University at Albany Great Danes

Score: UAlbany 2, Michigan State 6
 
Location: DeMartin Soccer Stadium | East Lansing, Mich.
 
Records: UAlbany (0-1-0, 0-0-0 America East) | Michigan State (1-0-0, 0-0-0 Big Ten)
 
Short Story: The UAlbany men's soccer program battled the Spartans to a 2-2 score at the half, but ultimately fell, 6-2, to open the 2026 season.
 
Key Stat Lines

• Ivar Gissurarson and Yuta Kimata led the Great Danes with one goal apiece.
• Kimata's goal marked the first of his collegiate career.
• Alexander Genz, Caleb Vallance and Luca Clausse each recorded an assist.
• Gissurarson led the Great Danes with two shots, including one on goal.
• Rodrigo Hermelo was the only Great Dane field player to play the full '90.

 
How it Happened

• The Great Danes opened the scoring with the first shot of the match in the '5, as Ivar Gissurarson found the lower-left corner off assists from Alexander Genz and Caleb Vallance.
• Michigan State's Miles Merritt converted a penalty kick in the '17 to even the match at 1-1.
• The Spartans took a 2-1 lead in the '29 on a goal from Kayden Hudson.
• Yuta Kimata leveled the match in the '38, finding the lower-left corner off an assist from Luca Clausse to record the first goal of his collegiate career.
• Michigan State regained the lead in the '58 on a goal from Conner O'Keefe before Brandon Munson added back-to-back goals in the '61 and '63.
• Leo Conneh capped the scoring in the '84, giving the Spartans a 6-2 victory.

 
Up Next: UAlbany returns to Casey Stadium on Thursday, August 27 at 6:30 p.m. for the Great Danes' home opener against defending Northeast Conference champions, FDU.
 
Social Central: For more information on the UAlbany men's soccer team, follow the squad's official social media accounts on X and Instagram, and UAlbany Soccer on Facebook.