Michigan
.png&width=60&height=60&type=webp)
Western Michigan (ex)
Wolverines Drop Exhibition Contest at Western Michigan
8/23/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Boxscore
KALAMAZOO, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's soccer team lost 4-2 to the Western Michigan Broncos in exhibition action Thursday (Aug. 23) at WMU Soccer Complex.
The game began with Michigan playing aggressively. Junior forward Jake Stacy (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central) booted a corner kick to sophomore defender Julian Robles (Los Angeles, Calif./Damien), who headed the ball to himself and knocked in a shot to the right corner of the goal, putting Michigan up by one at 25:02. The Wolverines had plenty more opportunities in the first half, outshooting the Broncos 8-3.
Freshman defender Jeff Quijano (Simi Vally, Calif./Canoga) was the lone true freshman to start the match for the Wolverines and was impressive in consistently directing the ball away from the goal.
Michigan missed a few scoring opportunities in the second half. Stacy had a wide-open shot from 20 yards out in the middle of the pitch but shot wide right. It was not until later in the second half, when the Maize and Blue were deep in a 4-1 deficit, that they were able to take advantage of the WMU's tired defense. Coach Steve Burns gave each of his freshmen an opportunity to see the field, and they racked up some impressive minutes. Sophomore/freshman Cam Cameron (Saline, Mich./Saline) netted a goal in the 87th minute, shooting right into the middle of the net to make the score 4-2.
Western Michigan's Tom Oatley finished the game with a hat trick including two unassisted, breakaway goals.
Junior/sophomore Patrick Sperry (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) made the start for the Wolverines in net and grabbed two saves. Freshman Chris Blais (Seattle, Wash./Kennedy Memorial) played through 20 minutes ofthe second half, making one save until senior/junior Tom Huls (Plymouth, Mich./Salem)took over for the remainder.
The Wolverines conclude their preseason exhibition schedule with a 6 p.m. at Pittsburgh on Sunday (Aug. 26).
GAME SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
| Michigan | 1 | 1 | 2 |
| Western Michigan | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Julian Robles, 25:02 (unassisted)
1st -- WMU, Tom Oatley, 26:31 (Jordan Fylonenko)
2nd -- WMU, Terry Dowding, 57:07 (Tyler Rosennhagen)
2nd -- WMU, Oatley, 68:04 (unassisted)
2nd -- WMU, Oatley, 73:32 (unassisted)
2nd -- U-M, Cam Cameron, 86:20 (Steve Bonnell)
Shots: U-M 17, WMU 10
Saves: U-M 3, WMU 7
Corner Kicks: U-M 410, WMU 4
Fouls: U-M 13, WMU, 13
Cards: WMU, Ko Yamamoto, 53:06 (yellow); U-M, Alex Morisset, 80:54 (yellow)
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Steve Burns
On the game overall ... "I think we expected a better result but certainly those expectations didn't materialize. When you look at the game objectively, we made some mistakes that they capitalized on, and what I get from the big picture is that they battled hard and we didn't. I'm not worried about the mistakes as much as I am about the players learning the lessons from those mistakes."
On playing all the freshmen... "I think that the freshman class really impressed me. Adam Keller showed me he's a guy that can step in and play the speed of the game. I think Jeff Quijano did a great job as our right back. He knows how to attack. He's a good defender. He also looks to change the point of attack. I think Tex McCullough, when the game was looking for guys that would battle, Tex stepped up. I know that's his game and it's good that he can step up. I think also Alex Wood has got a nice future ahead of him."
On Cam Cameron's goal... "We had a game just like this last year at Cincinnati. We went up 2-0, then they scored the next four and we scored the last two in 90 seconds. It's great to see Cam get that late goal. It was just a case of us doing the right thing. We got in behind them."
On sticking with the same starters ... "What everybody is trying to do right now is solidify their lineup. Soccer is a game that is such a team sport that everybody has to understand how each player plays on each side of the ball. Early in the season we test some guys with the exhibition just to see what guys are capable of, but I think this is a pretty consistent starting lineup for us all season long."
U-M Junior/Sophomore Goalkeeper Patrick Sperry
On the game ... "The team looks strong. We did a lot of good things. There were a lot of positives in the game. We had a long week, the boys are knackered and tired. We've got our eyes set on Rutgers. The boys feel good about certain things in the match. We're going to get back at it the next few days and get ready for Rutgers."
Contact: Stacey Schwartz (734) 763-4423
