At the end of the 2024 season, the Michigan women’s soccer team was in dire straits offensively. Unable to find the back of the net, the Wolverines were outscored 13-36 over the course of the season. Now, Michigan is doing away with the offensive shortcomings.
No longer just rallying at the end of matches, the Wolverines (2-0) came out of the blocks hot against Detroit Mercy (1-1). Outshooting the Titans 15-3, Michigan racked up four goals in a no-question, shutout victory.
The key to the Wolverines’ offense laid in their execution of their set pieces. After securing a corner, Michigan opted to play it short to junior defender Campbell Jewell. A touch later, Jewell laid the ball low toward sophomore midfielder Adi Walick who flicked it backwards to the unguarded junior forward Gabrielle Prych. Realizing she had to play the ball in the air, Prych one-timed it with her left foot, perfectly over Mercy’s goalie.
“Gabrielle is definitely a player that we’ve always thought had a lot of potential in her,” Wolverines coach Jennifer Klein said. “Last year unfortunately, she was dealing with an injury and wasn’t able to be on the field. Having her back healthy on the field is unbelievable and you can tell her confidence is growing.”
One wasn’t enough for Pyrch though. Setting up to take a free kick 25 yards back from the 18, Walick scanned the field. Dotting the ball to the penalty spot, Prych leapt in the air facing the ball, knocking a header up and over into the back of the net.
That marked Prych’s second goal of the game as well as third of the season. A skilled striker, Prych has the tools to take on defenders one-on-one but excels as a final target. Standing at 5-foot-11, Prych dominates the air space, and with her soft touch around the goal, she is the pure striker that Michigan has been looking for.
While Walick didn’t score once, she still secured her hat trick of assists off yet another set piece. Walick placed another perfect ball in the air that sophomore forward Ella Jablinskey headed low and away on a run toward the 6-yard box for the Wolverines’ third goal of the match.
“We work on set pieces really often, it’s a big thing for us,” Prych said. “We want to be strong in those and we have a lot of good aerial presence. Everything between the service, being on the end of it and the runs was just all working today.”
The final nail in the coffin came from a strong connection between senior forward Kali Burrell and sophomore forward Elle Ervin. A bonafide winger, Burrell was constantly getting balls up the sideline, before dumping them off in the middle of the box. And finally, after dribbling to the goal line, Burrell chopped the ball back toward the 6-yard box for Ervin to bury at the end of her own run.
It’s no secret that Michigan has made strides in its offense, demonstrating what it can become. But versus the Titans, the Wolverines didn’t just show they had promise to be great — they proved it.
