Michigan
12-4-3
Wisconsin
9-7-3
Michigan Advances Past Wisconsin in PKs in Big Ten First Round
11/13/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Site: Madison, Wis. (McClimon Track/Soccer Complex)
Event: Big Ten Championship (First Round)
Score: #10 Michigan 0, Wisconsin 0 (2OT) -- U-M advances on penalty kicks, 4-3
Records: U-M (12-4-3), UW (9-7-3)
Next U-M Game: Friday, Nov. 14 -- vs. Indiana in Big Ten Championship Semifinals (Madison, Wis.), 1:30 p.m. CST
MADISON, Wis. -- The No. 10-ranked University of Michigan men's soccer team advanced on penalty kicks after battling to a 0-0 stalemate with host Wisconsin in the first round of the 2008 Big Ten Championship on Thursday afternoon (Nov. 13) at the McClimon Track/Soccer Complex. The second-seeded Wolverines won the shootout by a 4-3 margin against the seventh-seeded Badgers and advanced to a semifinal clash against No. 18 Indiana tomorrow (Friday, Nov. 14) at 1:30 p.m. CST.
Patrick Sperry
Senior/junior Patrick Sperry (Hinsdale, Ill./Hinsdale Central) made two saves in the shootout after posting two through 110 minutes of scoreless soccer. Junior Mauro Fuzetti (Houston, Texas/Stratford), senior Michael Holody (Clarkston, Mich./Clarkston) and sophomore Adam Keller (Franklin, Mich./Groves) each scored during the shootout before junior Peri Marosevic (Rockford, Ill./Edison Academy) sealed the victory with his goal during the fifth round.
After battling through 110 minutes of scoreless play and four rounds of shootouts, the game came down to Sperry and Marosevic. Sperry was up first, facing Wisconsin's Scott Lorenz. The Badger shooter went to Sperry's left, but the U-M goalkeeper guessed correctly and was there to smother the ball before it got close to the goal line. With a chance to finish the game, Marosevic stepped up to the line and delivered a low shot that skimmed off the grass and inside the left post.
Fuzetti was the first Wolverine to score, answering a Badger goal in the opening round. The second UW scorer had his shot met by Sperry lurching to his left. Holody followed with a goal to put U-M up by one after two rounds. Wisconsin leveled the score in the next round, scoring with its shot and getting a save out of its netminder. The Badgers scored on their subsequent shot, but Keller used a stunt right to lure the goalie before going the opposite direction to keep things knotted at 3-3 in the shootout and set up the final-round heroics.
Michigan controlled the possession for much of the first half, though it was Wisconsin that got the first scoring chance of the contest. In the eighth minute, a Badger forward sent a pass from the end line to the center of the box and the foot of Eric Conklin 10 yards out. Conklin one-timed the ball, but a well-positioned Sperry corralled the ball and defused the chance.
The Wolverine had their chance 11 minutes later when a ball off of Marosevic's head met iron. Bonnell sent a pass from the wing into Marosevic in the box where he redirected the ball toward the far post past the outstretched hand of the Wisconsin goalkeeper. Instead of finding mesh, however, the shot went clanking off the post and out of bounds.
The second half was a physical battle for the midfield with each team making sporadic unsuccessful incursions into the opposition's third. Michigan did get two good chances inside the last 13 minutes, forcing two saves out of the Wisconsin goalkeeper. Marosevic sent a pass into junior/sophomore Matt Schmitt (Muskegon, Mich./Reeths-Puffer) at the top of the box where he sent a low shot at right post that was steered aside. On the ensuing corner kick, Fuzetti put a pass to the head of an airborne Holody who directed a shot low that a diving UW goalkeeper hauled in.
The Wolverines dominated the first overtime period with their special teams, coming close to scoring on three separate restarts. In the second overtime frame, it was the Holody show as the Wolverine senior broke up several UW opportunities, including a near breakaway midway through the period.
Michigan advances to take on third-seeded Indiana, ranked 18th in the nation, tomorrow (Friday, Nov. 14) in the semifinal round of the Big Ten Championship being held at the McClimon Track/Soccer Complex in Madison, Wis. The game, slated for 1:30 p.m. CST, will air live on the Big Ten Network.
GAME SUMMARY
| By Periods | 1 | 2 | OT | OT | F | PK |
| Michigan | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| Wisconsin | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Scoring, Time (Assist)
None
Penalty Kicks Shootout
PK -- UW, Andy Miller (good)
PK -- U-M, Mauro Fuzetti (good)
PK -- UW, Zack Lambo (missed)
PK -- U-M, Michael Holody (good)
PK -- UW, Eric Conklin (good)
PK -- U-M, Cam Cameron (missed)
PK -- UW, Pablo Delgado (good)
PK -- U-M, Adam Keller (good)
PK -- UW, Scott Lorenz (missed)
PK -- U-M, Peri Marosevic (good) -- U-M advances on penalty kicks, 4-3
Shots: U-M 21, UW 8
Shots on Goal: U-M 5, UW 2
Saves: U-M 2 (Patrick Sperry), UW 5 (Alex Horwath)
Corner Kicks: U-M 7, UW 1
Fouls: U-M 13, UW 20
Cards: U-M, Steve Bonnell, 18:48 (Yellow)
QUOTES
Michigan Head Coach Steve Burns
On what he was thinking heading into the shootout ... "We were real confident. We did a lot of work with our shootouts this week. We knew who our top 10 was and they were all warm and ready to go. When Peri Marosevic steps up to take your fifth shot, it's money in the bank. We were counting on Patrick Sperry to make two saves. We did not know which two they would be -- they were the second and fifth. So Pat makes two great saves and our shooters were definitely on and their rhythm was on and they were hitting corners. I think, overall, the team had a lot of confidence. You could see that they had smiles on their faces. I don't think they wanted to go to a shootout, but they felt confident when it got there."
U-M Senior/Junior Goalkeeper Patrick Sperry
On how he was feeling in overtime and heading into the shootout ... "When it goes into overtime and a PK shootout and it is sudden death, anything can happen and any team can win at that point. I was just trying to do my best to keep it out of the back of the net and let our forwards and offense try to score one. The PK shootout was exciting because I love the pressure and there is a lot of excitement there so I was excited going into it and looking forward to making some big plays for the guys."
U-M Junior Peri Marosevic
On his reaction to the win ... "I am feeling unbelievable. This is probably one of the best feelings as a soccer player I have ever had."
On if he was glad it came down to him in the shootout ... "You never want it to go into PKs, you really want to end it in regulation. But when it comes down to it, you have to step up and take what is given to you. I was the fifth shooter and I knew what I had to do to get us that win. I knew the goalkeeper really well and I already knew what side to go to. I just had to focus, stay calm, stay collected and put that ball into the net. I knew the surface was wet so I put the ball on the ground in the lower left corner. I knew he was not going to get to it."
