Michigan
West Virginia (ex)
Wolverines Tie Mountaineers in Exhibition Action
8/23/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Site: Morgantown, W.Va. (Dick Dleck Soccer Stadium)
Score: U-M 1, West Virginia 1 (exhibition)
Next U-M Game: Wednesday, Aug. 26 -- vs. Xavier (U-M Soccer Complex), 2 p.m. (exhibition)
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- The University of Michigan men's soccer team picked up a 1-1 draw at West Virginia in exhibition action on Sunday (Aug. 23) at Dick Dleck Soccer Stadium. Freshman Latif Alashe(Northville, Mich./Northville) scored U-M's lone goal in the second stanza, while junior/sophomore goalkeeper Chris Blais(Seattle, Wash./Kennedy Memorial) backstopped the Wolverines.
For the second consecutive game, the Wolverines had a chance to practice their penalty kicks. U-M and West Virginia took penalty kicks at the end of regulation using a shootout format, which did not count towards the final score. The teams went through the first six shooters and were knotted at 3-3, before freshman Hamoody Saad(Dearborn, Mich./Dearborn) slipped one past West Virginia's goalkeeper to give the Wolverines the 4-3 victory.
Both teams seemed to have moments of dominance in the first half, taking a combined eight shots, although none reached the frame. The Mountaineers outshot U-M, 5-3, and held a slim 3-2 edge in corner kicks.
After the halftime break, the Wolverines found some offense and tallied six shots, four of them on net, but it was the Mountaineers that struck first when West Virginia's Alex Silva converted a penalty kick in the 53rd minute to give WVU an early 1-0 lead.
U-M picked up the pressure and was able to get on the board when Alashe, who received the ball from senior midfielder Mauro Fuzetti(Houston, Texas/Stratford), slipped a ball past WVU goalkeeper Zach Johnson in the 75th minute to notch the game at 1-1.
U-M concludes the exhibition slate on Wednesday, Aug. 23, when it welcomes Xavier to the U-M Soccer Complex. Kickoff is set for 2 p.m. The Wolverines open the regular season on Tuesday, Sept. 1, when they take on preseason No. 12 Notre Dame at 7 p.m. in South Bend, Ind.
Game Summary
| By Periods | 1 | 2 | F |
| Michigan | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| West Virginia | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Shots: U-M 9, WVU 9
Shots on Goal: U-M 4, WVU 4
Corner Kicks: U-M 3, WVU 6
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Steve Burns
On the team's performance in their second exhibition game... "We showed definite improvement over our last game and that's what you want to see at this point in the exhibition season. I'm most pleased with the steps that our midfield is taking. That unit showed real poise and intelligence in their control of the game. Other than a couple of moments where we were caught in strong counterattacks, I think we did a great job dictating the pace and using our flanks to cause some dangerous situations. Our team fitness can and will get better after the boys get their legs back."
Contact: Jessica Poole (734) 763-4423
