Lansing Sun

Michigan State University's men's soccer team is set to face the University of Michigan in the 25th annual Battle for the Big Bear Trophy. The match will take place on October 22 at DeMartin Stadium, with significant implications for the Big Ten standings as both teams approach the end of their regular season.

In their last outing, Michigan State suffered a 3-1 defeat against Indiana, leaving them with an overall record of 5-6-2 and a conference record of 4-3-0. Meanwhile, Michigan holds a 6-3-4 overall record and is 1-3-3 in Big Ten play.

The rivalry trophy originated in 2000 when former U-M head coach Steve Burns purchased it during a trip to Canada. Since then, Michigan State has led the series with a record of 14 wins, five losses, and four draws. Last year’s match ended in a scoreless draw in Ann Arbor.

Senior midfielder Sean Kerrigan recently scored twice against Wisconsin, leading his team to victory. He ranks second on his team with three goals this season. Junior midfielder Jonathan Stout leads Michigan State's scoring efforts with four goals and two assists.

For Michigan, Beto Soto stands out as fourth in the Big Ten for points this season. Goalkeeper Isaiah Goldson has allowed 14 goals across nine games this season.

Michigan State leads the historical series against Michigan with an overall record of 34 wins, 12 losses, and nine draws. In East Lansing specifically, they hold a dominant lead of 17 wins to three losses.

The Spartans have faced five ranked teams this season and achieved notable victories over No.15 UCLA and No.25 Wisconsin.

Coach Damon Rensing leads MSU into this pivotal matchup alongside assistant coaches T.J. Kolba and Nick Barry.