Two First-Half Goals Give Michigan Road Win at Cincinnati

Wednesday, October 14

Cincinnati, Ohio

7:00 PM

Michigan

9-3-1

Cincinnati

8-6-0

Michigan

Cincinnati

Two First-Half Goals Give Michigan Road Win at Cincinnati

10/14/2009 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer

Box Score

Oct. 14, 2009

Site: Cincinnati, Ohio. (Gettler Stadium)
Score: Michigan 2, Cincinnati 0
Records: U-M (9-3-1), Cincinnati (8-6-0)
Attendance: 389
Next U-M Game: Tuesday, Oct. 20 -- vs. Akron (U-M Soccer Complex), 4 p.m.

• Boxscore

CINNCINATI, Ohio -- Two first-half goals were all the University of Michigan men's soccer team needed as it posted a 2-0 victory at Cincinnati in non-conference action on Wednesday (Oct. 14) at Gettler Stadium. The Wolverines move to 8-1-1 in non-conference action and extend their non-conference unbeaten streak to seven games.

Freshman midfielder Hamoody Saad (Dearborn, Mich./Dearborn) picked up his fourth goal of the season with the gamewinner in the ninth minute and added an assist for his sixth multi-point game of the season on junior defender Jeff Quijano's (Simi Valley, Calif./Canoga) second goal of the season in the 21st minute. Junior/sophomore goalkeeper Chris Blais (Seattle, Wash./Kennedy Memorial) tied his career best with six saves in the victory. Junior defenders Chase Tennant (Rochester, Mich./Rochester) and Adam Keller (Franklin, Mich./Groves) each added an assist.

Cincinnati came out firing in the second half and continued to pepper the Wolverines with shots, posting seven attempts on goal and outshooting the Wolverines, 25-10, for the game, but the U-M backline and Blais between the pipes kept the Bearcats off the board. Blais, who stifled a point-blank shot from Cincinnati's Branden Stelmak in the 68th minute to preserve the shutout, picked up his fifth shutout of the season

The Wolverines wasted no time jumping on the Bearcats and Saad got the Maize and Blue on the board just 8:09 into the game with his fourth goal of the season, getting his head on the end of a ball flicked on by Keller, who received the ball off a long throw-in from Tennant. Saad drove it past Cincinnati's Matt Williams with a diving header to give U-M the early 1-0 advantage.

The Wolverines and Bearcats battled back and forth and, despite Cincinnati outshooting the Wolverines, 13-6, in the first half, U-M found the back of the net again. Quijano collected his second goal of the season after connecting with Saad on a ball in the midfield. Saad sent a centering pass in from the right wing where Quijano took a superb first touch and rocketed a half-volley inside the near post top corner, allowing U-M to go into the halftime break with a 2-0 lead.

The Wolverines conclude non-conference action on Tuesday (Oct. 20) when they welcome No. 1-ranked Akron to the U-M Soccer Complex. Kickoff is set for 4 p.m. at the west practice field of the U-M Soccer Complex.

GAME SUMMARY

By Periods	1	2	F
Michigan	2	0	2
Cincinnati	0	0	0

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Hamoody Saad, 8:09 (Adam Keller, Chase Tennant)
1st -- U-M, Jeff Quijano, 20:30 (Saad)

Shots: U-M 10, CIN 25
Shots on Goal: U-M 6, CIN 7
Saves: U-M 7 (Chris Blais 6, Team 1), CIN 4 (Matt Williams)
Corner Kicks: U-M 3, CIN 13
Fouls: U-M 22, CIN 14
Cards: U-M, Adam Keller, 63:44 (Yellow); U-M, Adam Shaw, 78:28 (Yellow).

N O T E S

• This was the first meeting between Cincinnati and Michigan.

• Playing its third team from Ohio this season, U-M moves to 20-14-2 all-time against teams from the Buckeye state. U-M already defeated Wright State and Bowling Green this season.

• With the victory, the Wolverines move to 8-1-1 in non-conference action and extend their non-conference unbeaten streak to seven games.

• Freshman midfielder Hamoody Saad picks up his sixth multi-point game of the season. He has recorded a goal and an assist three different times this season.

• Junior/sophomore goalkeeper Chris Blais ties his career best with six saves. He also made six saves in U-M's season opener at Notre Dame on Sept. 1.

• The men's soccer program is now within one win of 100 all-time. U-M's overall program record is 99-75-19 in its 10th season with varsity status. Head coach Steve Burns will also pick up his 100th career victory at the helm of the program. Burns has the distinction of being the only head coach in U-M's history.

• Today's win is the second this season in which the Wolverines did not get a goal from leading scorer Mauro Fuzetti. Prior to today's victory, U-M was 1-3-1 without a goal from Fuzetti.

Q U O T E S

Michigan Head Coach Steve Burns
On the performance of the team ... "Our overall management of the game was superb -- the best of the season to date. Our team showed their class in the first 20 minutes and really opened up Cincinnati through some great possession and play in the flanks. The two goals we scored in that time were deserved and we weren't far off delivering the knockout punch with a third goal. To Cincinnati's credit, they were up for the challenge and we showed a lot of poise in weathering their direct play the rest of the way."

On the strong individual performances ... "Julian Robles is a real warrior on the backline for us. He dealt with a lot of long balls and consistently neutralized their threats. Hamoody Saad was brilliant on both the right and left flank. He provided consistent and timely services and his goal was a brave one. Our "Man of the Match" was Jeff Quijano. He's showed he's a tenacious defender and has an uncanny ability to jump into the attack at the right moments. His game winner tonight was 'Exhibit A'."

Contact: Jessica Poole (734) 763-4423