Weekly Release #11
10/25/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Upcoming Schedule
Saturday, Oct. 28 -- vs. Penn State (U-M Soccer Field), 7 p.m.
Thu-Sun., Nov. 2-5 -- at Big Ten Championship (Columbus, Ohio)
This Week ... Closing the Regular Season at Home
Penn State (6-8-2, 3-2-0 Big Ten) at Michigan (5-9-4, 0-2-3 Big Ten)
Saturday, Oct. 28, 7 p.m. U-M Soccer Field
Michigan closes the regular season against Big Ten opponent Penn State on Saturday (Oct. 28) at 7 p.m. on the U-M Soccer Field. The last time the Wolverines played the Nittany Lions on the U-M Soccer Field was in 2004, when the two teams played to a 0-0 tie on Halloween (Oct. 31).
Scouting the Opponent ...
A look at Penn State (Penn State leads series, 6-1-1): The Nittany Lions are 6-8-2, with a 1-2 record in the past three Big Ten games (Ohio State, Wisconsin, and Indiana) in October. PSU's most recent victory was on Friday (Oct. 20), when the Nittany Lions beat the No. 9-ranked Indiana Hoosiers, 1-0. PSU's win over IU gave the Nittany Lions a 3-2-0 2006 Big Ten mark, putting them in third place. In 2005, Penn State won its third Big Ten Championship title (1993, 2002 and 2005) along with its first regular-season conference title. The Nittany Lions closed out the 2005 season with a third-round loss in the NCAA Tournament, falling 3-1 to Creighton. Michigan's lone victory over Penn State was a 4-2 decision on Oct. 26, 2003, in State College, Pa.
Under Head Coach Barry Gorman: Gorman is in his 19th season with an overall record of 256-132-36. In 1992, 1999 and 2005, Gorman was named NSCAA Mid-Atlantic Region Coach of the Year and earned 2006 Big Ten Coach of the Year honors. Gorman has led PSU to 12 NCAA Tournament bids, including seven first-round wins, four appearances in the Sweet 16, and two appearances in the national quarterfinals. Penn State on the web: www.gopsusports.com.
THIS WEEK'S STORYLINES ...
Last Week...
The Wolverines closed out regular-season non-conference action on Oct. 18, dropping a 1-0 decision to the Akron Zips on Lee R. Jackson Soccer Field in Akron, Ohio. On Oct. 22, the Maize and Blue played Ohio State to a 0-0 double-overtime draw. The loss to Akron and the tie with Ohio State extended the Wolverines' program-high winless streak to nine games. The two scoreless matches also marked the eighth and ninth times the Wolverines have been held without a goal, a single-season school record.
Sperry's Goalkeeper Records
Patrick Sperry's five saves against Ohio State gave him sole possession of the U-M single-season record for saves (64) made by a first-year goalkeeper. Sperry also moved into third place on the U-M single-season saves list as he passed Joe Zawacki's (2000-04) total of 59 saves and Peter Dzubay's (2001-05) 62 saves from 2004. Sperry is just eight saves from tying Dzubay's 2005 second-place total (72). On Oct. 22, Sperry played in his fifth double-overtime match, increasing his minute total to 1,611, which is the most minutes played by a Wolverine goalkeeper in his debuting season. The sophomore/freshman goalkeeper is 236 minutes from Dzubay's single-season record of 1,847.
Michigan's Big Ten Information
With the Big Ten Championships approaching, the Wolverines are sitting in seventh place, but have the opportunity to move up the charts with a win over Penn State. With Michigan State and Ohio State battling it out on Sunday (Oct. 29) in Columbus, Ohio, the Maize and Blue could tie for fifth with Northwestern after a win over Penn State and a Michigan State loss. NU owns the tiebreaker with U-M due to its 2-0 win on Oct. 15.
U-M is currently the only team in the Big Ten without a conference victory (0-2-3). Michigan's lowest Big Ten win total of one came in 2000 (1-5) and 2004 (1-4-1). Despite no conference wins this year, U-M has three ties for three points, matching the lowest point total in program history (2000).
Michigan Streaks
The Wolverines began the 2006 season with a 5-4 record before going 0-5-4 in the last nine games. The 0-5-4 streak began on Sept. 24 with a 2-2 tie to Indiana, marking the beginning of a program-high nine-game winless stretch. Since Sept. 24, the Maize and Blue has been held without a goal in seven of eight games and has played in four double-overtime matches, going 0-1-3 in the extra minutes. The Maize and Blue has scored only one goal in the past eight games (Oct. 8 vs. Michigan State in a 1-1 tie).
Underclassman Leadership
With a sophomore/freshman goalkeeper leading the team in every keeper category and a freshman forward leading the team in scoring, statistically the Wolverines are led by the underclassmen. Sophomore/freshman goalkeeper Patrick Sperry (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central HS) has played 93 percent of the team's minutes in net (1,611), while freshman Peri Marosevic (Rockford, Ill./Edison Academy) has scored 29 percent of U-M's goals (5). Sperry has played the most minutes by any Wolverine goalkeeper in his debuting season. Marosevic is on track to become the first freshman in program history to lead the team in goals and points. In 2000 freshman Tom Gritter (2000-03) led in goals (4) with freshman Kevin Robinson (2000-03) leading in points (10). As a class, the sophomores and freshmen have accounted for 76 percent of the team's shots, taking 221 of 291. Marosevic's team-high 54 shots are the most shots taken by a freshman in team history, and tie for fourth in single-season shot records with Mike White's (2000-03) 2003 total.
Michigan Taking a Shot
Michigan has 291 shots for the season, which ranks third in team history in total shots. In 2004 the Wolverines took 303 shots in 23 games, after taking a program-high 306 shots in 2003 in 22 games. U-M's 291 shots rank first in the Big Ten.
Wolverines' Big Ten Stats
There are five Wolverines in the top 10 of the Big Ten stats. Peri Marosevic is the highest-ranked Wolverine, with a second-place shots total of 54. Marosevic is also third in shots per game (3), and is tied for fourth in points (12) and goals (5). Sophomore Steve Bonnell (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Detroit Country Day School) is tied for fourth in assists (4) and ninth in assists per game (0.24). Freshman Mauro Fuzetti (Houston, Texas/Stratford HS) is tied for eighth with three helpers and tied for sixth in shots (36). Sophomore Jake Stacy (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central HS) rounds out the offensive attack with a sixth-place ranking in shots per game (2.28). The Wolverine attackers have led Michigan to first place in shots (291) and second in corner kicks (91).
On the defensive end, Patrick Sperry sits third in the Big Ten with 64 saves and sixth in shutouts (3). Sperry has assisted the the Maize and Blue to a first-place spot in saves (70) and sixth place in shutouts (4).
The Book on Burns
Head coach Steve Burns is 65-58-13 in six seasons as the leader of Michigan's varsity program. Last season, Burns guided the Wolverines to an overall record of 8-10-1, tying for fifth place in the Big Ten. Since Burns took the helm in 2000, the Wolverines have posted 10 or more wins in four out of six seasons, making two NCAA College Cup appearances. 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), making six consecutive appearances in the national club championship tournament. The team won back-to-back national championships in 1997 and 1998.
Record-Setting Crowd
The Wolverines played to a 1-1 draw with Michigan State (Oct. 8) in front of a a U-M Soccer Field record supporting cast of 3,009 fans. The previous record for the U-M Soccer field was 1,887, which was set by the women's soccer team on Oct. 28, 2005.
Team Leadership
The 2006 Wolverines are led by senior tri-captains Kevin Hall, Kevin Savitskie and Brian Popeney (Canton, Mich./Plymouth Salem). Hall and Savitskie were defensive leaders for the Wolverines in 2005, but also contributed key points throughout the campaign. Savitskie was fifth on the team in points (6) and third in goals (3). Hall, in his second season as captain, scored his lone goal of the season against Denver (Sept. 4), netting the game-winner in the 85th minute to give the Wolverines a victory in the MSU/Radisson Classic. Popeney brings his leadership and experience to the table after playing in 36 games, making five starts and dishing off two assists in his career.
New Faces in Town
Michigan's 2006 recruiting class ranked 26th on the College Soccer News top 40 list, with three highly touted recruits joining the Wolverines. Freshmen Mauro Fuzetti, Peri Marosevic and Julian Robles (Hacienda Heights, Calif./Damien) joined sophomore midfielder Nader Jarun (Peachtree, Ga./McIntosh HS), a transfer from Vanderbilt. In 2006, Fuzetti earned All-Greater Houston and first team all-district honors. Marosevic was a member of Parade magazine's 2006 All-America team, and participated in his second year with the U.S. National Team Under-18 group, traveling to Portugal and competing with the squad in the 13th annual Lisbon International Tournament in June. Robles was named 2006 California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Southern California Defender of the Year after leading Damien High School to its first CIF State Championship title. Robles was also an all-state honoree after receiving all-district and all-region recognition. Jarun played in 14 of 18 matches at Vanderbilt University, tallying six shots with two on goal while being part of an attacking front line that ranked fifth in the SEC in goals (28) and assists (27), leading the Commodores to their first winning record (9-7-2) in six years.
On the Horizon
The Wolverines begin postseason play as they fight for an automatic berth to the NCAA Tournament by competing in the Big Ten Championship being hosted by Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio, from Thursday through Sunday (Nov. 2-5). Seeding will be determined at the end of the regular season.
Thursday, Nov. 2 First Round
Game 1 -- #4 seed vs. #5 seed -- 10:30 a.m.
Game 2 -- #3 seed vs. #6 seed -- 1:30 p.m.
Game 3 -- #2 seed vs. #7 seed -- 4:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 3 Semifinals
Game 4 -- #1 seed vs. Game 1 winner -- 5 p.m.
Game 5 -- Game 2 winner vs. Game 3 winner -- 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 5 Championship (CSTV)
Game 6 -- Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner -- Noon
Contact: Joseph Conrad (734) 763-4423
