Michigan
Wisconsin
Weekly Release #12: at Big Ten Championship
10/31/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Big Ten Championship Schedule
Thursday, Nov. 2 First Round
Game 1 -- #4 seed Penn State vs. #5 seed Northwestern -- 10:30 a.m.
Game 2 -- #3 seed Wisconsin vs. #6 seed MICHIGAN -- 1:30 p.m.
Game 3 -- #2 seed Ohio State vs. #7 seed Michigan State -- 4:30 p.m.
Friday, Nov. 3 Semifinals
Game 4 -- #1 seed Indiana vs. #4 seed Penn State -- 5 p.m.
Game 5 -- #6 seed MICHIGAN vs. #2 seed Ohio State -- 7:30 p.m.
Sunday, Nov. 5 Championship (CSTV)
Game 6 -- Game 4 winner vs. Game 5 winner -- Noon
All times are Eastern Standard Time
Championship game will be televised live by CSTV
This Week: Big Ten Championship
The University of Michigan men's soccer team heads into the Big Ten Championship as the sixth seed and will take on third-seeded Wisconsin on Thursday (Nov. 2) at 1:30 p.m., in Columbus, Ohio. The Wolverines were on a six-game winning streak against the Badgers until this season, when U-M fell to UW 2-1 in overtime (Sept. 17). Live stats of all games will be available at Ohio State's site
Scouting the Big Ten ...
No. 1 Indiana -- The Hoosiers enter the championship as the regular-season Big Ten champions with the No. 1 seed after defeating Wisconsin 1-0 on Friday (Oct. 27). Third year head coach Mike Frietag has led the 2006 Hoosiers to an overall record of 11-5-2, while going 4-1-1 in Big Ten action. Darren Yeagle leads Indiana offensively, with 14 points off six goals and two assists. On the defensive side of the ball, goalkeeper Chay Cain has 1,356 minutes, recording 39 saves, with a 0.73 goals against average (GAA) and six shutouts. Michigan has an 0-8-1 all-time record against Indiana. The last meeting between the two teams ended in a 2-2 tie on Sept. 24, 2006. Indiana on the Web: www.iuhoosiers.com.
No. 2 Ohio State -- For the second year in a row the Buckeyes are the No. 2 seed with a conference record of 3-2-1. Ohio State closed its Big Ten season with a 2-0 victory over Michigan State. OSU is 10-9-6 this year under 10th year head coach John Bluem. Ohio State is led by Xavier Balc with 20 points on six goals and eight assists. Casey Latchem has played all of the Buckeye minutes in net, grabbing 69 saves, with a GAA of 0.80 and earning nine shutouts. Michigan is 4-3-1 against the Buckeyes all-time. On Oct. 22, 2006, the Wolverines and Buckeyes played to a 0-0 stalemate on the U-M Soccer Field. Ohio State on the Web: www.ohiostatebuckeyes.com.
No. 3 Wisconsin -- The Badgers will head into the Big Ten Championship as the No. 3 seed, which is the highest seed they've had since 1996. Wisconsin and Michigan are to set to face each other in the first round as the second game of the day (Nov. 2) at 1:30 p.m. UW has a conference record of 3-2-1 and a 10-9-7 overall mark under fifth-year head coach Jeff Rohrman. Wisconsin closed the Big Ten season with a 1-0 loss to Indiana on Oct. 27. The Badgers are led by Victor Diaz with 12 points on four goals and four assists. Goalkeeper Jake Settle has played just over 1,666 minutes for Wisconsin, posting 54 saves, a 0.76 GAA and eight shutouts on the season. Michigan is 6-2-0 against Wisconsin all-time, including a 2-1 (OT) loss to the Badgers this season (Sept. 17) in Madison, Wis. Wisconsin on the web: www.uwbadgers.com.
No. 4 Penn State -- After claiming the 2005 Big Ten regular-season and championship titles, the Nittany Lions enter the 2006 Championship as the No. 4 seed. PSU has a 3-3 Big Ten record and is 9-6-10 overall under Barry Gorman, who is in his 19th year. The Nittany Lions are led by Simon Omekanda with 12 points on four goals and four assists. Defensively, PSU is led by goalkeeper Conrad Taylor who has played all of the minutes in net (1,672), making 70 saves with a 1.18 GAA while earning three shutouts. Michigan is 2-6-1 all-time against Penn State, including a 1-0 victory on Oct. 28 in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines defeated the Nittany Lions on senior/parent's night, when senior tri-captain Kevin Hall (Kalamazoo, Mich./Central HS) netted the game-winner. Penn State on the Web: www.gopsusports.com.
No. 5 Northwestern -- The Wildcats posted a 3-3 record during the Big Ten season to earn the No. 5 seed at the 2006 conference championship. Northwestern is 11-6-0 this season under sixth-year head coach Tim Lenahan. NU is led offensively by David Roth with 18 points on seven goals and four assists. Goalkeeper Will Briley is the defensive leader with 49 saves, a 1.02 goals against average and five shutouts. Michigan is 6-3-0 against Northwestern all-time and recently suffered a 2-0 loss to the Wildcats on Oct. 15, 2006. Northwestern on the Web: http://www.nusports.com/.
No. 7 Michigan State -- The Spartans enter the Big Ten Championship as the No. 7 seed, the lowest they've ever been, after posting a 1-3-2 conference record. Michigan State is 10-6-2 overall under head coach Joe Baum, who is in his 30th year. Kenzo Webster leads the Spartans with 15 points on seven goals and one assist. Goalkeeper Jason Tillman has controlled the net for MSU, posting 52 saves with a 0.68 GAA and seven shutouts. Michigan is 2-6-1 against Michigan State all-time, with the last meeting ending in a 1-1 double overtime gridlock in Ann Arbor on Oct. 8, 2006. Michigan State on the Web: www.msuspartans.com
A Look Back at the Big Ten
TEAMS BIG TEN PTS. Indiana 4-1-1 13 Ohio State 3-2-1 10 Wisconsin 3-2-1 10 Penn State 3-3-0 9 Northwestern 2-4-0 6 MICHIGAN 1-2-3 6 Michigan State 1-3-2 5
THIS WEEK'S STORYLINES ...
Last Week...
On senior/parent's night, Michigan closed out the regular-season with a 1-0 win over Penn State (Oct. 28) on the U-M Soccer Field. Senior tri-captain Kevin Hall scored his first game-winning goal of the season, netting the unassisted marker at the 56:06 point.
Wolverines' Big Ten Stats
Heading into the Big Ten Championship, three Wolverines are in the top-five of the Big Ten in individual categories. Freshman Peri Marosevic (Rockford, Ill./Edison Academy) is the highest-ranked Wolverine, with a second-place shots total of 56, and third in shots per game (2.95). Sophomore Steve Bonnell (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Detroit Country Day School) is tied for fourth in assists (4), while sophomore Jake Stacy (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central HS) rounds out the offensive attack ranking fourth in shots (42). The Wolverine attackers have led Michigan to first place in shots (306) and third in corner kicks (91).
On the defensive end, sophomore/freshman Patrick Sperry (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central HS) is tied for first in the Big Ten with 70 saves and sixth in shutouts (4). Sperry has assisted the Maize and Blue to a first-place spot in saves (76) and sixth place in shutouts (5).
Michigan Streaks
Michigan snapped a program-worst nine-game winless streak with a 1-0 shutout over Penn State (Oct. 28). The lone goal for the Wolverines also snapped a four-game scoreless drought.
Hall's Heroics
Senior tri-captain defenseman Kevin Hall entered Saturday's contest against Penn State with one goal this season and three throughout his career. At the 56:06 point, the senior tri-captain netted his first game-winner of the year, marking the first time he has had more than one goal in a season. Hall's game-winner was on senior/parent's night, giving the Wolverines their first Big Ten win of the season.
Sperry's Success
Patrick Sperry continues his success in his debut season, increasing his record numbers and, with his shutout performance against PSU, being recognized by the Big Ten as Defensive Player of the Week. Sperry made six saves versus the Nittany Lions, giving him 70 on the season, and putting him two stops away from Peter Dzubays 2005 total, which ranks second on U-Ms all-time single-season saves list. Sperry also earned his fourth shutout on the season tying him for fourth on U-M's all-time single-season list with Dzubay and Joe Zawacki. Sperry's four shutouts also equals the most clean sheets be a Wolverine goalkeeper in a debut season.
The Hinsdale, Ill., native is the first Wolverine to receive Defensive Player of the Week honors in the 2006 season, and the third goalkeeper in program history to earn the accolade, joining Peter Dzubay and Joe Zawacki.
Sperry has started 18 matches this season, posting a 1.16 goals against average. In the Big Ten, Sperry is tied for first in saves (70) and saves per game (3.89), while ranking sixth in shutouts (4).
Michigan Taking a Shot
On Oct. 28, Michigan took 15 team shots against Penn State, increasing its season total to 306. The total ties the previous program-high, which was accomplished in 2003. U-M's 306 shots on the season also currently ranks first in the Big Ten.
The Book on Burns
Head coach Steve Burns is 66-58-13 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.
Team Leadership
The 2006 Wolverines are led by senior tri-captains Kevin Hall, Kevin Savitskie (Plymouth, Mich./Salem HS) 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.
Record-Setting Crowd
The Wolverines played to a 1-1 draw with Michigan State (Oct. 8) in front of 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.
