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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.”

