A group of U-13 soccer players lined the stands yesterday at the U-M Soccer Complex to watch the men’s Michigan soccer team battle Lipscomb University. They stood in awe as Wolverine players flicked passes with their heels and delivered perfectly placed balls across the field. Just minutes after the referee’s game-starting whistle, one youngster smiled and said sarcastically, “I feel bad for Lipscomb.”

Even early in the game, it was obvious that Michigan (4-1) would take no pity on the small school from Nashville, Tenn. The Wolverine offense exploded in the first half, barraging Lipscomb goalkeeper Patrick Walsh with 11 shots en route to a decisive 3-0 victory.

“We were trying to put a complete game together and we came closer,” Michigan coach Steve Burns said. “There’s an energy level that has to be sustained, particularly when we’ve got a good bench with some depth.”

Senior forward Mauro Fuzetti displayed his trademark nifty footwork again yesterday, once sending a Bison defender to the ground as the player's knees buckled beneath him. On a breakaway early in the first half, Fuzetti buried his team-leading sixth goal of the season to give the Wolverines an early 1-0 advantage. Michigan continued to overwhelm Lipscomb with quality scoring opportunities but failed to convert again until the 25th minute.

On a free kick from 18 yards out, freshman midfielder Hamoody Saad rocketed a ball off the crossbar and into the goal to extend the Wolverines’ lead. The early two-goal advantage allowed Burns to actively substitute inexperienced players for the remainder of the first half.

“The younger guys did great,” senior captain Danny Gray said. “Myself personally, I struggled a little bit today. A couple of the older guys, we’ve got a lot of minutes on our legs, so it was nice to see the young guys come in and make an impact.”

Early in the second half, Michigan’s defense was finally tested. Lipscomb (2-2-1) aggressively invaded Michigan’s box and delivered 12 shots in the period, two of which deflected off the post, but the Wolverines preserved their shutout with timely tackles and tight man-to-man defense.

“I wish we didn’t bend quite as much as we did today, but it was nice to see that we were getting those tackles,” Gray said. “And at the end of the game, there was a zero on the scoreboard. The shutout it is something we take pride in.”

Junior defender Adam Keller put the game out of reach in the 73rd minute. Saad delivered a perfect ball to the near post and Keller volleyed in the final goal to deflate Lipscomb’s comeback hopes.

Despite the lopsided final score, the Wolverines still executed poorly on odd-man advantages and missed numerous easy chances inside the box. While such errors may be costly against more formidable opponents later in the season, Michigan overcame its mistakes against the Bison.