Weekly Release #8

Upcoming Schedule ...
Wednesday, Oct. 12 -- at Western Michigan (Kalamazoo, Mich.), 4 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 16 -- at Michigan State (Lansing, Mich.), 1 p.m.
Thursday, Oct. 20 -- vs. Wisconsin-Milwaukee (U-M Soccer Field), 5 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 23 -- vs. Wisconsin (U-M Soccer Field), 2:30 p.m.

This Week ...
The University of Michigan men's soccer team will begin a two-game road trip, where they will travel to Kalamazoo, Mich., to face Western Michigan for the first match on the road, Wednesday (Oct. 12) at 4 p.m. To close out the road trip, the Wolverines will take on the Michigan State Spartans where they will compete in the Pontiac Challenge Cup.

Scouting the Opponents ...
Western Michigan -- The Broncos are entering their eighth season under head coach Chris Karwoski, after finishing the 2004 season 9-7-4, 3-2-1 in the Mac, finishing fourth in the conference. This will be the fourth meeting between the two teams, and currently Michigan is undefeated, with a 3-0 record versus Western Michigan. The last time the two teams met was on October 10, 2003 where the Wolverines hosted the Broncos and won 2-1 with a two-goal performance from recent graduate Knox Cameron. Western Michigan is currently 5-5-1, and 2-0 in the MAC, ranked third in their conference, with a two-game winning streak. Western Michigan on the Web: www.wmubroncos.com.

Michigan State -- The Spartans are entering their 28th season under head coach Joe Baum, after finishing 11-5-2, 2-4-0 in the Big Ten finishing fifth in the conference. Michigan State leads the series meetings, 2-4-0. The last time the Wolverines and the Spartans met was October 17, 2004, where MSU defeated U-M in Ann Arbor, Mich., 3-2 in overtime. Currently Michigan State is 4-3-4, 1-1-1 in the Big Ten and third in the conference. Michigan State on the Web: www.msuspartans.com.

Last Week ...
In last week's action, the Wolverines fell to defeat against the Indiana Hoosiers for the ninth straight time, making U-M, 0-9 all-time versus IU. The first goal of the game was on a Hoosier penalty kick from freshman Lee Nguyen. IU's Josh Tudela closed the game out with a goal 10:04 left in the game. The game was taped by Comcast Local television and will air Wednesday at 6 a.m. and again at 2 p.m. on the Comcast Local channel.

Pontiac Challenge Cup
This Sunday (Oct. 16) the Wolverines will face the Spartans in the Pontiac Cup Challenge. Currently the Wolverines lead the fall session in points, 2.5-0. Michigan has retained possession of the Pontiac Challenge Cup throughout the 2004-05 athletic calendar and has claimed the trophy in all six sessions since the rivalry series began in Fall '03.

Outstanding Freshmen
Freshmen Jacob Stacey (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central HS) and Steve Bonnell (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Detroit Country Day), were placed on College Soccer News top 40 freshman list, and rightfully so. The outstanding freshmen forwards have played major rolls in the first three games for U-M. Stacey, has contributed with a three game total of six shots, and five shots on goal. Bonnell has taken nine shots, five of them on goal, and scored one goal. Bonnell's goal came in the 66:28 mark of Michigan's historical night game against Detroit.

Raising the Bar
In 2004, Michigan finished the year with its third-best record, 11-8-4 overall, 1-4-1 in the Big Ten. The first and only conference victory came against the Big Ten's fourth ranked Wisconsin, 2-1 in overtime. The Wolverines earned their second invitation to the NCAA Tournament where they beat Akron 2-1 and later suffered a second round loss to the NCAA Champion Indiana Hoosiers by a last minute goal.

Team Leadership
The 2005 Wolverines look for their leadership to come from their team-captains, seniors Adam Bruh (Roslyn Heights, N.Y./Wheatley HS), Ryan Sterba (Westlake, Ohio/St. Ignatius HS) and junior Kevin Hall (Kalamazoo, Mich./Portage Central HS). All three captains have been nominated as Michigan All-Time Lettermen, and finished second, fourth and tenth place, respectively, as the team point scorers. Bruh brings back his scoring ability after finishing tied for second on the team in goal scoring. Sterba returns to the team after leading them in assists last year with seven for the season, while Hall will maintain the team's defensive prowess.

New Faces in Town
Michigan adds six recruits this year, ranking 10th on the College Soccer News top 40 list for the new recruiting class. Of the six new faces, two, Steve Bonnell (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Detroit Country Day HS) and Jacob Stacy (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central HS) are on the College Soccer News top 100 freshman to watch list. Bonnell, a forward in high school, was named 2004 NSCAA Michigan Player of the Year, selected to the 2004 NSCAA High School Boys All-America Team, and scored a total of 92 career goals at Detroit Country Day. Stacy, also a forward in high school, was named as Michigan's Mr. Soccer in 2004 and was also a selection for the NSCAA High School Boys All-America Team. Joining these bright new stars are two defenders Michael Holody (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston HS) and Chase Tennant (Rochester, Mich./Rochester HS), two midfielders, Alex Morrisset (Shelby Township, Mich./De La Salle HS), Santos Perez (Troy, Mich./Athens) and a goalkeeper, Patrick Sperry (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central HS).

The Book on Burns
Head coach Steve Burns is 52-39-8 in five seasons as the leader of Michigan's varsity program. Last season Burns guided the Wolverines to an overall record of 11-8-4, and their second straight NCAA Tournament appearance. Since his taking the helm in 2000, Burns' Wolverines have bettered their record in each of his first five years. 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
The following week the Wolverines will come back to Ann Arbor, Mich., to have back-to-back home games, first taking on Wisconsin-Milwaukee on Thursday (Oct. 20) on U-M Soccer Field at 5 p.m. Next, U-M will continue Big Ten action, as they face the Wisconsin Badgers, Sunday (Oct. 23) on U-M Soccer Field at 2:30 p.m.

Contact: Joseph Conrad (734) 763-4423