10 Thursday, July 2, 2015 The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com SPORTS Louro back as starting goalie By RILEY NELSON Daily Sports Writer Even at 7 a.m. on a Wednesday morning in June, you can find sophomore goalie Evan Louro training, pushing himself to get better. Such is life for one of the nation’s best goalkeepers. The South River, New Jer- sey native was a member of a US National Team from 2009-2013 and is a product of the Red Bulls Academy, the development team for the Major League Soccer’s New York Red Bulls. TopDrawerSoccer.com ranks Louro as the second-best goal- keeper and 22nd overall player in the nation. He attended Saint John Vianney, and, as a top recruit, had a tough decision to make com- ing out of high school. In addition to being heav- ily recruited by colleges, he was pursued by teams overseas. “I had a couple of offers in England and a few in Germany,” Louro said. “I thought ultimately the best thing for me was to go to Michigan, because as soon as I went on my visit I loved it. I loved the campus, facilities. The coaches made me feel really welcome and the play- ers as well … they all welcomed me with open arms.” A huge part of that deci- sion was former Michigan goalie Adam Grinwis, who was enter- ing his senior season as Louro was starting. “With Adam, he was there for four years, so he understands the game really well,” Louro said. “I think just spending time with him in the last year really helped me because … I don’t think I was ready for the college game and the understanding of all the tac- tics and how differently you have to play, so I think he really helped me develop my understanding of college soccer.” Last season, Louro played in 10 matches, starting in eight all non- conference games, and recorded a team-high 28 saves. At the end of the season he had a .718 save per- centage — compared to Grinwis’ .684 — and a 1.28 goals against average. Grinwis graduated and recent- ly inked a contract with the New England Revolution affiliate Rochester Rhinos, which means it’s Louro’s turn to take the start- ing position in net. “I didn’t really know what to expect coming in to college soc- cer,” Louro said. “I’ve heard from people that it’s a lot different than playing in the academy or playing for the national team and stuff like that. But (those experiences) helped me a lot and I’m ready.” What’s next for this top- ranked keeper? Helping bring a championship home to Ann Arbor, and he’s willing to stick around to see those results. “I hope to bring a trophy to the University of Michigan, whether it’s the Big Ten or the National Championship – hopefully both,” Louro said. “Try to win as much as possible – Michigan’s already relevant, but put it on that next level of an elite program. It could be four years, that would be great, however long it takes.” You can see Louro and the rest of the men’s soccer squad take the field at their home opener on Sep- tember 4 against West Virginia. JAMES COLLER/Daily Sophomore goaltender Evan Louro will take over the starting netminder job after entering as a prized recruit last summer. By CHLOE AUBUCHON Daily Sports Editor Harbaugh being Harbaugh Michigan football coach Jim Harbaugh has turned heads for more than just his Twitter account over the past few days. On Tuesday night, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch at Comerica Park in his signature khakis and a Tigers jer- sey. In typical Harbaugh fashion, the pitch was less ceremonial and more competitive, as he asked if anyone clocked the pitch’s speed after he left the field. The following morning, Har- baugh stumbled through less than six minutes of an interview with ESPN Radio’s Colin Cowherd before the interview was cut off, with Cowherd calling it “a clunk- er.” After several bland answers from the coach, Cowherd insisted that though he was trying to help Harbaugh sell the Michigan pro- gram, the interview was “just not working.” Harbaugh later responded on Twitter: “In my experience of par- ticipating in interviews, I’ve found it takes 2 to produce a clunker! I’ll take 50% responsibility 4 this clunker.” Wolverines on the Move Various former Wolverines in the NHL and the NBA have been traded in the past few days. Swed- ish forward Carl Hagelin, who played at Michigan from 2007- 2011, was traded Saturday from the cap-constrained New York Rangers to the Anaheim Ducks as a pending restricted free agent. On Friday, the Buffalo Sabres traded Michigan rising junior for- ward JT Compher’s rights to the Colorado Avalanche at the 2015 NHL Entry Draft. Originally draft- ed by the Sabres in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft, Compher will return to Michigan for his junior season as the Wolverines’ new captain, a title vacated when Andrew Copp decided to forgo his senior year of eligibility and sign a professional contract with the Winnipeg Jets. In the NBA, former Wolverine Tim Hardaway Junior was traded from the New York Nicks to the Atlanta Hawks on Draft night last Thursday. Hardaway, who played for Michigan from 2010-2013, was drafted at No. 24 by the Knicks in 2013, but failed to perform up to the standards of Knicks president Phil Jackson, who made critical remarks about the guard Friday. WOLVERINE BITES BY THE NUMBERS Evan Louro and Michigan soccer 22 National overall ranking for Louro before arriving at Michigan in 2014 8 Starts last season as a freshman 1.28 Louro’s goals-against average last year 18 Returning Wolverines, out of 25 “I don’t think I was ready.”