Ezurike Strikes Twice, Wolverines Blank Indiana

Saturday, September 15

Ann Arbor, Mich.

7:00 PM

Michigan

7-2-0, 1-0-0B1G

Indiana

5-3-1, 0-1-0B1G

Indiana

Michigan

9/15/2012 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer

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By: Brad Rudner

Site: Ann Arbor, Mich. (U-M Soccer Stadium)
Score: Michigan 3, Indiana 0
Records: U-M (7-2, 1-0 Big Ten), Indiana (5-3-1, 0-1 Big Ten)
Attendance: 713
Next U-M Event: Friday, Sept. 21 -- at Minnesota (Minneapolis, Minn.), 7 p.m. CDT

ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- Junior Nkem Ezurike (Lower Sackville, Nova Scotia/Sackville) scored two first-half goals and Shelina Zadorsky (London, Ontario/St. Thomas Aquinas) added a third in the second half, as the University of Michigan women's soccer team won its Big Ten Conference opener, beating Indiana, 3-0, on Saturday night (Sept. 15) at U-M Soccer Stadium.

Shelina Zadorsky

The Wolverines (7-2-0) faced just three shots all night, none of which were on goal, and all came in the first 45 minutes of play. Indiana's three shots in Saturday's match are the lowest number of shots Michigan has allowed all season, as the Wolverines have held opponents to single-digit shot totals in four matches this season.

Ezurike opened the scoring in the 18th minute, getting in behind the IU defense after receiving a long ball from sophomore Chloe Sosenko (South Lyon, Mich./Brighton). Ezurike timed her run perfectly, resulting in a shot into the lower left corner of the net past IU keeper Shannon Flower to give Michigan a 1-0 lead. In the 35th minute, Ezurike scored again, this time off the feed from junior Kayla Mannino (Bloomfield Hills, Mich./Avondale). Ezurike corralled the ball just outside the 18-yard box but was under pressure from a pair of IU defenders. She shielded the ball from the defense while turning and split the pair of centerbacks for another one-on-one opportunity with the keeper, putting the ball into the lower right corner to make the score 2-0.

Zadorsky added an insurance goal in the 60th minute. Freshman Corinne Harris (Chicago, Ill./Walter Payton College Prep) sent a corner kick in from the far side to the six-yard box and found Zadorsky amidst the traffic. Zadorsky got just enough of the cross to redirect the cross into the side netting for the team's third and final goal.

Fifth-year senior Haley Kopmeyer (Troy, Mich./Lahser) did not make a single save in Saturday's match en route to her fourth individual shutout of the season.

The Wolverines hit the road for its first Big Ten road trip next weekend, beginning with a match on Friday (Sept. 21) at Minnesota. The match will begin at 7 p.m. CDT.

GAME SUMMARY

By Periods	1	2	F
Indiana	0	0	0
Michigan	2	1	3

Scoring, Time (Assist)
1st -- U-M, Nkem Ezurike, 17:38 (Chloe Sosenko)
1st -- U-M, Ezurike, 34:06 (Kayla Mannino)
2nd -- U-M, Shelina Zadorsky, 59:31 (Corinne Harris)

Shots: U-M 15, IU 3
Shots on Goal: U-M 6, IU 0
Saves: U-M 0 (Haley Kopmeyer), IU 3 (Shannon Flower)
Corner Kicks: U-M 2, IU 4
Cards: IU, Molly Buynak, 16:26 (Yellow)

NOTES

• The Wolverines are now 13-4-3 all-time vs. Indiana. They have won three straight in the series.

• Michigan is 8-8-3 all-time in Big Ten Conference openers. It is 3-1 all-time in openers against Indiana.

• Saturday's match was the first time the two teams had met in Ann Arbor since the 2009 season.

• The three-goal differential was the largest margin of victory in the series since 1999 (Michigan won 3-0 on Oct. 1, 1999). Prior to Saturday's contest, neither team had won by more than one goal in the series since 2002.

• The last time Michigan allowed three shots or less in a match was Sept. 19, 2010, against Youngstown State (two shots).

• Clare Stachel returned to the starting lineup on Saturday against Indiana. It was her second match of the season (both starts; other against Cal State Fullerton on Aug. 24).

• Christina Ordonez also returned to the lineup, appearing off the bench as a reserve. She missed the last five matches due to an ankle injury.

• Saturday's win was Michigan's sixth consecutive home victory. The last time the Wolverines won their first six home matches to start a season was 2002.

• Michigan has outscored opponents by a 15-1 margin in six home matches. The only goal scored by an opponent at the U-M Soccer Stadium was by Cal State Fullerton on Aug. 24.

• The Wolverines have not trailed in any of their six home matches so far this season.

• Six of Michigan's seven wins have been shutouts.

• With goals by Nkem Ezurike and Shelina Zadorsky, U-M has had 11 different players score at least one goal.

• Nkem Ezurike now has five multi-goal matches in her career.

• Haley Kopmeyer did not record a save for the second time this season (other time was Aug. 26 vs. Detroit). She has also had one match in which she recorded just one save (Aug. 19 vs. Pittsburgh).

• Corinne Harris recorded her first collegiate assist on Shelina Zadorsky's goal.