Michigan State: Former DCFC head coach Kylie Stannard and current DCFC head coach Ben Pirmann are members of the Spartans’ coaching staff. No. 7 Michigan State coasted to a 3-0 win over Florida International on Aug. 31, and on Saturday, Sept. 6, the Spartans played to a 0-0 draw against No. 24 UIC in Chicago. MSU plays two home matches this week against Valparaiso and Loyola-Chicago. Those games will be played on Sept. 11 at 5 p.m. and Sept. 14 at 2:30 p.m., respectively.
Michigan: The Wolverines had a roller coaster of a week, first toppling Southern Methodist University, 3-0, on Aug. 31 with two goals from Colin McAtee. An assist on one of those tallies came from Tyler Arnone, as other DCFC players William Mellors-Blair and Nick Lewin added one shot each to the stat sheet. However, nearly a week later in its Saturday, Sept. 6 match at Columbia, Michigan was blanked 3-0. TJ VanSlooten was not in the starting 11 for either of those matches. Looking ahead, the Wolverines will host a perennial power in No. 10 Maryland this Friday at 5 p.m. in hopes of rebounding from a disappointing weekend.
Saginaw Valley State: In a 2-0 victory over Lewis University on Sept. 4, Aleksander Isaevski assisted Craig Neal’s goal just 11 minutes into the match. Later in the first half, Neal would add an assist to seal the victory for the Cardinals. And Sunday, Sept. 6, SVSU edged out Cedarville in a 1-0, double-overtime thriller in which Neal was credited with the game-winning assist with three minutes left. The Cardinals will host Northwood University at 3:30 p.m. on Sept. 12 before hitting the road to play Marygrove at 1 p.m. on Sept. 14.
Butler: The Bulldogs earned a 2-2 draw against Ohio State on Aug. 31, in which Jeff Adkins scored in the 67th minute. Later in the week, Butler edged out IUPUI, 1-0, on Sept. 3 before tying SIUE, 1-1, on Sept. 6. Adkins added two shots on goal in each of those matches. The Bulldogs host Valparaiso on Sept. 9 at 7 p.m. before traveling to play Western Michigan on Sept. 12.
Western Michigan: The Broncos played IPFW to a 2-2 draw on Aug. 31, as Connor Furgason and Sean Hazen both earned the start on the back line. Furgason accumulated two shots on goal in the hard-fought draw. In its Friday, Sept. 5 match against Loyola-Chicago, Western Michigan dropped a 1-0 decision as both Furgason and Hazen earned a second-consecutive start. The Broncos will host Butler at 5 p.m. on Sept. 12 before welcoming Eastern Illinois to Kalamazoo on Sept. 14 for a 2:30 p.m. kickoff.
Oakland: The Grizzlies suffered a 4-1 defeat at the hands of West Virginia on Sept. 1 before their match on Tuesday, Sept. 5, was cancelled due to inclement weather. Eliott Tarney made two saves in the loss, while Raphael Reynolds recorded one shot on goal. In addition, Shawn Lawson earned a spot in the starting 11, while Chase Jabbori and Joey Tinnion remained substitutes for the match. This week, Oakland will take a weekend trip to Colorado to play No. 19 Denver University on Sept. 12 and Air Force on Sept. 14.
Detroit: The Titans dropped both games this week at the University of Dayton Marriott Classic Tournament. On Sept. 5, Detroit fell 1-0 to Northern Kentucky, in which Matt Ybarra registered one shot on target. Just two days later, Dayton handed the Titans a 3-0 defeat as Cameron Roberts recorded a shot of his own. Detroit will look ahead to better days with the UNLV Tournament this weekend. There, the Titans will take on Cal State Fullerton on Sept. 12 and UNLV on Sept. 14.
Notre Dame: The fifth-ranked Fighting Irish played to a 0-0 draw against No. 9 Georgetown on Aug. 31 before defeating Dartmouth 4-1 on Sept. 6. Oliver Harris was not in the lineup for either match. Notre Dame will host Kentucky on Sept. 8 at 6 p.m. before traveling to Syracuse for a 7 p.m. match on Sept. 13.
Coastal Carolina: In Bret Mollon’s second year on the Chanticleers’ coaching staff, his squad has earned a No. 11 national ranking, and deservedly so. After a surprise run in last year’s NCAA Tournament, Coastal Carolina was barely edged out by Maryland on Sept. 1 by a score of 3-2. Days later, on Sept. 5, the Chanticleers responded nicely by defeating then-No. 21 Charlotte, 2-1, in double overtime.
Columbus Crew: As a DCFC alum now playing in Major League Soccer, Adam Bedell continues to make the Le Rouge supporters proud. Bedell has two goals this season as he’s been mixed into the starting lineup several times in the latter half of the summer. Most recently, on Sept. 7, Bedell remained a substitute in the Crew’s 3-0 victory over Chivas USA.
