The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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58 THE WOLVERINE ❱ SEPTEMBER 2023 ❱ OLYMPIC SPORTS UPDATE Season Outlook: U-M finished its 2022 campaign with a 14-6 overall record and won its eighth Big Ten Tournament title before the season came to an end in a heartbreaking 2-1 overtime loss to Albany in the first round of the NCAA Tourna- ment. Four of the top five scorers from last season's squad return, leading to plenty of optimism that success will continue into the 2023 campaign. TOP THREE ATHLETES Senior Lora Clarke — She led the team in scoring last season with 25 points coming on 11 goals and 3 as- sists. Clarke earned Big Ten Offen- sive Player of the Week honors after 2 goals and an assist in games against Indiana and No. 5 Iowa in October last season. Senior Kate McLaughlin — She tallied a career-high 15 points with 6 goals and 3 assists last fall, which included a goal in a 2-1 win against No. 4 Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament title game. Junior Abby Tamer — The Big Ten Distinguished Scholar and NFHCA Collegiate National Academic Team member recorded a career-high 9 goals with 4 assists for 22 points, ranking second on the team in scoring. Her output last year included 3 game-winning goals and a hat trick against Central Michigan. Don't Miss: Big Ten Tourna- ment (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Nov. 2-5 MEN'S SOCCER First Event: vs. Loyola Mary- mount (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Aug. 24 Season Outlook: The Wol- verines had a season to forget in 2022 with a 4-10-3 record, ending the year with a 1-6-1 Big Ten mark and a three-game losing streak. Some new blood and increased experience will hopefully help put the past behind them during the 2023 campaign. U-M added three players via the transfer portal, all at midfield, in Nick Bourgeois (Air Force), Riley Ferch (UCLA) and Charlie Lawrence (Robert Morris). The Wolver- ines have also added 12 true freshmen to 12th-year coach Chaka Daley's program. TOP THREE ATHLETES Graduate Riley Ferch — He played four seasons at UCLA and was named to the All-Pac-12 second team during his freshman season. Ferch appeared in 64 games with 45 starts in the midfield for the Bruins, scoring 9 goals and adding 18 assists for 36 career points. Junior Hayden Evans — A member of the Big Ten's All-Freshman Team in 2021, he started 13 matches in net, logging 1,170 minutes of game action last season. Evans made 44 saves on the year and a season-best 8 saves at Wisconsin. All four of Michigan's wins came with him in goal. Sophomore Nolan Miller — The Big Ten All-Freshman Team selection ap- peared in and started all 16 matches last season. Miller led the Wolverines with 1,408 minutes played and scored a pair of goals in a win against Penn State. Don't Miss: vs. Michigan State (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Oct. 10 WOMEN'S SOCCER First Events: 1-0 L at No. 22 USC (Los Angeles), Aug. 17; 2-2 T at Pepperdine (Malibu, Calif.), Aug. 19 Season Outlook: U-M finished the 2022 season with a 7-8-3 record and a 2-6-2 record in Big Ten play, losing four of its last five games and ending on a sour note. TOP THREE ATHLETES Senior Sammi Woods — She led the team with 7 goals and tied for the program lead in points last season with 15. Woods was second on the team in shots last year with 43 and played in 18 matches with 17 starts, amassing 1,219 minutes of com- petition. Senior Kacey Lawrence — She tied for second on the team in goals with 5 on the season and was also No. 2 in points with 14. Lawrence played in 17 matches with 14 starts and totaled 1,039 minutes of game action in 2022. Senior Sarah Bridenstine — She was one of only two Wolverines to start every match last season, logging a team-high 1,534 minutes played. Bridenstine ranked fifth on the team with 8 points, with 3 goals and 2 as- sists on 11 shots. She played a full 90 minutes in a team-high 12 matches in 2022. Don't Miss: vs. Michigan State (Ann Arbor, Mich.), Oct. 7 VOLLEYBALL First Event: at Boston College (Boston, Mass.), Aug. 25 Season Outlook: The Wolverines enter the 2023 season with new lead- ership in head coach Erin Virtue, who returns to Ann Arbor after serving as recruiting and offensive coordinator Men's soccer senior midfielder and captain Bryce Blevins was one of three Wolverines named as 2023 Big Ten Players to Watch, joined by Quin Rogers and Jason Bucknor. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY Senior Sarah Bridenstine was one of only two Wolverines to start every match last season, finishing with 3 goals and 2 assists. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY