Michigan
5-6-2
Notre Dame
8-3-2
Michigan Drops Shutout Decision to No. 8 Notre Dame
10/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's soccer team dropped a 2-0 match to No. 8-ranked Notre Dame in non-conference action Wednesday (Oct. 4) at the U-M Soccer Field.
The Fighting Irish got on the scoreboard early in the match as Joseph Lapira netted his first of two goals at the 15:29 mark, with Cory Rellas earning the assist. The play was set up after Rellas sent a crossing ball from the right flank to Lapira. From the left side of the field, Lapira was able to shoot across sophomore/freshman Patrick Sperry's (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central HS) body, low and to the keeper's left, for the opening goal.
Sperry responded by making a huge save at the 23:00 mark, as a Notre Dame player laid out to take a sidekick from 15 yards out. With a Michigan defender challenging the play, Sperry had to make a diving catch to keep the ball from going in the net.
The best scoring opportunity for the Wolverines came 18:00 into play, as freshman Peri Marosevic (Rockford, Ill./Edison Academy) took a shot that sailed wide from the left side of the field after two touches of the ball. Five minutes later, Marosevic took his only shot on goal, forcing UND's Chris Cahill to grab a save. The shot was taken from the right side of the field, 23 yards out, and Cahill stretched out his 6-foot-6 frame to knock the ball out with the tip of his finger. Marosevic finished the night as the team's leader in shots with five.
With three minutes left in the first stanza, the Maize and Blue continued to attack the net, as sophomore Jake Stacy (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central HS) had a promising look at the net after senior tri-captain Kevin Savitskie (Plymouth, Mich./Salem HS) intercepted a Fighting Irish pass. Stacy came away without a goal, as the ball was shot wide left of the net.
Michigan finished the first half with eight shots to Notre Dame's seven, with each goalkeeper grabbing two saves.
At the 61:34 mark, Lapira entered the match as a sub, and less than a minute later he scored his second goal of the night. When a Notre Dame player played the ball into Michigan's defensive back half, Sperry and a Wolverine defender made an attempt to keep Lapira clear of the ball but the two collided, giving Lapira a wide-open net for the marker at 62:26.
Michigan replied with offensive pressure of its own as senior tri-captain Kevin Hall (Kalamazoo, Mich./Central HS) and Marosevic were making an attacking run. Hall slipped the ball to Marosevic, allowing the freshman Wolverine to take a shot which was blocked by a UND defender.
The Maize and Blue looked to find its first goal in two games as Stacy took a shot from the left flank at the 76:22 mark that was saved by Cahill.
The Wolverines get back into Big Ten play as they take on the Michigan State Spartans on Sunday (Oct. 8) at 2 p.m. on the U-M Soccer Field. The game will be shown live on Comcast Local.
GAME SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
| Notre Dame | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Michigan | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- UND, Joseph Lapira, 15:29 (Cory Rellas)
2nd -- UND, Lapira, 62:26 (unassisted)
Shots: U-M 15, UND 12
Saves: U-M 3 (Patrick Sperry 3, Ryan Bennett 0), UND 3 (Chris Cahill)
Corner Kicks: U-M 3, UND 2
Fouls: U-M 15, UND 13
Cards: U-M, Santos Perez, 20:47 (yellow); UND, Team, 45:00 (yellow); U-M, Kevin Hall, 56:00 (yellow)
Contact: Joseph Conrad (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
LAPIRA, Joseph
Assisted By: RELLAS, Cory
cross from #13 to #10 from left flank, b
15:29
LAPIRA, Joseph
rebound off misplay of ball by keeper, w
62:26
