Wolverines Down Vikings, Survive First Overtime Test
9/5/2000 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
CLEVELAND, Ohio -- The University of Michigan men's soccer team got its first taste of overtime Tuesday night (Sept. 5) against Cleveland State, and the Wolverines liked it. Michigan won 3-2 in the 94th minute when freshman Tom Gritter (Grand Rapids, Mich./Grand Rapids Christian HS) scored the game-winning goal from five yards out after receiving a centering pass from fellow freshman Ian Hirschfield (Fort Lauderdale, Fla./Pine Crest HS).
The Vikings (0-1-1) came out quickly in the first half with a goal by Marc Royer from 10 yards out at the four-minute mark. However, Michigan (2-0) responded six minutes later when junior JJ Kern (Trenton, Mich./Lake Orion HS) threw the ball to Hirschfield, who headed it to Gritter to tie the game 1-1. The Wolverines went into halftime with a 2-1 lead after freshman Kevin Taylor (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) scored on a penalty kick at 36:34 for his first career goal.
Michigan outshot Cleveland State 7-4 in the second half, but the Vikings scored the only goal of the half on a penalty kick by Atle Haaland. Michigan's defense and goaltending by senior Albert Geldres (St. Clair, Mich./Detroit Country Day School) held the game tied for the rest of regulation. In overtime, prior to Gritter's goal, Geldres made a game-winning save to keep the Wolverines undefeated in their inaugural season.
The Wolverines head to Chicago for a match at Loyola on Friday (Sept. 8) at 7 p.m. CDT.
GAME SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | OT | F |
| Michigan | 2 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
| Cleveland State | 1 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- CSU, Marc Royer, 4:28 (Atle Haaland)
1st -- U-M, Tom Gritter, 10:04 (JJ Kern, Ian Hirschfield)
1st -- U-M, Kevin Taylor, 36:34 (penalty kick)
2nd -- CSU, Haaland, 50:30 (penalty kick)
OT -- U-M, Gritter, 94:24 (Hirschfield)
Shots: U-M 15, CSU 11
Saves: U-M 6 (Albert Geldres 5, Team 1), CSU 5 (Josip Novkovic 5)
Corner Kicks: U-M 6, CSU 4
Fouls: U-M 24, CSU 17
Cards: U-M, Huber, 30:03 (yellow); U-M, Walton, 68:10 (yellow)
N O T E S
-- Tom Gritter scored his first two career goals. It also marks the first time a U-M player has scored two goals in a game.
-- Ian Hirschfield recorded two assists, the first time a U-M player has had two assists in one game.
-- Albert Geldres' shutout streak ended at 94:28 minutes.
-- Kevin Taylor scored on U-M's first penalty kick.
Q U O T E S
Head Coach Steve Burns
On the team's progression ... "What we saw tonight was the amount of heart this team has, and I think we have a little bit of chemistry right off the bat with the mixture of freshman players and upperclassmen leadership. It's really coming together pretty early. We can win these tight games if that continues to come together."
Contact: Steve Grialou (734) 763-4423











