First Touch #5: Michigan to Open Big Ten Play with Road Trips to Indiana, Purdue

» Michigan is set to open its 25th season in the Big Ten Conference.
» Michigan finished with a 3-5-3 overall in the Big Ten Conference in 2017 and seeks its first appearance in the Big Ten Tournament since the 2016.
» The Wolverines are 12-10-2 overall in Big Ten openers, winning six of the last seven. U-M fell to Purdue in its 2017 B1G opener.
» Nicki Hernandez led the Wolverines with six points (two goals, two assists) against Central Michigan which included an assist on the game-winning goal.
» Sarah Stratigakis ranks second on the Wolverine with nine points (four goals, assist).

THIS WEEK
Thursday, Sept. 12 -- at Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.), 6 p.m.
Live Stats | Watch (BTN)
Sunday, Sept. 16 -- at Purdue (West Lafayette, Ind.), 1 p.m.
Live Stats | Watch (BTN Plus)

• Complete Game Notes (PDF)

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The University of Michigan women's soccer team will open its 2018 Big Ten Conference season on the road with contests against Indiana on Thursday (Sept. 13) at 6 p.m. and Purdue on Saturday (Sept. 16) at 1 p.m. Thursday's game will be broadcast on Big Ten Network, while Saturday's match will be available on BTN Plus.

Wolverines in Conference Openers

Michigan is 12-10-2 in its first match of Big Ten Conference play since the inception of the program in 1994. The Wolverines have won six of their last seven conference-opening matches. U-M fell to Purdue in the 2017 season, but won six straight prior to the 2017 campaign. The Maize and Blue have not fared as well when starting the Big Ten Conference season on the road as they carry a 6-7-1 overall record. The last time Michigan opened the Big Ten Conference season on the road it earned a 1-0 victory at Iowa in 2016. In that season, U-M went to the Big Ten Tournament semifinals and earned an NCAA appearance.

Series History with Indiana

Michigan owns a commanding 17-4-3 overall record against the Hoosiers in the all-time series, with the Wolverines winning the last seven meetings. U-M has tallied five multi-goal games during the seven-match win streak, including two multi-goal wins over the Hoosiers. Michigan has not lost a game against Indiana since Oct. 26, 2008, when U-M fell, 1-0, in Bloomington, Indiana. Last season, the Wolverines earned a 2-1 victory over the Hoosiers with goals from Reilly Martin and Nicki Hernandez. All three goals came in the first half of the match when Michigan took a 2-0 lead in the 25th minute and Indiana's Chandra Davidson scored the Hoosiers' lone goal in the 39th minute of play.

Scouting the Hoosiers

Indiana enters Big Ten play with a 4-1-2 overall record, with wins over Miami (Ohio), Pepperdine, Loyola Marymount and Kentucky. The Hoosiers are averaging 17 shots per game, with Abby Allen leading the team with 14 points (five goals, four assists.) Additionally, Annelie Leitner is contributing double-digit points with 10 (4G, 2A) and seven other IU players have one goal each. In goal, Bethany Kopel has started all seven games with a 1.23 goals-against average and has made 37 saves on the season for the Hoosiers.

Series History with Purdue

The Wolverines also hold the all-time series lead against Purdue, with 10-4-4 record against the Boilermakers. But last season, Purdue came away victorious in Ann Arbor, handing U-M a 1-0 setback in its conference opener. Prior to that loss, the Wolverines earned a 1-0 Senior Day victory over Purdue on Oct. 24, 2015. The Wolverines carried a four-match win streak against the Boilermakers from 2010-2013 before the two squads played to a 1-1, double-overtime draw in 2014.

Peeking at the Boilermakers

Purdue is 5-1-1 overall on the season, with its lone loss coming to No. 15 South Carolina. Purdue and Michigan have two common opponents this season in Western Michigan and Louisville. The Boilermakers earned a 2-0 win in their last match, while the Wolverines defeated WMU, 2-0, in the second match of the season.

Against Louisville, Purdue grabbed a 2-1 victory at home, while U-M fell, 3-1, against the Cardinals. Purdue has allowed just five goals in their first seven matches and has scored 12 of its own to average 1.71 goals per contest. Leading the way for Purdue is Kylie Hase, who has five goals for 10 points on the season, while Sarah Clark has two goals and five assists for a total of nine points. The Boilermakers' goalkeepers have split time in net this season, with Katie Luce making five starts and Marisa Bova making two. Luce has tallied 22 saves and carries a 0.77 goals-against average, while Bova sports a 0.50 goals-against average. Bova has started the last two matches for the Boilermakers after Luce started the first five of the season.

Two Tally Multi-Goal Matches vs. CMU

In Michigan's decisive 6-1 victory over Central Michigan at U-M Soccer Stadium, two players scored multiple goals, while three players earned multi-point matches for the Maize and Blue. Senior Reilly Martin and sophomore Nicki Hernandez (six points) scored two goals each. It was the first time two Wolverines scored multiple goals in a match since Aug. 21, 2015, when Michigan defeated Eastern Michigan, 8-1. Then-sophomore Taylor Timko paced the Wolverines against EMU, netting three goals, while Lulu Haidar added two goals to the Michigan tally.

Defense Holds Strong Against Chippewas

The Michigan backline was in top shape against Central Michigan with the return of junior Jada Dayne, who made her first start of the season after returning from an injury. Dayne, along with the rest of the Wolverine defense, allowed just two shots by the Chippewas in the game. Michigan outshot Central Michigan, 20-2, putting 10 shots on net.

Ticket Information

Individual and group tickets on are sale for all 2018 home matches. For group experiences such as high five tunnel, halftime mini games and more, please call (734) 647-1268 or email gobluegroupsales@umich.edu. For more information on purchasing tickets, please visit the women's soccer ticket page.

Next Time Out

Michigan will return to U-M Soccer Stadium on Thursday, Sept. 20 for a 6 p.m. match Wisconsin, and will host Minnesota on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 2 p.m.