Michigan Knocks Off Eighth-Ranked Notre Dame

Wednesday, October 1

Ypsilanti, Mich.

4:30 PM

Michigan

7-2-2

Notre Dame

6-3-1

Notre Dame

Michigan

10/1/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Box Score PDF Boxscore

By: Ryan Sosin, Jeremy Reid

Site: Ypsilanti, Mich. (Scicluna Field)
Score: Michigan 3, #8 Notre Dame 1
Records: U-M (7-2-2), ND (6-3-1)
Next U-M Event: Saturday, Oct. 4 -- at Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.), 7:30 p.m.

YPSILANTI, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's soccer team scored a 3-1 victory over No. 8-ranked Notre Dame on Wednesday afternoon (Oct. 1) at Eastern Michigan's Scicluna Field. Juniors Mauro Fuzetti (Houston, Texas/Stratford) and Peri Marosevic (Rockford, Ill./Edison Academy) each tallied a goal and an assist, and senior Jake Stacy (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central) netted the game-winner for the Wolverines. Senior/junior goalkeeper Patrick Sperry (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) recorded three saves in goal to backstop the Maize and Blue to the upset victory.

Jake Stacy

Michigan got on the scoreboard early when Fuzetti gave the Wolverines a 1-0 lead 9:32 into the contest. Fuzetti made a knifing run into the box, cutting to his right and beating three Irish defenders before firing a shot back to his left and past the Notre Dame goalkeeper to give Michigan the early advantage. The goal was Fuzetti's team-best seventh of the season.

Bright Dike tied the match for Notre Dame at 22:29, but the Maize and Blue answered just 42 seconds later as Stacy scored his sixth goal of the campaign. Marosevic worked down the endline left of the Notre Dame goalkeeper and chipped the ball across the box to Stacy who rose above an Irish defender and headed the ball into the upper corner of the cage from six yards out.

After the halftime break, Michigan nearly doubled its advantage nine minutes into the second half as Stacy rang a shot off the crossbar from 14 yards.

Marosevic then put the game out of reach as he netted the Wolverines' third goal at 68:44. Fuzetti dribbled his way into the box, cutting across the face of goal to make the Notre Dame goalkeeper commit to him. Instead of taking a shot, Fuzetti left the ball for Marosevic who slotted it into the back of the net. For Marosevic, the goal was his sixth of the year.

Down two goals, Notre Dame committed players forward in the final 20 minutes, looking for a pair of goals to tie the match, but the Michigan defense kept the Irish off the scoreboard in the late stages of the match. Sperry made a spectacular kick save with 14 minutes to play to put the exclamation point on the Michigan victory.

Up next for the Maize and Blue is a trip to Bloomington, Ind., for a conference match against No. 20 Indiana on Saturday night (Oct. 4). Kickoff between the Wolverines and Hoosiers is scheduled for 7:30 p.m.

GAME SUMMARY

Team	1	2	F
Notre Dame	1	0	1
Michigan	2	1	2

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Mauro Fuzetti, 9:32 (Unassisted)
1st -- ND, Bright Dike, 22:29 (Unassisted)
1st -- U-M, Jake Stacy, 23:11 (Peri Marosevic)
2nd -- U-M, Marosevic, 68:44 (Fuzetti)

Shots: U-M 14, ND 14
Shots on Goal: U-M 6, ND 4
Saves: U-M 3 (Patrick Sperry), ND 3 (Philip Tuttle)
Corner Kicks: U-M 4, ND 5
Fouls: U-M 9, ND 10
Cards: None.

NOTES

• Michigan's last win over a top-10 team was on September 1, 2004 -- a 1-0 victory over 10th-ranked Connecticut.

• The victory was Michigan's first-ever over Notre Dame. The Irish lead the all-time series, 3-1-1.

• Junior Peri Marosevic leads active U-M players with 17 career goals and is fourth on the U-M career list.

• Senior Jake Stacy and Mauro Fuzetti now have each tallied 13 career goals -- tied for fifth all-time in school history.

QUOTES

Michigan Head Coach Steve Burns
On the win and handling success ... "I think this team deserves this win. This team has a lot of maturity and a lot of experience. They still have the sting that was left from last year, not making the NCAA tournament and with that comes a determination that allows you to keep a tight focus on things and not be trapped by success."

On the play of Peri Marosevic ... "Peri is a dominant force. He's a guy that can hold the ball under pressure. He's a player that you have to contend with and you have to bring extra support in behind him. Peri holds the ball for our team, he allows us to get forward, he allows us to make penetrating runs and that allowed us to be dangerous offensively."

U-M Junior Peri Marosevic
On the mindset going into the game ... "From the beginning of the game, and even before the game, we just said let's give it everything that we've got.' This was a game to win for the school. We all came out and gave it our all and that is all that we could do."

U-M Junior Mauro Fuzetti
On beating a top-10 ranked team ... "It's unbelievable. It's a great feeling. Anytime you beat a ranked team, especially a top-10 team, it's a great win and it gets everyone's attention."