Season Review: 2019 Michigan Men's Soccer
1/29/2020 5:25:00 PM | Men's Soccer
• Team Captains: Marc Ybarra, Joel Harrison, Umar Farouk Osman
• Record: 11-5-6 Overall, 4-1-3 Big Ten (3rd Place)
• Big Ten Tournament: Final
• NCAA Tournament: Sweet 16
The University of Michigan men's soccer team posted another stellar season in 2019, going 11-5-6 and finishing third in the Big Ten (4-1-3) standings. The Wolverines made a run to the Big Ten Tournament final for the second consecutive year and received its third consecutive at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, making it to the Sweet 16 for the first time in nine years.
Team Highlights
• The Wolverines went 11-5-6 in 2019, its third consecutive season of at least 10 victories. Since the start of the 2017 season, U-M is 35-16-12 in all competitions with one Big Ten championship (2017), two Big Ten Tournament finals appearances (2018-19) and three NCAA Tournament berths (2017-19).
• They went 4-1-3 in the Big Ten (15 points), finishing alone in third. It was the program's third consecutive top-three finish.
• After back-to-back defeats to Indiana (1-0, Oct. 13) and Western Michigan (2-1, Oct. 17), U-M was 6-4-3 and No. 36 in the RPI rankings, firmly on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. But then the Wolverines got a season-changing win at Notre Dame on Oct. 22, defeating the Fighting Irish, 1-0, on a penalty kick by Nebojsa Popovic with 90 seconds left, securing the program's first-ever win in South Bend, Indiana. That victory kicked off a seven-match unbeaten run, culminating in the Wolverines earning the No. 13 seed and a first-round bye in the NCAA Tournament.
• Michigan beat in-state rival Michigan State twice in 2019, winning back the Big Bear Trophy for the first time since 2015 in a 2-0 win on Oct. 29 at U-M Soccer Stadium. The two teams faced each other 12 days later in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament, with Michigan rallying for a 2-1 win.
• For the second consecutive year, Michigan fielded one of the nation's best defenses. In the 20 matches between their season opener (a 4-3 loss to Florida Gulf Coast) and its last match (a 3-1 loss to Wake Forest in the NCAA Tournament Sweet 16), U-M conceded only 11 goals. The Wolverines set program records for lowest goals-against average in a single season (0.79) and shutouts (11), and tied the program record for fewest goals conceded (18), matching last year's total. The back line limited opposing offenses to just 7.8 shots per match and 3.0 shots-on-goal per match.
• U-M scored 32 goals this season, reaching the 30-goal milestone for the third consecutive year (2017: 32; 2018: 36). With 104 points, the 2019 team is the sixth team in school history to reach 100 points in a season. Additionally, Michigan had 40 assists this season, the fourth-highest total in school history and most since 2010 (49).
• This season, 15 players recorded at least one point and nine players recorded at least one goal. The Wolverines were a second-half team, scoring 22 of its 32 goals after halftime.
• U-M went 7-3-3 at U-M Soccer Stadium this season. In the last three years, the Wolverines are 24-9-6 at home.
Individual Highlights
• Senior Jack Hallahan (Redditch, England) capped off his Michigan career with another spectacular season, tabulating 16 points on five goals and six assists. He picked up plenty of accolades, becoming the first man in program history to earn All-Big Ten (first team) honors in three consecutive seasons. Hallahan also was a United Soccer Coaches All-North Region (first team) pick, as well as the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Tournament. Undoubtedly one of the best players in program history, Hallahan ended his Michigan career ranked second in points (73), third in goals (26), tied of third in assists (21) and tied for eighth in minutes played (6,269). He was selected in the second round (50th overall) by LAFC in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft.
• Nebojsa Popovic (Rochester Hills, Mich.) only had one year with Michigan after transferring in as a graduate student, but he made it count, winning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors. He started all 22 matches, leading the Big Ten in goals (10) and points (24), while also tacking on four assists. A three-year starter at Oakland University from 2016-18, Popovic imprinted his name in the Michigan record book, becoming the seventh man in program history to score 10 goals or more goals in a season.
• Michigan was rock solid between the pipes this season. Senior Andrew Verdi (Ivyland, Pa.) started the first 15 matches, posting a 0.78 GAA (including seven shutouts) and making 32 saves. He was having a career year until suffering an injury in overtime against Wisconsin on Oct. 25, a setback that ultimately kept him out the rest of the season. Freshman Owen Finnerty (Walled Lake, Mich.) stepped in and played the rest of the way, going 4-1-2 in his seven starts with a 0.79 GAA (including four shutouts) and making 15 saves. Despite missing the last two Big Ten matches due to his injury, Verdi was named the 2019 Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year and was selected in the third round (65th overall) by D.C. United in the 2020 MLS SuperDraft.
• The breakout performer of the season was sophomore Derick Broche (Novi, Mich.), who missed all of last season recovering from injury. Broche was named to the All-Big Ten Freshman Team as a first-year player, finishing the season second on the team in points (17) and goals (seven). He also had a knack for coming through in clutch situations; he had one game-winning goal (Oct. 9 vs. Detroit Mercy) and scored three other goals that brought Michigan level in matches it was trailing at the time (U-M went 2-0-1 in those matches). Additionally, his three assists came on game-winning goals.
• Junior Jackson Ragen (Seattle, Wash.) built off a stellar sophomore season and became one of the Big Ten's best centerbacks this season. Standing 6-foot-5, Ragen won plenty of balls in the air and was a danger on set pieces. He also had his best season offensively, notching eight points on two goals and four assists. Ragen was an All-Big Ten (first team) and All-North Region (second team) selection.
• Junior Marc Ybarra (Ann Arbor, Mich.), one of the team's three captains along with classmates Joel Harrison and Umar Farouk Osman, was the team's ironman, playing every available minute this season (2,062). As the team's holding midfielder, he played a crucial role in limiting pressure on the defense, consistently shutting down opposing team's attackers and initiating counter-attacks, earning All-Big Ten (second team) and All-North Region (third team) honors for the first time in his career. He continued to serve as a primary option on set pieces, doling out eight assists, doubling his previous career total entering the season. Ybarra also made the decisive PK in a 5-4 shootout win over Wright State in the second round of the NCAA Tournament (Nov. 24).
• Senior Abdou Samake (Montreal, Quebec, Canada) played a vital role in the team's defending, as he was the only member of the back line to start every match. He ranked second on the team in minutes played (2,040), tallying two assists in the attack.
Honors and Awards
Derick
Broche
Jack
Hallahan
Joel
Harrison
Nebojsa
Popovich
Jackson
Ragen
Andrew
Verdi
Marc
Ybarra
Team Awards
Co-MVPs: Jackson Ragen, Marc Ybarra
Young Player of the Year: Derick Broche
Club Man of the Year: Abdou Samake
Unsung Hero: Carlos Tellez
Steve Burns Academic Award: Joel Harrison
Michigan Ultras Award: Jack Hallahan
Big Ten and National Awards
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year: Nebojsa Popovic
Big Ten Goalkeeper of the Year: Andrew Verdi
All-Big Ten (First Team): Jack Hallahan (unanimous), Nebojsa Popovic (unanimous), Andrew Verdi, Jackson Ragen
All-Big Ten (Second Team): Marc Ybarra
All-Big Ten Freshman Team: Derick Broche
Big Ten Tournament Offensive Player of the Tournament: Jack Hallahan
All-Big Ten Tournament Team: Jack Hallahan, Abdou Samake
United Soccer Coaches All-North Region (First Team): Jack Hallahan
United Soccer Coaches All-North Region (Second Team): Jackson Ragen
United Soccer Coaches All-North Region (Third Team): Marc Ybarra
CoSIDA Academic All-America (Second Team): Joel Harrison
CoSIDA Academic All-District (First Team): Joel Harrison, Andrew Verdi
Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Nominee: Kevin Buca
Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week: Nebojsa Popovic (Sept. 24)
Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week: Jackson Ragen (Oct. 8)
Academic All-Big Ten (14)
Derick Broche, So., LSA Undeclared
Kevin Buca, So., Computer Science Engineering
C.Y. Cheng, So. Business Administration
Declan Gaffney, So., LSA Undeclared
Jack Hallahan, Sr., Economics
Joel Harrison, Jr., Computer Science Engineering
Joe Hertgen, Sr., Business Admininstration
Umar Farouk Osman, Jr., Sociology
Jackson Ragen, Jr., Economics
Abdou Samake, Sr., School of Information
Carlos Tellez, Jr., Business Administration
Andrew Verdi, Sr., Business Administration
Marc Ybarra, Jr. Business Administration
Mohammed Zakyi, Jr., Economics
