Michigan
Wisconsin
Michigan Ready for Rematch with Wisconsin in Big Ten Tournament Semifinals
11/7/2018 12:39:00 PM | Men's Soccer
THIS WEEK
Friday, Nov. 9 -- vs. Wisconsin - Big Ten Tournament Semifinals (Westfield, Ind.), 3:30 p.m.
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Riding a three-match unbeaten streak, the University of Michigan men's soccer team (11-4-2) will meet Wisconsin (10-5-2) in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Friday (Nov. 9) at Grand Park in Westfield, Indiana. The match will begin at 3:30 p.m., and will be broadcast live on the Big Ten Network. Dean Linke (play-by-play) and Chris Doran (analyst) will be on the call.
Should Michigan advance, it will play either Indiana or Maryland in the championship match on Sunday (Nov. 11). That match will begin at noon on BTN.
Big Ten Tournament History
The Wolverines are in the Big Ten Tournament semifinals for the second consecutive year. … Michigan and Wisconsin met in last year's semifinals, with the Badgers winning, 4-0. … U-M has had more meetings with Wisconsin in the Big Ten Tournament than against any other team (Friday will be the seventh). ... The Wolverines are 13-17-1 all-time in the Big Ten Tournament and won the title in 2010.
Vote for Robbie!
Senior co-captain Robbie Mertz is one of 10 finalists for the Senior CLASS Award, honoring the best senior student-athlete in college soccer. Fan voting accounts for one-third of the total and is open through Nov. 19. The winner will be unveiled at the College Cup in December. [ Vote ]
Team Notes
• Four student-athletes received All-Big Ten honors last Friday (Nov. 2). Junior Jack Hallahan was Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and a unanimous All-Big Ten (first team) selection. Senior Robbie Mertz joined Hallahan on the first team, while sophomore Umar Farouk Osman and senior Marcello Borges were named to the second team. [ Release ]
• Jack Hallahan (eight goals, eight assists; 24 points) and Umar Farouk Osman (9G, 3A; 21 points) are the first pair of Michigan teammates to collect 20-plus points in the same season since Soony Saad (43 points) and Justin Meram (42 points) in 2010.
Hallahan is the first Michigan player to be named Offensive Player of the Year since the award's inception in 2009 (Knox Cameron was Big Ten Player of the Year in 2003). He is the fifth player in program history to reach the 20-point plateau in back-to-back seasons and is the sixth player in program history to be named to the first team in back-to-back seasons, joining Cameron (2002-03), Jake Stacy (2007-08), Mauro Fuzetti (2008-09), Tyler Arnone (2012-13) and Francis Atuahene (2015-16).
Osman has had a breakout season, leading the team in goals (nine). He has 21 points, a marked improvement over his freshman season, when he had two points (both on assists).
• The Wolverines are receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll, released Tuesday (Nov. 6). Additionally, they sit at No. 36 in the latest edition of the RPI. This season, U-M is 7-4-2 against RPI Top 100 teams.
• Michigan has one of the stoutest defenses in the country, conceding only 14 goals in 17 matches. The school record for fewest goals allowed is 20 (2015). Sophomore Henry Mashburn has been stellar both in organizing the defense, increasing his save percentage (.714 in 2018, up from .583 in 2017) and decreasing his goals-against average (.790 in 2018, down from 1.37 in 2017). He's made 35 saves in 17 matches this year, as the back line in front of him has allowed seven shots per match.
• The Wolverines are plus-20 in goal differential this season. They've scored 34 goals, tied for fifth-most in school history and most in a single season since 2010 (53; the school record). Fourteen players have recorded at least one point this season.
• The Wolverines have found depth as the season has gone on, as 15 players have started at least one match. Senior Noah Kleedtke, who came into the year having played 12 career matches, has 10 starts this season alone, scoring three goals. Junior Lucas Rosendall (six starts) has provided valuable minutes whether he has been a starter or a reserve, recording an assist in Sunday's (Nov. 4) 3-1 win over Penn State. Senior Peter Brown has experience on defense (six starts; 48 career matches) and can play any position on the back line, while junior Abdou Samake has started the last two matches in place of Daniel Mukuna.
• The NCAA Tournament Selection Show will take place on Monday (Nov. 12) at 1 p.m., and can be viewed on NCAA.com. The Wolverines can see their way into the 48-team field by winning the Big Ten Tournament (thus capturing the conference's automatic bid) or receiving one of the 24 at-large bids.
Opponent Preview
WISCONSIN is 10-5-2 and qualified for the semifinals after beating Rutgers, 6-3, in the quarterfinals last Sunday in Madison. The Badgers finished second in the Big Ten (6-2-0) and are 8-1-1 in their last 10 matches. They are ranked No. 45 in the RPI. Noah Melick (six goals, two assists) and Andrew Akindele (4G, 4A) -- two 2018 All-Big Ten Freshman Team selections -- lead the team offensively. Mitch Guitar and Robin Olofsson were All-Big Ten (second team) picks, while Zach Klancnik was also named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team.
Series: U-M holds a 14-7-5 record all-time against Wisconsin. The Badgers won the regular-season matchup, 1-0, in double overtime on Oct. 19 in Madison.
