, going 4-1-0 during that span.
UP NEXT
After a pair of road Big Ten games, the Spartans return home to take on Northwestern on Tuesday, Oct. 1 at 8 p.m. on the Big Ten Network.
Preview courtesy of MSU Athletics.
