Junior midfielder John Kaczmarek scored two goals as the MSU men's soccer team remained undefeated with a 4-0 rout of Dayton on Sunday at Old College Field.
"John Kaczmarek is a great, great Spartan player," MSU head coach Joe Baum said. "I hoped a great day would come for John Kaczmarek, and that came today. He created the great day."
The Spartans opened the scoring a little more than five minutes into the contest when senior forward John Minagawa-Webster, for the second straight Sunday in a row, put junior midfielder Ryan McMahen's corner kick into the back of the Dayton net.
"We have a bunch of guys (who can finish the corner kicks)," McMahen said. "My job is to put it in there, and their job is to finish it and they've been finishing it."
Along with his three assists, McMahen also hit the crossbar early in the game. He now has five helpers on the year.
MSU's second goal came at the 19:24 mark of the first half when Kaczmarek carved through the Dayton defenders and finished to put the Spartans ahead, 2-0. Senior forward Jordan Gruber, who was able to play despite fighting an injury, and McMahen assisted on the goal.
Gruber picked up his team-leading fifth goal of the season in the 32nd minute of the first half, when he found the back of the net behind Dayton goalkeeper Steve Ladislaw during a mad scramble in the Dayton crease after another McMahen corner kick. Minagawa-Webster picked up the other assist.
MSU took a commanding 4-0 lead when Kaczmarek scored what he called an "incredible" goal at the 65:25 mark when he once again sliced through the Dayton defense and, with another individual effort, put the ball past the new Flyers goalkeeper Matt Troop, who took over after the first half.
"The fourth goal was the kiss of death," Baum said. "It put the nail in the coffin."
Sophomore Jason Tillman started in goal for the Spartans and stopped one shot, the first save he's been required to make this season.
The Spartans have allowed only two goals against this season, both coming in the second half of a 4-2 win against St. Francis in the MSU/Radisson Fall Soccer Classic. The starters have not yielded a goal yet.
With the Spartans up 3-0 after the first half, Baum turned to freshman Chris Austin for the second half. He made two saves to preserve MSU's third shutout of the season.
"I'm glad (Tillman) was tested," Baum said. "I'm glad Chris Austin played big today, too. That was encouraging."
Baum said he hopes to have the goalie situation sorted out by the conference season.
"Hopefully, California will tell us who the No. 1 man is," he said. "I just watch and evaluate. It's been a good competition."
The Spartans hit the road this weekend for two games in San Diego, one against San Diego State and the other against San Diego before returning home Sept. 26 to face defending National Champion Indiana.
For Kaczmarek it will be a game he won't forget.
"It was fun," Kaczmarek said. "My mom actually made it out to the game today. It's the first one she's made it out to this year, so I'm glad she was able to see this.
"Sometimes things go right for you."
