Wolverine Digest

Michigan soccer continues to make history, faces rival in Round 1 of NCAA Tournament

The Wolverines' soccer program is turning heads this season.
Trent Knoop|
MGoBlue

For just the 10th time in program history, and the second consecutive season, Michigan men's soccer has made it to the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines will get a tough first-round, however.

Michigan will take on rival Notre Dame in Round 1 of the 48-team tournament. The 16th-ranked Wolverines got into the NCAA Tournament as an at-large bid. Following a 12-3-4 season, Michigan will get a rematch against the Fighting Irish.

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Notre Dame (8-6-4) tied Michigan back in August 1-1. This will be the third time the two teams have met in the NCAA Tournament.

Game notes

  • Michigan earned its 10th all-time berth to the NCAA Tournament on Monday (Nov. 17), making the 48-team field with an at-large bid after a 12-3-4 season.
  • Michigan will host a tournament game for the 10th time in program history, winning nine of those 10 matches.
  • Nicholas Cassiday, Matthew Fisher, and Mitar Mitrovic were named to the Big Ten All-Tournament team on Sunday (Nov. 16). All three players were key in the Wolverines' win over Washington in the semifinal round of the tournament. Cassiday scored the first goal with assists from Fisher and Mitrovic, and Mitrovic added the second goal from the penalty spot.
  • Isaiah Goldson has started every game in goal for the Maize and Blue, tallying a career-high 1,710 minutes with a career-low goals-against average of 0.95.
  • Two Wolverine defenders -- Will Baker and Nolan Miller -- have started all 19 matches for Michigan. Baker and Miller combined for 10 points and were both named to the All-Big Ten second team.
  • Michigan is one of five Big Ten teams to make the NCAA Tournament, joining No. 4-seeded Maryland, No. 6-seeded Indiana, UCLA and Washington.
  • Michigan is dominant at U-M Soccer Stadium with a record of 8-1-2, including four straight wins. U-M has not allowed more than one goal in a game at home.
  • Michigan and Notre Dame will meet for the second time this season and the third time in the NCAA Tournament. Two teams opened the 2025 season with a 1-1 draw on Aug. 21 at U-M Soccer Stadium. The Wolverines and Fighting Irish will play for the third time in the NCAA Tournament, with both previous matches going to penalty kicks in 2019 and 2003.
  • With a win, Michigan would advance to the second round to face No. 13-seeded Akron on the road at FirstEnergy Stadium in Akron, Ohio, on Sunday (Nov. 23) at 1 p.m.

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Trent Knoop
TRENT KNOOP

Trent began writing and covering Michigan athletics back in 2020. He became a credentialed member of the media in 2021. Trent began writing with Sports Illustrated in 2023 and became the Managing Editor for Michigan Wolverines On SI during the 2025 football season. Trent also serves as the Publisher of Baylor Bears on SI. His other bylines have appeared on Maryland on SI, Wisconsin on SI, and across the USA TODAY Sports network. Trent’s love of sports and being able to tell stories to fans is what made him get into writing.

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