EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State men’s soccer will open the 2022 season, hosting Army on Friday, Aug. 26 at 7 p.m. This is the second-straight season that MSU has opened the season on Aug. 26, after defeating Cleveland State on the same date in 2021, 2-1.
Michael Markoch will be on the call on the Big Ten Network+ broadcast.
The Spartans ended the 2021 season with a 6-9-2 record and a 2-4-2 mark in Big Ten action. MSU will look to replace first-team All-Big Ten honoree Farai Mutatu who led the Spartans in scoring last season with seven goals and three assists for 17 points.
LOOKING AT THE PRESEASON
The Spartans ended exhibition action with a 1-2 record in three home games. MSU opened with a 3-0 win against Lawrence Tech on Aug. 10 behind goals by freshman forward Jonathan Stout, senior midfielder Conner George and sophomore forward Efosa Emovon. MSU then dropped a pair of hard-fought 1-0 battles against Butler on Aug. 14 and No. 7 Pitt on Aug. 19.
LOOKING AT THE BLACK KNIGHTS
Michigan State holds a 2-0-0 overall series lead with Army, but the two teams haven’t met since 1965. Both meetings were in the NCAA Tournament with MSU winning the first meeting 3-2 in overtime in 1964 in Providence, R.I. The next season the Spartans won, 3-0, in St. Louis.
Last season, Army was 8-7-1 overall and 4-4-1 in the Patriot League. The Black Knights were picked to finish sixth in the Patriot League this season.
Senior Justin McStay rounds out the returning cadets that logged over 1000 minutes and started at least 10 games last season, highlighted by a one goal and one assist performance in a Patriot League victory over Colgate.
Army returns its most-used starting backline from the 2021 season, featuring defenders Luke Doyle and Jack Eaton who started 15 and 14 games, respectively last year. Nick Atkinson and D’Anthony Brown both drew 15 starts at left back and right back respectively.
PRESEASON HONORS
Michigan State men’s soccer team had three players named to the Big Ten Players to Watch list on Monday, as announced by the conference office.
Graduate midfielder Jack Beck, redshirt-senior defender Will Perkins and junior forward Grayson Mercer were all honored by the league.
The Big Ten preseason poll was also released Monday, as voted on by the nine…
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