When Michigan's leading goal scorer Mauro Fuzetti limped off the field in the 11th minute of last night's game with a hyperextended knee, the entire Wolverine men's soccer team looked as though it needed treatment. The Wolverines were being outhustled, outplayed and outmatched by a University of Detroit Mercy team that had only notched one win on the season.

Then, in the 56th minute, Fuzetti reentered the game, and the Wolverines were cured. Michigan (5-1) erased a one-goal deficit with a dominant second half to secure a 3-1 victory.

Without Fuzetti to lead the scoring attack in the first period, Michigan’s offense lacked cohesion. Wolverine midfielders relied greatly on long balls while forwards appeared intent on penetrating the defense one-on-one. The Michigan team that had thrived all season on extended possessions and extra passes had disappeared.

“Guys get a little bit nervous, maybe,” senior captain Danny Gray said. “We still have young guys and they’re still becoming accustomed to the Division I game. They get out here, it’s game day under the lights. They want to show off in front of their family and friends. But it’s not like that anymore, it’s not high school anymore.”

As the Wolverines struggled without their offensive leader, Detroit (1-4) took control of the game. The Titans strung passes together beautifully without pressure from lackadaisical Michigan defenders. Detroit midfielder Pat Lepera scored on a volley in the 28th minute, and the Wolverines trailed 1-0 at halftime.

With Fuzetti still on the bench at the start of the second period, it was more of the same for the Wolverines. But when the forward did return, his presence was felt immediately. In Michigan’s next offensive sequence, Junior defender Adam Keller threw a long pass into the attacking box where the ball was deflected towards Fuzetti. The star forward met the ball in the air with his left foot and blasted it into the net to equalize the score at one.

“He could have started (the second half), but once the energy and adrenaline kind of comes out of the game, you can put a player like Mauro Fuzetti in, and he can really have an impact,” Michigan coach Steve Burns said.

His impact resonated with the Wolverines through the remainder of the second half. They outshot Detroit 9-5 in the period and quickly thwarted any hope of a Titans' comeback. Freshman midfielder Hamoody Saad scored his second goal in two games on a free kick, a shot he bent around Detroit goalkeeper Brandon Waterstradt. Junior defender Jeff Quihano added a late goal for good measure, and the Wolverines were able to rectify the disastrous opening stanza.

“We’re just having a hard time feeling teams out, I guess,” Gray said. “It just takes us so long to get accustomed to the fact that we can beat these teams. I don’t know what the problem is, we just gotta come out with more confidence.”