Freshman defender Olu Ogunwale (14) handles the ball during the second half of the Capital Cup against Lansing Ignite FC at Cooley Law School Stadium in Lansing on Tuesday, April 16, 2019. Michigan State was defeated by Lansing Ignite, 4-0.
The Michigan State men’s soccer team played the Lansing Ignite FC on Tuesday for the inaugural Capital Cup. Lansing Ignite took home the cup with a final score of 4-0 during this exhibition game. The game took place at Cooley Law School Stadium, which is the home of the Lansing Lugnuts as well as the Lansing Ignite.
With 4:48 minutes into the game, freshman defenseman Will Perkins slipped and fell and was later replaced by freshman defenseman Colton Stanley.
At the 28-minute mark, Lansing Ignite forward Pato Botello Faz scored the first goal of the game to bring the score to 1-0. Around the 41-minute mark, redshirt sophomore defenseman Patrick Nielsen was knocked onto his back and was later walked off the field limping.
“I think (tonight) was really good for soccer in this community,” MSU coach Damon Rensing said. “We’re a little disappointed with how we played, obviously the injury early on changed some things. Obviously in the spring we don’t have our seniors, so we’re only three-quarters of our team… But you play with the cards you’re dealt.”
Five minutes into the second half at the 50-minute mark, Ignite forward Steeve Saint-Duc found the back of the net and brought the score up 2-0.
Around 12 minutes later, Ignite forward Elma Nfor brought the score up to 3-0 after the ball was launched off a piece of turf and jumped over redshirt freshman goalkeeper Hunter Morse.
“... I think we put up a fight,” Morse said. “It was different (playing a professional team), I mean it was a lot faster than I expected.”
At the 74-minute mark, sophomore midfielder Michael Miller attempted to make a goal and almost made it through.
At the 86-minute mark, redshirt freshman goalkeeper Isiah Handspike made a nearly-impossible save when a Lansing Ignite player aimed his shot at the top left corner of the goal. With two minutes to go in the game, Lansing Ignite forward Alex Bruce scored to bring the score up to 4-0.
“(Lansing Ignite) keep the ball really well,” sophomore forward Farai Mutatu said. “They’re a good possession team, they’re comfortable building up the back. Those are things we’re working on, too, so I think we can definitely go back to film and see what we can work on.” [0:36-0:49]
Michigan State will play the U20 Mexican National Team on April 28 at home starting at 6 p.m.