Weekly Release #5 (vs. Detroit, Wisconsin)
9/18/2007 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Upcoming Schedule
Friday, Sept. 21 -- vs. Detroit (U-M Soccer Field), 5:00 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 23 -- vs. Wisconsin (U-M Soccer Field), 2:30 p.m.
Wednesday, Sept. 26 -- at Oakland (Oakland Soccer Field), 4:00 p.m.
This Week: Titans, Badgers
The No.14-ranked University of Michigan men's soccer (6-0-0) will host a pair of games on the U-M Soccer Field. Michigan will host the University of Detroit Titans Friday (Sept. 21) at 5 p.m., and follow with a match against the Wisconsin Badgers Sunday (Sept. 23) at 2:30 p.m.
Scouting the Opponents ...
Detroit -- Michigan faces the Detroit Titans (2-2-2 overall, 0-0-0 Horizon League) of the Horizon League. This is the fifth meeting between Michigan and Detroit; U-M leads the series 3-0-2. Last year, the match ended in a 0-0 draw. Detroit finished the 2006 season with an overall record of 6-9-3 (2-5-0 Horizon League). The Titans lost in the first round of the Horizon League Championship to UW-Green Bay, 2-1, to finish seventh in the conference. Detroit won the Horizon League title in 2005.
Detroit on the web: www.detroittitans.com.
Wisconsin -- The match between Wisconsin and U-M will be the eighth meeting between the two programs and the first Big Ten matchup of the 2007 season for both squads. Michigan holds a 5-2 advantage against the Badgers. In 2006, Michigan lost to Wisconsin in Madison, Wis., in overtime by a 2-1 score. Wisconsin (4-2-0) finished its 2006 campaign with a 9-8-2 record, tying for second place in the Big Ten (3-2-1). Wisconsin lost to Michigan in the first round of the 2006 Big Ten Tournament.
Wisconsin on the Web: www.uwbadgers.com.
This Week's Storylines ...
Did You Know
Michigan is 6-0-0 for the first time since the 2004 season.
Michigan is 1-7 in Big Ten openers and 0-1 against Wisconsin in Big Ten starts.
Sophomore forward Mauro Fuzetti (Houston, Texas/Stratford) earned his fourth goal of the season last week, a game-winner against Kentucky Friday (Sept. 14). He leads Michigan in scoring this season with four goals. He is tied with MSU's Doug DeMartin for most goals in the Big Ten.
Junior/sophomore goalkeeper Patrick Sperry (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) has allowed only one goal during the 2007 season. He moved into second place in career shutouts (9) behind only Peter Dzubay (2002-05), who had 19 blanks during his career. He now has 13 career victories, which puts him third overall in wins behind Dzubay (36) and Joe Zawaki (15, 2001-04).
Coach's Corner with Head Coach Steve Burns
On starting out 6-0 ... "I think we start to look ahead a bit as we get into the Big Ten portion of our season. We've still got a lot of work to do with what we want to accomplish in the Big Ten."
On the team looking ahead ... "It's a mistake to look past the University of Detroit because they came in here last year and got a tie, 0-0. Wisconsin is here on Sunday and they have won their last four games by a shutout including a No. 20 Gonzaga team on Friday (Sept. 14). They're probably going to be a ranked team. The Big Ten is going to be extremely tough and we start off with a tough one in Wisconsin."
Wolverines Defend Michigan Invitational Tournament Title
The Wolverines hosted the sixth annual Michigan Invitational Tournament this past weekend on the U-M Soccer Field. Michigan was undefeated for the weekend after it shut out Kentucky 4-0 Friday (Sept. 14), and defeated Florida International 5-1 Sunday (Sept. 16). In the match against Kentucky, Mauro Fuzetti scored the game-winning goal in the first half, and junior forward Jake Stacy (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central) scored the second goal of the game. Stacy also tallied two assists -- both on corner kicks -- against Florida International. Junior defender Michael Holody (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston) tallied his first goal of the season against Kentucky. Sophomore/freshman defender Matt Schmitt (Muskegon, Mich./Reeths-Puffer) scored a goal in both contests, including the game-winner against Florida International. Freshman defender Jeff Quijano (Simi Valley, Calif./Canoga Park) and sophomore/freshman forward Cam Cameron (Saline, Mich./Saline) each scored their career-first goals against FIU. Sophomore forward Peri Marosevic (Rockford, Ill./Edison Academy) tallied his third goal of the season against Florida International.
Stacy Unstoppable; Earns Second Big Ten Player of the Week Accolade
Jake Stacy won his second Big Ten Conference Offensive Player of the Week Award in as many weeks after another impressive weekend of play. Stacy tallied a score and an assist against the Kentucky Wildcats Friday (Sept. 14). He also earned two assists on two perfectly placed corner kicks against Florida International Sunday (Sept. 16). He had four shots -- including one on goal -- in the game against FIU. Previous to Stacy, a Michigan player has never earned Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week back-to-back. Goalkeeper Peter Dzubay (2002-05) earned the award in consecutive weeks in 2002 (Oct. 28 and Nov. 4).
Michigan Making all the Right Moves
The Wolverines are 6-0-0, which matches their program-best start in 2004. During that season, the Maize and Blue advanced to the second round of the NCAA Championship, losing to #6 Indiana.
Spearheading the Defense
Patrick Sperry looks to continue his dominant play this weekend. He has allowed only one goal through six matches. He has 16 saves and a 0.17 GAA.
Michigan Invitational All-Tournament Team
Michigan: Michael Holody, Jeff Quijano, Pat Sperry, Jake Stacy
Michigan State: Raushawn McKenzie, Kevin Reiman, Josh Rogers
Kentucky: Brad Frederick, Barry Rice,Dan Williams
FIU: Kyle Thomas, Steven Cabas
2006 Season in Review
Michigan finished the 2006 season with an overall record of 7-10-4. The Wolverines maintained a 4-3-3 record at home, a 1-6-1 mark on the road and a 2-1-0 record at neutral sites. The team played a difficult schedule, matching up against four top 25 teams: No. 17 St. Johns, No. 3 New Mexico, No. 14 Kentucky and No. 8 Notre Dame. Michigan came away with a 2-1 overtime win against No. 14 Kentucky, and was close to defeating Big Ten champion and College Cup participant Indiana but the match ended in a 2-2 draw. The Wolverines finished sixth in the Big Ten with a conference record of 1-2-3 -- a slate highlighted by a shutout win over Penn State at the U-M Soccer Field, 1-0. At the Big Ten Tournament in Columbus, Ohio, the Maize and Blue defeated Wisconsin in the first round but lost to the Buckeyes in the second round to end the season.
Diverse Freshmen Squad Ready to Take the Field
Michigans 2007 recruiting class was ranked 37th in the country by College Soccer News. The incoming freshmen include: Goalkeeper Chris Blais (Seattle Wash./Kennedy Memorial), forwards Vinny Crumrine (Wheeling, W.Va./Wheeling Park) and Tex McCullough (Plano, Texas/Plano Senior), defenders Jeff Quijano (Simi Valley/Canoga Park) and Adam Keller (Franklin, Mich./Birmingham Groves) and midfielders Adam Shaw (Lone Tree, Colo./Highlands Ranch) and Alex Wood (Northville, Mich./Northville).
Marosevic All Over the Map
Peri Marosevic spent this past summer playing internationally for the Under-18 U.S. National Team. As the captain of the group, Marosevic and team traveled to Lisbon, Portugal, for the XII Lisbon International Tournament. He scored three of the teams four goals in the tournament to lead the U.S. to a third-place finish. Marosevic was also selected as a member of the 17-man roster for the U.S. Mens Pan-American Games, which took place July 13-26 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The team went 1-2, failing to earn a medal. His last summer adventure took him to the SBS Cup in Shizuoka, Japan, where the Under-18 team went 1-2, losing to the Shizuoka Youth team and the Ukraine but beating Japan. Marosevic led the 2006 Michigan mens soccer team with five goals, 12 points, 66 shots and 24 shots on goal.
Sperry Has the Chance to Take Over the Charts
Patrick Sperrys name is already written in the Michigan record books. He owns the lowest career GAA (600 minutes) in U-M mens soccer history with 1.10, and is tied with Peter Dzubay (2002-05) for the most shutouts in a single season with five. He is second overall in career shutouts, earning his ninth against Kentucky last weekend. He now possesses 12 career wins. The current career records for wins (37) and shutouts (19) are both owned by Dzubay.
New Records Set in 06
During the 2006 season, Michigan set season records for fewest goals allowed (24) and most shots attempted (346). Prior to the 2006 season, Michigan had allowed a season-low 25 goals and had taken a season-high 306 shots.
Wolverines and the Michigan Bucks
Five Michigan soccer players spent the summer playing with the Michigan Bucks of the Premier Development League. Michigan players on the Bucks roster included: Junior forward Steve Bonnell (St. Clair Shores, Mich./Detroit Country Day), Michael Holody, junior midfielder Alex Morisset (Shelby Township, Mich./De La Salle), Santos Perez (Troy, Mich./Athens) and Mauro Fuzetti. The Bucks -- last seasons PDL champions -- advanced to the championship game against the Laredo Heat again this season. The game came down to penalty kicks after a defensive battle in which regulation and overtime ended in a 0-0 draw. Fuzetti netted his attempt, but the Bucks came up short and lost the match 4-3. Holody was named a 2007 PDL all-conference selection for his consistent defensive play, participating in every minute of all 20 games during the Bucks' regular season.
Huls Joins the Club
Senior/junior goalkeeper Tom Huls (Plymouth, Mich./Salem) joins the varsity squad after two years of play on the Michigan club soccer team. Huls and his varsity high school team were conference champs during his senior year, and he was named first team all-state his sophomore and junior years. Huls saw his first game action against Florida International and preventing any scoring from the opposition.
Team Leadership
The 2007 Wolverines will be led by tri-captains senior midfielder Michael Parke (Portage, Mich./Portage Central), Alex Morisset and Michael Holody. Parke played in 12 matches during the 2006 season and netted his first collegiate goal -- a game-winner -- against Northern Illinois. Morisset started and played in 20 games last season, scoring one goal. He was named to the Michigan Invitational all-tournament team. Holody led the defense last year, playing in 20 matches with 20 starts. He scored three goals and had one assist.
Challenging Season Ahead
The U-M men's soccer team faces another grueling schedule this year, playing four teams in the NSCAA top 25. Michigan plays No.10 Indiana at the U-M Soccer Field Saturday, Sept. 29, at 7 p.m.; No. 4-ranked Notre Dame in South Bend, Ind., on Wednesday, Oct. 3, at 8 p.m. andNorthwestern, the No. 6-ranked team, on Saturday, Oct. 20, at 7 p.m. at the U-M Soccer Field.
Coach Burns Bio
Head coach Steve Burns is 73-59-13 in seven seasons as the leader of the Michigan mens soccer team. Under Burns guidance, the Wolverines have made two College Cup appearances (2003 and 2004). Before U-M mens soccer was granted varsity status, Burns was the head coach of the Michigan club team from 1993-99. The club team won back-to-back national championships in 1997 and 1998 and posted a 121-51-26 record (.677 winning percentage) overall.
Upcoming Schedule
The Wolverines travel to Oakland University for a mid-week contest Wednesday (Sept. 26) at 4 p.m. U-M will then host Big Ten powerhouse Indiana Saturday (Sept. 29) at 7 p.m. on the U-M Soccer Field.
NSCAA/adidas National Rankings (9/18/07)
Rank, Team (first-place votes) Points 1. Wake Forest (23) 575 2. Connecticut 549 3. Virginia 512 4. Notre Dame 475 5. West Virginia 464
6. Northwestern 425
7. Creighton 397 8. Santa Clara 391 9. Harvard 345 10. Indiana 320 11. Southern Methodist 287 12. Duke 286 13. UCLA 282 14. MICHIGAN 276 15. Virginia Tech 248 16. South Florida 241 17. St. Louis 223 18. Ohio State 211 19. UC Santa Barbara 175 20. Brown 172 21. Washington 158 22. Furman 115 23. Tulsa 89.5 24. California 68.5 25. UC Irvine 54.5
