Michigan Stuns No. 2 and Previously Unbeaten Northwestern

Saturday, October 25

Evanston, Ill

7:00 PM CT

Michigan

10-4-2, 2-1-1

Northwestern

11-1-2, 3-1-0

Michigan

Northwestern

Michigan Stuns No. 2 and Previously Unbeaten Northwestern

10/25/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Box Score PDF Boxscore

By: Ryan Sosin, Jeremy Reid

Site: Evanston, Ill. (Lakeside Field)
Score: #21 Michigan 3, #2 Northwestern 1
Records: U-M (10-4-2, 2-1-1 Big Ten), NU (11-1-2, 3-1-0 Big Ten)
Next U-M Game: Saturday, Nov. 1 -- vs. Ohio State (U-M Soccer Complex), 3:30 p.m.

EVANSTON, Ill. -- The No. 21-ranked University of Michigan men's soccer team upset No. 2-ranked and previously unbeaten Northwestern, 3-1, on Saturday night (Oct. 25) at Lakeside Field. Junior Mauro Fuzetti (Houston, Texas/Stratford) scored a pair of goals and senior/junior Patrick Sperry (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) made one save and recorded the victory in goal for the Wolverines.

Mauro Fuzetti

The Wolverines and Wildcats went to the break scoreless, but Fuzetti broke the deadlock at the 48:21 with an assist from junior Peri Marosevic (Rockford, Ill./Edison Academy). Senior Alex Morisset (Shelby Township, Mich./De La Salle) started the play by winning a tackle in midfield and Fuzetti finished the play with a shot from the right side into the side netting of the goal.

Northwestern responded less than four minutes later on a goal from Brian Usinger from the penalty spot, but the Maize and Blue regained the lead on Fuzetti's second goal of the night at 78:50. Fuzetti made a run down the left side, skipping past a Northwestern defender before ripping a shot across the body of the Wildcat goalkeeper and into the net. For Fuzetti, the goal was his ninth of the season, tying him for the team lead with Marosevic.

Senior Steve Bonnell (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Detroit Country Day) added an insurance goal at 81:49 to seal the victory for Michigan. From a tight angle near the end line, Bonnell blasted a shot high into the side netting. The goal was Bonnell's third of the campaign.

Michigan's three goals equaled the total number of scores allowed by Northwestern all season.

Michigan will return to the pitch on Saturday (Nov. 1) to host Ohio State. Game time between the Wolverines and Buckeyes is scheduled for3:30 p.m. on the west practice field at the U-M Soccer Complex.

GAME SUMMARY

By Periods	1	2	F
Michigan	0	3	3
Northwestern	0	1	1

Scoring, Time (Assist)
2nd -- U-M, Mauro Fuzetti, 48:21 (Peri Marosevic)
2nd -- NU, Brian Usinger, 52:02 (penalty kick)
2nd -- U-M, Fuzetti, 78:50 (Julian Robles)
2nd -- U-M, Steve Bonnell, 81:49 (Patrick Sperry)

Shots: U-M 13, NU 11
Shots on Goal: U-M 4, NU 2
Saves: U-M 1 (Patrick Sperry), NU 1 (Misha Rosenthal)
Corner Kicks: U-M 5, NU 2
Fouls: U-M 15, NU 10
Cards: NU, Cody Stanley, 0:42 (Yellow); U-M, Mauro Fuzetti, 18:47 (Yellow); U-M, Jeff Quijano, 19:32 (Yellow); U-M, Steve Bonnell, 29:46 (Yellow).

QUOTES

Michigan Head Coach Steve Burns
On the game ... "It was a good, solid win for us. We are a dangerous, attacking team that likes to take the initiative and go forward. Northwestern is a strong, defensive team that kept us bottled up at times, but eventually we were able to get in behind their defense and we were rewarded tonight."

NOTES

• The three goals scored by the Wolverines tonight matches the total number of goals allowed by Northwestern during the entire season entering tonight's contest.

• With two goals tonight, Mauro Fuzetti now has 15 career goals, moving him past Jake Stacy (14) into fifth on Michigan's career goal scoring list.

• Peri Marosevic's assist gives him 47 career points, moving him out of a tie with Adam Bruh (2002-05) and into fifth place all alone on Michigan's career points list.

• The Wolverines beat a top-three team for the first time in program history. The closest Michigan came in the past was a tie with then-No. 3 Notre Dame in first round of the 2003 NCAA tournament. The Maize and Blue advanced on penalty kicks in that contest.

• The Wolverines improved to 2-9-0 against top-10 opponents. Both wins against teams in the top 10 came this season as U-M defeated then-No. 8 Notre Dame on Oct. 1 and No. 2 Northwestern tonight.

• Michigan improved to 3-2-0 on the season against ranked opponents. The Wolverines have never beat three ranked teams in a season, besting the previous watermark of 2-2-1 set in 2003 en route to the College Cup Elite Eight.

• Junior Mauro Fuzetti registered his third career multi-goal game and his second of the season.

• Fuzetti also tallied the seventh game-winning goal of his career, tying Mychal Turpin (2001-04) for second on the all-time list. The two are five behind program record holder Knox Cameron (12, 2001-04).

• With a goal tonight, senior Steve Bonnell moved into sole possession of seventh place on the U-M career points list. Bonnell came into the weekend tied with Kevin Robinson (25, 2000-03).