Weekly Release #8

Upcoming Schedule
Friday, Oct. 6 -- at Wisconsin (Madison, Wis.), 7 p.m. CDT
Sunday, Oct. 8 -- at Northwestern (Evanston, Ill.), 1 p.m. CDT
Friday, Oct. 13 -- vs. Iowa (U-M Soccer Field), 7 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 15 -- vs. Illinois (U-M Soccer Field), 1 p.m.

This Week
The University of Michigan women's soccer team (5-5-2, 1-2 Big Ten) takes to the road for two Big Ten Conference matches this weekend. The Wolverines will face Wisconsin on Friday evening (Oct. 6, 7 p.m. CDT) at the McClimon Track/Soccer Complex in Madison, Wis. U-M then travels to Northwestern for a Sunday afternoon (Oct. 8, 1 p.m. CDT) affair at the Leonard B. Thomas Athletic Complex in Evanston, Ill.

Game Highlights Available on Michigan All-Access
Michigan women's soccer highlights from home matches against LMU, Oakland and Purdue can be viewed on Michigan All-Access. All highlights except U-M's game against Loyola Marymount require subscription. Michigan All-Access is available via the link on the MGoBlue.com home page.

Scouting the Opponents
Wisconsin -- The Badgers (5-4-2, 2-2-0 Big Ten) went 1-1 last weekend in Big Ten play. Wisconsin, which returns 14 letterwinners and seven starters from 2005, went 13-9-2 last season and 3-6-1 in the Big Ten, but defeated the Wolverines in the Big Ten Championship final in Ann Arbor. UW fell 1-0 in the first round the NCAA Tournament to Marquette to end its season.

Sherri Ferron leads the team in scoring with 10 points on four goals and two assists. Lynn Murray and Stefani Szczechowski have split time in net for the Badgers with Szczechowski seeing more time. The senior goalkeeper has a 1.51 goals-against average and 22 saves in more than 650 minutes. Murray has compiled slightly better numbers (0.96 GAA) and holds a 3-1 record with two shutouts and four goals against. Dean Duerst is in his 13th season as head coach, and over that span he has earned a 144-96-27 career record and two Big Ten Tournament titles.

Michigan holds a 7-10-1 record all-time against Wisconsin, with the Badgers winning both meetings last season. The Wolverines last win in the all-time series was a big one as it came in the first round of the 2004 Big Ten Tournament, a 1-0 win over the 25th-ranked Badgers.
Wisconsin on the Internet: www.uwbadgers.com.

Northwestern -- After dropping four of their first six games, the Wildcats (7-5-0, 3-1 Big Ten) have reeled off five wins in six matches, including two this past weekend. NU returns 19 letterwinners and 10 starters from 2005, a year in which it compiled a 9-9-1 record and a 2-7-1 conference mark. Three players -- Kelsey Hans, Jenny Dunn, Shannon Schneeman -- are tied for the team lead in scoring with 12 points apiece. Hans' five scores best Dunn's and Schneeman's four. Lauren Johnston has played all but one half in net for the Wildcats, posting 46 saves and a 1.38 goals-against average.

Stephanie Erickson enters her first season as head coach after spending 2002 as interim co-head coach at Stanford and 2005 at the helm of the Harvard women's soccer program. Erickson returns to her alma mater, where she is the all-time leading scorer in program history. The Wolverines have fared well against the Wildcats in the all-time series, holding a 10-3-1 record. U-M is 5-1-1 in the previous seven meetings.
Northwestern on the Internet: nusports.com.

Wolverines Remain .500 After 1-1 Weekend
For the second time this season, Michigan used a birthday score to win at home. On her 21st birthday, Sarah Banco (Medfield, Mass./Noble and Greenough School) scored and had an assist as the Wolverines upset No. 19 Purdue in a 2-0 shutout Friday night (Sept. 29). Megan Tuura (Tucker, Ga./St. Pius X Catholic) came back after missing two games due to injury and earned the shutout win behind a stellar defense. Melissa Dobbyn (Livonia, Mich./Stevenson) scored the game-winner nine minutes in for the Wolverines.

On Sunday (Oct. 1), Katelin Spencer (Brighton, Mich./Brighton) tied the score at 1-1 in the 61st minute, but Michigan allowed the go-ahead goal in the 75th minute as Indiana handed the Wolverines a 2-1 loss on Parents Day. Tuura was solid in goal, making four saves in a losing effort.

Spencer Climbs Program Games Started List
Katelin Spencer, who has started all 78 games played in her career, moved into sole possession of ninth all-time on U-M's career games started list on Sunday (Oct. 1), passing Michele Pesiri (1999-2002). Andrea Kayal (1999-2002), Mari Hoff (1996-99) and Emily Schmitt (1996-99) are next on the list as each is tied for sixth with 81 career games started. Spencer is also Michigan's active leader in games played along with Judy Coffman.

The senior captain's goal in the second half against Indiana (Oct. 1) gives her two for the season, which matches her career total entering the 2006 campaign. Spencer tallied one score in both her freshman and sophomore seasons.

Tuura Tops Big Ten Goalkeepers
Megan Tuura (Tucker, Ga./St. Pius X Catholic), who returned to the lineup this weekend after missing two games due to injury, is taking advantage of her senior season to lead the conference in goals-against average with a GAA of 0.45 in 10 games. Her four shutouts are second only to Lauren Mason's nine for Purdue. Tuura held a shutout into the second half in two of the Wolverines' other blankings this season before being replaced by Madison Gates (Baldwinsville, N.Y./C.W. Baker). In addition, Tuura's save percentage of .867 is runner-up to only Lindsey Dare of Minnesota.

Dobbyn Moves Into Seventh in All-Time Points, Seven From Sixth
Melissa Dobbyn moved into sole possession of sixth place in program history in career points with her goal on Friday (Sept. 29). She surpassed Debbie Flaherty (1994-97) for seventh on Michigan's all-time points list and currently trails Ruth Poulin's (1994-997) 69 career points. Dobbyn has 24 goals and 14 assists in her career.

The junior striker also moved into third place on Michigan's career shots list after firing off six this past weekend. Her 224 career attempts on goal bested Amber Berendowsky's (1996-99) 220 career shots. She is 31 career shots behind Kacy Beitel (1997-2000) for second.

First-Half Defense Stays Tough at Home
The Wolverines extended their streak of not allowing a first-half goal at home to seven games this past weekend. Michigan has outscored its opponents 3-0 in the beginning frame and holds a regular-season streak of nine home games without allowing a first-half score dating back to last season.

The only score allowed by the Wolverines in the first half this season came at Penn State, which also scored the last regular-season goal in the first half at U-M Soccer Field on Oct. 21, 2005.

2006 Campaign Sees Shutouts
Michigan is on pace to equal the program record for shutouts. U-M has blanked its opponents six times, which is second-most in the Big Ten this season through 12 games. In 2001, the Wolverines also had six blankings after 12 contests, but two of the program-record 12 shutouts came in the postseason.

The 2006 campaign is a polar opposite of last season, in which the Wolverines recorded one shutout and had allowed 21 goals through 12 games. This season's squad has held its opponents to 10 scores through 12 contests.

Multiple Goals is the Answer
Michigan has tallied multiple scores in two games this season and has come out on the winning end in both. U-M defeated Oklahoma 2-0 on Sept. 1 and took down then No. 19 Purdue on Friday (Sept. 29) by the same score.

Other Notables
Lindsey Cottrell played in her 50th career game against No. 19 Purdue.

Sarah Banco scored her first goal of the season against No. 19 Purdue in her first career goal-and-assist game. She becomes the first Michigan player this season to be in on more than one goal in a game. The junior captain matched her scoring total from last season with the goal and assist.

Melissa Dobbyn leads the Wolverines with two game-winning goals. Katie Bohard, Judy Coffman and Katie Miler have also tallied game clinchers.

Christina Paras saw her first action of the season in reserve against No. 19 Purdue (Sept. 29) after nursing an injury to start the season.

Michigan toppled a ranked opponent for the second time in Friday's 2-0 win after going 0-2-3 against the Top 25 in 2005.

The Wolverines have won their Big Ten home opener each of the last six seasons.

Wolverines Move Back Into NSCAA/adidas Regional Poll
The NSCAA/adidas Great Lakes Region Poll released Tuesday (Oct. 3) ranks the Wolverines ninth after upsetting No. 19 Purdue on Friday night (Sept. 29). Illinois (No. 10), which holds the second spot in the region, and Penn State (No. 13) rank nationally as the only Big Ten teams in the national poll. Indiana and Purdue received votes.

2006 NSCAA/adidas National Rankings (10/3/06)

RANK, SCHOOL W-L-T PREV 1. Notre Dame 11-0-0 1 2. North Carolina 12-1-0 2 3. Santa Clara 9-2-0 3 4. UCLA 9-2-0 5 5. Florida State 8-1-1 4 6. Portland 9-2-1 7 7. West Virginia 9-1-2 6 8. Texas A&M 8-3-1 8 9. Wake Forest 11-2-0 12 10. Illinois 7-4-0 15 11. California 7-1-2 13 12. Boston University 9-2-2 10 13. Oklahoma State 9-2-1 17 Penn State 7-2-1 9 15. BYU 9-1-1 18 16. Virginia 7-3-2 14 17. Colorado 7-2-2 21 18. William & Mary 9-1-2 16 19. Utah 7-4-0 23 Louisville 9-1-1 25 21. Florida 7-4-1 20 22. Texas 8-3-1 11 23. Maine 9-1-1 22 24. Arizona 7-4-0 24 25. Duke 7-4-1 RV

U-M Jumps to 11th in Latest Soccer Buzz Great Lakes Region Poll
Michigan's upset over No. 19 Purdue on Friday evening (Sept. 29) moved the Wolverines up two spots in the latest Soccer Buzz Great Lakes Region Rankings released Monday (Oct. 2). Michigan opponents hold the following spots in the poll: Illinois (No. 3), Ohio State (No. 7), Wisconsin (No. 8) and Minnesota (No. 13). Illinois ranks 23rd in the magazine's national poll.

On the Horizon ...
The Wolverines play their final regular-season home games of the season next weekend as they take on Iowa on Friday night (Oct. 13, 7 p.m.) and Illinois on Sunday afternoon (Oct. 15, 1 p.m.). Both games will be played at the U-M Soccer Field. A Senior Day presentation will occur before Sunday's match.

Contact: Matt Baumer (734) 763-4423