Week #6: Michigan to Entertain Detroit Wednesday, PSU Sunday
9/27/2016 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
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THIS WEEK
Wednesday, Sept. 28 -- vs. Detroit (U-M Soccer Stadium), 7:30 p.m.
Tickets | BTN Plus |
Sunday, Oct. 2 -- vs. Penn State (U-M Soccer Stadium), Noon
| TV: Big Ten Network | BTN2Go |
The University of Michigan men's soccer team (0-6-3, 0-4-0 B1G) hosts the Detroit Titans (1-4-3) Wednesday (Sept. 28) at 7:30 p.m. and will follow the non-conference matchup on Sunday (Oct. 2, Noon) with a B1G matchup against the Penn State Nittany Lions (4-3-1, 2-1-0 B1G) on Sunday (Oct. 2) in a match that will be broadcast via BTN at Noon.
PROMOTIONS
• Western Michigan -- National Neighbor Day; Buy One, Get One [ more promotions ]
• Penn State -- Women's Soccer Doubleheader, Football Ticket Redemption [ more promotions ]
TWEET OF THE WEEK
Clear your schedule, Wednesday's match vs. @UDMSoccer features a BOGO offer!
Must be purchased at U-M Soccer Stadium box office...#GoBlue pic.twitter.com/WkJbB7oM1l— U-M Men's Soccer (@umichsoccer) September 26, 2016
WOLVERINE BITES
• Sophomore Robbie Mertz netted his first career goal in a 2-1 double-overtime loss at Northwestern in the 55th minute on assists from Yamann Sahlool and Ivo Cerda. The helper for Sahlool is the third of his career, and he is now second on the team in points with three (1g, 1a). Cerda's secondary assist was his second of the season and ties him with Francis Atuahene for the team lead in points with four (1g, 2a).
• The Wolverines rank No. 2 in the Big Ten, trailing only the national leader Indiana (18.67), and No. 11 in the NCAA with 16.67 shots per contest. Francis Atuahene leads the B1G and is No. 3 nationally in shots on goal per game with 2.29, while freshman Jack Hallahan ranks No. 7 in the conference with 1.25 a contest.
• Michigan has outshot teams 150-122 on the campaign and owns a 57-46 margin in shots on goal. The Wolverines have won the category in all but one match (Aug. 29 at FGCU). Additionally, U-M has outshot opponents 96-68 in the second half and overtime but has been outscored 9-4 in that span.
• With two goals in seven matches this season, sophomore Francis Atuahene has 12 markers in his career and sits tied for 10th all-time in the U-M record books in career goals with Kevin Taylor (2000-03).
• Junior goalkeeper Evan Louro ranks No. 6 in the NCAA in minutes played through nine matches (906:16 minutes played) and is No. 5 in the Big Ten in saves per game with 3.33. His shutout of the Bulls of USF earlier this season was the 10th in his career, tying him for fourth in school history with Chris Blais (2007-10).
• With the posting of the first NCAA RPI, U-M will take on No. 166 Detroit, No. 56 Penn State and No. 109 Rutgers, as well as No. 1 Notre Dame in the coming weeks.
• In the matchup between Detroit and the Wolverines, 36 players from the Mitten State will be featured, with 27 student-athletes on Detroit's roster and nine on the Wolverine roster.
OPPONENT PREVIEW
DETROIT -- The Titans will enter the midweek matchup with a 1-4-3 mark and are coming off their first win of the season against a common opponent in a 2-1 win over Western Michigan on Sept. 24.
Detroit has been outscored, 12-7, on the year and outshot, 133-64. Spiro Pliakos, who missed two contests early in the season, leads the team in goals with three and is second on the team in shots with 12. Timmy Bowman is second on the squad in points with five (2g, 1a).
Goalkeeper Robbie Beckwell has played every minute of every match, allowing 12 goals in eight contests for a 1.38 goals-against average and has stopped 35 shots.
PENN STATE -- The Nittany Lions, who will host Temple on Tuesday night (Sept. 27) in State College prior to making the trek to Ann Arbor, enter the week with a 4-3-1 overall record and 2-1 B1G mark. The Nittany Lions have yet to win a road match this year, sitting at 0-2-1, and like U-M, have played five overtime matches (2-2-1).
Most recently, PSU downed Wisconsin, 2-1, in double overtime on Friday (Sept. 23) and has beaten Ohio State, 4-2, (Sept. 13) and lost to Maryland by a 3-2 count in overtime on Sept. 18 in Big Ten play.
Much like U-M, it could be said that PSU has had a bit of hard luck this season, outscoring teams, 13-12, on the year but has been outshot, 117-81. The goal number is No. 2 in the conference. One of the top offensive threats in all of the Big Ten, Connor Maloney, leads the offense with four goals and three assists for 11 points, ranking him second in the Big Ten and 32nd nationally in the category. He is paired with Dayonn Harris, who is second on the team in goals with two and an assist.
Penn State was also dealt a blow earlier in the season, as three-year starting goalkeeper Evan Finney was out. However, Finney returned to the lineup against Wisconsin and has allowed only two goals in three matches (0.60 goals-against average, nine saves), giving PSU a reliable backstop.
Keep Up With the Wolverines -- Stay current with everything going on with the Wolverines by following Michigan men's soccer on Twitter (@umichsoccer), on Snapchat (@umichathletics) and "liking" the Wolverines on Facebook!
NEXT WEEK
Friday, Oct. 7 -- at Rutgers (Piscataway, N.J.), 7 p.m.
Communications Contact: Scott Kemps
