Michigan
4-5-7, 2-1-5
Northwestern
10-3-3, 4-3-1
Michigan Shuts Out Northwestern in Regular-Season Finale
10/29/2023 2:59:00 PM | Men's Soccer
» Michigan scored twice in the opening half to take momentum early.
» Michigan recorded its fifth shutout of the season.
» Northwestern was seeking an outright regular-season championship.
ANN ARBOR, Mich. -- The University of Michigan men's soccer team used a pair of first-half goals en route to a 3-0 victory over Northwestern on Sunday (Oct. 29) at U-M Soccer Stadium.
Playing with a chance at clinching the outright Big Ten championship, Northwestern instead ran into a determined Michigan team that took momentum early and used a stout second-half defense that recorded its fifth shutout of the season.
An impressive first half saw the Wolverines stake themselves to a 2-0 halftime lead.
After settling in over the game's first seven minutes, Riley Ferch demonstrated U-M's intent when the graduate student stole a ball in the midfield, nutmegged a Wildcats defender and blasted a shot just over the crossbar.
Northwestern would not be so lucky for long as Ferch got on the board in the 16th minute. Following sustained U-M possession in the final third, Jason Bucknor sent in a curling cross from the right wing, finding Ferch one-on-one in front of the NU goal. Ferch deked the defender to the near post before backpedaling to find himself alone on the receiving end of Bucknor's pass. Ferch's header was true, putting Michigan on top early.
U-M kept up the pressure, testing the Northwestern defense's left side in the 27th minute. Moshtaba Al-Hasnawi took a throw-in just outside the top-left of the box, corralling a bounding ball and drop-stepped to keep an NU defender tight on his left shoulder before ripping a low, hard shot with his right foot. The ball was destined for the far-right corner despite catching a slight deflection on a desperate stab by the Wildcats' Collin McCamy and keeper Jackson Weyman and gave Michigan a 2-0 advatage.
Michigan had two more prime chances in the opening half, while an offside effort created Northwestern's best chance as U-M enjoyed a 5-4 edge in shots.
Facing a desperate challenge, Northwestern sustained possession in Michigan's final third to start the second half. The Wildcats managed five corner kicks in the first 20 minutes of the final half, but U-M avoided any true scoring threats.
The Wildcats managed two more corners in the half, but a stout Michigan defense answered every call. Then, in the 83rd minute, Jonathan Nabaka controlled a ball in Michigan's final third and cleared a long pass up the right side. Duilio Herrera was at full speed and chased it down, beating an NU defender with speed and angle before carrying the ball along the end line and feeding a pass to a wide-open Alex Waggoner in front of the net. He calmly back-heeled the ball over the line for his fifth goal of the season and the game's final margin.
Isaiah Goldson made five saves for his fourth shutout and U-M's fifth clean sheet of the season.
Michigan earned the No. 5 seed in the Big Ten Tournament and will take on No. 4-seed Northwestern Friday (Nov. 3) in Evanston, Ill.
Team Stats
Riley Ferch (2)
Assisted By: Jason Bucknor
GOAL by MICH Ferch, Riley Assist by Bucknor, Jason.
15:55
Moshtaba Al-Hasnawi (2)
GOAL by MICH Al-Hasnawi, Moshtaba.
27:00
Alex Waggoner (5)
Assisted By: Duilio Herrera
GOAL by MICH Waggoner, Alex Assist by Herrera, Duilio.
83:41
