Michigan
Michigan State
Tuesday Blue Out: Wolverines to Host Spartans in Battle for Big Bear Trophy
10/4/2021 4:15:00 PM | Men's Soccer
• Michigan and MSU will battle for the Big Bear Trophy for the 20th time.
• The Wolverines have won the last four meetings between the two squads.
• U-M is 5-4-1 overall on the season after an overtime win at Indiana.
THIS WEEK
Tuesday, Oct. 5 -- vs. Michigan State (U-M Soccer Stadium), 8 p.m.
TV: Big Ten Network | Live Stats | Live Video
• Complete Match Notes (PDF)
• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter | Instagram
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's soccer team (5-4-1, 2-1 Big Ten) will battle Michigan State University (4-5-1, 0-2-1 Big Ten) Tuesday evening (Oct. 5) for the Big Bear Trophy at U-M Soccer Stadium at 8 p.m.
Fans are asked to wear blue to help Blue Out U-M Soccer Stadium under the lights against the Spartans.Wolverine Bites
• Michigan is coming off a huge 2-1 overtime road victory at Indiana on Friday (Oct. 1), defeating the perennial powerhouse for the first time since the 2013 campaign.
• The Big Bear Trophy will be up for grabs for the 20th time this Tuesday (Oct. 5) with Michigan looking to retain posession of the trophy after winning it during the 2019 campaign. The battle was put on hold in the 2020-21 season due to COVID-19.
• The bear was purchased by former U-M head coach Steve Burns on his way back from a trip to Canada in 1999 and was installed as the rivalry's trophy during the inaugural match between the two teams in 2000. The wood-carved bear, which measures nearly two feet tall, was purchased from craftsman Keith Bunker in Wolverine, Michigan. Bunker passed away on May 16, 2013. Since its purchase, Big Bear has seen some ups and downs, losing both of its "eyes" and suffering a split in its stomach region in the past few seasons.
• Junior Evan Rasmussen has been a vital part of the Wolverine offense this season, and he added three points at Indiana last week. The junior forward scored the game-tying goal against the Hoosiers in the 81st minute and then assisted on Derick Broche's game-winner in overtime.
• Freshman Hayden Evans has been proving his worth in net, earning four of the Wolverines' five wins this season. He made seven saves against the Hoosiers last week (Oct. 1), and notched a career-high eight saves at No. 8 Maryland (Sept. 17) in Michigan's Big Ten opener. Evans has started all three Big Ten Conference contests this season, and ranks tied for second in the Big Ten with 26 saves. He is also tied for fourth with a .788 save percentage.
• Graduate student Joel Harrison> was named one of 30 candidates for the 2021 Senior CLASS Award. Harrison returned for a fifth season with the Wolverines after being a first team All-Big Ten honoree in spring 2021. The graduate defender has appeared in 36 career games with 26 starts on the back line and is currently out due to injury.
Opponent Previews
Michigan State
Michigan trails the all-time series 14-12-2
Michigan State leads the all-time series 14-12-2 but the Wolverines have been closing the gap, earning wins in each of the last five meetings between the two squads. U-M is 7-4-1 all-time against Michigan State at home and has not lost a home game to the Spartans since the 2017 season when then-No. 6 MSU earned a 1-0 overtime victory at U-M Soccer Stadium.
The Spartans are 4-5-1 overall this season and 0-2-1 in the Big Ten Conference with back-to-back losses to Indiana and Penn State. Farai Mutatu leads the offense with 11 points on the season, including five goals, which ranks second in the Big Ten Conference. The MSU offense runs through Jack Beck, who has a conference-leading six assists in addition to one goal for his point tally. In goal, Hunter Morse has started seven matches with a 1.29 goals against average and 23 saves on the season.
Up Next
Sunday, Oct. 10 -- at Penn State (State College, Pa.), 2 p.m.
