Weekly Release #9
10/15/2003 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Upcoming Schedule ...
Friday, Oct. 17 -- vs. Northwestern (U-M Soccer Field), 1 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 19 -- vs. Wisconsin (U-M Soccer Field), 2 p.m.
Friday, Oct. 25 -- at Akron (Akron, Ohio), 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 27 -- at Penn State (College Station, Pa.), 2 p.m.
This Week ...
The University of Michigan men's soccer team continues its Big Ten Conference season with a pair of league home matches against Northwestern and Wisconsin. The Wolverines welcome the Wildcats to the U-M Soccer Field for a friendly Friday afternoon at 1 p.m., then return to the pitch Sunday afternoon for a 2 p.m. kickoff with the Badgers. It marks the first time U-M will play two Big Ten matches on the same weekend, excluding the conference tournament.
Scouting the Opponents ...
Northwestern -- Northwestern on the Internet: www.nusports.com.
Michigan vs. Northwestern ...
Michigan holds a 4-0 record against Northwestern since the two teams began Big Ten competition in 2000. The Wolverines defeated the Wildcats 2-1 in double overtime in Evanston, Ill., in 2000 behind goals by Will Purdy (2000) and Ryan Yoder (2000). Wolverines made it back-to-back victories in 2001 with a 1-0 win on the U-M Soccer Field behind a shutout performance by Joe Zawacki (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) and a goal by Jody Keeling (2001). Last season the Maize and Blue blanked Northwestern 5-0 in Evanston, during the regual season and knocked the Wildcats out of the Big Ten Tournament with a 1-0 win in the first round.
Wisconsin -- Wisconsin on the Internet: www.uwbadgers.com.
Michigan vs. Wisconsin ...
The Wolverines hold a 3-1 advantage in the two-year series between the two schools. Michigan lost the opening match in 2000 by the score of 1-4 in Madison, Wis. (Oct. 20). Since then the Wolverines have won three straight matches over the Badgers with a pair of victories during the 2001 season. U-M defeated the Badgers 2-1 on the U-M Soccer Field (Oct. 21) and 1-0 in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament (Nov. 8) held at the McClimon Soccer Complex in Madison. Last year Michigan downed Wisconsin 3-2 in Madison. Knox Cameron (Bronx, N.Y./Cardinal Spellman HS) has led the offensive attack against Wisconsin with three goals in three matches.
In Action Last Week ...
The Wolverines earned a pair of intrastate victories last weekend with wins over Western Michigan (Oct. 10) and Michigan State (Oct. 12). U-M claimed its first win Friday when it topped the Broncos 2-1 on the U-M Soccer Field. Knox Cameron tallied both Wolverine goals with help from Jeff Mirmelstein (Indianapolis, Ind./Lawrence Central HS), Kevin Robinson (Caro, Mich./Faith Baptist HS) and Adam Bruh (Roselyn Heights, N.Y./Wheatley HS). Sunday saw the Wolverines travel to East Lansing, Mich. where they came away with a 4-2 win over archrival Michigan State. With the win the Maize and Blue gained control of The Big Bear, a traveling trophy between the two programs. It marked the first time the trophy will reside in Ann Arbor.
Men's Soccer Puts U-M Ahead in Pontiac Challenge Cup ...
The 2003-04 marks the debut of the Pontiac Challenge Cup; a trophy awarded three times throughout the athletic year (fall, winter and spring) to the winner of the Michigan-Michigan State series. The men's soccer program earned the first full point of the competition for Michigan last Sunday when the Wolverines topped the Spartans 4-2 in East Lansing, Mich. Through two games between the two schools Michigan leads the competition with 1.5 points. The U-M volleyball earned half a point with a straight set victory on October 1. Six points are up for grabs in the fall, with cross country (men and women), field hockey, football, men's and women's soccer and volleyball all competing.
Cameron Collects Weekly Honors and Awards ...
Junior midfielder Knox Cameron was named to the College Soccer News National Team of the Week as well as the co-Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Week for his performance last weekend. In two matches, Cameron tallied seven points on three goals and an assist, leading the Wolverines to a pair of wins. Cameron scored each of Michigan's two goals against Western (Oct. 10) and netted the game-winner at Michigan State (Oct. 12). The seven-point weekend improves the junior's career total to 54 with 21 goals and 12 assists.
Taylor Stays Perfect ...
Kevin Taylor (Miami, Fla./Gulliver Prep) is now 5-5 in penalty kick conversions after he made good on the 12-yard kick to put the Wolverines up 1-0 at Michigan State last Sunday (Oct. 12). Taylor is now 3-3 this season in PK conversions with goals against Bowling Green (Sept. 28) and Evansville (Sept. 7). As a freshman in 2000 he scored on the penalty kick against Cleveland State (9/5/00) and Detroit (9/17/00). The Wolverines have won all five matches Taylor has made good on the 12-yard kick.
Michigan and the PK ...
The Wolverines have converted six of seven penalty kicks in its four years of varsity status. Kevin Taylor is5-5 when called upon to convert the 12-yard kick, while junior Knox Cameron is 1-2. Taylor has made penalty kicks in wins over Cleveland State (9/5/00), Detroit (9/17/00), Evansville (9/7/03), Bowling Green (9/28/03) and Michigan State (10/12/03). Cameron converted his first career penalty kick against Brown (9/13/02), but had his second career PK blocked against Bowling Green (10/9/02).
White Closes In ...
Senior tri-captain Mike White (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson HS) netted the second of four goals in Michigan's 4-2 victory over Michigan State last Sunday (Oct. 12). The goal increased his career tally total to 17, coupled with his 14 assists; White has 48 points in 65 matches wearing the Maize and Blue. With just two more points, White will become the third Wolverine in the program's four-year history to reach the 50-point plateau.
Savitskie Scores ...
Freshman walk-on defender Kevin Savitskie (Plymouth, Mich./Salem HS) has made improvements each week. Four weeks ago, Savitskie saw his first collegiate action playing the final 30 minutes of the match against Washington (Sept. 19). Three weeks ago he cracked the starting lineup as he was on the field for the beginning of play at Bowling Green (Sept. 28), then two weeks ago he scored his first career point with an assist Matt Niemeyer (St. Louis, Mo./John Burroughs HS) against Indiana (Oct. 5). Last week Savitskie took another step in his career as the freshman netted his first collegiate goal and he did it at Michigan State (Oct. 12) to seal Michigan's first regular season victory over the Spartans.
Mirms ...
Jeff Mirmelstein started both matches last weekend, in which he recorded two assists. Both helpers came in Michigan's 2-1 win over Western Michigan (Oct. 10).
Bruh You're My Boy ...
Sophomore Adam Bruh increased his program lead in the career assist column with a pair of game-winning helpers last weekend. Bruh dished out the game-winning assist against Western Michigan (Oct. 10) when he led Knox Cameron to pay dirt in the second half of a 2-1 victory. The two hooked up two day's later for the game-winner at Michigan State, in the third minute of the second half, as the Wolverines downed MSU 4-2.
Look Familiar ...
Freshmen Brian Popeney (Canton, Mich./Plymouth Salem HS) and Kevin Savitskie, both 2003 graduates of Plymouth Salem High School were in the starting lineup for the Wolverines last Friday in a 2-1 victory over Western Michigan (Oct. 10). As seniors for Salem in 2002 the duo helped the Shamrocks to the Michigan State Championship Game.
Would You Like To Supersize Your Order ...
Mychal Turpin (Pontiac, Mich./University of Detroit Jesuit) etched his name in the Big Ten record book last weekend when the junior striker netted his second career four-goal game. It marked the first time in conference history a player had tallied two career four-goal games. What makes it even more special is that Turpin accomplished the feat in just a two-week span. Turpin is one of only five players in league history to net four goals in a game and first since Aaron Lauber did it on November 1, 2001.
Turpin Rewriting the Michigan Record Book ...
With five goals in two games three weeks ago, Mychal Turpin set the Michigan record for career points (58), career goals (24), single-season goals (11), and tied the mark for single season game-winners (4). He is also just two points shy of tying the school record for single-season points. Through 13 games the junior striker has 23 points. The school mark is 25, which he and Mike White set in 20 and 19 games, respectively.
The Big Picture ...
Through 13 games this season, Mychal Turpin is the tied for ninth on the national points score board with 23 points on 11 goals and one assist. Tulsa's Ryan Pore is the nation's leader with 34 points on 14 goals and six assists.
Turpin in the Nation ...
Mychal Turpin currently ranks 23rd in the nation with a point-per-game average of 1.77. Through 13 games this season the junior striker has 23 points on 11 goals and one assist. Turpin also 13th in the nation with a goals-per-game average of 0.84, with 11 goals in 13 games.
Leaders and Best ...
Junior's Mychal Turpin and Knox Cameron have each produced a national single-game best this year, with Turpin scoring an NCAA best four goals twice and Cameron dishing out a nation-leading three assists in the first of Turpin's four-goal outbursts. Turpin netted his first supersized hat trick in a 4-3 OT victory over UNC Greensboro (Sept. 14). Cameron had much to do with Turpin's success as he assisted on three of Turpin's four goals. Turpin made Big Ten history two weeks later when he netted his second four-goal game of the season in a 6-1-blowout victory at Bowling Green (Sept 28). Turpin is one of only three players to net the supersized hat trick, while Cameron is one of four to have dished out three helpers in a game.
National Top 25 ...RK TEAM RECORD LAST 1. UCLA 10-1-0 1 2. Maryland 11-1-0 2 3. North Carolina 10-1-2 3 4. Old Dominion 10-0-0 4 5. Saint Louis 9-1-2 5 6. St. Johns 9-3-1 7 7. Washington 8-1-2 8 8. Dayton 8-1-2 18 8. Wake Forest 7-3-0 14 10. Farleigh Dickinson 8-2-1 11 11. Florida International 7-2-2 10 12. Notre Dame 7-2-3 6 13. Rutgers 7-3-1 25 14. UC-Santa Barbara 8-1-1 20 15. Tulsa 9-3-1 12 16. Yale 5-3-0 NR 17. Hartwick 8-2-0 9 18. Virginia Commonwealth 8-4-0 NR 19. Loyola Marymount 8-3-1 24 20. Brown 6-3-0 22 21. Cincinnati 6-1-4 NR 22. Duquesne 8-1-2 NR 23. Alabama Birmingham 6-3-3 21 24. Cal-State Northridge 6-1-2 13 25. Virginia Tech 9-3-1 16 Also Receiving Votes: Boston University, Bradley
The Book on Burns ...
and Oneonta State
Head coach Steve Burns is 36-28-3 through last Sunday (Oct. 12) as the leader of the Michigan men's varsity soccer program. Last season Burns guided the Maize and Blue to a No. 2 seed in the Big Ten Conference Tournament and its first ever appearance in the championship game. Since his taking the helm in 2000, Burns' Wolverines have bettered their record in each of his first three years. In the program's inaugural season of 2000, U-M finished with a 6-10 record, while in 2001 his club put together a mark of 10-7-1. Prior to Michigan soccer being granted varsity status on March 26, 1999, Burns was the head coach of the Michigan club team since 1993. Under his leadership, Michigan posted a 121-51-26 mark (.677 winning percentage) and made six consecutive appearances in the national club championship tournament. The team won back-to-back national championships in 1997 and 1998.
On the Horizon ...
Michigan takes to the road next week as the Wolverines head to Akron, Ohio and State College, Pa. to a pair of friendlies with Akron and Penn State. The Maize and Blue will face Akron at 7:30 p.m. Friday (Oct. 24), then board the bus for a Big Ten matchup with Penn State Sunday afternoon (Oct. 26) at 2 p.m.
Contact: Gene Skidmore, 734-736-4423
