Michigan
Bowling Green (ex)
Michigan Drops First Exhibition Game to Bowling Green
8/26/2005 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Site: Bowling Green, Ohio (Mickey Cochrane Field)
Score: Bowling Green 2, Michigan 0 (exhibition)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Aug. 28 -- Notre Dame (U-M Soccer Field), 2 p.m.
BOWLING GREEN, Ohio -- The University of Michigan men's soccer team lost a 2-0 exhibition game to Bowling Green on Friday (Aug. 26) at Mickey Cochrane Field. Bowling Green netted the first goal 13:43 into the game when Kyle Williams scored off the restart, assisted by Justin Kim.
Michigan's goalkeepers, junior Ryan Bennett (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer) and freshman Patrick Sperry (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central), split time in the net with a combined total of six saves. Most of the saves came in the second period, when Bowling Green took eight shots after only taking three in the first half.
For 44:40 of the second half the two teams battled to find offensive production. With 20 seconds left in the game the Falcons sealed a victory when Dave Belfort scored an unassisted goal.
The Wolverines continued to battle after being down 1-0 early in the game, taking more shots and shots on goal than the Falcons. At the end of the game, Michigan had 18 shots and eight shots on goal to Bowling Green's 11 and three. The Wolverines were led by freshman Steve Bonnell (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Detroit Country Day) with team highs of three shots and two shots on goals.
The Wolverines' second and final exhibition game is against 16th-ranked Notre Dame on Sunday (Aug. 28) at 2 p.m. on the U-M Soccer Field.
GAME SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
| Michigan | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Bowling Green | 1 | 1 | 2 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- BGSU, Kyle Williams, 13:43 (Justin Kim)
2nd -- BGSU, Dave Belfort, 89:40 (Unassisted)
Shots: U-M 18, BGSU 11
Saves: U-M 6, BGSU 8
Corner Kicks: U-M 6, BGSU 2
Fouls: U-M 1, BGSU, 1
Cards: None
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Steve Burns
On losing the first exhibition game ... "It's the first game, it's a lot like a bad marriage. You can take in all the plans to getting married, and you never know how that wedding's going to go. Unfortunately it looks like we got a lot of work to do in our marriage."
On what needs improvement ... "We didn't have enough urgency on the front third of the field, that's the attacking part of the field. We were relatively predictable, and we played, what I feel, a pretty naive game in the front third of the field. We were trying to do too much to find the perfect player to score goals, and scoring goals is about taking responsibility and not passing the buck along. That's probably the biggest thing we take out of it, is that our forwards have to show hunger to score goals in the front third of the field."
On what can be taken away from this game ... "There are some bright things certainly. We're a team that's going to be able to hold on to the ball with possession, now it's a matter of making sure we're converting that possession with an opportunity to score a goal, and not possession for the sake of possession."
