2015 Season Preview: Men's Soccer
8/19/2015 12:00:00 AM | Men's Soccer
Aug. 19, 2015
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2015 OUTLOOK
U-M will enter the fourth season under Chaka Daley in 2015, returning 14 letterwinners and six full-time starters from the 2014 squad.
A strength of the squad figures to be the back line. There is experience abound with juniors Lars Eckenrode, Rylee Woods and Andre Morris, who is back to full health after missing the parts of the last two seasons due to injury, as well as rising sophomore Billy Stevens. The four have combined for 90 starts, while three (Eckenrode, Woods, Stevens) were previously Big Ten All-Freshman Team selections.
The offense will be paced by stalwarts James Murphy, William Mellors-Blair and Colin McAtee. McAtee and Murphy will serve as team captains. McAtee enters the 2015 season coming off a breakout campaign, when he was named an All-Big Ten (first team) selection after leading U-M in goals (eight), points (18) and shots (40). Murphy has started 54 of 56 career matches for the Wolverines and was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman team in 2012. Last season, he tied for the team lead in assists (three).
Sophomore Evan Louro will be the man in net for the Wolverines after starting 10 matches a season ago in a freshman season when he stopped 28 shots and owned a 1.28 goals-against average to go along with two clean sheets. A former consensus top-20 recruit and U.S. National Team member, Louro was hailed as one of the top-10 goalkeepers in the country by TopDrawerSoccer.com.
Junior Jack Brown and fifth-year senior TJ VanSlooten also rejoin the fold after missing last season due to injury. VanSlooten has played in 43 games in his U-M career as a midfielder/forward (scoring four goals in 2013), while Brown has made 20 appearances in central defense.
U-M also welcomes eight players in its 2015 recruiting class, headlined by consensus top-15 player in midfielder Francis Atuahene, United States U-18 National Team member defender Marcello Borges, top-150 recruit defender Peter Brown, Chilean midfielder Ivo Cerda, and 2014 Pennsylania Gatorade Player of the Year Robbie Mertz.
Additionally, U-M added Pittsburgh transfer Braden Horton for depth in the goalkeeping position, as well as freshman Ryan Kobakof, and Johann Bittner.
STUDENT-ATHLETE TO WATCH
Colin McAtee -- McAtee enters the 2015 season coming off a breakout campaign, when he was named an All-Big Ten selection (first team) after leading U-M in goals (eight), points (18) and shots (40). He is one of only four players in U-M history to eclipse the previous season high in goals by at least seven. McAtee scored one goal in both his freshman and sophomore seasons before breaking out with eight as a redshirt junior last season. He is a dynamic midfield/winger that possesses top-shelf pace and an outstanding work rate.
Left: Colin McAtee // Right: William Mellors-Blair
KEY COMPETITION
Oct. 31 vs. Michigan State (Battle for Big Bear)
Michigan reclaimed the Big Bear Trophy, awarded to the winner of the annual local derby, last season with a road 3-2 win over the Spartans. The trophy was created by former head coach Steve Burns when the program went varsity in 2000. Carved out of driftwood, Michigan has yet to successfully defend the Big Bear Trophy by winning the match in back-to-back seasons. Michigan State was an NCAA Sweet 16 team from a season ago, making sure this Halloween matchup will be a passionate and exciting affair.
QUOTABLE
Head Coach Chaka Daley
On offensive cohesion and attacking formation ... "Based on the personalities we have, we can attack as a team. With Colin McAtee, William Mellors-Blair, James Murphy and Francis Atuahene, those guys, I think it lends itself to having three up front. Certainly their quality will help relieve some pressure in games, which we haven't had since I've been here. Working together will give us a little more pressure on the opposing defense and balance the game a little more in our attacking third."
2014 RECAP
The Wolverines went 6-9-3 in 2014, including a 3-3-2 mark in the Big Ten. Season highlights included a 3-2 win over No. 6 Notre Dame at U-M Soccer Stadium on Oct. 7 and a 3-2 road win over No. 12 Michigan State on Nov. 2 in which Michigan recaptured the Big Bear Trophy. It was U-M's first win in East Lansing in 11 years.
U-M ended the season with the 20th-toughest schedule in the country, going 2-2-1 against ranked opponents. The schedule was the third most difficult in the Big Ten, trailing only Ohio State and Michigan State.
Communications Contact: Scott Kemps
