First Touch #3: U-M Welcomes Western Michigan, Marquette to Conclude Homestand

THIS WEEK
Friday, Sept. 7 -- vs. Western Michigan (U-M Soccer Stadium), 7:30 p.m.
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Monday, Sept. 10 -- vs. Marquette (U-M Soccer Stadium), 7:30 p.m.
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The University of Michigan men's soccer team (2-1-0) concludes its season-opening homestand with two more matches at U-M Soccer Stadium this week, facing in-state foe Western Michigan (1-3-0) on Friday (Sept. 7) at 7:30 p.m., and Marquette (2-1-0) on Monday (Sept. 10) at 7:30 p.m.

Tickets are available for both matches via www.MGoBlue.com/tickets or by calling the Michigan Athletics Ticket Office at (866) 296-MTIX.

The team's match on Friday vs. Western Michigan is part of a doubleheader and will follow the Michigan-Central Michigan women's soccer match at 5 p.m. The Michigan Ultras Welcome Back Tailgate will take place between matches. For Monday's match against Marquette, fans wearing a national team jersey of their choice will gain free admission.

TEAM NOTES
• The Wolverines are coming off a 1-0-0 weekend, topping UC Riverside last Friday (Aug. 31). They were scheduled to play Canisius on Monday (Sept. 3), but the game was eventually postponed due to inclement weather in the area. The match could be rescheduled later in the season, pending availability of both schools.

• Since allowing two goals in the first half of the season-opening match against Tulsa on Aug. 24, the Michigan defense has been lights out, playing five consecutive halves of shutout soccer and allowing a total of seven shots. Sophomore Henry Mashburn has started in net and played every minute thus far, making five saves.

• Junior Jack Hallahan came off the bench for the third match in a row against UC Riverside and wasted little time making an impact, scoring a goal within seconds to put Michigan up, 1-0. In 99 minutes of action across three matches, Hallahan has one goal and one assist. He was also responsible for the chance that led to an own goal in the team's 3-0 win over UC Riverside.

• Sophomores Umar Farouk Osman and Mohammed Zakyi have been active in the attacking third to begin the year. Osman scored his first career goal against UC Riverside and later added an assist on Hallahan's goal, while Zakyi added two assists of his own in the match. In three matches, each of them has been credited with nine shots.

• Freshman Kevin Buca became the third freshman to appear in a match this season, joining Sosa Emovon and Declan Gaffney.

• Michigan has been creating plenty of offensive chances, tallying 50 shots in three matches. Against UC Riverside, the Wolverines held an 18-2 edge in shots. The Wolverines are testing opposing goalkeepers, putting shots on goal at a 42 percent clip (21-of-50).

OPPONENT PREVIEW
WESTERN MICHIGAN is 1-3-0 on the season, dropping its last three contests against DePaul (1-0), Butler (2-0) and UIC (1-0) after opening the year with a 2-0 win over Loyola-Chicago. Western Michigan was 17-4-1 last season and was the No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament, reaching the Sweet 16 before losing to Michigan State, 2-1. Kosti Moni and Cameron Sipple have one goal each this season. Elijah Michaels started the first three matches in goal, but it was Lukas Von Leinen who got the start in Western Michigan's loss to UIC on Monday.

Series: Michigan is 6-5-1 all-time against Western Michigan. The two teams met last year in Kalamazoo, with the Broncos winning, 1-0.

MARQUETTE is 2-1-0 on the season, suffering its first loss of the season on Tuesday (Sept. 4), a 3-1 loss to Saint Louis. The Golden Eagles are +4 in goal differential (eight goals scored, four goals conceded), but have been outshot at at 43-37 clip. Lukas Sunesson has three goals to lead the team in scoring, while Luka Prpa has three assists. Luis Barraza started the first two matches of the season, but Cedrik Stern was in goal for the loss to Saint Louis, surrendering three goals. Marquette was 3-11-2 in 2017.

Series: Michigan is 0-3-1 all-time against Marquette. The last meeting between the two schools came in 2013, which the Golden Eagles won, 1-0.

UP NEXT
Friday, Sept. 15 -- at Rutgers (Piscataway, N.J.), 7 p.m.