Breaking down the men’s soccer roster 

Despite a dismal 4-11-4 record, 

it wouldn’t be entirely accurate 
to call the Michigan men’s soccer 
team’s 2016 season a complete 
disappointment. 
Teams 
that 

rely on underclassmen as four 
of their top five playmakers, as 
the Wolverines did last season, 
tend to experience growing 
pains. That was certainly true 
for Michigan, as the Wolverines 
scored just 22 goals in 19 
matches last season and shot 
.081 compared to .102 for their 
opponents.

However, Michigan showed 

flashes 
at 
times, 
especially 

towards the end of the season 
— in their last four matches, 
the Wolverines averaged 2.75 
goals, defeated No. 9 Rutgers 
and battled No. 1 Maryland to 
two 
double-overtime 
losses. 

Meanwhile, coach Chaka Daley 
was able to land the No. 8 
recruiting class in the country 
according to TopDrawerSoccer.
com — a class that includes 
midfielder Umar Farouk Osman, 
the Gatorade National Player of 
the Year.

With Michigan kicking off 

preseason training Wednesday, 
and its first exhibition game 
against Wisconsin-Green Bay 10 
days away, the Daily previews 
the Wolverines’ 2017 roster.

Goalkeepers
Replacing Evan Louro will 

undoubtedly 
be 
Michigan’s 

biggest task going into the 
season. Louro, who tallied 68 
saves as a junior, was a rock 
in goal for the Wolverines 
throughout his career, making 
44 starts in three seasons and 
finishing 
with 
the 
second-

best 
goals-allowed-per-game 

average in program history. His 
decision to sign with MLS’s New 
York Red Bulls leaves a hole that 
won’t be filled easily.

Andrew Verdi, who redshirted 

as a freshman last season, could 
get the first shot at doing so. 
Verdi and Louro share a number 
of similarities: Both were part of 
MLS youth academies — Louro 
with the Red Bulls and Verdi 
with the Philadelphia Union — 
and both have national team 
experience — Louro competed 
with the United States U20 
National 
Team 
while 
Verdi 

was a member of the U.S. U18 

squad. While Verdi is short on 
experience, his talent could 
propel him into an immediate 
starting role.

The Wolverines have three 

other 
goalkeepers 
on 
their 

roster. Fifth-year senior Grant 
Mattia was the third-stringer 
last season, playing in one 
contest after not appearing in 
either of the last two seasons. 
Michigan 
also 
adds 
two 

freshmen netminders: Weston, 
Fla. product Henry Mashburn 
and 
Michigan 
native 
Jacob 

Nunner.

Defenders
The Wolverines are losing 

three 
defenders 
from 
last 

season: Lars Eckenrode, Andre 
Morris and Rylee Woods, who 
were three of Michigan’s top 
four 
defenders 
in 
minutes 

played 
last 
season. 
Morris 

and 
Eckenrode 
provided 

experience and leadership at 
centerback, 
while 
Michigan 

will miss Woods’ versatility and 
playmaking ability on the flank, 
where he tallied a team-leading 
six assists last season.

Left and right back should 

be in strong hands with junior 
Marcello Borges and senior Billy 
Stevens, respectively. Borges, 
who moved from left wing to the 
back four midway through the 
season, tied for third in assists 
with three, while Stevens has 
started 53 games over the last 
three seasons. 

Peter Brown, who started 11 

games last year, is likely to fill 
one of the vacancies at central 
defender. Other candidates to 
see time include sophomore 
Abdou Samake and junior Daniel 
Mukuna, who should provide 
good 
size 
and 
physicality. 

Mukuna, a mid-year transfer 
from Campbell, was named to 
the All-Big South Second Team 
as a sophomore.

The Wolverines add three 

freshmen to the mix in Nash 
Pirie (Barrington, Ill.), Joel 
Harrison (Langley, B.C.) and 
Jackson Ragen (Seattle, Wash.). 
Versatility is a hallmark of 
the group — Ragen, a skilled 
passer according to Daley, can 
play both centerback and the 
No. 6 midfield position, as can 
Harrison. Pirie has a reputation 
as 
an 
athletic, 
dangerous 

attacker at fullback.

Midfielders
Michigan 
comes 
into 
the 

season 
with 
a 
wealth 
of 

midfielders, 12 in all. Central 
midfielder Tyler Anderson and 
Brett Nason, the Wolverines’ 
main holding midfielder, are the 
main losses in this group.

Michigan will look for strong 

production from Ivo Cerda, 
who was named a team captain 
this season. The junior central 
midfielder scored two goals and 
added two assists last season, 
tying for fifth on the team in 
points scored.

Junior 
Robbie 
Mertz 

appeared 
to 
find 
a 
home 

as 
a 
playmaking, 
attacking 

midfielder last season. Mertz 
provided four goals and chipped 
in three assists as a sophomore, 
and will be responsible for 
connecting 
the 
Wolverines’ 

forwards, 
keeping 
them 

engaged and providing them 
with scoring opportunities.

Michigan’s recruiting class 

includes Austin Swietch, who 
Daley has described as being 
able to play holding midfield 
and attacking midfield equally 
effectively, 
Carlos 
Tellez, 

a 
hard-working 
central 

midfielder, and Marc Ybarra, 
who 
Daley 
believes 
could 

become a “top-class holding 
midfielder.” Osman, however, is 
the biggest name of the group, 
and with good reason.

As a senior in high school, 

Osman contributed to 28 of 
his team’s 30 goals, scoring 
63 goals and adding 45 assists 
in 
all. 
Osman 
joins 
fellow 

Ghanaians Francis Atuahene and 
Mohammed Zakyi on Michigan’s 
roster, and will once again team 
up with Atuahene after they 
played together at the Hotchkiss 
School in Connecticut. Despite 
his youth, his speed, skill and 
versatility should allow him 
to 
contribute 
anywhere 
and 

possibly have the game-changing 
impact 
Atuahene 
had 
as 
a 

freshman.

Forwards
The names to know here are 

Atuahene and sophomore Jack 
Hallahan, who were first and 
second, 
respectively, 
in 
goals 

for the Wolverines last season. 
Hallahan, a member of Ireland’s 
U18 and U19 national teams, 
impacted games last season with 
his pace and skill on the wing.

and talented, but inexperi-

enced — applies to its linebacking 
corps as much as anywhere, and 
McCray has asserted himself as a 
necessary veteran voice for that 
group.

“Last year he was kind of feel-

ing it out early, started gain-
ing confidence and became a 
tremendous football player for 
us,” Partridge said. “This year 
he’s coming in having that back-
ground and he’s able to impose 
himself on the other guys and on 
the young guys.”

The impact of McCray’s new 

role as an elder statesmen was 
visible even in the spring. Sopho-
more Devin Bush Jr. was imme-
diately slotted in as McCray’s 
backup at the WILL linebacker 
position last season, and made 
a big impact in the Wolverines’ 
spring game, tallying two sacks.

So far during camp, Bush has 

mostly played at the MIKE posi-
tion vacated by Ben Gedeon from 
last season, and after a year learn-
ing the ropes from veterans such 
as McCray, he appears primed for 
a breakout in the middle of Mich-
igan’s defense with his increased 
maturity and physical develop-
ment.

“Athletically, he’s a guy who 

works just as hard off the field 
as on the field, really enjoys the 
game and all aspects of it,” Par-
tridge said. “His ceiling’s high 
and he keeps getting better and 
better. Obviously a very savvy 
football player from his back-
ground from his father playing 

and everything like that, so we’re 
excited about what he’s going to 
be able to do.” 

Perhaps the biggest hole in 

the Wolverines’ linebacker unit, 
however, comes at the VIPER 
position once home to the do-
everything 
Jabrill 
Peppers. 

While the competition to win the 
starting job is far from over, soph-
omore Khaleke Hudson appeared 
to have the upper hand after an 
impressive spring.

“(He’s a) guy that just loves 

contact,” Partridge said. “People 
feed off of that too. He’s becom-
ing very well-rounded as a player, 
so he’s going to be enjoyable to 
watch.”

Hudson might be the most 

natural replacement for Peppers 
on Michigan’s roster — in fact, 
both were recruited as defensive 
backs before switching to the 
hybrid linebacker-safety position. 
Described as a “hammerhead” by 
Partridge, Hudson’s athleticism 
and explosiveness should provide 
a key dimension for the Wolver-
ines and emulate to some extent 
what Peppers was able to bring 
last season, as he works to become 
a more skilled player instead of 
relying solely on aggression.

“You’re never going to tell 

Coach Brown that you don’t want 
someone to run full speed into 
things,” Partridge said. “That’s 
a small part of it, but he’s gonna 
round out his game just like any-
one always would. Coach Brown 
will never say take away that phys-
icality, but you learn how to play 
with that physicality.”

JACOB SHAMES

Summer Managing Sports Editor

ELIZABETH XIONG/Daily

Francis Atuahene is the centerpiece of a youthful Michigan men’s soccer team.

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