Michigan Uses Late Goal To Douse Buffalo Comeback

Sunday, September 14

Saline, Mich.

2:00 PM

Michigan

4-1-1

Buffalo

4-2-0

Buffalo

Michigan

9/14/2008 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Box Score PDF Boxscore

By: Ryan Sosin, Jeremy Reid

Site: Saline, Mich. (Hornet Stadium Field)
Event: Michigan Invitational
Score: Michigan 2, Buffalo 1
Records: U-M (4-1-1), BUF (4-2-0)
Next U-M Game: Wednesday, Sept. 17 -- at Kentucky (Lexington, Ky.), 7 p.m.

SALINE, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's soccer team triumphed 2-1 in a rain-soaked battle with Buffalo on Sunday afternoon (Sept. 14) at Saline High School's Hornets Stadium Field in the final game of the Michigan Invitational. Junior Mauro Fuzetti (Houston, Texas/Stratford) netted the game-winning tally in the 84th minute to secure the win.

Patrick Sperry

Senior Jake Stacy (Grand Rapids, Mich./Forest Hills Central) scored U-M's other goal and junior/sophomore Matt Schmitt (Muskegon, Mich./Reeths-Puffer) recorded assists on both Wolverine markers.

Michigan clung to a 1-0 lead for much of the game. As the clock counted down into the final 15 minutes, Buffalo upped the pressure and caught a break at 77:30 in the form of a converted free kick to level the game at 1-1. Dominic Oppong took a strike on the net after a U-M foul just outside the box, finding a spot high, inside the near post.

With overtime looming and the rain picking up, Schmitt found Fuzetti on a run to give Michigan the 2-1 advantage with just over six minutes to play. Schmitt carried the ball into the attacking third with Fuzetti and junior Peri Marosevic (Rockford, Ill./Edison Academy) making overlapping runs toward the box. Schmitt's pass split the duo as they diverged, going past Marosevic to Fuzetti who fired a shot into the goal from 12 yards out.

The Wolverines got their 1-0 lead before the skies opened up off the foot of Stacy at 13:59 after the opening kick. Schmitt took a cross on the left side of the box and headed it toward the middle of the goal mouth. Marosevic had a play on the ball, but stunted to throw off the defenders which allowed Stacy to get a clean one-touch shot off his right foot toward the left side of the cage.

A midweek road game awaits Michigan as U-M heads to Lexington, Ky., to take on the Wildcats on Wednesday (Sept. 17) at 7 p.m. The Wolverines will play closer to home on Friday (Sept. 19) when they travel east to take on Detroit at 5 p.m. in Detroit, Mich.

GAME SUMMARY

By Periods	1	2	F
Buffalo	0	1	1
Michigan	1	1	2

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Jake Stacy, 13:59 (Matt Schmitt, Steve Bonnell)
2nd -- BUF, Dominic Oppong, 77:30 (Unassisted)
2nd -- U-M, Mauro Fuzetti, 83:49 (Schmitt, Peri Marosevic)

Shots: U-M 9, BUF 6
Shots on Goal: U-M 4, BUF 2
Saves: U-M 1 (Patrick Sperry), BUF 2 (Robert Shuttleworth)
Corner Kicks: U-M 8, BUF 6
Fouls: U-M 13, BUF 4
Cards: BUF, Justin Fredsell, 15:40 (Yellow); U-M, Daniel Gray, 34:31 (Yellow); BUF, Martin John, 57:50 (Yellow); BUF, Dezi Lara, 64:41 (Yellow).

Michigan Invitational All-Tournament Team

Most Valuable Offensive Player: Baggio Husidic, UIC
Most Valuable Defensive Player: Robert Younger, UIC

Peri Marosevic, Michigan
Michael Holody, Michigan
Julian Robles, Michigan
Lee Catchpole, Buffalo
Alex Marrello, Buffalo
Josh Rogers, Michigan State
Louis Stephens III, Michigan State
Avery Steinlage, Michigan State
Alen Husidic , UIC
Patrick McMahon, UIC

NOTES

• With his two assists today, junior/sophomore Matt Schmitt has scored eight points (1g, 6a) this season, surpassing his total of seven (3 g, 1 a) from his rookie campaign.

• Junior Mauro Fuzetti moved into eighth all-time on the U-M career goals list with nine goals following his game-winning tally today.

• Fuzetti's goal was also the fifth game-winner of his career, matching the fifth-highest total in school history.

• Junior Jake Stacy has now tallied 10 goals as a Wolverine, good for sixth in school history in goals scored. He came into the weekend tied with Adam Bruh (9, 2002-05).

QUOTES

Michigan Head Coach Steve Burns
On today's game ... "I expected that we would play better today, but a win is a win at this point. We had the legs of pianos but the hearts of lions to figure out a way to win that one."

On the play of Mauro Fuzetti ... "Mauro can be a special player when he plays on both sides of the ball. He can really help this team if he does that. He came in during the final nine minutes of the game when we needed him and he scored a great goal. That's what he's capable of doing."