Michigan
11-4-2, 3-1-1BigTen
Ohio State
9-6-2, 2-4-0BigTen
Marosevic Deals Deciding Blow in Win Over Ohio State
11/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (U-M Soccer Complex)
Score: #18 Michigan 1, Ohio State 0
Records: U-M (11-4-2, 3-1-1 Big Ten), OSU (9-6-2, 2-4-0 Big Ten)
Next U-M Game: Saturday, Nov. 8 -- vs. Penn State (U-M Soccer Complex), 2 p.m.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Junior Peri Marosevic (Rockford, Ill./Edison Academy) found the back of the net in the 82nd minute for the No. 18-ranked University of Michigan men's soccer team, delivering a 1-0 victory over Ohio State on Saturday afternoon (Nov. 1) on the west practice field of the U-M Soccer Complex.
Peri Marosevic
Senior/junior Patrick Sperry (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) made six stops, earning his fourth shutout of the season and setting a program record for career conference shutouts with five.
In a physical battle over air supremacy, both teams used long passes in attempt to establish position in the attacking third. Junior/sophomore Cam Cameron (Ann Arbor, Mich./Saline) came away with the deciding 50-50 ball to set up the game's lone goal at 81:54. Cameron went up with a defender and headed the ball to the feet of Marosevic on the right side. The Wolverine attacker took two steps and fired a low shot through a defender and inside the far post for the marker.
Shortly before the deciding goal, Sperry was tested on a corner kick that produced two saves for the Wolverine goalkeeper. The Buckeyes sent a corner kick into a crowd of players congregating on the near post. One OSU attacker fired a shot that a diving Sperry got in front of. Senior Alex Morisset (Shelby Township, Mich./De La Salle) got a foot on the ball, trying to clear it, but a Buckeye was able to redirect it back toward the goal, and Sperry once again had to make a save, this time corralling the shot to end the flurry.
The physical tone of the game was set early with Michigan picking up 12 first-half fouls to Ohio State's 10. Of the contest's 38 combined fouls and four cards, most were earned trying to corral balls in the air. Neither team was able to generate quality scoring chances in the first half, keeping the game scoreless at the break.
The Wolverines will wrap up the regular-season schedule against Penn State next Saturday (Nov. 8) at 2 p.m. at the U-M Soccer Complex.
GAME SUMMARY
| By Periods | 1 | 2 | F |
| Ohio State | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Michigan | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
2nd -- U-M, Peri Marosevic, 81:54 (Cam Cameron)
Shots: U-M 14, OSU 15
Shots on Goal: U-M 4, OSU 6
Saves: U-M 6 (Patrick Sperry), OSU 4 (Byron Neal)
Corner Kicks: U-M 5, OSU 4
Fouls: U-M 17, OSU 21
Cards: U-M, Alex Morisset, 53:57 (Yellow); U-M, Julian Robles, 69:14 (Yellow); OSU, Matt Gold, 71:08 (Yellow); OSU, Dave Tiemstra, 78:45 (Yellow)
NOTES
• Michigan earned its 11th victory of the season, matching the second-highest win output for a Wolverine squad set by the 2002 and 2004 teams. The 2003 team set the all-time mark with 14 wins.
• Senior/junior goalkeeper Patrick Sperry set a program record for shutouts against a Big Ten opponent. Sperry now has posted five blank slates against conference opponents, besting Peter Dzubay (4, 2002-05).
• Junior Peri Marosevic moved into a tie with senior Jake Stacy for fourth on the U-M all-time points list with 49 career points.
• Marosevic also moved into a three-way tie for third for the single-season goal scoring mark, netting his 10th goal of the campaign today. He matched Knox Cameron and Mychal Turpin, who both scored 10 times during the 2002 season.
• Marosevic also scored the seventh game-winning goal of his career, tying junior Mauro Fuzetti and Mychal Turpin (2001-04) for second on the all-time list. The three are five behind program record holder Knox Cameron (12, 2001-04).
• Michigan improved to 5-6-1 against Ohio State all-time and 3-2-1 at home.
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Steve Burns
On the victory ... "This is a great, physical, Big Ten match-up. We quickly realized that it wasn't going to be won by a pretty goal; it was going to be a hard-fought ball that a team was going to get on the end of. Peri (Marosevic) did create a bit on the goal, but our guys are smiling because we are figuring out how to win this type of game, as well."
U-M Junior Forward Peri Marosevic
On his game-winning goal ... "It came out of nowhere really. We were able to clear the ball out of our defense and Cam Cameron went up for a header with (Dave Tiemstra) of Ohio State and he was able to win the challenge and the ball came right to me. I took advantage of it and took the player one-on-one. I saw that the goalie was a little bit out of position -- he was leaning a little bit to his left -- and I saw that the bottom right corner was open and I thought if I take a shot it would go in."
On the physical play ... "Anytime you play Ohio State, it is going to be physical. It is a huge rivalry. Everybody comes out to play and everybody wants to give it their best. The toughness and everybody going in hard is just part of the game -- especially against Ohio State. We have to match the physicality of the game and I think that we did. We were able to cope with it (from Ohio State) and maybe gave it back a little bit extra to pull out the win."
U-M Senior/Junior Goalkeeper Patrick Sperry
On the victory ... "I am feeling great. This is my first victory in three years of playing against Ohio State. We've had some ties and some close games and some tough losses, so it feels really good to get a win."
On the importance of the win ... "It means a lot. It puts us in contention too with the Big Ten (regular) season, which gives us a first-round bye in the Big Ten Tournament. It also is a plus that we beat a very strong Ohio State team."
Team Stats
Marosevic, Perica (10)
Assisted By: Cameron, Cam
flick by cameron to peri on the r, shot
81:54
