Turpin, Glinski Help Make Michigan's NCAA Debut a Success

Wednesday, November 26

Ann Arbor, Mich.

2:00 PM

Michigan

14-6

Saint Peter's

18-5-2

Saint Peters

Michigan

Turpin, Glinski Help Make Michigan's NCAA Debut a Success

11/26/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery Photo Gallery 2

By: Gene Skidmore

inSite: Ann Arbor, Mich. (U-M Soccer Field)
Event: NCAA Tournament (Second Round)
Score: Michigan 6, St. Peter's 2
Records: U-M (14-6-0), St. Peter's (18-5-2)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Nov. 30 -- at Notre Dame in NCAA Third Round (South Bend, Ind.), 1 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's soccer team earned its first NCAA Tournament victory in its first-ever appearance with a 6-2 triumph against St. Peter's this afternoon (Wednesday, Nov. 26) in second-round action at the U-M Soccer Field. Junior Mychal Turpin (Pontiac, Mich./Univ. of Detroit Jesuit HS) scored U-M's two first-half goals, while sophomore Chris Glinski (Rochester, Minn./Lourdes HS) added his two, including the game-winner, in the second half.

Turpin also had an assist in the game, giving him a total of five points. Senior tri-captain Mike White (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) had a goal and two assists on the day. Sophomore goalkeeper Peter Dzubay (Sylvania, Ohio/Northview HS) made 10 saves in net to record the win for the Wolverines.

Although Michigan took a 2-0 lead into halftime, St. Peter's posted the first scoring opportunity of the game just two minutes into the contest with quick play through midfield. With the ball along the right wing, Marco Orias pushed the ball ahead to Carlos Villacres, who then send a one-touch ball behind the Michigan defense for Rinaldo Chambers. Chambers' low shot was touched just wide by Dzubay to force a corner.

The teams settled into a battle for the midfield until the middle of the half, when Michigan was able to pressure the St. Peter's defensive line with its size advantage, creating space for Turpin.

Sophomore midfielder Trai Blanks (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) and Turpin combined on a chance out of the midfield just over 20 minutes into the game. Blanks controlled the ball out of the midfield with St. Peter's Orias pressuring from the side. Blanks carried the ball into the center circle before finding Turpin's feet 12 yards ahead before breaking downfield. Turpin found Blanks on the end of his run at the top of the 18-yard box, but Blanks' shot went off a defender.

That play, however, set up U-M's score, as White collected a pass from senior Kevin Taylor (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep), who intercepted the St. Peter's clearing pass. From the right endline, White centered the ball on net and Turpin was able to head it by Peacock keeper John Moschella for a 1-0 lead at 23:47.

U-M went up 2-0 five minutes later with Turpin's second strike. Junior Dawson Stellberger (Crested Butte, Colo./Crested Butte Academy) collected the ball off a give-and-go with Ryan Sterba (Westlake, Ohio/St. Ignatius HS) 25 yards from goal. Stellberger chipped the ball over the St. Peter's defense into the Peacock goal box. Turpin ran onto the bouncing ball and was able to head it over an outstretched Mochella, who arrived on the play a moment too late.

Senior Tom Gritter (Grand Rapids, Mich./Christian HS) looked to put U-M ahead by three six minutes before halftime, but his chip from the endline was knocked off the goal line by a St. Peter's defender Mark Zajkowski.

The Peacocks battled back with an early goal to begin the second half. St. Peter's forward Sylvers Owusu buried a cross from midfielder Alano Groves, who passed the ball over the defense from the right endline.

Glinski scored in response on new St. Peter's goalkeeper Pat Nagawiecki at 49:33, re-establishing Michigan's two-goal lead at 3-1. Glinski found the loose ball in the box after White hit the crossbar with a header off an Adam Bruh (Roslyn Heights, N.Y./Wheatley HS) corner.

The Wolverines went up 4-1 with 32 minutes left in the half on a free kick assist from Bruh. Bruh lofted the ball from outside the box on the left side of the field right to Glinski's foot. Glinski netted the ball with an easy knock into an open net.

Bruh then increased Michigan's lead to 5-1 with a goal of his own on a free kick minutes later. Bruh curled the ball into the upper right corner of the net, past Nagawiecki, from 27 yards away.

The wide-open play of the second half continued as St. Peter's netted its second goal with 25:53 remaining in the stanza. Dribbling along the touchline, Chambers shot the ball short side past Dzubay, who came out to cut down the angle.

Michigan answered within the minute, making the score 6-2 just 41 seconds later. White scored the goal, sending the ball to the right corner of the net as he went in alone on Nagawiecki. Turpin set up White on the run with a through ball from the middle of the field.

The Wolverines will face Notre Dame in the third round of the NCAA Championship, following the Irish's 4-1 victory over Wisconsin-Milwaukee Wednesday night in South Bend, Ind. The two teams will match up at Notre Dame's Alumni Field on Sunday (Nov. 30) at 1 p.m.

MATCH SUMMARY

Team	1	2	F
St. Peter's	0	2	2
Michigan	2	4	6

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Mychal Turpin, 23:47 (Mike White, Kevin Taylor)
1st -- U-M, Turpin, 29:22 (Dawson Stellberger)
2nd -- SPC, Sylvers Owuso, 48:07 (Alano Groves)
2nd -- U-M, Chris Glinski, 49:33 (White)
2nd -- U-M, Glinski, 58:41 (Adam Bruh)
2nd -- U-M, Bruh, 60:30 (unassisted)
2nd -- SPC, Rinaldo Chambers, 64:07 (Carlos Villacres)
2nd -- U-M, White, 64:48 (Turpin)

Shots: U-M 18, SPC 16
Saves: U-M 10 (Peter Dzubay), SPC 4 (John Moschella 2, Pat Nagawiecki 1, Team 1)
Corner Kicks: U-M 4, SPC 5
Fouls: U-M 13, SPC 14
Cards: SPC, Sylvers Owusu, 62:43 (yellow)

QUOTES

Michigan Head Coach Steve Burns
On the game ... The expectations were that this game was going to break open but we wanted that to be later vs. sooner with our feeling that we had a better level of fitness. Certainly, when the game broke open both teams had many chances and it just happened to be our day today. I think Saint Peter's is a good team and you have to give them credit for the Cinderella season they had this year."

On Michigan's third goal ... "For us it was like slipping into the hot tub. It was huge. Anytime a team can respond to a goal that was scored against them, it breaks the psychological component of the other team. Our guys did it twice today. We were up 2-0 and almost up 3-0 in the opening seconds of the second half, but they came back and made it a game. But for our guys to come back and get that two-goal lead speaks to our maturity as a team. Our team is mature enough now that they look to get after other team's jugulars when they sense that they can. Restarts we knew were going to be important, and here Chris Glinski scores on two and Adam Bruh scores on another."

On Trai Blanks' defensive matchup with Marco Orias ... "We knew that was going to be a key matchup. We knew that he was a right-sided mid who plays real withdrawn, which meant that Trai was going to be able to find him with our shape. Trai did a great job neutralizing him in the sense that he did not enough play in the second half."

On playing without Knox Cameron ... "Knox would have contributed to this game. One of the great things about having Knox is that a lot of teams will key on him and will forget about the Mike Whites or the Chris Glinskis that come up for restarts. So it was a good victory and a good team victory as well."

U-M Junior Forward Mychal Turpin
On Chris Glinski's two-goal performance ... "We knew coming into this game that Chris was going to have a big game. During the week of practice he was playing real hard. Coach Burns actually predicted that he would score and he proved Coach right."

On getting back into the goal-scoring mode ... "I was just working hard and trying to do the things that I was doing at the beginning of the season, and I just happened to score."

On the players' feelings now they have won their first NCAA Championship game ... "We still have another big game ahead of us. When you win by that many goals we are not going to charge the field. We have to continue our focus because we do have another big game coming up."

U-M Sophomore Defender Chris Glinski
On at what point the Wolverines felt they had control of the game ... "I would say the first time we went up by four goals (5-1). When we were up 2-0 and they scored to make it 2-1, we all got nervous, but once we countered and went up by four we felt a little bit better."

On the team's emotions heading into this game ... "The mode in the locker room was actually was more relaxed than you would expect it to be going into a big game like this. But I did have the nerves at the beginning of the game."

On his feelings ... "It definitely feels really good and we are going to relish it."

Saint Peter's Head Coach Cesar Markovic
Opening statement ... "Michigan was ready for the game. They came in well rested and they looked very energetic. They looked very eager to prove something in their first NCAA appearance."

On what he said at halftime to make the team come out so strongly ... "I felt that we were cutting through their defense pretty easily. Even though we were giving up stuff on the other end, we were definitely getting opportunities. We had been in this situation before, being down 2-0, and this is a team that won 18 games this year and believes in itself. We were not ready to give up at that point. Unfortunately it was not our day today. It is just one of those days where the ball does not bounce your way."

On the play of Mychal Turpin ... "We knew about the players Michigan had. It all kind of caught up with us today. One of the things I mentioned on the way here today is that we fought a tough fight Saturday night at Brown. We just lacked a little bit of juice and lacked a little bit of sharpness. I think it caught up with us on some of those plays where we had to jump and stay with someone. We just didn't quite have it in the legs."

On Michigan's ability to answer Saint Peter's goals ... "It was huge. It was actually seconds later. At that point, like I said before, our team is used to winning games and finding a way to win. We come out of the locker room, we score a goal and we are believing in ourselves and it is almost like a bucket of cold water on a fire. That was basically the game right there."

NOTES

• With the 6-2 win against St. Peter's, Michigan earned its first-ever NCAA Tournament victory. The win came in U-M's first-ever NCAA Tournament appearance.

• The victory gave the Wolverines a single-season-program-best 14 wins. Through 20 games this year U-M has posted a record of 14-6-0.

• Michigan has scored six goals two times this season. The school record for goals in a game is eight, against IUPUI on Sept. 6, 2002.

• Michigan is the first team to score more than two goals in a game against St. Peter's all season. The Wolverines netted six markers on the Peacocks.

• Michigan wore its "special" maize kit for the game. The Wolverines are now 2-1 when wearing maize.

• Mychal Turpin now has 13 goals this season with his pair of goals against St. Peter's. He now holds the school record for goals in a season, as he vaulted past junior Knox Cameron (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman HS), who had scored 12 times this season.

• Chris Glinski scored his first goals of the season with a pair of tallies against St. Peter's. He now has three goals in his career.

• Glinski netted the first game-winning goal of his career with his first tally at 49:33 to give U-M a 3-1 lead.

• Glinski's four-point, two-goal performance doubled his career point total. Heading into today's game, Glinski had three points on a goal and an assist.

• With two goals each, Turpin and Glinski are the first pair to have multi-goal performances for the Wolverines in the same game this season.

• Adam Bruh registered his first three-point game today as the sophomore netted his third career goal and dished out his 21st career assist.

• With a goal and an assist, Mike White now has 22 points this season, giving the Wolverines three 20-point scorers for the second season in a row. Cameron, Turpin and White also surpassed the 20-point plateau in 2002.

• White had a season high for assists in a game with a pair of helpers against the Peacocks.

• Peter Dzubay tied a career and program high for saves in a game with 10 stops against the Peacocks.

• Dzubay also recorded his 20th career victory between the pipes of a Michigan goal. Dzubay is now 20-8-1 as a Wolverine.

• Michigan set a season high for assists today as the Wolverines earned six helpers. The previous best team total in 2003 was five at Bowling Green (Sept. 28).

• Michigan also set a season high for points in a game as the Wolverines totaled 18 today against Saint Peter's on six goals and six assists.

• The starters for Michigan's first-ever NCAA Tournament game were: Peter Dzubay, Kevin Taylor, Mike White, Joe Iding, Chris Glinski, Mychal Turpin, Adam Bruh, Ryan Sterba, Dawson Stellberger, Trai Blanks and Kevin Savitskie.