6A — Thursday, September 29, 2016
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

ELIZABETH XIONG/Daily

Junior goalkeeper Evan Louro (left) and senior defender Lars Eckenrode (right, #6) lifted Michigan to its first win of the season in 10 tries against Detroit on Wednesday. Louro delivered his second clean sheet of the season.
Wolverines record first win, snap nine-game winless skid

After overtime losses and missed

chances, flurries of shots and little
to show for it, 10 hard-fought
games
and

a
season’s

worth
of

frustration,
the Michigan men’s soccer team
finally has its first win.

The Wolverines (0-4 Big Ten,

1-6-3 overall) defeated Detroit
on a rainy Wednesday night, 2-0,
to conquer their first win since
Halloween last year.

“It’s been a long time coming,”

said
Michigan
coach
Chaka

Daley. “I think we’ve dominated
the roll of the ball (this season),
dominated the good chances in
the game, dominated possession
in quite a few games. We’re
obviously
pleased
with
the

performance, pleased that we
scored
some
goals,
pleased

that we got a shutout and still
continue the same mantra: one
game at a time.”

The game started off as many

have this season, with Michigan
heavily controlling possession
but lacking the creativity to finish
in the final third. They came into
the game having outshot nine
of their 10 opponents, but tied
for 184th nationally in scoring

offense, averaging just .67 goals
per game.

As the first half progressed,

Michigan began pushing the
tempo and creating more chances,
though it faced the proposition
of heading to the locker room
without a goal for the ninth time
this season.

But with two minutes until

halftime,
sophomore
forward

Francis Atuahene changed that
misfortune when he rose above
his defender and headed the ball
into the right corner. The sense of
relief from players and fans alike
was palpable.

The goal gave Michigan a lead,

but it meant more for the team

mentally, given the offensive
struggles and bad breaks that
have defined the season to date.

“Goals change

games,”
said

Daley.

Added

sophomore
midfielder Robbie
Mertz: “It did feel
different coming
into half with a
one-goal
lead.

It was definitely
a
different

mentality.”

With
a
newfound
energy,

Michigan maintained — even
increased — its possession and

intensity in the beginning of the
second half. In the 49th minute, a
beautiful cross-field through ball

by
sophomore

defender
Peter

Brown landed at
the feet of senior
defender
Rylee

Woods.
Woods

darted past the
right back and had
his shot deflected
toward the feet
of
Mertz,
who

made no mistake
in adding a second

goal to put the game out of reach.

The consistently stout defense

helped the Wolverines cruise

from there toward a clean sheet
and a much-needed 2-0 victory.

Michigan will now try to earn

its second win of the season
on Sunday, when it hosts Penn
State. And despite the adversity
that has plagued the Wolverines
for much of the season, Daley
remains optimistic about the
talent on the team.

“We’re
certainly
exciting,

with some of the young guys —
with (freshman forward) Jack
Hallahan, Robbie Mertz, Francis
Atuahene, (sophomore midfielder)
Ivo Cerda,” Daley said. “They’re
excellent, young, exciting players
who are finding their way. And we
still have half a season to go.”

Atuahene sparks Michigan with goal

Michigan
forward
Francis

Atuahene’s
unyielding
attack

continues.

The sophomore scored a goal

on four shots in Michigan’s
(0-4 Big Ten, 1-6-3 overall)
2-0 victory over Detroit (0-2-1
Horizon, 1-5-3 overall).

Atuahene, the 2015 Big Ten

Rookie of the Year, has been a
fixture in the starting lineup since
joining the Wolverines, starting in
22 of his 25 games played. In those
games, Atuahene has been on the
attack, demonstrating his speed,
aggressiveness and passion.

“I’ve been playing soccer since

I was very little, and that’s what
brings joy to me,” Atuahene said.
“I get excited when I’m on the
field, and I’m passionate about it.”

His jubilance and dominance

have been evident since his
rookie campaign, during which
the Ghana native led Michigan
in goals (10), shots on goal (28)
and total shots (66). His stellar
offensive impact led to him being
awarded the 2015 team MVP.

Atuahene hasn’t slowed down in

his second season. The sophomore
currently ranks first in the Big
Ten, and third in the nation, with
2.29 shot attempts per game prior
to Wenesday night’s game.

And
even
with
defenses

tailoring their game plans to stop
Atuahene, he still leads Michigan
with three goals this season. In an
offense that has been stagnant at
times, one couldn’t tell by watching
Atuahene. He constantly moves
around, looking for openings and
playing with enthusiasm.

Wednesday, that energy was

pivotal for the Wolverines, who
picked up their first win of the
season.
Atuahene’s
constant

pressure paid off in the 43rd
minute of the first half, when he
cut down the right side of the
field and scored a header off of a
corner kick by junior midfielder
Tristan Jacobs. The goal ignited
the Michigan side going into the
second half.

“Scoring a goal just before

halftime really gave the team
a good lift and something to
hang onto,” said Michigan coach
Chaka Daley. “Francis went in
and attacked (the service) and
smashed it in the back of the

goal. I think it was perfectly
constructed from a set-piece
situation.”

Atuahene’s
success
at
the

collegiate level shouldn’t come
as a surprise based upon his
impressive prep career. Atuahene
got his collegiate opportunity
through the Right to Dream
Academy, a program that gives
young African soccer players
better exposure by bringing them
to the United States.

Through
the
program,

Atuahene
was
granted
a

scholarship
to
play
for
The

Hotchkiss School in Connecticut.
There, he performed well enough
to be the second-ranked senior
in the country on College Soccer
News’ player ranking.

Atuahene has made the most

of the Right to Dream program
and is very appreciative of the
opportunity.

“Not everyone gets to play

for the University of Michigan,”
Atuahene said. “Any time I’m on
the field competing for my school
and competing for my team,
I’m very excited and I’m very
energetic. I want to win for my
team and just enjoy the game.”

Atuahene scores late in first half, defense holds Detroit without a shot in second half; ‘M’ earns first victory since Oct. 31, 2015

MAX MARCOVITCH

For the Daily

HUNTER SHARF

For the Daily

DETROIT
MICHIGAN

0
2

ELIZABETH XIONG/Daily

Senior midfielder Brett Nason played all 90 minutes of Michigan’s win against Detroit on Wednesday.

“It did feel

different coming

into half with a

one-goal lead.”