Michigan
Notre Dame
No. 24 U-M Readies for Trek to No. 7 Notre Dame, Omaha at Home
10/9/2017 5:39:00 PM | Men's Soccer
» Michigan enters the week ranked No. 24 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, and No. 29 in the College Soccer News National Poll. U-M also checks in at No. 21 in the latest NCAA RPI ranking.
» At 4-1-1, the Wolverines are off to their best Big Ten start since 2013 and enter the week in second place in the Big Ten standings with 13 points.
» Freshman Mohammed Zakyi tied a school record with three assists against Rutgers on Oct. 6. Over his last four contests, he has scored two goals and dished out four assists for eight points.
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• Match Day Information: U-M Soccer Stadium Information | Ticket Information
THIS WEEK
Tuesday, Oct. 10 -- at No. 5 Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.) 7 p.m.
ACC Network | Live Stats | Video (free)
Saturday, Oct. 14 -- vs. Omaha (U-M Soccer Stadium), 4 p.m.
Tickets | Live Stats
The University of Michigan men's soccer team (7-3-2, 4-1-1 B1G) will travel to South Bend, Indiana, to take on the No. 5 Notre Dame Fighting Irish on Tuesday (Oct. 10) at 7 p.m. Following the road trip, U-M will close out the week by hosting the Omaha Mavericks on Saturday (Oct. 14) at 4 p.m. from U-M Soccer Stadium.
PROMOTIONS
• Omaha: BCBSM Postgame Penalty Kicks [ more promotions ]
WOLVERINE BITES
• The Wolverines own their best record through 12 matches season since 2010, a year in which the side started 7-2-3. At 4-1-1, the best Big Ten start since 2010, U-M is second in the league table with 13 points.
• With a school-record-tying three assists in a 3-1 win over Rutgers on Oct. 6, freshman Mohammed Zakyi became the first Big Ten player this season -- and the fourth player in program history -- to accomplish the feat. The last Wolverine to equal the mark was Knox Cameron (2003).
• Michigan is No. 3 in the Big Ten in shots per match (14.17) and checks in at No. 2 in the Big Ten and No. 7 nationally in corner kicks per match (6.75). Sophomore Jack Hallahan leads the team in shots per match and is No. 4 in the league with 2.50 a contest. Additionally, U-M is 6-0-0 when scoring first in a match and 4-0-0 when leading at halftime.
• The Wolverines have utilized eight different starting lineup combinations due to various circumstances. Only two players -- junior Robbie Mertz and freshman Marc Ybarra -- have started all 12 matches. Key contributors Zakyi, sophomore Abdou Samake, and juniors Daniel Mukuna, Francis Atuahene and Ivo Cerda have all missed significant time due to injuries.
• Michigan has outscored teams 18-11 on the season, including a 7-3 margin in the first half. The program record for fewest goals allowed in a season (20) was set in 2015. The school record for fewest goals allowed in the first half of action is seven, which was set in the 2011 season.
• Having been limited to only seven matches (three starts) this season, two-time All-Big Ten honoree Atuahene looked very much like his old self in the victory over Rutgers, notching a brace on seven shots in only 71 minutes of action. The output was his third multi-goal match of his career. With three goals on the season and 21 for his career, he now sits sixth in the U-M record books for goals in a career.
• The Maize and Blue enters the week ranked No. 24 in the United Soccer Coaches Poll, and No. 29 in the College Soccer News National Poll. U-M also checks in at No. 21 in the latest NCAA RPI rankings and No. 6 in the Midwest Regional rankings.
• U-M has played the No. 31 schedule in the country according to the NCAA, highlighted by a 1-1 draw at then-No. 1 Indiana on Sept. 13. Past opposition has combined for a 66-47-15 record (.577). In the NCAA RPI rankings, future opponents Notre Dame (5), Ohio State (16) and Maryland (8) all check in the top 20. In all, U-M's future opposition boasts a combined record of 37-12-9 (.716).
OPPONENT PREVIEWS
Scouting Notre Dame
No. 5 Notre Dame enters the Tuesday tilt with an 8-2-1 overall record and is coming off a 2-1 win at then-No. 5 Clemson on Oct. 6. One of Notre Dame's defeats was at the hands of then-No. 1 Indiana by a 1-0 score on Sept. 26 in Bloomington, Indiana. ND is 5-0-1 at home this season. Overall, Notre Dame has outscored opponents, 19-9, and is outshooting teams, 161-109.
Jon Gallagher leads the Fighting Irish and the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC) in goals with eight, and he tops the conference in shots per match (4.82) and shots on goal (2.55/match). Jeff Farina, who is second on the squad in goals (five) and assists (four), provides support in attack, while Felicien Dumas and Jack Casey lead the squad in helpers with five. Goalkeeper Chris Hubbard boasts three clean sheets on the campaign to go along with 26 saves and a save percentage of 75 percent. His goals-against average of 0.79 is 30th nationally and second in the ACC.
Series vs. Notre Dame
Notre Dame owns an 8-2-3 lead in the all-time series. The most recent result came in 2015 in South Bend, as U-M played to a 1-1 draw. U-M last knocked off ND in the 2014 season, when a hat trick from Colin McAtee lifted the Wolverines to a 3-2 victory over the No. 6 Fighting Irish on Oct. 7, 2014.
Scouting Omaha
The Mavericks enter the weekend with a 7-3-2 overall mark and are coming off a 3-2 loss at Florida Gulf Coast on Oct. 3. After starting the season 7-1-0, with a signature win over then-No. 17 Virginia Tech by a 5-1 score, Omaha is winless over its last four matches, having been outscored 5-3 over that span. Overall, the side is outscoring opponents, 18-10, and owns a 133-114 shot advantage.
Elvir Ibisevic leads the team and is No. 11 in the country in goals with eight, while Xavier Gomez paces the team in assists with five to lead the Summit League. Emmanuel Hamzat provides another attacking option and has five goals to his name as well. In goal, Joe Ghitis has made 29 saves to go along with a save percentage of 75 percent and three shutouts. He owns a goals-against average of 0.88.
Series vs. Omaha
The matchup will be the first in series history.
Tweet of the Week
An amazing couple of days with a great group of alums!
— U-M Men's Soccer (@umichsoccer) October 7, 2017
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Keep Up With the Wolverines
Stay current with everything going on with the Wolverines by following Michigan men's soccer on Twitter (@umichsoccer), Snapchat (@umichathletics) and "liking" the Wolverines on Facebook at 'MichiganSoccer'.
NEXT WEEK
Saturday, Oct. 21 -- at Ohio State (Columbus, Ohio), 7 p.m.
