Bend, don’t break.
That was the mantra for the Michigan men’s soccer team’s defense against Northwestern on Sunday, with the Wolverines fighting off a barrage of 11 Wildcats’ corner kicks to keep Northwestern scoreless.
Eight minutes into the second half, the Wildcats attempted two consecutive corner kicks that could have each cut their deficit to one, but the Wolverines’ stout defense prevailed.
The first corner, a line drive fired into the penalty box, found the head of a Michigan defender and was sent out of bounds, giving Northwestern another corner kick and opportunity to score. On the second opportunity, freshman goalkeeper Isaiah Goldson took care of it himself. He lept and deflected the ball into the front of the penalty box, where a Wolverine took possession and cleared the ball out of the Wildcats’ offensive zone.
Entering Sunday’s matchup, Northwestern had attempted no more than six corner kicks in a Big Ten game. That six corner kick mark was in a win over Ohio State that boasted a season-high four goals. Fighting off Northwestern’s new season-high 11 corner kicks, the Wolverines — who hadn’t allowed more than nine corner kicks in a game until Sunday — relied on stellar defense and goalkeeping to keep the Wildcats scoreless and prevent them from earning a share of the Big Ten regular season championship.
Goldson, who earned his fourth shutout of the season against Northwestern, is continuing to grow into his role as the anchor of Michigan’s defense. In addition to stifling the Wildcats’ corner kicks, leaping into the air and grabbing or deflecting corners on numerous occasions, Goldson finished the game with five saves, his second-best mark of the year.
“(Isaiah has) been an anchor for us and (has) helped us build within the team,” Michigan coach Chaka Daley said. “(He’s) given us good composure and more importantly, organizing the guys in the back.”
While Goldson serves as the final line of defense for the Wolverines’, their back line was instrumental in keeping Northwestern off the board through the flurry of corner kicks.
In particular, sophomore centerback Nolan Miller stifled several potential Wildcats’ scoring opportunities with timely clears and headers. Just a few minutes into the game, Miller headed a Northwestern corner kick — appearing to be sailing toward the goal — out of Michigan’s defensive zone, saving the Wolverines from suffering an early deficit.
“(Miller and sophomore defender Will Baker) fought for their life,” Daley said. “I think they did a really good job in competing for big balls … and just making it not easy (for Northwestern).”
Goals from graduate defender Moshtaba Al-Hasnawi, graduate midfielder Riley Ferch and freshman forward Alex Waggoner proved more than enough for Michigan to beat the Wildcats. But it was the Wolverines’ defensive effort — particularly against Northwestern’s corner kicks — that prevented the Wildcats from both taking an early lead and shrinking Michigan’s lead later in the game.
Entering the Wolverines’ rematch with Northwestern in the first round of the Big Ten tournament, their defense can lead them to postseason success even when not playing its best. On Sunday, they showed that their defense can bend and give up corner kicks.
As long as it doesn’t break.
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