The Wolverines' résumé was lacking.

The Michigan men's soccer team had lost three of its previous four games and boasted only one win over a ranked opponent this season. If they had any intentions of playing soccer in the postseason, Michigan coaches and players knew they would need to find their identity yesterday afternoon against No. 12 Northwestern.

Well, they found it.

After beating the Wildcats 1-0 in double overtime, redshirt sophomore goalkeeper Chris Blais took off his shirt and sprinted the length of the field to rejoice with his teammates at the U-M Soccer Complex.

“We needed this win, and we need next week’s win,” Blais said. “It was a must-win for all of us if we want to make the NCAA Tournament, so I think that’s where the intensity came from.”

Before yesterday’s upset, the Wolverines (2-3 Big Ten, 9-5-1 overall) had struggled against Big Ten opponents. They tried to beat opposing teams with pretty soccer, pushing up their defenders to sustain long possessions in the attacking half. But this aggressive style left Michigan susceptible to counterattacks and ultimately led to losses at the hands of Penn State, Indiana and Michigan State.

So in yesterday’s game against Northwestern (2-2-1 Big Ten, 9-3-4 overall), Michigan changed its style of play and finally learned how to win ugly.

“I’m kicking myself for not working with the team in that manner earlier, and it’s the way you win in the Big Ten,” Michigan coach Steve Burns said. “So we sat in, absorbed more of their pressure, allowed them more possession instead of being pressed up on them to deny space behind them.”

Behind this new philosophy and a 4-4-2 formation, the Wolverines kept Northwestern’s speedy forwards in check. But Michigan’s offense floundered without help from its outside backs, and the team struggled to generate legitimate scoring opportunities. Neither team controlled the ball for an extended period of time. As a result of Burns’s conservative strategy, the game remained scoreless through 90 minutes of regulation and the first overtime period.

And after 101 minutes of ugly soccer, the Wolverines finally scored an ugly goal. Northwestern goalkeeper Misha Rosenthal made two spectacular saves on consecutive Michigan shots, and a Wildcat defender blocked a third shot from crossing the goal line. Redshirt junior defender Matt Schmitt collected yet another rebound to deliver the game winner for the Wolverines.

Schmitt was sidelined with a hernia early in the season after a summer of heavy lifting. The redshirt junior still battles effects of the injury, but has fought through the pain to contribute to the team. Schmitt scored in each of Michigan’s last two games — his only goals so far this season.

“It’s better late than never,” Schmitt said. “The work in the offseason is starting to pay off for me.”

The Wolverines head to Columbus next weekend to conclude the regular season against the Buckeyes in another pressure-filled contest. A victory would give Michigan a strong case for an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament, but a loss might cripple its chances.

“Overall, it’s a nice point for our team to be,” Burns said. “I think there’s a more of a belief that’s running through the team and that’s important.”