W Soccer scores in 89th to tie Pitt in 2016-17 Michigan Athletics season opener
Always a wonderful time of year. The summer is over, the offseason is over.
The 2016-17 Michigan Athletics season officially began tonight with the women's soccer team opening their season, as it is every year.
Unlike last year's sacrificial lamb of a season opener against EMU (an 8-1 win), tonight's game was a pretty interesting match up from the outset.
Michigan took on Pitt at home, the women's soccer team being the first Michigan team to compete in Nike since 2008.
Reilly Martin scored the first goal of the year in the 21st minute, on a free kick from 45 yards out that sailed over the head of the Pitt keeper.
Pitt would tie the game in the 33rd minute and scored to take the lead in the 84th.
Last year we lost quite a few games late, and that's what ultimately cost us an NCAA Tournament bid. Tonight, this team refused to lose.
Senior captain Ani Sarkisian re-entered shortly after the Pitt goal, and sure enough, she would tie the game at 2-2. A loose ball after a throw-in gave Michigan the equalizer in the 89th minute.
The Wolverines would pepper the Pitt goalkeeper with shots in the OT periods, but none of them got by her as she made 3 saves.
The game would after 110 minutes in a 2-2, 2OT tie.
Despite losing 3 starters for the season (Sura Yekka is training with the Canadian national team, Kelly Sweeney and Taylor Timko out with injuries), Michigan is still picked to finish 4th in the B1G.
After a 1-1 exhibition tie against #6 West Virginia (who tied #2 PSU tonight) and a 1-0 loss to #4 Virginia, things are looking better than I thought losing those aforementioned players. 75% of the Michigan's goal scoring from last year is back, as well as both goalies that played last year.
Michigan will face Marshall on Sunday at 2pm. Marshall lost to Purdue tonight, 2-1.
(photo @Algreen001)
August 19th, 2016 at 10:42 PM ^
Should they have won? Were they favored??
August 19th, 2016 at 10:50 PM ^
A result I'll take in a season opener against an ACC school, a conference we have struggled against historically.
I'm just glad it was us preventing a Pitt victory instead of the other way around.
Not sure what kind of team Marshall is. They went 15-4-3 last year, literally did not play any power 5 schools, thus, missing out on the NCAA Tournament when they got eliminated in the C-USA Tournament.
We should win that game.
August 19th, 2016 at 10:42 PM ^
Exciting game tonight, and glad they at least got the tie. After hosting Marshall on 8/21, they host Notre Dame on 8/25.
August 19th, 2016 at 10:46 PM ^
The ND game will be on BTN.
August 19th, 2016 at 11:08 PM ^
Michigan is undefeated...in everything this year!
August 20th, 2016 at 10:39 AM ^
Attendance was 606 last night at UM Soccer Stadium. Penn State's attendance for their WVU match last night was 5,791.
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August 20th, 2016 at 1:16 PM ^
cause it's soccer,
August 20th, 2016 at 1:22 PM ^
I was comparing the attendance of two college soccer matches, not comparing the attendance of women's soccer to other college sports.
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