Michigan
Notre Dame
Michigan on the Road at Notre Dame Before Senior Night vs. Wisconsin
10/21/2019 1:37:00 PM | Men's Soccer
THIS WEEK
Tuesday, Oct. 22 -- at Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.), 7 p.m.
TV: ACC Network | Live Stats | Live Video
Friday, Oct. 25 -- vs. Wisconsin (U-M Soccer Stadium), 6 p.m.
TV: BTN+ | Tickets | Live Stats | Live Video | Digital Program (to come)
PROMOTIONS
• Oct. 25: Senior Night, U.S. SOCOM Parachute Jump (weather permitting)
• Full Promotions Schedule
• Social Media: Twitter | Instagram | Facebook
The University of Michigan men's soccer team (6-4-3, 2-1-2 Big Ten) heads into the home stretch of its season with a quick two-match week, beginning with a road contest at Notre Dame (7-5-1) on Tuesday (Oct. 22) at Alumni Stadium in South Bend, Indiana. The match will begin at 7 p.m. and will be televised on ACC Network with Dalen Cuff (play-by-play) and Charlie Davies (analyst) on the call.
After a quick turnaround, the Wolverines then return to Big Ten Conference action on Friday (Oct. 25), hosting Wisconsin (2-10-2, 0-4-1 Big Ten) on Senior Night at U-M Soccer Stadium. The match will begin at 6 p.m.
Senior Night
Prior to Friday's match against Wisconsin, the program will honor its five-man senior class of Andrew Verdi, Abdou Samake, Jack Hallahan, Joe Hertgen and Nebojsa Popovic. Verdi, Samake, Hallahan and Hertgen were members of the program's first Big Ten championship-winning team in 2017 and helped U-M reach the NCAA Tournament in each of the last two years. Popovic came over in the summer as a graduate transfer from Oakland and has made an immediate impact, leading the team in points (17). Heading into the week, the senior class has compiled a record of 34-26-13 in all competitions.
Team Notes
• The Wolverines enter the week tied with Maryland for fourth in the Big Ten (eight points, 2-1-2). Penn State leads the league with 13 points (4-1-1), though it has played one more match than Indiana, which sits in second on 12 points (4-1-0). The top four teams in the standings will host first-round matches in the Big Ten Tournament on Nov. 10.
• U-M ranks No. 36 in the RPI (through games of Oct. 20) and has the 15th-best strength of schedule in the country.
• With two weeks remaining the regular season, graduate student Nebojsa Popovic continues to lead the Big Ten in both points (17) and goals (seven). U-M is tied with Indiana for second in the Big Ten in goals scored (20).
• As a team, Michigan is tied with Maryland for fewest goals allowed (11). Since the start of last season -- in which Michigan set a school record with only 18 goals allowed in 21 matches -- U-M has posted a 0.82 goals-against average.
• U-M ranks 10th nationally and first in the Big Ten in assists (32 in 13 matches), averaging nearly 2.5 assists per match. This is the third consecutive year that U-M has recorded more than 30 assists in a season (35 in 2017, 36 in 2018). The school record is 49 (2010). Individually, junior Marc Ybarra (six assists) and senior Jack Hallahan (five) rank second and third, respectively, in that category.
• Senior goalkeeper Andrew Verdi has played every minute in net this season, posting a 0.83 goals-against average and making 24 saves. He has been one of the Big Ten's best goalkeepers, conceding only two goals (one coming on a penalty kick) in five matches, a stretch spanning nearly 451 minutes of play. Verdi and the U-M defense have six shutouts on the season, including three in Big Ten play.
• Three freshmen have played roles this season within the team. Christian Pulselli (13 matches, six starts) has five points on one goal and three assists, while Harry Pithers (10 matches) has two assists. Carter Payne (nine matches, seven starts) has seen action on defense. Inaki Rodriguez was primed for a big role and even chipped in an assist in his first career match before coming down with an injury back on Sept. 8 vs. Washington.
Opponent Preview
NOTRE DAME is 7-5-1 on the season and 1-5-0 in the ACC. The Fighting Irish are coming off a 2-1 loss at Virginia Tech last Friday (Oct. 18) but have a 5-2 record at home this season. Notre Dame is ranked No. 27 in the RPI (through Oct. 20) and is +7 in goal differential (23 GF, 16 GA). Jack Lynn leads the attack with 17 points (eight goals, one assist), while Felicien Dumas is second on the team with nine points (three goals, three assists).
Series: U-M is 2-10-4 all-time against Notre Dame. The two teams met twice last season; Notre Dame won the regular-season meeting, 2-1, in Ann Arbor (Oct. 16) and played Michigan to a scoreless draw in the second round of the NCAA Tournament in South Bend (Nov. 18). The Fighting Irish advanced in a 12-round penalty kick shootout following that match, ending Michigan's season.
WISCONSIN is 2-10-2 and 0-4-1 in the Big Ten. The Badgers are coming off a 2-1 loss to Penn State on Saturday (Oct. 19) in Madison, Wisconsin. They are averaging seven shots per match and are -13 in goal differential (9 GF, 22 GA). Inaki Iribarren and Matthew Comiskey have two goals each on the season, while Elan Koenig has two assists. Dean Cowdroy has started 13 matches in net, making 49 saves and posting a 1.51 goals-against average.
Series: U-M is 15-7-5 all-time against Wisconsin. The two teams met twice last season; Wisconsin won the regular-season meeting, 1-0, in double overtime in Madison (Oct. 19), and Michigan won, 1-0, in a Big Ten Tournament semifinal (Nov. 9) in Westfield, Indiana.
Up Next
Tuesday, Oct. 29 -- vs. Michigan State (U-M Soccer Stadium), 8 p.m. (TV: BTN)
Sunday, Nov. 3 -- at Maryland (College Park, Md.), 4 p.m. (TV: ESPNU)
