If defense wins championships, having a goalkeeper nicknamed “brick wall” for his physical presence and skill in the net can surely make a team breathe easier.

The 2010 Michigan men’s soccer team (2-1-1) boasts an experienced backfield from the keeper position on out.

Two seniors — Chase Tennant and Jeff Quijano — will hold down the outside positions of the Wolverines’ back line this year. Tennant is two starts away from engraving his name on the top 10 list for career starts at Michigan, and Quijano has been a four-year starter for the team, making experience plentiful between the pair.

Sandwiched between the senior defenders are two sophomores — Kofi Opare and Brian Klemczak —who play in the center of the back line and have fit right in with the veterans around them. Opare and Klemczak each started 10 games for the Wolverines last season and have locked down starting spots thus far this season.

“(Quijano) and I can both help the sophomores a lot,” Tennant said last week. “They’ve really developed immensely as players. Right now, we are practicing (with the defense) like that and we’re doing really well in the back, with (Quijano) and I supporting the two players in the middle.”

While Michigan coach Steve Burns isn’t afraid to experiment with his lineup, especially after losing defensive MVP Julian Robles to graduation last season, the back line of Tennant, Klemczak, Opare and Quijano is the one that he’s featured in each of the Wolverines’ four games this season.

Burns has every reason to be confident in his defenders, as the group has become increasingly familiar with one another’s style and tendencies on the field.

But even players who have a good sense of how their fellow defenders will react to a play know that nothing is guaranteed, especially when facing potent offensive threats like No. 14 Drake and Seattle University. The Michigan back line continues to work on its formations during opponents' set pieces — especially free and corner kicks — as that’s one area Tennant identified as a problem in past seasons.

“In the past we’ve had problems as far as our defensive shape and the way we move," Tennant said. "That’s one of the things we’ve been working on this season is being able to move as a team, and we can cover more ground if we’re all on the same page."

The Wolverine defense has allowed opponents to get 18 shots on redshirt senior goalie Chris Blais this season — the keeper that senior midfielder Alex Wood called a “brick wall.”

With a shutout already under his belt this season — coming in a 2-0 Michigan victory over the University of Illinois-Chicago — Blais now owns seven shutouts in his Wolverine career.

“We expect (Blais) to make big-time saves,” Tennant said. “Throughout his time in the goal, especially last season and now this year, he’s been able to do that.

“He’s really one of those guys that we can depend on if the defense makes a mistake. We have every reason to believe he’ll make a big time save, and he has the confidence to do it.”

Blais has made 15 saves in the net this season, with four goals getting past him. Ranked second in the Big Ten in goals-against average and save percentage last season and third in saves at 67, Blais is a keeper that has proven his ability to shut opposing offenses down.

“Obviously my redshirt year I learned a lot,” Blais said. “Playing with Seattle (over the summer) was a huge help but just gave me experience to know that going into games you’re going to be the one playing.

“Experience is just in playing games, knowing your defenders. I’m pretty used to playing with (Quijano, Opare, Klemzack and Tennant). I know how those guys play. There’s definitely a pretty good comfort level back there as I have been doing that since the start of last year and in to this year.”

Michigan has made Blais its main guy this season, naming the keeper a team captain for his leadership and electric presence from the box.

While Blais embraces the honor that comes with a captain’s title, he is understandably more concerned about winning soccer games. As the only guy who can see the entire field ahead of him, Blais continually makes sure he is vocal enough from the goal to motivate his teammates.