Michigan's Quest for College Cup Ended at Santa Clara

Saturday, December 6

Santa Clara, Calif.

7:00 PM PT

Michigan

14-7-1

Santa Clara

16-3-4

Michigan

Santa Clara

Michigan's Quest for College Cup Ended at Santa Clara

12/6/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Box Score Photo Gallery

By: Gene Skidmore

Site: Santa Clara, Calif. (Buck Shaw Stadium)
Event: NCAA Tournament (Quarterfinals)
Score: #9 Santa Clara 3, Michigan 1
Records: U-M (14-7-1), Santa Clara (16-3-4)
Next U-M Event: Season Completed

SANTA CLARA, Calif. -- In a physical match played on a sloppy, rain-soaked Buck Shaw Stadium, the University of Michigan men's soccer team fell 3-1 to Santa Clara on Saturday night (Dec. 6) in the quarterfinal round of the NCAA Tournament. With the victory Santa Clara will now face Indiana in the NCAA College Cup semifinals next Friday (Dec. 12) in Columbus Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio. Michigan concludes the 2003 season with a program-best 14-7-1 record and its first trip into the NCAA College Cup in just its fourth year with varsity status.

The Broncos got on the board at 10:15 as Kelechi Igwe blasted a left-footed shot to the back of the Michigan goal for a 1-0 Santa Clara lead. Following a throw-in from Dzubay's left, the ball went to the feet of Matt Upton, who then one-timed a pass to Igwe just outside the U-M penalty box. Igwe gathered the ball, carried it in a few more yards, then unloaded a shot to the left of sophomore goalkeeper Peter Dzubay's (Sylvania, Ohio/Northview HS) outstretched hand and into the side netting of the goal.

Santa Clara carried much of the play in the first 20 minutes of the first half, outshooting the Wolverines 3-1 while keeping a majority of play in the Michigan defending third.

Junior striker Mychal Turpin (Pontiac, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit HS) put the Wolverines on the board with his 14th goal of the season when he one-touched Ryan Sterba's (Westlake, Ohio/St. Ignatius HS) line-drive service under the crossbar to knot the score at 1-1 at 28:31. The play began as Sterba received a pass charging up the left side of the field with no Broncos in sight. Sterba carried the ball for 20 yards before he saw Turpin slash in front of the net. Sterba's service was low, but Turpin was able to slide under his defender and clip the ball enough to send it over Santa Clara keeper Kent Harkness for the equalizer.

The Broncos went ahead 2-1 on a penalty kick off the foot of Jason Cunliff at 42:33. The PK was awarded as the referee whistled Sterba with a handball foul inside the Michigan 16-yard box. Sterba garnered the call when a Santa Clara player rifled a ball into the Michigan box and it clipped Sterba's arm and ricocheted out of danger.

The goal handed the Broncos a 2-1 halftime lead as neither team scored in the final 2:26 of play in the first stanza. At the break both teams had near identical stats, as both keepers had one save and both teams mustered five shots.

With 30 minutes left Michigan had an opprotunity for its second equalizer of the game as Adam Bruh (Roslyn Heights, N.Y./Wheatley HS) sent a through ball to Turpin, who was pulled down from behind, resulting in a Michigan direct kick from 20 yards out. Bruh set up the free kick and sent a line-drive blast to the near post, but Harkness was there to corral the ball and thwart the attack.

Over the next 10 minutes of play, U-M maintained its physical play and continued to apply pressure on the Santa Clara goal with multiple through balls to wingmen Turpin and Trai Blanks (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS). However, every Wolverine attempt came up empty.

The Wolverines had a second opportunity go awry with just 11:28 remaining in the match as senior tri-captain Mike White (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) chipped wide a shot to the near post from three yards out.

Santa Clara tallied game clincher with 9:55 remaining when Igwe headed a Audren Cashman rebound into a vacated Michigan goal. The goal was empty because Dzubay left the space to race out and make a diving kick save on Cashman's shot. Though Dzubay was able to get a piece of the Cashman's inital attempt, the ball continued on its path to the Michigan net, where Igwe was able to bang home his second tally of the evening.

MATCH SUMMARY

Team	1	2	F
Michigan	1	0	1
Santa Clara	2	1	3

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- SCU, Kelechi Igwe, 10:15 (Matt Upton, Kirk Fonseca)
1st -- U-M, Mychal Turpin, 28:31 (Ryan Sterba)
1st -- SCU, Jason Cunliffe, 42:33 (Penalty Kick)
2nd -- SCU, Igwe, 80:05 (Keith DeVey, Audren Cashman)

Shots: U-M 11, SCU 11
Saves: U-M 4 (Peter Dzubay), SCU 3 (Kent Harkness)
Corner Kicks: U-M 6, SCU 6
Fouls: U-M 14, SCU 23
Cards: SCU, Jason Cunliffe, 63:26 (yellow).

NOTES

• Mychal Turpin scored his team-leading 14th goal of the season and his third of the NCAA College Cup. The junior had a team-best seven points in Michigan's run through the NCAA Championship.

• With an assist to Mychal Turpin, at 28:31, Ryan Sterba collected his second point of the season. The sophomore earned his first point on an assist to Knox Cameron (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman HS) against Wisconsin (Oct. 19).

• The Wolverines scored in 21 of their 22 games this season. The Wolverines' lone shutout came at the hands of North Carolina in a 1-0 loss on Sept. 12.

• The game marked a single-season record for Michigan as it was the program's 22nd match of the year.

• Seven Wolverine seniors played in their final games wearing the Maize and Blue. Tri-captains Joe Iding (Lansing, Mich./Catholic Central HS), Kevin Taylor (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep), Mike White and Tom Gritter (Grand Rapids, Mich./Christian HS) have been with the program since its birth in 2000. Three other seniors who have seen their last action are Ian Hirschfield (Ft. Lauderdale, Fla./Pine Crest HS), Kevin Robinson (Caro, Mich./Faith Baptist HS) and Steve Walton (Portage, Mich./Central HS). The seven seniors helped the Wolverines to a four-year record of 40-31-2.