The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
September 4, 2012 - 5B
Wolverines knocked off
twice in California trip
Daley, Michigan split first
homestand of 2012 season
By ALEJANDRO ZUNIGA
For theDaily
Michigan led No. 11 Long
Beach State 1-0 with about five
minutes to play in Sunday's
game, but the 49ers scored two
goals after the 85th minute to
steal the-game from the Wolver-
ines.
The MICHIGAN 0
Michigan CAL STATE N. 1
women's
soccer MICHIGAN 1
team lost LONG BEACH 2
2-1 at No.
11 Long Beach State on Sunday
night, spoiling the performance
of goalie Haley Kopmeyer, as she
moved into first place on Michi-
gan's all-time save list. She made
four saves and now has 323 in
her career, surpassing Megan
Tuura's mark of 322. Michigan
coach Greg Ryan had noth-
ing but praise for the fifth-year
senior.
"Haley's been a rock for us,
and tonight was no different,"
Ryan said. "She really kept us in
it."
Kopmeyer's performance,
plus a strong effort from the
Wolverine back line, couldn't
contain the 49ers. In the 87th
minute, Nadia Link buried a
penalty kick for Long Beach
State. Just three minutes later,
in the final moments of the
match, Kelsey Wilson curled in a
free kick from 20 yards out. The
senior's goal was the last play of
the game, and the supporters at
George Allen Field erupted in
celebration of the dramatic vic-
tory.
Though he said he was disap-
pointed with the loss, Ryan com-
mended his players.
"I was very proud of the team
effort," Ryan said. "We were
very unfortunate not to win, but
sometimes those things hap-
pen."
The Michigan coach added
that "six to eight" players had
Wolverines
drop stunner to
Cleveland State at
home on Sunday
By MICHAEL LAURILA
Daily Sports Writer
What looked like it would be
a down-to-the wire nail biter,
turned into a Cleveland State
drubbing of the Michigan men's
soccer
team. VERMONT 0
Though MICHIGAN 3
Cleveland
State won CLEVE. STATE 3
3-0 on an MICHIGAN 0
overcast
Sunday afternoon at the Michi-
gan Soccer Stadium, senior
defensemen Brian Klemczak
and Kofi Opare anchored a
mostly-solid defensive effort by
the Wolverines.
In the first half, they con-
trolled the center of the field and
did a good job maintaining pos-
session.
But the Vikings had more
chances offensively than Michi-
gan, in part because of the Wol-
verines were unable to possess
the ball on offense.
"We were poor defensively all
around," Michigan coach Chaka
Daley said. "We were poor in
the first half defensively, we
were just fortunate. We tried to
acknowledge that at halftime
and tidy some things up, but
it just went from bad to worse
unfortunately."
But the defensive effort
wasn't enough to get the offense
going in the first half.
Though Michigan dominated
the time of possession in the
first half, the Wolverines tallied
just seven shots compared to the
Vikings' six.
Even so, the only important
statistic that Michigan didn't Grinwis never had a chance
control was the score - dead- to stop it, as the shot was from
locked at zero by the halftime point-blank range.
whistle. "We seemed to lose a little bit
The Wolverine's best scor- of energy and our determination
ing opportunity in the first half (in the second half)," Klemczak
came during the 16th minute said. "We lost a little bit of fight.
from junior midfielder Fabio When we needed to win our
Pereira. individual battles we didn't."
After receiving a crossing Following the goal, Cleveland
pass, Pereira had a point-blank State assumed all of the momen-
look while sliding to reach the tum and kept it for the remain-
ball with his foot, but Viking der of the half, out-shooting the
senior goalie Brad Stuver Wolverines 10-5 for a final count
charged, cutting the angle, and of 16-12 on the game.
made the stop. After anoticeable miscommu-
When Daley went to the bench nication and the Vikings second
late in the first half, it appeared goal, the Michigan defense was
he was attempting to give the in tatters.
They looked confused and
frustrated with each other and
the situation.
"It just It didn't help that two min-
utes later, Cleveland State
went from scored another easy goal mak-
ing it 3-0 and out of reach for the
bad to worse, Wolverines.
Though the final score was
unfortunately. 3-0, the firstgoal was the differ-
ence - breaking the tie.
"It is very frustrating to see
goals like that go in," Klemczak
Wolverines an extra push offen- said. "But we need to respond
sively. better than we did and we need
With 14:30 he subbed in junior to have better leadership coming
forward Malcolm Miller and from everybody."
junior midfielder Ezekiel Harris. Michigan will be back in
Five minutes later, Daley would action on Sunday Sept. 9 when it
go to the bench again with fresh- takes on Northeastern at home.
man midfielder Jason Stacy. This game will be the final
Cleveland State also went to game of the Wolverines' current
the bench in the first and second three-game home stand, and
half and got the type of produc- they'll be looking to get back on
tion Michigan couldn't find from track after the loss to Cleveland
its reserves. State.
Just three minutes into the "As a result (of today) we'll
second half the Vikings scored have to go back to the drawing
on a goal from freshman for- board and get back to work,"
ward Alfonso Sandoval. Daley said. "Tomorrow is a new
Following a rebound, Klemc- day."
zak tripped and ended up on the Michigan is off to a 1-2 start
ground, allowing Sandoval to after a 2-1 loss to No. S USF on
have a clear shot directly in front Aug. 24, a 3-0 shutout of Ver-
of the goal. mont on Friday and Sunday's 3-0
Redshirt sophomore Adam shutout.
Fifth-year senior keeper Haley Kopmeyer is No.1 in saves in Michigan history.
the stomach flu, and some of the
team spent Saturday.afternoon
on IVs at nursing care centers.
"If you're playing through
the stomach flu, you're a tough
person," Ryan said. "These kids
fought through a lot of obsta-
cles."
Long Beach State took 11
shots in the first half, but it was
the Wolverines who scored the
game's first goal. In the 35th
minute, junior forward Shelby
Chambers-Garcia capitalized on
a mistake by the 49ers' defense.
She gained possession of the
ball in Long Beach State's pen-
alty area, and cooly buried a shot
from 12 yards out for her third
goal of the season.
That lead would last until the
87th minute, when the 49ers'
heroics silenced Michigan's
upset bid.
After the Wolverines scored
late in the first half, they relied
heavily on their defense to pre-
serve the lead, taking only one
shot in the second 45 minutes.
Though the 49ers controlled the
tempo and the ball for most of
the game, Michigan's back line
stepped into passing lanes and
blocked shots, allowing Long
Beach State few open looks. at
goal.. The 49ers took 19 shots,
but only four reached the Wol-
verines' netminder.
The loss capped a disap-
pointing road trip for Michigan,
which fell to Cal State North-
ridge on Thursday night.
The Wolverines began the
season 4-0-0, their best start
since 2002, but have now
dropped two straight.
"Soccer can be a cruel sport,"
Ryan said. "I think this game
will make us a lot stronger and a
lot tougher."
Michigan trounces two opponents, squeaks by Arkansas
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"I like what I see from a lot
higan Challenge of players right now," Michigan
coach Mark Rosen said. "I like
three victories the versatility that we have. I
think it's been exciting progres-
By GREG GARNO sion after these last two weeks."
Daily Sports Editor The Wolverines fell as far
behind as 6-1 in the first set
h like last year, the Michi- before mountingtheir comeback.
leyball team is off to a fast Michigan used a kill from sopho-
Jnlike last year, though, it more outside hitter Lexi Erwin
ues to win with a young to take the lead for the first time,
13-12. Michi-
,h- gan would not
C. MICHIGAN 0]gowol o
ibero CHGAN look back in
y --. the set, lead- I like
s led ing by as many «
Mver ICHIGAN 3 as five before see froi
uring winning.
idas/ ARKANSAS .2 The Wol- of the
an MICHIGAN 3 verines nearly
nge, won the sec- right]
g 30 ond set three
Saturday's two games. times, lead-
Wolverines won the ing 7-3, 13-7,
ment, which was held in 17-4 and 20-17, but Arkansas put
rbor, beating UMBC, 3-0, together a 8-1 run to capture the
rkansas, 3-2, on Satur- set.
ichigan also beat Central Michigan fought back to win
an on Friday. Sophomore the third set, playing a close
Lexi Dannemiller was match from the beginning. Tied
the tournament's most at 17, the Wolverines scored three
le player with 109 assists straight points to pull ahead and
e games. . capped the set with one of junior
higan lost its first set of middle blocker Jennifer Cross'
ekend during the match seven kills.
t Arkansas, winning 25-17, Arkansas fell behind 7-4 in the
25-22, 21-25, 18-16. The fourth set, but went on a 4-0 to
acks entered the weekend take a 14-12 lead. The Wolverines
d won their two games worked back to a 20-18 lead, yet
once more the Razorbacks went
on a run, a 7-1 push to advance to
the last set.
Michigan almost saw the
game slip away in the fifth set,
but the Wolverines tied the game
at seven.
Both Michigan and the Razor-
backs traded points until an
Erwin kill and an attack error by
Arkansas to take the set.
Erwin's strong play to begin
the season continued on Satur-
day, recording-
19 kills and 24
digs.
what I Rosen has
been pleased
m a lot with her per-
formance so
players far as well.
"She's a
now, player with
a whole six-
rotation skill
set," Rosen
said of Erwin. "We brought her
off the floor and I thought our
team didn't play as well. I think
she's kind of the glue that holds
us together."
The Wolverines also took on
a UMBC team for the first time
in program history on Satur-
day afternoon, and will gladly
welcome the Raiders back, after
winning 25-9, 25-16, 26-24.
Tied at two in the first set,
Michigan raced out on a 5-0 run,
highlighted by two back row
kills from freshman outside hit-
ter Kelly Murphy. Both teams
traded points before the Wol-
verines put together a quick 4-0
run capped by freshman middle
blocker Krystalyn Goode's block
and kill.
Michigan ultimately ended on
a 10-0 run, though, after a Cross
block. Cross, who played for the
Canadian national team over the
summer, recorded seven kills
and five blocks in the game.
"I feel a lot more prepared for
the season - mentally and physi-
cally," Cross said of her time
playing for Canada. "I learned a
lot from being around such high-
caliber players over the sum-
mer."
Michigan cruised through the
second game as well, continuing
to rotate freshmen through the
lineup.
"We're trying to find out what
our best combinations are right
now," Rosen said.
"It doesn't have to do with
classes right now, we're tryingto
figure out what our best lineup
is and at this point in the season
we're very much figuring that
out."
Down 2-0, the Wolverines
went on an 8-0 run to reclaim
the lead.
The teams would go back-and-
forth until the Wolverines pulled
away on a 4-0 lead to make the
score 22-13. Michigan capital-
ized on an attack error to claim
the set.
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Sophomore Lexi Dannemiller and Michigan made a clean sweep at Cliff Keen.
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