Weekly Release #4: Wolverines set to Battle Golden Grizzlies
9/9/2008 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
TAKING TO THE PITCH
Thursday,Sept. 11, 5 p.m. --vs. Oakland (Ypsilanti, Mich.)
Live Stats ougrizzlies.com
The University of Michigan women's soccer team (2-3-1 overall, 0-0-0 Big Ten) will look to match its win total of a year ago in a midweek showdown with Oakland on Thursday (Sept. 11) at 5 p.m. Due to ongoing construction of the new U-M Soccer Complex, the match will be played at Eastern Michigan's Scicluna Field in Ypsilanti, Mich. The Wolverines have an empty docket aside from the midweek contest.
Promotions
Youth Soccer Month C All kids are invited out as part of "Youth Soccer Month." The first 160 kids receive free pom-poms and the first 25 kids also receive a free t-shirt.
High School Team Night C All high school teams are invited out to take part in this home soccer game. Please email your roster to Melissa Denning at meldenn@umich.edu or fax it to (734) 615-1567 at least two days before the game.
Volleyball Dollar Day Coupon C All in fans in attendance will receive a voucher for $1 admission to the Michigan Volleyball matches on September 12th and September 13th.
Team of the Game C Youth soccer teams have the opportunity to become the "Team of the Game" for any home soccer game. The team will be able to run out with the team during the National Anthem, have the chance to win prizes during the game, and receive postgame autographs from select members of the team. To register your team, please contact Melissa Denning at (734) 615-2025 or email at meldenn@umich.edu.
MICHIGAN BY THE NUMBERS
Complete Stats: Through 9/7/08
Team Leaders
| Name | GP | G | A | P |
| Amanda Bowery | 6 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Kelsey Rogind | 6 | 2 | 2 | 6 |
| Clare Stachel | 6 | 1 | 2 | 4 |
| Amy Klippert | 6 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Name | GP-GS | W-L-T | GAA | SV% |
| Madison Gates | 6-5 | 2-2-1 | 1.81 | .697 |
WOLVERINE TO WATCH
| Danelle Underwood,Senior Forward/Midfielder Senior Danelle Underwood(Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Northern) is looking like the player that earned Big Ten All-Freshman team honors in 2005. Underwood tallied 14 points as a freshman before a knee injury derailed her sophomore campaign. With a goal and an assist this weekend, Underwood appears to be hitting her stride right as the Maize and Blue engages in its final tune-ups before conference play. |
WOLVERINE BITES
Freshman Phenomenal -- The Michigan freshman class is living up to its billing as the top in the conference according to Soccer Buzz Magazine. A Wolverine rookie has tallied a point in each of the last five games. Having a hand in six of the eight U-M scores this season, freshmen Kelsey Rogind(Emerald Hills, Calif./St. Francis) and Clare Stachel(Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central) have combined for three goals and four assists. The rest of the class field players have all appeared in at least five games with Natalie Horner(Upper Arlington, Ohio/Upper Arlington) starting all six U-M contests.
Madison Mints A Franklin-- Senior goalkeeperMadison Gates(Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker) became the sixth goalie in program history to reach the century mark in saves when she made the 100th stop of her careeragainstWestern Michigan (Sept. 7).
Setting a Brisk Pace -- Michigan enters the contest with Oakland (Sept. 11)owning a2-3-1 record -- one win shy of the teams 2007 total. Should U-M clinch its third victory in its seventh game of the year, it would be just one game off the pace set by the2004 Wolverine squadthat made the NCAA Tournament. The 2004 team began the year 3-2-1 before cruising to an 11-9-2 record and an NCAA berth.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
Oakland -- The Golden Grizzlies (1-3-1) picked up their first win on Sunday (Sept. 7) against St. Bonaventure. Michigan has historically owned this match-up with a 6-3-2 all-time record, but this year's U-M seniors are 1-1-1 against the Golden Grizzlies. The two teams have split four matches on the U-M Soccer Field, with Oakland taking the last two.Senior goalkeeperMadison Gates, then a freshman, earned her first career win in the last Maize and Blue win over the Grizzlies during the 2005 campaign. Oakland was tabbed as the preseason favorite to win the Summit League crown thanks to the return of two-time tournament MVP Jessica Boyle who collected six goals and six assists to total 18 points last season. Freshman Deanna Colarossi is already making an impact for OU, scoring twice already in the young season.
THE WEEK THAT WAS
The Wolverines picked up another split over the weekend, dropping their home-opening contest by a 3-2 margin to Dayton on Friday (Sept. 5) before claiming a 2-1 victory over Western Michigan on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 7). Sophomore Amanda Bowery(Rochester Hills, Mich./Rochester) scored in both games as part of a five-point weekend with two goals and an assist. Senior Danelle Underwood(Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Northern) netted her first goal of the year Friday and freshman Kelsey Rogind(Emerald Hills, Calif./St. Francis) scored her second goal of the season on Sunday.
GETTING SOME NEW DIGS
The Wolverines will move into the U-M Soccer Complex during the 2008 campaign. The brand new home of Michigan soccer will feature a regulation, lighted competition field and separate practice fields for both the men's and women's programs. The fields are located west of the tennis complex on South State Street. This is the second move for the Maize and Blue, who began varsity competition at Elbel Field in 1994 before moving into the U-M Soccer Field, a place it called home from 1995-2007.
BIG TEN STRAW POLL
Michigan was voted into a tie for seventh with intrastate rival Michigan State in the Big Ten preseason coaches' poll. Penn State was named the preseason favorite for the sixth consecutive season followed by Illinois and Purdue.
Big Ten Coaches Poll (Preseason)
1. Penn State 2. Illinois 3. Purdue 4. Indiana 5. Ohio State 6. Minnesota 7. MICHIGAN Michigan State 9. Wisconsin 10. Northwestern 11. IowaTHE LEADER OF THE MAIZE AND BLUE
Greg Ryan, the former U.S. Women's National Team coach, was selected to lead the Wolverines on February 1, 2008. He is just the second head coach in the program's 14-year history. He comes to Michigan after leading the U.S. Women's National Team to a 45-1-9 record in three years. He earned a bronze medal at the 2007 FIFA World Cup and won a gold medal at the 2004 Athens Olympics as an assistant coach. Coming to Michigan marks a return to the Big Ten for Ryan who spent eight years at the helm of Wisconsin from 1986-93. With the Badgers, Ryan made five NCAA appearances and advanced all the way to the NCAA semifinals twice, including one trip to the championship game.
Ryan's staff is made up of another former Big Ten head coach, Dean Duerst, and former UCLA prospect Jessica Stamp. Duerst, who won the 2005 Big Ten Tournament on the U-M Soccer Field with Wisconsin, surpassed Ryan on the Badgers' career wins list before stepping down to focus on his work with the U-17 and U-18 National teams. Stamp brings the experience of working with the top-tier programs at UCLA and Texas. Keith Jarema, the team's volunteer coach, works with goalkeepers.
UPCOMING SCHEDULE
Friday, Sept. 19, 7 p.m.MST-- at Arizona (Tucson, Ariz.)
Sunday, Sept. 21, 1 p.m. MST-- at Arizona State (Tempe, Ariz.)
Contact: Ryan Sosin, Joe Arancio (734) 763-4423
