Michigan
6-9-4
Penn State
6-10-2
U-M Snaps Big Ten Streak With 1-0 Win Over Penn State
10/28/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (U-M Soccer Field)
Score: Michigan 1, Penn State 0
Records: U-M (6-9-4, 1-2-3 Big Ten), PSU (6-10-2, 3-3-0 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Thursday, Nov. 2 -- First Round at Big Ten Championship (Columbus, Ohio)
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's soccer team snapped a nine-game winless streak with a 1-0 win over Penn State on Saturday (Oct. 28) at the U-M Soccer Field. The Wolverines close the regular-season with a 5-10-4 record, going 1-2-3 in the Big Ten.
On senior/parent night, senior tri-captain Kevin Hall (Kalamazoo, Mich./Central HS) netted his first game-winning goal of the season at the 56:06 mark, breaking a four-game scoreless drought for the Maize and Blue. Sophomore Santos Perez's (Troy, Mich./Athens HS) high shot forced PSUÂ goalkeeper Conrad Taylor to come out of the goal, giving Hall a wide-open net. Hall recovered the loose ball, pounding the shot from 16 yards out to give Michigan a dramatic 1-0 lead. The shot was Hall's second of the match, as he finished the night one of six Wolverines to take a team-high two shots.
In his first start of the season, senior tri-captain Brian Popeney (Canton, Mich./Plymouth Salem HS) created Michigan's first two scoring opportunities with back-to-back shots on goal. In the 17th minute, freshman Peri Marosevic (Rockford, Ill./Edison Academy) slipped the ball to Popeney from the right flank, who then blasted a point-blank rocket at Taylor from 15 yards out. Popeney captured the 50/50 ball to take another shot, only to see the ball deflected wide.
Eight minutes later, Hall attempted his first scoring chance of the match with a header that went wide right. Freshman Mauro Fuzetti (Houston, Texas/Stratford HS) sent the ball from the left flank to Hall, sending a header from the right side of the net that missed the goal by inches.
After only taking one shot on goal in the first half, the Maize and Blue came back in the second stanza with more offensive pressure, taking 10 shots, five of which were on goal. On the defensive side of the field, sophomore/freshman Patrick Sperry (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central HS) grabbed five second-half saves, earning his fourth shutout of the season and finishing the night stopping six Penn State scoring chances.
Four minutes into the second half, Sperry made the biggest save of the match. The play started when a PSU attacker sent the ball into the Michigan defensive third of the field. Sperry dove to grab the loose ball, missed it, and then had to make a save from his stomach as a Penn State player took a shot on goal.
Five minutes after Sperry's save, the Wolverines began to attack offensively. Hall initiated a breakaway opportunity for senior Bobby Trybula (Loveland, Ohio/Bishop Mueller HS), passing the ball from the middle of the field to Trybula, who ran past two defenders and fired a left-flank shot that sailed just wide of net.
After Hall's goal in the 57th minute, Michigan continued to apply pressure to Penn State's defensive third, taking two more dangerous shots that sailed wide of the net. Sophomore Steve Bonnell (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Detroit Country Day School) and Marosevic accounted for the final two scoring opportunities, as they both finished the game with two shots.
The Wolverines travel to Columbus, Ohio, Thursday through Sunday (Nov. 2-5) to compete in the Big Ten Championship.
GAME SUMMARY
| By Periods | 1 | 2 | F |
| Penn State | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michigan | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
2nd -- U-M, Kevin Hall, 56:06 (unassisted)
Shots: U-M 15, PSU 10
Saves: U-M 6 (Patrick Sperry), PSU 2 (Conrad Taylor)
Corner Kicks: U-M 4, PSU 0
Fouls: U-M 18, PSU 24
Cards: PSU, David Gray, 19:47 (yellow); U-M, Mauro Fuzetti, 37:32 (yellow); PSU, Andrew Parr, 55:49 (yellow)
NOTES
• With its 1-0 victory over Penn State, the Maize and Blue snapped a nine-game winless streak. Michigan also earned its second all-time win over Penn State, making the series record 2-6-1. The Wolverines also won their third game of the year that has been decided by one goal.
• Senior tri-captain Kevin Hall's second marker of the year came at the 56:06 point, giving him his first game-winning goal of the year.
• Senior tri-captain Brian Popeney made his first start of the season.
• Hall's game-winning goal broke a four-game scoring drought for the Maize and Blue.
• Sophomore/freshman Patrick Sperry earned his fourth shutout of the year, tying for the most shutouts by a Wolverine goalkeeper in his debut season. Joe Zawacki (2000-04) and Peter Dzubay (2002-05) accomplished the feat in 2001 and 2002, respectively. The four shutouts also tie for third on the U-M all-time list with Zawacki and Dzubay. Michigan earns its fifth shutout for the second straight year.
• With six saves tonight, Sperry increased his freshman saves record to 70. Sperry is now two saves away from Dzubay's 2005 total, which ranks second on the U-M all-time season saves list.
• The Wolverines tallied their first win of the Big Ten season, finishing 1-2-3 in conference play. The Maize and Blue have had two other seasons with one conference win, 2000 and 2004. With tonight's win, Michigan earns the most points (6) in the Big Ten out of the previous one-win conference records.
• Michigan's 15 shots increased its season shot total to 306, tying for the highest amount of shots taken in one season in program-history (2003).
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Steve Burns
On the team's emotions after the win ... "Theres no substitute for a good soccer victory on how it brings the team together and puts a smile on everyone's face. We left the field smiling tonight, it was really our night. Penn State is a good solid team, but we seemed to be catching a couple of breaks."
On the senior class leaving with a win ... "We're real happy for that senior class. That senior class more than anything has brought enthusiasm to our program. This is a group of guys that started out without a lot of playing time and earned everything that they've got. All the while they kept the enthusiasm high; they're passionate about the soccer program. We love them for that because they've raised everybody's level."
On what the team needs to do to get a win in the Big Ten Championship ... "Play with smiles on their faces. They all have that smile right now, we'll let them enjoy it for the next 12 hours or so, and get some practice in tomorrow to keep them focused on how we did tonight and for the strong opponent that well have in the Big Tens."
U-M Senior Tri-Captain Kevin Hall
On his emotions immediately after the game ... "Mostly relief right now, finally getting a Big Ten win. We were in slump for a while, goals were hard to come by and we finally got one tonight and we got a shutout in these conditions. I'm just really happy right now."
On thoughts heading into his final home match ... "The whole team was motivated, not just the senior class because it's family night. There were a lot of emotions with all of that, and everyone was motivated to play for a win."
On what can be taken from the win heading into the Big Ten Championship ... "We played with a lot of heart tonight and we left it all on the field."
Team Stats
HALL,KEVIN
rebound on 50/50 ball, empty netter
56:06
