Season Preview: 2018 Michigan Men's Soccer
8/20/2018 11:30:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Coming off one of the most successful seasons in program history, the University of Michigan men's soccer team enters its 19th year of varsity competition.
QUICK HITS
The Wolverines made history in 2017, capturing the program's first Big Ten title on the final day of the regular season, downing No. 9 Maryland, 2-1, in a rainy, double-overtime thriller in College Park. They won eight more matches than the previous year and returned to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2012.
The 2018 roster is filled with experience, as 11 players who started at least 10 matches last season return. Notable departures include MLS draftee Francis Atuahene (16 points in 15 matches), defender Billy Stevens and midfielder Tristan Jacob.
Sharing the captain's armband this year are senior midfielders Robbie Mertz and Ivo Cerda. Mertz started all 20 matches last year, scoring three goals and four assists, while Cerda started 16 matches with three goals and one assist.
Michigan welcomes six new freshmen: forwards Derick Broche (Novi, Michigan) and Sosa Emovon (London, Ontario); midfielders Aidan Nam (Ann Arbor, Michigan) and Kevin Buca (Rochester, Michigan); and defenders Declan Gaffney (Los Angeles, California) and C.Y. Cheng (Hong Kong).
The Wolverines will begin the season ranked No. 21 in the first United Soccer Coaches poll of the 2018 season.
2018 SCHEDULE
Of the team's 17 fixtures, 12 take place at U-M Soccer Stadium. Michigan opens the season with six consecutive at home, beginning with Tulsa on Friday (Aug. 24).
The Wolverines will venture outside the state of Michigan only three times: at Rutgers (Sept. 14), Northwestern (Sept. 29) and Wisconsin (Oct. 19). U-M's other two road matches are in-state: at Oakland (Oct. 3) and Michigan State (Oct. 23).
Michigan will have eight matches against teams that finished in the Top 50 of the RPI last season. Six of those eight opponents visit U-M Soccer Stadium, including Indiana (4), Western Michigan (9), Notre Dame (14), Maryland (26), Ohio State (45) and USF (46).
Five of the team's matches will be televised to a national audience, four of which (Indiana, Notre Dame, Michigan State and Maryland) are on Big Ten Network. The fifth -- Ohio State on Sept. 25 -- will be on ESPNU.
• 2018 Schedule
BREAKING DOWN THE SQUAD
Forwards: Spearheading the attack is junior winger Jack Hallahan, an All-Big Ten (first team) and All-Region (second team) selection last season who was named to the 2018 MAC Hermann Trophy Watch List. His entire arsenal was on display during his breakthrough sophomore campaign, leading the team in both goals (nine) and assists (seven). Hallahan was one of the team's three selections to the Big Ten Preseason Honors List.
Sophomores Mohammed Zakyi and Umar Farouk Osman also figure to occupy spots in the attacking third. Zakyi, the team's primary striker, was second on the team behind Hallahan last year in both goals (six) and assists (four), while Osman recorded two assists.
Midfielders: Three starters return to patrol the middle of the park, headlined by senior captains Ivo Cerda and returning All-Big Ten selection Robbie Mertz. Filling out the trio is sophomore and Ann Arbor native Marc Ybarra, an All-Big Ten Freshman Team honoree a year ago. The three players combined for seven goals and nine assists last year, with Mertz and Ybarra ranking first and third on the team, respectively, in minutes played.
Defense: The back line has a solid foundation, led by seniors Marcello Borges, an All-Big Ten (second team) pick last year, and English international Daniel Mukuna. Six-foot-five sophomore Jackson Ragen is poised for a big jump, and will be a factor both for his ability to win balls out of the air and contribute as a target on set pieces. Junior Abdou Samake, who started 16 times and formed a formidable partnership last season with Mukuna, also returns and will figure into the rotation.
Vying to replace Stevens' spot in the starting XI is senior Peter Brown, who has played in 37 matches (20 starts) on defense in his three years in Ann Arbor.
Goalkeepers: The starting job is up for grabs between junior Andrew Verdi and sophomore Henry Mashburn. Verdi started the first 13 matches of the season last year, making 34 saves and posting a 1.02 goals-against average, while Mashburn was in net for the final seven (14 saves, 1.37 GAA).
TICKET INFORMATION
Individual and group tickets are on sale now. To purchase tickets, call the Michigan Athletics Ticket Office at (866) 296-MTIX or click here for more information.
Individual tickets are $6 (general admission) and $8 (reserved). For group orders of 10-plus tickets, prices are $3 (general admission) and $6 (reserved). To sign up your group to be ball chasers for a game this season, click here.
