Michigan Drops Shutout Decision to No. 8 Notre Dame

Wednesday, October 4

Ann Arbor, Mich.

7:00 PM

Michigan

5-6-2

Notre Dame

8-3-2

Notre Dame

Michigan

10/4/2006 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

By: Joseph Conrad

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (U-M Soccer Field)
Score: #8 Notre Dame 2, Michigan 0
Records: U-M (5-6-2), Notre Dame (8-3-2)
Next U-M Event: Sunday, Oct. 8 -- vs. Michigan State (U-M Soccer Field), 2 p.m.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's soccer team dropped a 2-0 match to No. 8-ranked Notre Dame in non-conference action Wednesday (Oct. 4) at the U-M Soccer Field.

The Fighting Irish got on the scoreboard early in the match as Joseph Lapira netted his first of two goals at the 15:29 mark, with Cory Rellas earning the assist. The play was set up after Rellas sent a crossing ball from the right flank to Lapira. From the left side of the field, Lapira was able to shoot across sophomore/freshman Patrick Sperry's (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central HS) body, low and to the keeper's left, for the opening goal.

Sperry responded by making a huge save at the 23:00 mark, as a Notre Dame player laid out to take a sidekick from 15 yards out. With a Michigan defender challenging the play, Sperry had to make a diving catch to keep the ball from going in the net.

The best scoring opportunity for the Wolverines came 18:00 into play, as freshman Peri Marosevic (Rockford, Ill./Edison Academy) took a shot that sailed wide from the left side of the field after two touches of the ball. Five minutes later, Marosevic took his only shot on goal, forcing UND's Chris Cahill to grab a save. The shot was taken from the right side of the field, 23 yards out, and Cahill stretched out his 6-foot-6 frame to knock the ball out with the tip of his finger. Marosevic finished the night as the team's leader in shots with five.

With three minutes left in the first stanza, the Maize and Blue continued to attack the net, as sophomore Jake Stacy (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central HS) had a promising look at the net after senior tri-captain Kevin Savitskie (Plymouth, Mich./Salem HS) intercepted a Fighting Irish pass. Stacy came away without a goal, as the ball was shot wide left of the net.

Michigan finished the first half with eight shots to Notre Dame's seven, with each goalkeeper grabbing two saves.

At the 61:34 mark, Lapira entered the match as a sub, and less than a minute later he scored his second goal of the night. When a Notre Dame player played the ball into Michigan's defensive back half, Sperry and a Wolverine defender made an attempt to keep Lapira clear of the ball but the two collided, giving Lapira a wide-open net for the marker at 62:26.

Michigan replied with offensive pressure of its own as senior tri-captain Kevin Hall (Kalamazoo, Mich./Central HS) and Marosevic were making an attacking run. Hall slipped the ball to Marosevic, allowing the freshman Wolverine to take a shot which was blocked by a UND defender.

The Maize and Blue looked to find its first goal in two games as Stacy took a shot from the left flank at the 76:22 mark that was saved by Cahill.

The Wolverines get back into Big Ten play as they take on the Michigan State Spartans on Sunday (Oct. 8) at 2 p.m. on the U-M Soccer Field. The game will be shown live on Comcast Local.

GAME SUMMARY

By Periods	1	2	F
Notre Dame	1	1	2
Michigan	0	0	0

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- UND, Joseph Lapira, 15:29 (Cory Rellas)
2nd -- UND, Lapira, 62:26 (unassisted)

Shots: U-M 15, UND 12
Saves: U-M 3 (Patrick Sperry 3, Ryan Bennett 0), UND 3 (Chris Cahill)
Corner Kicks: U-M 3, UND 2
Fouls: U-M 15, UND 13
Cards: U-M, Santos Perez, 20:47 (yellow); UND, Team, 45:00 (yellow); U-M, Kevin Hall, 56:00 (yellow)

NOTES

• With the loss to Notre Dame, Michigan has an all-time record of 0-2-1 against the Fighting Irish. U-M is 4-4-2 when facing teams from the Big East Conference.

• Michigan falls to 0-3 in games played after back-to-back shutout losses.

• Sophomore Daniel Gray made his first collegiate start and took one shot.

• For the second time in program history, the Wolverines have played three straight matches without scoring a goal (0-2-1). The first time was Oct. 31-Nov. 6, 2003, when Michigan went 0-1-2 in the three games. After the three-game non-scoring skid in 2003, the Maize and Blue responded with a 1-0 shutout over Ohio State in the Big Ten tournament.

• The Wolverines have a 1-3 record vs. ranked opponents in 2006.

• Michigan's four-game unbeaten streak on U-M Soccer Field ended, evening its home record at 3-3-1 this season.

• Senior tri-captain Kevin Hall played in his 74th career game, tying him for third on the U-M all-time games played list with Mike White (2000-03).

• Senior tri-captain Kevin Savitskie played in his 67th career game, moving him to fifth place on the U-M all-time games played list.

QUOTES

Michigan Head Coach Steve Burns
On the determining factor ... "You've got to look at the opponent obviously, and Notre Dame is a very well organized defensive team. While we did have a lot of shots, a lot of them were from positions that weren't very dangerous."

On how the team responds heading to face Michigan State ... "What I told the guys is tears are salty and sweat is salty, but they give you two different results. Tears will give you sympathy, and there shouldn't be anyone on our team hanging their head looking for sympathy, and sweat gives you results. After a day off tomorrow, on Friday we continue to sweat and see if we can get a good result against Michigan State, a strong team that we have a spirited rivalry with, and we play for a trophy called the 'Big Bear Trophy.'"

On if there is any extra incentive against MSU ... "The incentive is there. It's another TV game, it's a Big Ten opponent, and it's our brethren from the state of Michigan. As long as you got a pulse the incentive is there for this one."

On the effects of the weather ... "It is tough. We train a lot indoors and this is a night that we haven't seen in awhile. It's an adjustment for our guys, but overall once you get in the game you start to figure things out a bit."