M Soccer beats MSU for the BIG BEAR TROPHY
What a game tonight at U-M Soccer Stadium.
Over 1,500 saw Michigan--near the NCAA Tournament bubble at 39 in the RPI--flat out kick MSU's ass.
Grad transfer and B1G Conference leading scorer Nebojsa Popovic scored both Wolverine goals tonight. Both in the first half, too. He put Michigan up just 10 minutes in on a ball that deflected off of two Spartans and into the net. Popovic put Michigan up 2-0 in the 38th minute and the score held the rest of the way.
Senior goalie Andrew Verdi was out tonight with an injury so true freshman Owen Finnerty got his first career start in the biggest game of the season. Thankfully he didn't have to do too much tonight making 0 saves but facing 6 shots.
Michigan dominated play in this one, outshooting MSU 8-3 in both halves and held a 4-1 advantage in corners opportunities.
Huge win after a disappointing tie last weekend vs Wisconsin.
Michigan is now 8-4-4 (3-1-3 B1G) and will travel to face #17 Maryland on Sunday in the regular season finale.
Oh yeah and one more thing.........
THE BIG BEAR TROPHY IS BACK HOME
October 29th, 2019 at 10:59 PM ^
Big Bear is BACK! #GoBlue pic.twitter.com/vnzAfsMsXZ
— Michigan Men's Soccer (@umichsoccer) October 30, 2019
October 29th, 2019 at 11:07 PM ^
I like Paul Bunyan better.
October 29th, 2019 at 11:21 PM ^
Agreed. That trophy looks like the type of thing your Aunt Estelle puts out on her porch after picking it up from a yard sale.
October 29th, 2019 at 11:38 PM ^
That’s literally what it was.
Michigan’s first coach Steve Burns found the Bear at a flea market in Wolverine, MI. At the time it had one Blue eye and one green eye. Michigan Soccer has only existed since 2000 so the Big Bear Trophy has been up for grabs since the rivalry began in 2000.
October 29th, 2019 at 11:45 PM ^
Coach Burns paid for drums and scarves for the Ultras out of his own pocket, and led the team from birth to the College Cup. DB's mistakes were numerous, but firing Coach Burns was arguably the stupidest.
October 29th, 2019 at 11:48 PM ^
Confession time- I played for coach Burns at Michigan. He was a player’s coach with excellent strategic knowledge, a sharp competitive edge, and a great sense of humor.
October 30th, 2019 at 12:19 PM ^
Nice. Just won a dollar. I bet a friend that you were a soccer guy.
October 30th, 2019 at 3:05 PM ^
Nice! Pre or post varsity? I bet we know a bunch of the same folks (and might’ve scrimmaged against each-other well back in the day).
October 29th, 2019 at 11:55 PM ^
Very sad what happened. He had (naturally) a down year after almost all of the scoring & from the great 2010 College Cup team left (and we STILL beat a top-5 Akron team in 2011) and he’s fired.
October 30th, 2019 at 6:18 AM ^
blau,
aunt estelle called. she heard about this comment. you are disinvited for thanksgiving dinner unless and until you call and apologize. she'll be at the ladies bridge tournament all day today in case you want to take care of that.
October 29th, 2019 at 11:42 PM ^
I fed the Big Bear a beer back in 2010. It was the first year they had a fan following and the team invited the core of the Ultras to their postgame party. Fun times.
Cool story bro aside, great to have the old boy back where he belongs!
October 30th, 2019 at 1:28 AM ^
Hail to the Victors!
That looks like a hefty trophy.
October 30th, 2019 at 8:58 AM ^
No better way to celebrate this accomplishment.
October 30th, 2019 at 9:20 AM ^
It's been about 20 years since I've drank malt liquor, but just looking at that gives me a headache
October 30th, 2019 at 10:37 AM ^
Now craft brews have a higher alcohol content than the Colt 45 malt liquor I drank at UM in the 70s.
October 30th, 2019 at 11:44 AM ^
As a homebrewer I've always been tempted to make a malt liquor, but I ain't spending no damn ten weeks lagering some crooked I. The closest I've come is cream ale (Little Kings), which was very enjoyable this past summer.
October 30th, 2019 at 12:22 PM ^
BIG BEAR
BIG BEAR CHASE ME!
October 30th, 2019 at 5:15 PM ^