Michigan
Notre Dame (ex)
Wolverines Fall at Notre Dame in Final Preseason Tuneup
8/26/2002 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Notre Dame came out firing with three shots in the first 10 minutes of action. Rafael Garcia gave the Irish a 1-0 lead at 10:34 when he directed his second shot of the young game off his head and into the right corner of the net. Irish defender Kevin Richards found Garcia open in the box on the goal.
Michigan goalkeeper Joe Zawacki (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) held strong through an onslaught of 14 first-half shots, making five of his eight saves in the first stanza.
Notre Dame wasted little time to begin the second half, however, and took a three-goal lead after just 15 minutes of play. The Irish's second goal, off the head of Greg Martin, came at 54:46, with the third tally coming just minutes later at 58:41 from junior forward Devon Prescod.
Following a prolonged Michigan threat, in which the Wolverines fired two shots and forced three corner kicks, the Irish converted on a counter-attack. After moving the ball into Michigan territory in the 81st minute, Pescod's shot from the top of the box was deflected, but Justin Detter collected the loose ball and directed it into the goal for a four-goal cushion.
The Wolverines responded at 87:46 when Subramanian, a late substitution, knocked the ball in from five yards out off a Kevin Robinson (Caro, Mich./Faith Baptist HS) cross just two minutes after he took the field.
Michigan travels to East Lansing, Mich., this weekend for the Michigan State Invitational. The Wolverines will place the University of California-Santa Barbara Sunday (Sept. 1) at noon and face Wright State University on Monday (Sept. 2) at 2:30 p.m.
GAME SUMMARY
| Team | 1 | 2 | F |
| Michigan | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Notre Dame | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- ND, Rafael Garcia, 10:34 (Kevin Richards)
2nd -- ND, Greg Martin, 54:46 (Kevin Goldthwait)
2nd -- ND, Devon Prescod, 58:41 (Chad Riley)
2nd -- ND, Justin Detter, 80:00 (Prescod)
2nd -- U-M, Mahesh Subramanian, 87:46 (Kevin Robinson)
Shots: U-M 8, Notre Dame 22
Saves: U-M 8 (Joe Zawacki 8), ND 2 (Chris Sawyer 2)
Corner Kicks: U-M 3, ND 3
Fouls: U-M 22, ND 9
Cards: ND, Kevin Goldthwait, 51:24 (yellow)
Q U O T E S
U-M Head Coach Steve Burns
On the game ... "Notre Dame is a team that is four weeks ahead of us after their trip to Scotland earlier this month. Their timing was strong and they've become a good team in their time together already. It was great for us to get exposed by a good team, and the exhibition season is a good time to take those lumps. By playing a great team we are really able to see where the team's weaknesses are and can now address those in preparation for the season. We were exposed by a great team, but it gave us a shot of humility that will help us in the long run."
On the team's bright spots ... "The ability to play up the center of the field and move the ball up the spine and in tight spaces was certainly one of our strengths. Our creativity in the front half of the field is going to get better. I though the freshmen, (Ryan) Sterba and (Chris) Glinski in back, were under a lot of pressure tonight and performed well. Mike White, our attacking midfielder, recognized how to shape the field tonight."
On how Notre Dame's preseason trip to Scotland helped it ... "It's a nice way to start the season. It's a time where the team can really come together and we saw how much it helped them tonight. They have a familiarity and comfort level with each other early on from the trip that you expect to see as the season progresses. It's certainly something we'd like to think about in the future."
Contact: Gene Skidmore (734) 763-4423
