Wolverines Set for First Matches at U-M Soccer Stadium in 2021

» Michigan will take the pitch at U-M Soccer Stadium for the first time in 2021 after playing its first three home games of the season at an indoor facility.
» The Wolverines are 16-9-1 all-time against Illinois.
» U-M leads Indiana, 17-5-4, in the all-time series.

THIS WEEK
Thursday, March 25 -- vs. Illinois (U-M Soccer Stadium.), 2 p.m.
TV: Big Ten Network+ | Live Stats | Live Video
Sunday, March 28 -- vs. Indiana (U-M Soccer Stadium), 3 p.m.
TV: Big Ten Network | Live Stats | Live Video

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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan women's soccer team will play its first games of the 2021 season at U-M Soccer Stadium starting with a Thursday (March 25) contest against Illinois at 2 p.m. and concluding the weekend with a 3 p.m. contest against Indiana on Big Ten Network.

Wolverine Bites

• Michigan is 4-2-2 overall on the season after splitting games last weekend with a shutout win at Maryland and a loss at No. 13 Penn State.

• U-M will play its first games at U-M Soccer Stadium this season after playing its first three home games at indoor facilities. The Wolverines were 9-2-1 last season at U-M Soccer Stadium and will play its first match inside its home stadium in 496 days; Michigan's last true home contest was an NCAA first-round win over Bowling Green on Nov. 15, 2019.

• The Wolverines rank second in the Big Ten in goals scored with 18, 12 of which have come in the last three games -- a 7-3 win over Michigan State (March 12), a 4-0 win at Maryland (March 18) and a 4-1 loss at Penn State. Michigan leads the conference in shots, taking 132, with 64 being on goal.

• Freshman Sammi Woods was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Week after recording five points at Maryland. The Saline, Mich., native scored two goals before assisting on Lily Farkas' goal in the second half. This season, Woods has four goals and three assists for a team-best 11 points.

• Sophomore Lily Farkas has found her touch in the last two games, posting her first collegiate goal at Maryland before scoring Michigan's lone goal at Penn State. Farkas has started seven games this season and has a .412 shots-on-goal percentage.

Opponent Preview

Illinois
Michigan leads, 16-9-1, in the all-time series with Illinois

The Wolverines have won five of the last six meetings against Illinois, most recently defeating the Illini, 4-1, in Champaign in 2019. Michigan is 9-2-0 at home when playing the Fighting Illini. Illinois comes into Thursday's match with a 4-3-1 overall record, most recently falling, 2-1, to Ohio State at home. The Illini have scored just nine goals this season, but have allowed only six to opponents with four shutouts. Individually, Kendra Pasquale has scored four of Illinois' nine goals and assisted on one for a team-best nine points, while goalkeeper Sami Sample has made a Big Ten Conference best 43 saves.

Indiana
Michigan leads, 17-5-4, in the all-time series with Indiana

Michigan is 7-1-2 in the last 10 meetings against Indiana, having played to a 0-0 double-overtime draw in 2019 and a heartbreaking 3-2 double-overtime road loss in 2018. The Hoosiers are 4-3-0 overall on the season coming off a 1-0 win to Wisconsin. Indiana has scored eight goals and given up six to opponents with three shutout wins on its record. Melanie Forbes has scored almost half of Indiana's goals with three, while Jen Blitchok has netted two goals for the Hoosiers. Between the pipes, Bethany Kopel has started all seven games with 22 saves and a .786 save percentage.

Up Next

Saturday, April 3 -- vs. Rutgers (U-M Soccer Stadium), 1 p.m.