Wolverines Even Record with Triumph in Windy City

Friday, October 25

Chicago, Ill.

3:00 PM CT

Michigan

6-6-1

Illinois-Chicago

7-7-2

Michigan

UIC

10/25/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

By: Gene Skidmore

Site: Chicago, Ill. (Flames Field)
Score: Michigan 2, Illinois-Chicago 1
Records: U-M (6-6-1), UIC (7-7-2)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Oct. 27 -- at Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.), 2:00 p.m. CST

CHICAGO, Ill. -- The University of Michigan men's soccer team downed Illinois-Chicago 2-1 on Friday (Oct. 25) at Flames Field to reach the .500 mark for the first time since the Wolverines were 3-3-1 on Sept. 27. U-M received goals from junior captain Mike White (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) and junior Kevin Robinson (Caro, Mich./Faith Baptist HS), while freshman goalkeeper Peter Dzubay (Sylvania, Ohio/Northview HS) earned his second consecutive victory and fell one second shy of his recording his second career shutout.

Michigan posted the only goal of the first half when White netted his career-best sixth goal of the season. The Wolverines were awarded a corner kick in the 12th minute of play and made the most of their opportunity. Freshman Adam Bruh (Roslyn Heights, N.Y./Wheatley HS) took the corner kick and served the ball into the Wolverines' tallest player, junior Kevin Taylor (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep). Taylor played the ball to his feet and flicked it through to White, who sent the ball to the back of the net at 11:42 for an early 1-0 advantage.

UIC carried most the play in the first 45 minutes of the action as the Flames peppered the Michigan keeper with nine shots. Dzubay was up the challenge though and turned away all six of the shots the Flames put on net.

The second half became more physical as the Wolverines were whistled for 16 fouls, two yellow cards and a red card that put the Maize and Blue down one man at 74:34. UIC also increased its level of physicality as the Flames were called for nine second-half fouls to go with three yellow cards.

Down one man with the Flames pressuring on offense, the Wolverines gained a two-goal advantage when Robinson was able to convert on a counterattack. With UIC on a offensive run Michigan dropped its forwards into the zone for extra defense. Mychal Turpin (Pontiac, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit HS) gained control of the ball and found a streaking Robinson at midfield. With the ball at Turpin's feet Robison broke toward the UIC goal and was able to remain onside as he excepted the Turpin pass. As the UIC defenders looked at the assistant official for an offsides call Robinson beat Ross Cain one-on-one to give Michigan a 2-0 lead at 76:14.

Robinson had an opportunity to put the Wolverines up 3-0 when we was awarded a penalty kick at 88:43 after Joe Morelli took him down in the UIC six-yard box. Robinson sent the PK to the keeper's left, but Ross Cain made a sprawling save to keep the score at 2-0.

With less than 15 seconds remaining in the match Michigan had a defensive letdown that allowed UIC to win possession of the ball deep in the U-M zone. At 89:59 Dennis King brought the Flames within one tally as he sent a Robert Gallo pass past the Michigan keeper.

The Wolverines look for their second Big Ten Conference win as they remain in the state of Illinois for a 2 p.m. CDT kickoff with the Wildcats of Northwestern on Sunday (Oct. 27) at Lakeside Field in Evanston, Ill. The Wolverines are 2-0 all-time against Northwestern as Michigan defeated the Wildcats 2-1 in double overtime in 2000 and 1-0 in 2001.

GAME SUMMARY

Team	1	2	F
Michigan	1	1	2
Illinois-Chicago	0	1	1

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Mike White, 11:42 (Kevin Taylor, Adam Bruh)
2nd -- U-M, Kevin Robinson, 76:14 (Mychal Turpin)
2nd -- UIC, Dennis King, 89:59 (Robert Gallo)

Shots: U-M 11, UIC 14
Saves: U-M 7 (Peter Dzubay), UIC 2 (Ross Cain)
Corner Kicks: U-M 6, UIC 3
Fouls: U-M 25, UIC 9
Cards: U-M, Jeff Mirmelstein, 34:03 (yellow); U-M, Adam Bruh, 50:52 (yellow); U-M, Robert Turpin, 52:10 (yellow); UIC, Bruno Raisch, 74:09 (yellow); U-M, Robert Wurth, 74:34 (red); UIC, Adam Jones, 76:14 (yellow); UIC, Joe Morelli, 88:43 (yellow)

QUOTES

Michigan Head Coach Steve Burns
On the scoring off restarts ... "We are a team that focuses on the restarts in practice because we feel were are good enough to put them in from anywhere on the field. Adam [Bruh] has been consistent with his kicks all year and that helped us get the goal here today."

On the game ... "We came into this game hungry for a victory. They carried most of the play in the first half, but [Peter] Dzubay stepped up and made six saves for us to keep us in the game. We told the kids at halftime that the players had to take the next step and communicate better on the field. Instead of having the coaches do all the instructing they had to take it on themselves to make the decisions. They did what we asked and came through with a big win for us. We grew here as a team today."

On the victory ... "It's huge in making a statement for the rest of year. This is now a time when the players step up to take control of the team and take this program to the next level."

On Mike White ... "White is an upperclassman who the team selected as a captain before the season began because he is a courageous and brave soccer player. He scores a lot of his goals in the six-yard box because he enjoys the contact and is able to get his body in the right place to put the ball in the back of the net. He is an active player and he helps us maintain pressure on the opposing keeper. Not only is he good with his back to the goal, he is also quick enough to turn on the defender and score his own goals."

On Mychal Turpin ... "Mychal Turpin is a player everyone is starting to know about and it is good to see him getting the rest of his team into the fray. With his ability to score it is nice to see him get a few assists."

On Peter Dzubay ... "Peter Dzubay kept us in the game in the first half of the game. He made six saves in that first half and he looked really good throughout the game today."

NOTES

• Mike White has now scored six goals in 2002, two more than he scored in his first two years in the Maize and Blue. White scored two goals and dished out two assists in both his sophomore (2001) and freshman (2000) seasons.

• Peter Dzubay came within one second of his second career shutout. In his first season between the pipes for the Wolverines, Dzubay has posted a record of 3-1-0 with consecutive wins over Wisconsin (Oct. 20) and Illinois-Chicago. Dzubay earned his first victory with a shutout over Bowling Green (Oct. 9).

• The goal at 76:14 was Kevin Robinson's first of the season. He netted three as a freshman in 2000 and one as junior in 2001.