Wolverines Back Home to Face Oakland Tuesday Night, Rutgers Saturday

Tuesday, September 17

Ann Arbor, Mich.

7:30 PM

Michigan

Oakland

Wolverines Back Home to Face Oakland Tuesday Night, Rutgers Saturday

9/16/2019 2:43:00 PM | Men's Soccer

By: Brad Rudner

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PROMOTIONS
• Sept. 21: Backyard Soccer Day, Postgame Autographs, Kids Go Blue Club Day, Soccer Poster Giveaway
• Full Promotions Schedule

The University of Michigan men's soccer team (2-2-1) returns to U-M Soccer Stadium for a pair of matches this week, facing in-state foe Oakland (3-1-1) on Tuesday (Sept. 17) at 7:30 p.m. before opening Big Ten Conference play with No. 24 Rutgers (5-0-0) on Saturday (Sept. 21) at 3 p.m.

Saturday's match with Rutgers is the program's Backyard Soccer Day, with the first 250 fans in attendance receiving a special Backyard Soccer poster. Kids Go Blue Club members get free admission. Additionally, members of the team will sign autographs on the field following the match.

Team Notes

• Tuesday's match with Oakland will be a special one for graduate student Nebojsa Popovic, as he faces his former team for the first and final time in his collegiate career. Popovic, who leads the Wolverines with eight points (3 G, 2 A), was a three-year starter for Oakland, compiling 44 points (14 goals, 16 assists) in 50 career matches for the Golden Grizzlies. He transferred to Michigan this summer and is pursuing a master's degree in sport management at the School of Kinesiology.

• Sophomore Derick Broche scored the team's equalizing goal in its 1-1 (2OT) draw vs. Omaha last Friday (Sept. 13). After missing all of last year recovering from injury, he is second on the team in points (seven).

• Though senior Jack Hallahan has not found the back of the net yet this season, he is heating up, leading the Big Ten in shots (20). Hallahan is still having a major impact on matches, as his three assists tie him for tops on the squad (with junior Marc Ybarra).

• The Wolverines have imposed their will in the offensive third. Over the last three matches, U-M has a 21-5 edge in shots on goal.

• Since conceding four goals to Florida Gulf Coast in the season opener on Aug. 30, U-M has clamped down defensively, allowing only three goals on 28 shots. The back line has largely limited traffic in front of senior goalkeeper Andrew Verdi, as he has been forced to make only five saves in the four matches since.

• U-M is 2-3-2 in Big Ten openers under head coach Chaka Daley, including wins in the last two seasons. The Wolverines beat Wisconsin in 2017 (2-1 on Sept. 8) and Rutgers in 2018 (2-0 on Sept. 14).

• Since 2017, U-M is 19-8-3 in home matches at U-M Soccer Stadium.

Opponent Preview

Oakland is 3-1-1 on the season and is coming off a 1-0 win over Cleveland State last Saturday (Sept. 14). The Golden Grizzlies are outshooting opponents by nearly a 2:1 margin (82-43) and are +6 in goal differential (11 GF, 5 GA). Cameron Wilde leads the team in goals (three) and points (seven). while Dylan Borczak has six points (1 G, 4 A). Sullivan Lauderdale has played every minute in net, making 14 saves.

Series: U-M is 12-2-4 all-time vs. Oakland. The Wolverines won last year's match-up, 2-1, in Rochester, Michigan.

Rutgers is 5-0-0 on the season and is coming off a 1-0 win over Manhattan last Saturday (Sept. 14). Under the direction of first-year coach Jim McElderry, the Scarlet Knights are off to their best start since 1990 and ranked No. 24 in the most recent United Soccer Coaches poll. Rutgers is +5 in goal differential (8 GF, 3 GA) and is led by Jackson Temple (3 G) and Jorgen Wisth Lie (2 G). Oren Asher has started all five matches, making 17 saves in net. The Scarlet Knights play a road match at Penn on Tuesday (Sept. 17) in Philadelphia.

Series: U-M is 5-2-1 all-time vs. Rutgers. The Wolverines won last year's match-up, 2-0, in Piscataway, New Jersey.

Up Next

Friday, Sept. 27 -- at Penn State (State College, Pa.), 6 p.m. (TV: BTN)