May 5, 2008

Michigan Earns #1 Seed in MCLA Tournament

Ann Arbor, Mich. - One day after defeating Michigan State 21-5 for their 8th CCLA championship in 10 years, the Wolverines found out they would be the #1 seed at the 2008 MCLA Tournament in Dallas, Texas.  Their first opponent will be #16 Lindenwood.  That game takes place Tuesday, May 13 at 4:00 p.m. CST at the Ross Stewart Soccer Complex in Dallas.  If Michigan defeats Lindenwood, they will face either #8 Georgia or #9 Sonoma State the next day at 7:00 p.m., also at Ross Stewart.

The Wolverines are 3-0 all-time against Lindenwood, including a 20-5 victory this season on April 4 in Ann Arbor.

This year, the national semifinals and finals will be played at Texas Stadium, the home of the Dallas Cowboys.  The semifinals are Friday, May 16 and the championship game is Saturday, May 17 at 7:00 p.m.

Said head coach John Paul, "We are really pleased to have gotten this far without a loss and to have earned the #1 seed, but those things don't mean anything once we line it up in Dallas.  You've got to put together four great games in five days to win it, and we expect to be challenged every day.  We're ready for that challenge."

This is the second time Michigan has entered the MCLA tournament as the #1 seed.  The first time was 2001, when the Wolverines were upset by #8 UCSB 7-6 in the quarterfinal round.  Last year Michigan suffered their earliest exit ever when they were knocked out by Northeastern in the first round in a 15-4 loss.  Michigan's best showing at the tournament was in 2005, when they advanced to the semifinal round as the third seed but lost 4-3 to #2 seed and eventual national champion UCSB.

The Wolverines are 16-0 this season, including wins over 9 ranked opponents and Division 3 tournament team Kenyon College.  All but one of the wins over ranked teams occurred on the road.  This is the first time Michigan has completed a regular season and CCLA tournament without a loss.

Contact: Joe Hennessy (jjhennes@umich.edu) - 734-276-8493