Four Michigan Standouts Earn All-Big Ten Honors
11/2/2018 1:04:00 PM | Men's Soccer
ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Junior Jack Hallahan of the University of Michigan men's soccer team was named 2018 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and was one of four U-M student-athletes to receive All-Big Ten honors, per an announcement from the conference office Friday (Nov. 2).
Hallahan (forward) and senior Robbie Mertz (midfield) were named to the All-Big Ten first team, while sophomore Umar Farouk Osman (forward) and senior Marcello Borges (defense) were each selected to the second team.
Hallahan is the first Michigan player to be named Offensive Player of the Year since the award's inception in 2009 (Knox Cameron was Big Ten Player of the Year in 2003). He was one of four unanimous All-Big Ten selections alongside Indiana's Francesco Moore, Andrew Gutman and Trey Muse.
Hallahan, who was also an All-Big Ten (first team) choice last year, has seven goals and seven assists on the season (21 points), becoming the fifth player in program history to reach the 20-point plateau in back-to-back seasons. He leads the Big Ten in shots (60) and is third in goals, assists and points. Additionally, Hallahan is the sixth player in program history named to the first team in back-to-back seasons, joining Cameron (2002-03), Jake Stacy (2007-08), Mauro Fuzetti (2008-09), Tyler Arnone (2012-13) and Francis Atuahene (2015-16).
Mertz is the first Michigan midfielder named to the first team since Tyler Arnone in 2012 and 2013. He is one of five players to start in all 16 matches this season and has scored two goals with three assists (seven points). Among field players, he is third on the team in minutes played (1,455). Mertz was an All-Big Ten (second team) pick last season and is one of the 10 national finalists for the 2018 Senior CLASS Award. Fan voting runs through Nov. 18.
Osman lands on the All-Big Ten team after a breakout sophomore campaign. After tallying two points last year -- both on assists -- Osman has 17 points this season on seven goals (tied for third in the Big Ten) and three assists. He was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team last season.
Borges is an All-Big Ten (second team) selection for the second consecutive year. A three-year starter, Borges has been an instrumental part of one of the nation's stingiest defenses, as the Wolverines have allowed only 13 goals in 16 matches. He has started 13 matches and contributed two assists on offense.
Additionally, senior Peter Brown was named the team's representative for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
The Wolverines will open the Big Ten Tournament on Sunday (Nov. 4), hosting Penn State at U-M Soccer Stadium. The match will begin at 1 p.m., and tickets are available through MGoBlue.com/tickets.
