Kelly, Merritt and Munson Named Big Ten Males’s Soccer Players to Watch

EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State males’s soccer workforce had three gamers named to the Big Ten Players to Watch List, as introduced by the convention workplace on Tuesday. 

Senior goalkeeper Zac Kelly, junior midfielder Miles Merritt and sophomore Brandon Munson had been all honored by the league.

The Big Ten preseason ballot was additionally launched Tuesday, as voted on by the 11 convention coaches. Perennial favorites Indiana was picked first, whereas Maryland and Ohio State had been voted second and third, respectively. Michigan State was picked to complete to complete seventh.

Kelly, who hails from Holt, Michigan, is the reigning Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year. He can also be one of many Spartans’ three captains together with senior Josh Adam and junior Will Eby. Last season, he was the primary Michigan State athlete to earn B1G Goalkeeper of the Year honors since Jimmy Hague in 2017. Kelly began all 17 video games for MSU final season, incomes seven shutouts.

Merritt, a local of Albuquerque, New Mexico, was named a United Soccer Coaches Midfielder to Watch. The midfielder is in his first season with the Spartans after enjoying two years at Incarnate Word. He performed in 16 video games in 2024, scoring one purpose.

Munson, a sophomore who hails from Spring Hill, Florida, was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team final season. The defender performed in 14 video games earlier than sustaining a season-ending damage that saved him out of the ultimate two video games of the season.

Michigan State opens the common season towards UC Riverside on Thursday, Aug. 21 at 5 p.m. at DeMartin Stadium. It is the primary half of a doubleheader with the MSU ladies’s workforce, who will tackle NC State at 7:30 p.m.

 

2025 BIG TEN MEN’S SOCCER PRESEASON POLL

1.    Indiana

2.    Maryland

3.    Ohio State

4.    UCLA

5.    Washington

6.    Michigan

7.    Michigan State

8.    Wisconsin

9.    Rutgers

10.   Penn State

11.   Northwestern

2025 BIG TEN MEN’S SOCCER PLAYERS TO WATCH LIST

Palmer Ault, Sr., F, Indiana

Josh Maher, So., D, Indiana

Collins Oduru, Jr., M, Indiana

Luca Costabile, Sr., D, Maryland

Leon Koehl, Jr., M, Maryland

Sadam Masereka, Sr., F, Maryland

Raymundo Mendez, Gr., M/F, Michigan

Nolan Miller, Sr., D, Michigan

Shuma Sasaki, Gr., F/M, Michigan

Zac Kelly, Sr., GK, Michigan State

Miles Merritt, Jr., M, Michigan State

Brandon Munson, So., D, Michigan State

Jason Gajadhar, Sr., M, Northwestern

Nigel Prince, Sr., D, Northwestern

Fritz Volmar, Jr., D, Northwestern

Marko Borkovic, Sr., F, Ohio State

Thomas Gilej, Gr., M, Ohio State

Luciano Pechota, Sr., M, Ohio State

Malick Daouda, So., M, Penn State

Caden Grabfelder, Jr., M, Penn State

Kai Phillip, Gr., F, Penn State

Nick Collins, Jr., D, Rutgers

Ciaran Dalton, Sr., GK, Rutgers

Joschi Schelb, Jr., M, Rutgers

Drew Brown, Sr., D, UCLA

Sergi Solans Ormo, So., F, UCLA

Tamir Ratoviz, So., M, UCLA

Egor Akulov, Sr., D, Washington

Richie Aman, Sr., F, Washington

Charlie Kosakoff, Jr., F, Washington

Matisse Hebert, So., GK, Wisconsin

Ellis Jones, Jr., D, Wisconsin

Matthew Zachemski, So., M, Wisconsin