Michigan
Wisconsin
Maize & Blue to Host Wisconsin in Big Ten Opener
9/6/2017 11:06:00 AM | Men's Soccer
» The Wolverines (3-0-1) will open up Big Ten play against the Wisconsin Badgers as one of the five unbeaten teams in the Big Ten Conference. U-M is receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll, along with two Big Ten teams that are next up on the U-M schedule in No. 4 Indiana and No. 13 Michigan State.
» Opening the season with a five-match homestand and boasting a 3-0-1 record, U-M is off to its longest unbeaten streak to start a season since 2008.
» The Wolverines lead the Big Ten in shots on the season and own a 66-28 advantage in the category. U-M is also tops in the league in assists with seven.
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• Match Day Information: U-M Soccer Stadium | Buy Tickets
THIS WEEK
Friday, Sept. 8 -- vs. Wisconsin (U-M Soccer Stadium), 7 p.m.
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PROMOTIONS
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The University of Michigan men's soccer team, which is receiving votes in the latest United Soccer Coaches poll, closes out its five-match homestand by opening Big Ten play against the Wisconsin Badgers on Friday (Sept. 8) at 7 p.m. in U-M Soccer Stadium.
WOLVERINE BITES
• The Wolverines lead the Big Ten in shots on the season with 66 (16.50/games) and assists with seven.
• Sophomore Jack Hallahan leads the league in points (1.50/game), assists (.50/game) and shots (4.50/game). Sophomore goalkeeper Andrew Verdi is No. 3 in the Big Ten in goals-against average (0.47).
• Verdi has been the man in goal after winning the preseason competition and has been stellar in his initial stint as goalkeeper. He has played in all 380 minutes of match action, making nine saves to go along with a pair of clean sheets against William & Mary and Dartmouth.
• A pair of junior standouts made season debuts against Dartmouth in team tri-captain Ivo Cerda and forward Francis Atuahene. Cerda found his name in the starting XI and played 65 minutes with a shot on goal. Atuahene, who came off the bench, played 39 minutes that featured a high work rate as he had four shots and scored the lone goal of the match in the 82nd minute.
• The 3-0-1 start is the longest unbeaten streak to start a season since U-M went 3-0-1 in 2008. Michigan's best start came in 2007, when it started the year with an 8-0-1 record.
• Nine players have now made their University of Michigan debuts this season: junior transfer Daniel Mukuna; sophomores Verdi, Abdou Samake and Lucas Rosendall; and freshmen Mohammed Zakyi, Umar Farouk Osman, Jackson Ragen, Marc Ybarra and Austin Swiech. There are 10 true freshmen on this year's roster, the most in program history.
OPPONENT PREVIEW
Wisconsin -- The Badgers, picked third in the Big Ten Preseason Coaches poll, enter the conference opener with a 1-0-2 mark and are coming off a 3-1 win over Grand Canyon on Sept. 2. The Badgers have been outshot 46-37 on the year but have outscored opponents, 6-4. The side boasts a trio of All-Big Ten performers from a year ago in Mike Catalano, who leads the team with two goals, Chris Mueller (two assists) and goalkeeper Philipp Schilling, who has 15 saves on the year. Mueller was a first team All-Big Ten selection, Catalano was named to All-Big Ten second team and Schilling was recognized on the Big Ten All-Tournament squad.
Michigan owns a 13-5-5 lead in the all-time series. The last three meetings have gone to overtime, with the Badgers taking the 2016 edition by a 2-1 score in Madison, Wisconsin. The 2015 matchup resulted in a 3-3 draw in Ann Arbor. U-M took the 2014 matchup by a 2-1 count on the road.
Tweet of the Week 
First day back, @peter_brown3 is already hitting the books!
— U-M Men's Soccer (@umichsoccer) September 5, 2017
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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'.
NEXT WEEK
Wednesday, Sept. 13 -- at Indiana (Bloomington, Ind.), 7 p.m.
