First Touch #2: Trip to Ole Miss on Tap, Toledo Coming to Town Sunday

» Michigan will take on Ole Miss in its first road match of the season on Friday, Aug. 25, at 7 p.m. CDT and then return home to host Toledo on Sunday, Aug. 27, at 8 p.m.
» Michigan is ranked No. 23 in the first United Soccer Coaches Division I poll of the season.
» Head coach Greg Ryan has a 99-58-30 record at Michigan and is just one win shy of hitting the 100-win mark.
» Through two games, Taylor Timko is leading the Big Ten with seven points (3g, 1a), while Brooke Cilley has a conference-best four assists.

THIS WEEK
Friday, Aug. 25 -- at Ole Miss (Oxford, Miss.), 7 p.m. CDT
Live Stats | Live Video
Sunday, Aug. 27 -- vs. Toledo (U-M Soccer Stadium), 8 p.m.
Tickets | Live Stats

• Social Media: Facebook | Twitter
• Game Day Information: U-M Soccer Stadium Information | Ticket Information

PROMOTIONS
• Toledo: Family Day -- Kids are encouraged to dress up as their favorite prince or princess, as Michigan will have famous character cutouts on the concourse prior to the game. Kids will be able to select a free Pirate Patch or Glitter Wand upon entry while supplies last. [ more promotions ]

Coming off back-to-back shutouts victories in its opening weekend, the 23rd-ranked University of Michigan women's soccer team (2-0-0) will hit the road for its first road match of the season at Ole Miss (2-0-0) on Friday, Aug. 25, at 7 p.m. CDT. The Wolverines will then return home to host Toledo (1-0-1) on Sunday, Aug. 27, at 8 p.m. at U-M Soccer Stadium. The Ole Miss match will be streamed live on SEC Network + via Watch ESPN with a valid cable provider login.

Individual and group tickets are still available for the remainder of the 2017 home matches. To purchase tickets or learn more about women's soccer tickets, visit the women's soccer ticket page.

WOLVERINE BITES

• Michigan earned a spot in the United Soccer Coaches (formerly the NSCAA) Division I rankings for the first time since October 4, 2016 (No. 19), coming in at No. 23 this week.

• U-M head coach Greg Ryan, who is in his 10th season at the helm of the program, has a 99-58-30 (.610) record and is just one win shy of hitting the 100-win mark with the Wolverines. Following losing seasons in his first two years in Ann Arbor, Ryan has led Michigan to seven straight winning seasons, including five consecutive 10-plus win seasons. Under his direction, the Wolverines have finished fifth or better in the Big Ten in six seasons and have made four NCAA Tournament appearances. Overall, Ryan has a 284-139-48 (.654) record in his 25 seasons as a Division I head coach.

• Michigan opened the 2017 season with a pair of shutout victories, defeating Washington (2-0) and Idaho State (4-0). After missing the 2016 season with a knee injury, senior/junior Taylor Timko returned to lead the Wolverines with three goals and one assist on the weekend, including two goals and one assist against Idaho State. Freshman Sarah Stratigakis started both games and tallied one goal in each game. Sophomore Brooke Cilley combined to record four assists, including three against Idaho State, becoming the fourth player in program history to tally three assists in a game and the first since Christina Murillo in 2011.

• Three Michigan goalkeepers saw time in its first two matches. Seniors Megan Hinz and Sarah Jackson split halves against Washington, making two and seven saves, respectively, to preserve the shutout, which was credited to Hinz. Freshman Hillary Beall earned her first career start and the shutout against Idaho State, playing her first 90 minutes as a Wolverine.

• Seven Wolverine freshmen made their career debuts during Michigan's opening weekend. Stratigakis (M) and Alia Martin (M) started both games, while Beall (GK), Emma Cooper (F), and Lauren Long (M), each started one game apiece. Samantha DeVecchi (M) and Hailey Neumann (D) made their first appearances off the bench.

• U-M's core of six defenders and defensive midfielders -- Cilley (3 GS), Jada Dayne (21 GS), Rubina Veerakone (14 GS), Sura Yekka (13 GS), Timko (42 GS) and A. Martin (2 GS) -- have limited starting experience between them and have had just two games together playing as a unit this season. Despite their youth, that group has found a positive chemistry early on that led to back-to-back shutouts.

• U-M is one of six Big Ten schools to start the season with a 2-0-0 record and one of three to record two shutouts victories (Northwestern, Rutgers).

• Timko is one of three Big Ten players to record three goals during the opening weekend and is leading the conference with seven total points, while Cilley has a conference-best four assists.

OPPONENT PREVIEWS

Scouting Ole Miss
Under eighth-year head coach Matt Mott, Ole Miss opened the season with a pair of shutout wins, defeating Alabama State and Northwestern State, both by a score of 8-0. The Rebels' 16 goals lead the nation after the first weekend. Junior CeCe Kizer opened the season with a hat trick against Alabama State and freshman Channing Foster followed that up with a hat trick versus Northwestern State. Sophomore goalkeeper Claire Williams played all 90 minutes against ASU, making two saves, while redshirt junior Marnie Merritt earned the clean sheet with just one save in the win over NSU. Overall, the Rebels outshot their first two opponents by a 61-6 margin.

Series vs. Ole Miss: The Wolverines defeated Ole Miss 2-0 in Ann Arbor a year ago in the first-ever meeting between the two programs. Ani Sarkisian and Reilly Martin tallied goals for U-M.

Scouting Toledo
Under third-year head coach TJ Buchholz, Toledo has a 1-0-1 record through two games this season. The Rockets played to a 0-0 overtime stalemate with Detroit Mercy in the season opener and then defeated Canisius 2-0. Senior Sophie Pohl and redshirt junior Hannah Scafaria posted the goals against Canisius. Redshirt freshman goalkeeper Madison Perrin played every minute in those two games, making five saves against Detroit Mercy and one against Canisius.

Series vs. Toledo: Michigan has never lost to Toledo, holding a 4-0-1 advantage in the all-time series. The two teams last faced off in 2014, when Michigan earned a 4-0 shutout win in Ann Arbor.

Tweet of the Week Twitter logo

Coach Ryan is in his 10th season leading the Wolverines and is off to a great start with Team24. #GoBlue #ThePursuit pic.twitter.com/RTEcg1Ddj6
— Michigan Soccer (@umichwsoccer) August 22, 2017

UP NEXT
Friday, Sept. 1 -- vs. Santa Clara, Notre Dame Invitational (South Bend, Ind.), 4 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 3 -- vs. South Carolina, Notre Dame Invitational (South Bend, Ind.), 2:30 p.m.