Weekly Release #8
10/2/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Upcoming Schedule
Wednesday, Oct. 4 -- vs. Notre Dame (U-M Soccer Field), 7 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 8 -- vs. Michigan State (U-M Soccer Field), 2 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 13 -- at Wisconsin-Milwaukee (Milwaukee, Wis.), 7 p.m. CDT
Sunday, Oct. 15 -- at Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.), 2 p.m. CDT
This Week ... Staying at Home on Comcast Local
#8 Notre Dame (7-3-2, 5-2-0 Big East) at Michigan (5-5-2, 0-1-1 Big Ten)
Wednesday, Oct. 4, 7 p.m. EDT U-M Soccer Field
Michigan State (6-3-1, 0-2-1 Big Ten) at Michigan (5-5-2, 0-1-1 Big Ten)
Sunday, Oct. 8, 2 p.m. PDT U-M Soccer Field
The Wolverines will first play host to the No. 8-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish and the Michigan State Spartans on Wednesday (Oct. 4) at 7 p.m. and Sunday (Oct. 8) at 2 p.m., respectively, on the U-M Soccer Field. Both of the U-M home matches will be aired live on Comcast Local. This will be the second time Michigan will face Notre Dame and Michigan State in back-to-back games; the first time was Oct. 13 and 17, 2004. The Maize and Blue walked away 0-2, after falling 3-0 and 3-2 to the Fighting Irish and Spartans, respectively.
Scouting the Opponents ...
A look at No. 8 Notre Dame (Notre Dame leads all-time series, 0-1-1): The Fighting Irish closed out the 2005 season with a 12-8-3 record and a third-place finish in the BIG EAST Blue Division (6-4-1). Notre Dame made its second appearance in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament (2003). The last time the Wolverines and Fighting Irish faced each other was on Oct. 13, 2004, when No. 12 Notre Dame defeated Michigan 3-0 in South Bend, Ind.
Under Head Coach Bobby Clark: Entering his sixth season, Clark has an overall record of 65-27-13 and has earned a trip to the NCAA Tournament every year he has coached at UND. During his tenure with Notre Dame, Clark has produced at least 12 wins per term and finished the season ranked in the top 20 four of the five years. For their accolades, Clark and his coaching staff earned 2001 and 2004 BIG EAST Coaching Staff of the Year honors. Notre Dame on the web: www.und.com.
A look at Michigan State (MSU leads all-time series, 2-6-0): The Spartans finished the 2005 campaign with an 8-6-5 record and a 2-3-1 mark in Big Ten play, with an appearance in the championship match of the Big Ten tournament. In 2005, MSU defeated Michigan 2-0 in East Lansing, Mich. The last win U-M had against Michigan State was Oct. 12, 2003, when the Maize and Blue earned a 4-2 victory in East Lansing, Mich.
Under Head Coach Joe Baum: Baum enters his 30th season with an overall mark of 286-210-46 which includes 19 winning seasons. Baum is a two-time Big Ten Coach of the Year (1996 & 2000) honoree and led the Spartans to their first Big Ten Championship title in 2004. Michigan State on the Web: www.msuspartans.com.
U-M Scheduled Live on Comcast
Comcast Local is scheduled to televise this week's Michigan home games against No. 8 Notre Dame (Oct. 4, 7 p.m.) and Michigan State (Oct. 8, 2 p.m.).
THIS WEEK'S STORYLINES ...
Last Week... Double Trouble
For the first time in program history the Wolverines played in three straight double-overtime matches, going 0-2-1 in the three-game span. U-M played a total of 223:29 minutes in the three games, the most minutes played in a three-game stint in program history. This past week, Michigan played host to Detroit (Sept. 27) as it played to a double-overtime 0-0 draw on the U-M Soccer Field. Three days later, the Wolverines made their second longest trip in program history, as they traveled 2,343 miles to face UC Santa Barbara (Sept. 30) in a 1-0 double-overtime loss.
Did You Know ...
Whether in exhibition games or regular season match-ups, Michigan has faced Notre Dame every year since 2001. U-M is 0-1-1 against the Fighting Irish.
Notre Dame is the second team to face Michigan out of the BIG EAST Blue Division (Connecticut, 1-0). The Wolverines are 4-3-2 all-time against teams in the BIG EAST after suffering a 2-0 loss to St. John's (Aug. 25).
This will be the third time Michigan will play in back-to-back home games this season (2-2).
No. 8 Notre Dame is the second-highest ranked team Michigan will face this year (No. 3 New Mexico). U-M is currently 1-2 against ranked teams this season, with a 2-1 (OT) win over No. 14 Kentucky (Sept. 13).
The Maize and Blue is currently 0-2 in games played after back-to-back shutout losses.
Michigan is 0-2 when facing Notre Dame and Michigan State in back-to-back games.
Michigan is currently on a four-game unbeaten streak when playing on U-M Soccer Field, with a 2006 home record of 3-2-1.
Pointless
For the first time since Nov. 4 and 10, 2005, the Wolverines have played in back-to-back games without netting a goal. The Maize and Blue has had three back-to-back non-scoring games since the inaugural year in 2000. On the opposite side, dating back to 2000, the Wolverines have had nine back-to-back games in which they have shut out their opponents. In 2002, '04, and '05, Michigan earned back-to-back shutouts twice in the respective seasons.
"Putting the Onion in the Onion Bag"
After losing four of the top point scorers, Michigan has been able to find offense in its younger players. Freshman Peri Marosevic (Rockford, Ill./Edison Academy) currently leads all Wolverines with five goals after netting two in the Michigan Invitational. Sophomore Michael Holody (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston) is second after successfully scoring two penalty kicks on the year, along with a goal against Oakland (Sept. 20).
Keeper of the Net
Sophomore/freshman Patrick Sperry (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) has proven that he is worthy of taking over the net for the Wolverines. Sperry has played in 223:29 minutes in the past three games, which is the most minutes played by any U-M goalkeeper in a three-game span. In the three-game stint the sophomore/freshman grabbed 11 saves and earned his second career shutout, going 0-2-1. Sperry has played a total 1,130:1 in 12 starts, grabbing 46 saves with a goals against average of 1.27. When matching up to former Michigan goalkeepers Peter Dzubay (2002-05) and Joe Zawacki's (2000-04) stats from their first year starting, Sperry is second in minutes behind Zawacki (1,334:24) and only 13 saves away from Zawacki's season-record save total of 59, which is fifth on the U-M all-time season records list. Sperry's 1.27 GAA is half a goal (0.45) more than Dzubay's 2002 U-M season record of 0.82.
Coaches Corner With Head Coach Steve Burns
After playing in three straight double overtime games, how will that effect the up-tempo game that is played here at Michigan
"In college soccer, there are no easy games until you make them easy. Everyone has excessive wear and tear on their starting unit. We have confidence in our bench, and now is the time of the year when our deep bench will pay dividends."
How does the team match up against Notre Dame and Michigan State
"In the back two-thirds of the field, we are all essentially even with good goalkeeping, strong defending, and composed play in midfield. The difference between winning and losing will be seen in two areas: forwards put the ball in the onion bag and your execution on corner kicks and other restarts within scoring range."
How important is it to play in back-to-back home matches after making a long trip to California
"The month of October is the most important month in the season because you get into the meat of the conference schedule. It's good to be back at home in front of our fans."
What can the team take away from playing in three straight double-overtime games heading into this week's matches
"Our fitness is strong, we are confident and healthy, we have great discipline and team morale, and most importantly we believe we are a very good team."
NSCAA/adidas National Rankings (10/3/06)
Ranking, School Prev. Record 1. SMU 1 11-0-1 2. Maryland 3 10-1-0 3. Virginia 5 10-1-0 4. Clemson 2 8-1-1 5. West Virginia 9 9-1-2 6. North Carolina 8 10-2-0 7. UC Irvine 22 8-1-1 8. Notre Dame 17 7-3-2 9. South Carolina 6 9-2-0 Washington 4 8-2-0 11. Wake Forest 11 9-2-0 12. Fordham 12 6-0-3 13. Kentucky RV 8-2-1 14. Indiana NR 6-3-2 15. Duke 14 7-2-1 16. UCLA NR 6-3-2 17. Memphis 15 8-2-0 18. Illinois-Chicago 7 7-1-2 19. Fairfield NR 6-2-1 20. Old Dominion 12 8-2-0 21. Brown 20 6-1-1 22. Saint Louis NR 5-3-1 San Diego State NR 7-3-1 24. San Francisco NR 7-3-1 25. Boston University NR 6-1-4 Santa Clara 18 6-3-2
PAGE THREE ...
The Book on Burns
Head coach Steve Burns is 65-53-10 in six seasons as the leader of Michigan's varsity program. Last season Burns guided the Wolverines to an overall record of 8-10-1, tying for fifth place in the Big Ten. Since Burns took the helm in 2000, the Wolverines have posted 10 or more wins in four out of six seasons, making two NCAA College Cup appearances. Prior to Michigan soccer being granted varsity status on March 26, 1999, Burns was the head coach of the Michigan club team since 1993. Under his leadership, Michigan posted a 121-51-26 mark (.677 winning percentage) and made six consecutive appearances in the national club championship tournament. The team won back-to-back national championships in 1997 and 1998.
Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week
Freshman Peri Marosevic (Rockford, Ill./Edison Academy) of the University of Michigan men's soccer team was named Big Ten Conference co-Offensive Player of the Week on Monday (Sept. 25), sharing the award with Indiana's Kevin Robson. Marosevic received the first conference honor of his career after tallying five points (two goals, one assist) to lead the Wolverines to a win and a tie against Oakland and Indiana, respectively.
Marosevic is the first Wolverine to receive the weekly honor in the 2006 season. The Rockford, Ill., native is also the first U-M freshman to receive the laurel since Nov. 3, 2003, when teammate Bobby Trybula (Loveland, Ohio/Archbishop Moeller HS) earned the accolade.
Morisset's Marker
Five minutes and 18 seconds into overtime, Alex Morisset gave Michigan its third straight victory over Kentucky with his first collegiate goal. Morisset joins Michael Parke as the second Wolverine this year to net their first collegiate marker for a game-winner.
Sharing the Wealth
The Wolverines have been able to net their goals with sophomore Steve Bonnell (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Detroit Country Day) and freshman Mauro Fuzetti (Houston, Texas/Stratford) sharing the wealth of the ball. The pair is tied for first with three assists apiece. Bonnell and Fuzetti have proven that they can get the ball to the scorers after each having two-assist games apiece. Bonnell's first career two-assist game was against Butler, as he set up Peri Marosevic and Jake Stacy, earning his second-career game-winning assist. Fuzetti earned two assists to lead U-M to its first win of the season, defeating Northern Illinois (Sept. 1), 2-1.
Defensive Leadership
With a new face in the net for the Wolverines, the defensive back half will be key in maintaining Michigan's defensive reputation. With three senior defensemen in the backline -- Kevin Hall (Kalamazoo, Mich./Central HS), Michael O'Reilly (Spring, Texas/Klein HS) and Kevin Savitskie (Plymouth, Mich./Salem HS) -- the Wolverines look to produce another season that is full of defensive stability. In 2005, Hall, O'Reilly and Savitskie led a Michigan defense that tied a Michigan record of five shutouts for the season. On Sept. 1, the Wolverines demonstrated their defensive prowess versus the Detroit Titans as they held them to six shots with none on goal.
Team Leadership
The 2006 Wolverines will be led by senior tri-captains Kevin Hall, Kevin Savitskie and Brian Popeney (Canton, Mich./Plymouth Salem). Hall and Savitskie were defensive leaders for the Wolverines in 2005, not only defending but also scoring goals. Savitskie was fifth on the team in points (6) and third in goals (3). Hall, who is in his second season as a captain, scored his lone goal of the season against Denver (Sept. 4), netting the game-winner in the 85th minute giving the Wolverines a victory in the MSU/Radisson Classic. Popeney will bring his leadership and experience to the table after playing in 36 games, making five starts and dishing off two assists in his career.
New Faces in Town
Michigan's 2006 recruiting class ranked 26th on the College Soccer News top 40 list with three highly touted recruits joining the Wolverines. Incoming freshmen Mauro Fuzetti (Houston, Texas/Stratford HS), Peri Marosevic (Rockford, Ill./Edison HS) and Julian Robles (Hacienda Heights, Calif./Damien) will join sophomore midfielder Nader Jarun (Peachtree, Ga./McIntosh HS), a transfer from Vanderbilt. In 2006, Fuzetti earned All-Greater Houston and first team all-district honors. Marosevic was a member of Parade magazine's 2006 All-America team and participated in his second year with the U.S. National Team Under-18 group, traveling to Portugal and competing with the squad in the 13th annual Lisbon International Tournament in June. Robles was named 2006 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern California Defender of the Year after leading Damien High School to its first CIF State Championship title. Robles was also an all-state honoree after receiving all-district and all-region recognition. Jarun played in 14 of 18 matches at Vanderbilt University, tallying six shots with two on goal, as he was part of an attacking front line that ranked fifth in the conference in goals (28) and assists (27), leading the Commodores to their first winning record (9-7-2) in six years.
Raising the Bar
Michigan finished the 2005 season with an overall record of 8-10-1 and tied for fifth place in the Big Ten Conference at 2-4-0. One of the biggest wins of the season came on Oct. 20 when the Wolverines defeated the No. 25 Wisconsin-Milwaukee Panthers in double overtime by a score of 2-1. The Wolverines missed making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2002.
Wolverines and the Michigan Bucks
The Michigan Bucks won the 2006 Premier Developmental League (PDL) Championship with the help from three current Wolverines, sophomores Michael Holody (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston HS), Alex Morisset (Shelby Township, Mich./DeLasalle HS) and Chase Tennant (Rochester, Mich./Rochester HS), and U-M alumnus Mychal Turpin (2001-04). The No. 13 Bucks became the lowest seeded team to capture the title as they defeated the Laredo Heat, 2-1.
Contact: Joseph Conrad (734) 763-4423
