Michigan
Maryland
Michigan to Open Big Ten Conference Slate at No. 8-Ranked Maryland
9/15/2021 4:08:00 PM | Men's Soccer
» Michigan is 3-2-1 overall on the season after winning its most recent match over Chicago State on Monday.
» U-M is 4-4-2 all-time against Maryland and has emerged victorious in its last two trips to College Park.
» Michigan is 3-2-0 in the Chaka Daley era on the road against the Terrapins.
THIS WEEK
Friday, Sept. 17 -- at #8Â Maryland (College Park, Md.), 6:30 p.m.
TV: B1G Network | Live Stats | Live Video
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ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's soccer team opens the 2021 Big Ten Conference season when it travels to College Park to take on No. 8-ranked Maryland on Friday (Sept. 17) for a 6:30 p.m. match at Ludwig Field. The contest will be broadcast live on B1G Network.
Wolverine Bites
• The Wolverines are 59-62-20 all-time in Big Ten Conference play and are looking for their first league title since 2017. In U-M's shortened conference-only 2020-21 season, it was 6-4-1 and advanced to the Big Ten Tournament semifinal game.
• Under head coach Chaka Daley, Michigan is 3-3-3 in Big Ten openers and 2-2-2 in conference openers on the road.
• Bryce Blevins leads Michigan with 12 shots, seven of which have been on goal this season, and has one assist. Uriel Zeitz, the 2019 Ivy League Rookie of the Year from Columbia, ranks second on the team with 10 shots, while Evan Rasmussen has taken six shots, three of which have been on goal.
• Michigan has allowed just seven shots per game and cut a powerful No. 12 New Hampshire team's shot ratio nearly in half in its 1-0 loss.
• U-M's backline has a new look this season with freshman Jason Bucknor and Ryan Schultz cracking the starting lineup in place of an injured Joel Harrison, while Austin Swiech continues to be a staple at centerback and a leader for the Maize and Blue.
• Junior Owen Finnerty and freshman Hayden Evans have split time between the pipes this season, each earning three starts. Finnerty picked up his first win of the season against Chicago State and has a team-high eight saves, tying his career-best five saves against No. 24 Duke on Sept. 2. Evans has earned two wins net this season and made a career-best four saves against No. 12 New Hampshire.
• Both keepers have given up three goals each and carry a 0.93 goals-against average into the conference season.
Opponent Preview
Maryland
Michigan leads the all-time series 4-4-2
Michigan is 3-2-0 all-time on the road against the Terrapins, and U-M has defeated a top-20 ranked Maryland team on three occasions in College Park. The Wolverines earned a 4-2 victory in their last outing (Nov. 3, 2019) over then-No. 17 Maryland.
This season, No. 8Â Maryland is 4-1-0 with its lone defeat coming against No. 1 Georgetown on Saturday (Sept. 11). The Terrapins have scored nine goals this season and have posted two shutout victories. Offensively, Ben Blender has scored a team-best two goals and adds one assist, while Chris Rindov and Jacen Russell-Rowe each have two assists. In goal, Jamie Lowell and Niklas Neumann have split time, but it has been Lowell who has produced both shutout wins and carries a team-best 0.33 goals-against average in three outings.
Up Next
Tuesday, Sept. 21 -- vs. Notre Dame (U-M Soccer Stadium), 7 p.m.
