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The Michigan men’s soccer team started hot.
In the sixth minute, fifth-year midfielder Bryce Blevins cut up the field and received the ball back on the left wing. Blevins curved in a ball destined for senior defender Jason Bucknor’s forehead, and Bucknor subsequently found the back of the net. The Wolverines celebrated the early goal in this pivotal conference game, but their celebration lasted for about 120 seconds too long.
The Huskies punched right back, with forward Peter Kingston firing a low bullet just around the outstretched arms of Michigan’s sophomore goalkeeper Isaiah Goldson. Scoring just the fourth goal against the Wolverines this season, Kingston locked up the game at 1.
No. 22 Michigan (5-0-2 Big Ten, 1-0-1 overall) played 88 minutes of lockdown defense and aggressive offense, attempting to break through on Monday night against Washington (3-2-3, 0-1-1). Ultimately, the Wolverines’ aggressiveness didn’t translate to the scoreboard, resulting in a 1-1 tie.
“I thought we started magnificently,” Michigan coach Chaka Daley said. “I don’t say that lightly, I thought we were really good, … We lost focus for about two minutes, and they scored. So I was a little disappointed in that, but it doesn’t take away from a really good soccer match.”
The teams’ failures to score in the final 80 minutes of the game wasn’t due to lack of energy. On both sides of the field, Blevins consistently brought the enthusiasm. Multiple times, Blevins cleared the ball out of bounds and then clapped to his teammates, hyping them up.
The Michigan coaching staff has tinkered with Blevins’ position throughout his five years in Ann Arbor. He began as an inverted winger on the right side, then moved to center midfielder, and finally this year he slid over to a left wingback, where he has achieved both offensive and defensive success.
“I think he’s starting to find his pockets and his moments and that’s important,” Daley said. “When he’s facing the goal, he’s very dangerous.”
Blevins’ positional shift came to fruition with the assist to Bucknor, another crucial player in Monday’s game. Bucknor notched his second goal of the season and is a clear spark for the offense, even from his right wingback position. Bucknor left the game injured in the 35th minute, and the offense looked less volatile with him on the bench. When he returned in the 63rd minute, the Wolverines produced four great opportunities, three coming off the foot of sophomore midfielder Joao Paulo Ramos, and one clanked off the crossbar.
“We had three or four glorious chances tonight that I don’t think our opponents had,” Daley said. “To pick up points against (Washington), I think is a positive evening. Not satisfied, but positive.”
Although Michigan couldn’t find nylon twice, it produced opportunities aplenty. The Wolverines’ defense stood tough for 88 minutes, and, other than the two-minute lapse, it kept the ball out of harm’s way. A draw wasn’t the preferred result, but Michigan showed life, earning a point in its first Big Ten match against the Huskies..
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