Michigan
William & Mary
Wolverines to Open 2017 Campaign vs. William & Mary, Valparaiso
8/22/2017 9:52:00 AM | Men's Soccer
» The Wolverines open up their 2017 season with a pair of home matches vs. William & Mary (Friday, Aug. 25) and Valparaiso (Monday, Aug. 28). Both matches are slated to start at 7 p.m.
» Francis Atuahene, Marcello Borges and Jack Hallahan were named to the Big Ten Preseason Honors List. As a team, U-M was picked No. 5 in the preseason coaches poll.
» The 10 true freshmen on this year's roster are the most for any team in U-M program history.
• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter
• Match Day Information: U-M Soccer Stadium | Buy Tickets
THIS WEEK
Friday, Aug. 25 -- vs. William & Mary (U-M Soccer Stadium), 7 p.m.
Live Stats
Monday, Aug. 28 -- vs. Valparaiso (U-M Soccer Stadium), 7 p.m.
Live Stats
PROMOTIONS
• William & Mary: Postgame Penalty Kicks, Team Poster Giveaway - MORE
• Valparaiso: Dollar Ticket Day - MORE
Under the guidance of sixth-year head coach Chaka Daley, the University of Michigan men's soccer team (0-0-0) will begin season No. 18 of varsity competition with a pair of home matches, starting with a tilt against the William & Mary Tribe on Friday (Aug. 25) at 7 p.m. followed by a date with the Valparaiso Crusaders on Monday (Aug. 28) at 7 p.m. at U-M Soccer Stadium.
WOLVERINE BITES
• U-M wrapped up the exhibition portion of its schedule with a 3-0 win over the Green Bay Phoenix on Saturday (Aug. 19). Freshman Mohammad Zakyi bagged a brace in the first half with goals in the fourth and 15th minute, while sophomore Lucas Rosendall notched U-M's third marker in the 57th minute. Earlier in the preseason, the Wolverines traveled to Butler on Aug. 12 and played to a 0-0 draw with the Bulldogs.
• Fourteen of the 26 student-athletes on the roster have yet to take the pitch in a Wolverine uniform (10 freshmen, one transfer, three rising sophomores that did not see match action as freshmen). The 10 true freshmen on this year's roster are the most in program history, as the inaugural 2000 varsity team had eight true freshmen and a trio of redshirt freshmen. However, U-M returns more than 70 percent of its offense from a season ago, highlighted by junior Francis Atuahene (8g, 4a), junior Robbie Mertz (4g, 3a) and sophomore Jack Hallahan (4g), a Big Ten All-Freshman Team honoree.
• Atuahene, Marcello Borges and Hallahan were named to the 2017 Big Ten Preseason Honors List (Aug. 16). Atuahene, who was a member of the preseason honors list a season ago as well, is a two-time All-Big Ten first team selection and the first player in U-M history to earn all-conference honors in their freshman and sophomore seasons. He posted a team-best eight goals last year and owns 18 goals in his Wolverine career, a number that sits eighth all-time in the U-M record books. Borges, who also made last season's preseason honors list, has played in 29 matches as a left back and winger during his time as a Wolverine. He returns to U-M after taking the 2017 spring semester off due to U.S. National Team duty. A member of the preliminary U-20 World Cup roster, he suffered a minor knee injury and was unavailable for selection. Now healthy, he will look to lock down a spot along U-M's back line. Hallahan, a 2016 Big Ten All-Freshman Team honoree, started 17 matches in an attacking role for U-M last season and notched four goals. After exceeding expectations last season, he will be tasked with more offensive responsibility as a sophomore, and he will be paired with Atuahene once again on the Wolverine front line.
• The Wolverines were picked to finish fifth in the annual Big Ten preseason coaches poll behind Maryland, Indiana, Wisconsin and Michigan State. Penn State comes in at No. 6 in the poll, while Ohio State, Northwestern and Rutgers round out the bottom four.
• The incoming recruiting class was ranked No. 9 in the country by CollegeSoccerNews.com and No. 8 by TopDrawerSoccer.com, marking the fourth consensus top-10 class in the Chaka Daley era. The group is headlined by 2017 Gatorade High School National Player of the Year Umar Farouk Osman as well as Campbell University transfer Daniel Mukuna, who arrives in Ann Arbor with junior eligibility. Other highly touted additions include freshman Mohammed Zakyi, Ann Arbor native Marc Ybarra and Canadian U20 National Team member Joel Harrison.
OPPONENT PREVIEWS
William & Mary -- The Tribe, picked as the preseason favorite to win the Colonial Athletic Association, are coming off a 12-7-2 mark last season and a berth in the CAA championship match. They welcome back 13 upperclassmen for the 2017 campaign. The side is led by midfielder Antonio Bustamente, who was named the conference preseason player of the year after scoring 10 goals and earning first team All-CAA and NSCAA All-Midwest Region honors a year ago. Ryder Bell and Marcel Berry were named to the preseason All-CAA team.
Last season, William & Mary defeated the Wolverines 4-0 in Williamsburg, Virginia, in the only matchup between the two sides in program history.
Valparaiso -- Picked to finish sixth in the seven-team Missouri Valley Conference, the Crusaders find themselves in a new conference after going 10-5-4 in their final season in the Horizon League and matching the best win mark in program history. With only 10 returning players from last season's squad, the side will lean heavily on senior Ramone Howell, who was named to the MVC preseason all-conference team after scoring three goals to go along with two helpers a season ago.
Michigan owns a 5-0 advantage in the all-time series, most recently defeating the Crusaders, 1-0, on Oct. 19, 2015. A marker by Francis Atuahene in the 50th minute was the difference in the match.
Tweet of the Week 
8/25: 2017 @umichsoccer Poster Giveaway ?
— Michigan Tickets (@umichtix) August 21, 2017
8/28: Dollar Ticket Day ?
TIX » https://t.co/9NUdlhjswP#GoBlue https://t.co/9M7mq753UR
Keep Up With the Wolverines
Stay current with everything going on with the Wolverines by following Michigan men's soccer on Twitter (@umichsoccer), Snapchat (@umichathletics) and "liking" the Wolverines on Facebook at 'MichiganSoccer'.
Friday, Sept. 1 -- vs. Cleveland State (U-M Soccer Stadium), 7 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 4 -- vs. Dartmouth (U-M Soccer Stadium), 1 p.m.
