6A — Thursday, September 22, 2016
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Wolverines’ offensive struggles 
continue in fourth straight loss

With the clock ticking down 

and hopes of its first win of the 
season 
dwindling 
away, 
the 

Michigan 
men’s 
soccer 
team 
was 

desperately seeking a goal, with 
a corner kick in the final minute 
serving as its last chance to find 
an equalizer against Western 
Michigan. The ball flew into a 
crowded box and found the feet 
of sophomore forward Francis 
Atuahene, 
who 
deflected 
it 

toward an open goal. 

But the Wolverines’ first goal 

in more than 300 minutes was not 
meant to be, as the ball deflected 
off the inside of the left post and 
fell harmlessly into the hands 
of the Broncos’ 
goalkeeper Drew 
Shepherd.

“The hardest 

thing to do in 
soccer is score 
goals,” 
said 

Michigan coach 
Chaka Daley.

Right 
now, 

his team knows 
that better than 
anyone.

The loss, which sent the 

Wolverines to 0-5-3 on the season, 
was microcosmic of the season to 
date: close, just not close enough.

“We’ve 
been 
extremely 

unlucky in the past three games to 
hit the crossbar, have a last-ditch 
effort with 20 seconds against 
(Michigan) State and today hit the 
post again,” said senior defender 
Lars Eckenrode. “It’s extremely 
frustrating waiting for (luck) to 
turn in our favor.”

Early 
on, 
the 
Wolverines 

came 
out 
energetically 
and 

opportunistically, managing four 
shots — including several goal-
scoring opportunities — in the 
first seven minutes. 

But Michigan failed to muster 

another shot in the first half 
after that and allowed Western 
Michigan 
to 
become 
more 

comfortable in its possession and 
creativity. Stifling defense and 
physical play by the Broncos sent 
a visibly frustated and offensively 
out-of-sync Michigan team to the 
locker room with its fifth straight 
goalless half.

A 
rejuvenated, 
confident 

Western Michigan team came 
out of halftime with several 
chances before finally breaking 
through with the winner in the 
53rd minute. Midfielder Brandon 
Bye sped past the Michigan 
defense on the right side, finding 
fellow midfielder Diego Lopez in 

the box. Lopez 
calmly 
turned 

and slotted home 
the only goal of 
the 
game 
past 

sprawling junior 
goalkeeper Evan 
Louro.

“We just fell 

asleep 
on 
one 

moment in the 
game,” Eckenrode 
said. “And that’s 

what ended up costing us.”

For the seventh time in its last 

eight games, Michigan outshot its 
opponent, this time by a margin 
of 14-8. Yet for the third game in 
a row, and the fifth time this year, 
it failed to find the back of the net.

With 15 minutes left, Daley 

urged one final push, moving 
toward a three-defender, two-
attacker formation in search of 
that elusive goal. The increased 
attacking presence lacked fluidity 
in the final third, and despite 
scrambling to find seven second-

half corners, struggled to find 
goal-scoring chances until the 
last-ditch effort.

“I told (the team), ‘This is not 

easy,’ ” Daley said. “We’re not 
struggling soccer-wise, we’re not 
stuggling tactically, we’re not 
struggling technically. We have 
a little bit of a struggle going on 
mentally.”

But Daley remains confident 

in his team’s ability to turn 
things around. 

“There’s 
no 
quit 
in 
that 

locker room, there’s no quit 
in that coaching staff,” Daley 
said. “We’re proud people that 
represent Michigan. It’ll hurt 
tonight, but we’ll pick ourselves 
up and continue to work to get 
better and get to the next game.

“We fear no one. I’d be fearful 

if we got going.”
‘M’ stuck in search for elusive win

The Michigan men’s soccer 

team hoped to secure its first win 
of the season against Western 
Michigan on Wednesday night, 
but after another hard-fought 
battle and a 1-0 loss, a win still 
eludes them.

For most Wolverine fans 

who attend the games, the 
losing streak may be confusing. 
Some stats suggest Michigan is 
in the upper echelon of teams 
in the country, but the reality is 
much different.

Michigan (0-3-0 Big Ten, 

0-5-3 overall) is No. 1 in the Big 
Ten and No. 18 in the country in 
shots per game, averaging 16.14. 
It has outshot its opponents 
in seven out of its last eight 
games. 
Unfortunately 
for 

the Wolverines, their attacks 
haven’t translated into goals.

“I’d 
be 
very 
discouraged 

if we weren’t creating any 
chances,” said Michigan coach 
Chaka Daley. “This game could 
have been 3-0 in the first five 
minutes.”

The stats point to a serious 

issue 
with 
the 
number 
of 

chances and lack of goals.

Talent on the team does not 

seem to be the issue. Sophomore 
midfielder 
Francis 
Atuahene 

has 
23 
shots 
this 
season, 

and freshman forward Jack 
Hallahan has 19, and both have 
been standout players. But for 
some 
reason, 

these 
shots 

aren’t 
finding 

the net.

The 

Wolverines have 
a 
young 
front 

line, and their 
inexperience 
may be hurting 
their 
chances. 

And another loss 
in the books may 
be affecting the confidence of 
the team.

Every game has been close 

enough that one goal could 

have switched the momentum 
completely. In the first 30 
seconds of Wednesday’s match, 
Atuahene 
dribbled 
the 
ball 

at the top of the box and sent 
a through ball to sophomore 
midfielder Ivo Cerda, who shot 

it to the far post. 
All the Broncos’ 
goalkeeper 
Drew Shepherd 
could do was get 
a fingertip on it 
to push it away 
from the goal.

An 
early 

goal could have 
been 
exactly 

what Michigan 
needed 
to 

control the game, instead of 
getting stuck in the kick-and-
chase tactic. As soon as the 
Wolverines 
are 
down, 
they 

play some of their best soccer. 
However, they’ll need to come 
out with that fire from the 
beginning if they want to see a 
change in the final results.

“They came out with more 

energy and hunger than we 
did, which kind of caught us by 
surprise,” said senior defender 
Lars Eckenrode. “It’s safe to say 
that’s what got us in the end.”

Daley isn’t counting his team 

out yet, though. Michigan still 
has five Big Ten games to play, 
and he knows that if his team 
can peak at the right moment, it 
might have a chance to turn its 
season around.

“We’re 
proud 
coaches, 

we’re proud student-athletes 
to represent Michigan,” Daley 
said. “It’ll hurt tonight, but 
we’ll pick ourselves up and we’ll 
continue to work to get better.”

W. MICHIGAN
MICHIGAN 

1
0

MAX MARCOVITCH

For the Daily

ELIZABETH XIONG/Daily

Senior defender Lars Eckenrode said Michigan didn’t play with maximum energy from the outset on Wednesday.

ZOEY HOLMSTROM/Daily

Chaka Daley’s team is still seeking its first win after eight games this season.

Michigan outshoots opponent for seventh time in eight 
games, but loses to Western Michigan at home stadium

“We fear no 
one. I’d be 
fearful if we 
got going.”

BY THE NUMBERS

Michigan Men’s Soccer

127

Shots for Michigan through its 
first eight games, exceeding its 

opponents’ total by 19

5

Goals for Michigan in eight games, 
good for a total shot percentage of 

just .039
333

Minutes since Michigan’s last 
goal, in the 47th minute against 

Wisconsin on Sept. 9

2

Goals for Michigan’s leading 
scorer, Francis Atuahene, this 

season

Wolverines move to 0-5-3 after rough fourth straight loss

“They came out 

with more energy 

and hunger than 

we did.”

PAIGE VOEFFRAY

Daily Sports Writer

MEN’S SOCCER

