U-M Shuts Out Wildcats for Second Straight League Win

Sunday, October 27

Evanston, Ill.

2:00 PM CT

Michigan

7-6-1, 2-3

Northwestern

7-9, 0-4

Michigan

Northwestern

U-M Shuts Out Wildcats for Second Straight League Win

10/27/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

By: Gene Skidmore

Site: Evanston, Ill. (Lakeside Field)
Score: Michigan 5, Northwestern 0
Records: U-M (7-6-1, 2-3 Big Ten), Northwestern (7-9-0, 0-4-0 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Nov. 3 -- vs. Ohio State (U-M Soccer Field), 1 p.m.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- Behind a combined shutout effort by freshman starter Peter Dzubay (Sylvania, Ohio/Northview HS) and junior/sophomore Joe Zawacki (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS), the University of Michigan men's soccer team earned its third consecutive victory with a 5-0 rout of Big Ten Conference opponent Northwestern Sunday (Oct. 27) on Lakeside Field. The Wolverines received goals from junior captain Mike White (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS), sophomore Mychal Turpin (Pontiac, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit HS) and freshman Trai Blanks (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) and a pair of tallies from sophomore Knox Cameron (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman HS).

The Wolverines (7-6-1, 2-3 Big Ten) opened the scoring at 22:31 as White netted his second of the weekend and seventh of the season. A pair of freshmen set up the game-winner as Ryan Sterba (Westlake, Ohio/St. Ignatius HS) gained possession of the ball and carried it into the Wildcat zone along the left sideline. Sterba then served the ball through the box to Adam Bruh (Roslyn Heights, N.Y./Wheatley HS), who was positioned at the back of the six-yard box. Bruh headed the ball back to the left side of the field to White, who had charged the net. White finished the play and beat J.D. Martin for a 1-0 Michigan lead.

Cameron scored his first of two less than seven minutes later off a corner kick from Bruh. After being awarded the restart Bruh located Cameron standing in the middle of the six-yard box with a clear height advantage over his defender. Bruh served the ball to the 6-3 sophomore, who jumped in the air and headed the ball to the ground where it bounced under the keeper for a 2-0 Wolverine advantage.

Turpin finished the first-half scoring with his team-leading 10th goal of the season at 41:42. After the Wolverines swung the ball from one side of the field to the other it came to junior Kevin Robinson (Caro, Mich./Faith Baptist HS), who found Turpin in traffic in the near the back of the 18-yard box. Turpin one-timed the ball to the back of the net to put the Maize and Blue ahead 3-0 after the first 45 minutes of play.

Northwestern came out of the half with a new goalkeeper as Brian Heckenback replaced Martin, and Heckenbach would be tested early. With just over two minutes gone by in the second frame Cameron tied Turpin for the single-season goal lead when he beat the new keeper for his 10th of the season. Cameron accepted a cross pass from White in traffic and sent a laser to the back of the net for a 4-0 Michigan lead.

Blanks ended the scoring with his first collegiate tally at 86:20. Junior Ian Hirschfield (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Pine Crest HS) set up the freshman when he slotted the ball through the 18-yard box to a charging Blanks, who made the most of his opportunity as he sent the ball underneath the goalkeeper from 12 yards out.

The Wolverines end conference play next Sunday (Nov. 3) when they face Big Ten rival Ohio State at 1 p.m. on the U-M Soccer Field.

GAME SUMMARY

Team	1	2	F
Michigan	3	2	5
Northwestern	0	0	0

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Mike White, 22:31 (Adam Bruh, Ryan Sterba)
1st -- U-M, Knox Cameron, 29:28 (Bruh)
1st -- U-M, Mychal Turpin, 41:42 (Kevin Robinson)
2nd -- U-M, Cameron, 47:14 (White)
2nd -- U-M, Trai Blanks, 86:20 (Ian Hirschfield)

Shots: U-M 12, NU 10
Saves: U-M 7 (Peter Dzubay 6, Joe Zawacki 1), NU 1 (J.D. Martin, Brian Heckenbach 0)
Corner Kicks: U-M 4, NU 9
Fouls: U-M 23, NU 19
Cards: U-M, Ryan Sterba, 23:23 (yellow); NU, Steve Jedlinski, 24:50 (yellow); U-M, Joe Iding, 48:04 (yellow); U-M, Mychal Turpin, 54:40 (yellow); NU, David Dehorn, 54:49 (yellow)

QUOTES

Michigan Head Coach Steve Burns
On the team ... "When we are converting on our offensive chances we are a very dangerous team to beat because our confidence grows with every goal."

On the shutout ... "The shutout gave a lot of our guys a chance to play, which will help us the rest of the way. These guys came in her today hungry for a shutout after letting one slip through their fingers our last time out against Illinois-Chicago."

On the game ... "This was a game we were concerned about coming in because they are a young team with a new coach and a new will to win. We wanted to make the statement that Michigan is a program that will play hard and challenge every team the rest of the way. This was real confidence booster for this team."

On the upcoming game against Ohio State ... "Both teams are coming into this game looking to make a statement in the Big Ten Conference. If Ohio State wins they will move to 4-2 in the conference and hold sole possession of second place, but if we hold home-field advantage and earn the victory we will both be at 3-3. With both teams 3-3, there is a good chance that there will be a four- or five-way tie for that second place as other teams are also in the same position we are in."

On the importance of the Ohio State game ... "For us it means taking a momentum into the Big Ten Tournament. This is one of the school's and our program's rivals and we are look to keep that rivalry going. Last year we beat them in Columbus and that set us up for a nice run in the tournament."

On the team's chemistry ... "We are at the point in the season where we are starting to get our form. It takes a while for that to happen in a sport like soccer and I believe that we are there now and you can see that in our last three games, which have been all wins for us."

NOTES

• Mike White has now scored seven goals in 2002, three 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. This season he has 20 points on seven goals and six assists.

• Peter Dzubay improved to 4-1 with the victory over Northwestern. The freshman made six saves to earn his second consecutive conference win of the season.

• With a pair of goals Knox Cameron has improved his program career-points record to 36 in two years at Michigan. Cameron totaled 13 points in 18 games last season and in 2002 he has 23 on 10 goals and three assists.

• Freshman Adam Bruh dished out his program-leading 11th assist of the season against the Wildcats as he had two helpers in the 5-0 victory.

• Freshman Trai Blanks scored his first career goal at 86:20 in the 5-0 win over Northwestern. He has three points on the goal and one assist this year.