Michigan
9-3-2, 1-1-1BigTen
Michigan State
8-5-0, 4-1-0BigTen
Wolverines Handed First Big Ten Loss by MSU
10/18/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Score: Michigan State 1, #18 Michigan 0
Records: U-M (9-3-2, 1-1-1 Big Ten), MSU (8-5-0, 4-1-0 Big Ten)
Next U-M Event: Wednesday, Oct. 22 -- at Akron (Akron, Ohio), 7:30 p.m.
Boxscore | Photo Gallery
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- A late goal off of a free kick proved the difference as the No. 18-ranked University of Michigan men's soccer team was handed a 1-0 loss from Michigan State for U-M's first conference loss of the season on Saturday afternoon on the west practice field of the U-M Soccer Complex. The Spartans broke the stalemate in the 78th minute to secure win and the Big Bear trophy.
Senior/junior Patrick Sperry(Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) posted five saves in net. Senior forward Steve Bonnell(St. Clair Shores, Mich./Detroit Country Day) peppered the Spartans with six shot attempts and three strikes on goal.
Both teams had chances in the first half, putting pressure on defenders for both sides. Michigan thought it was on the board first in the 24th minute when junior Mauro Fuzetti(Houston, Texas/Stratford) capped a flurry of activity in the box with a shot into the back of the net. In all of the commotion that saw three Wolverines take shots, the play was ruled offside -- nullifying the goal.
In the second half, Michigan found another gear, rattling off 12 shots in the frame. Despite controlling much of the play, it was a foul call in the 78th minute that led to the Spartans going up 1-0. A Spartan attacker was pulled down five yards from the end line on the right side of the box, setting up the free kick. MSU sent the kick into a crowd on the far side where Tim Granaderos was able to head the ball into the top of the net.
The Wolverines did get a chance late, drawing a corner kick inside 40 seconds. Despite bringing Sperry up to join the fray, Michigan could not convert before time ran out.
The Maize and Blue will hit the road for a midweek non-conference game on Wednesday (Oct. 22) at Akron in Akron, Ohio, before heading to Northwestern on Saturday (Oct. 25) in Evanston, Ill.
GAME SUMMARY
| By Periods | 1 | 2 | F |
| Michigan State | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Michigan | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
2nd -- MSU, Tim Granaderos, 77:33 (Ben Pirmann)
Shots: U-M 20, MSU 16
Shots on Goal: U-M 10, MSU 6
Saves: U-M 5 (Patrick Sperry), MSU 10 (Avery Steinlage)
Corner Kicks: U-M 4, MSU 8
Fouls: U-M 13, MSU 9
Cards: None.
Q U O T E S
Michigan Head Coach Steve Burns
On the rivalry... "This is a great derby game. It doesn't matter who is on what kind of a win streak, it is always a difficult game. You have to give some credit to Michigan State for figuring out how to beat us."
On the difference between the halves... "I thought the game in the first half was tactically locked up. I thought the second half we really unlocked it and had a lot of chances and it looked like the game was going to be ours. But soccer doesn't go that way all of the time."
On the final corner kick... "That is the equivalent to the Hail Mary in football. You release your goalkeeper and you've got everybody in the box, you've got the goal framed and you've got players outside the box -- if it gets knocked out to them they can hopefully get a shot back on and get it through the bunch. We under-hit that one and it dropped and we had to serve now from in front of them and whenever you are serving a ball in front of the defense, its so much easier for a defender to come out and win the ball than when you serve behind them -- which is what a corner kick is -- it is more difficult for those defenders."
Contact: Ryan Sosin, Jeremy Reid (734) 763-4423
Team Stats
Granaderos, Tim (1)
Assisted By: Pirmann, Ben
header on a free kick into from ls 8 yds
77:33
