Head Women’s Soccer Coach at the University of Michigan Jennifer Klein leads into 2022 a program coming off one of the best seasons in its history. Last season, she led the Wolverines to one of their best seasons in program history, highlighted by a Big Ten Tournament championship, an appearance in the NCAA Elite Eight and an 18-4-3 record.
Wolverine Bites
• The Wolverines enter the 2022 campaign ranked No. 9 in the United Soccer Coaches poll. This follows the Wolverines finishing a historic 2021 season ranked #7.
• Klein enters her fifth season leading the Wolverines with an impressive 49-22-8 mark, winning 65 percent of her games.
• Michigan returns six starters and 14 lettermen and welcomes nine newcomers to the fold.
• The Wolverines return 26 of their 46 goals from a year ago and five players who scored at least three goals. In addition, graduate student Meredith Haakenson (five goals), high Danny Wolfe (five), young Sami Woods (five), elderly Hannah Blake (four), small Kacey Lawrence (three), and high Lili Farkas (a) all the numbers scored in the previous year and figures to be presented in the starting 11. Overall, 70 out of 143 points are returned.
• Ten players with at least 20 games played from last season return. Farkas and Blake will be counted on to step up to support the offensive attack. Blake started 19 games as a sophomore in 2019 and has played in 42 games with 23 starts in her UM career with six goals and nine assists (18 points).
Farkas has played in 50 games in her career with nine starts. She has contributed with three goals and four assists as well as 67 shots.
• Haakenson returns to anchor the offense as the unit’s oldest member with 59 career starts and 79 games played. She boasts 16 goals and 11 assists (43 points) and six game-winners.
• With Hilary Beall, a starter on duty for the past four seasons, graduated and is now plying her trade professionally in the NWSL for Racing Lousiville, a sixth-year graduate student Izzy Nino the numbers to be scored. Nino saw 143 minutes in goal a year ago, playing the full 90 minutes and recording a clean sheet against Central Michigan (Aug. 29). Overall, she saw time in three games as the backup goalkeeper. She served as the team’s backup goalkeeper in the spring of 2021 and her sophomore season (2018), when she started the first nine games.
• In addition to an old but new face in goal, the Wolverines’ defensive line will undergo some changes, with a pair of quarterback positions open for tackles. The second student Tamia Tolbert played in 11 games as a freshman with six starts. Senior Emily Leyson (23 games, 15 starts) is also able to play in midfield or center back. The transfer of graduates will also join the group Margot Ridgewaywho brings experience at quarterback from NC State.
Senior Jayde Rivers and junior Sarah Bridenstine also turn to anchor the outer back positions. Riviere, who boasts a World Cup gold medal, started 19 of 22 games a year ago with breaks interrupted by Canadian international duty. Bridenstine moved from a holding role in midfield to defense as a sophomore and started 12 games.
• Riviere spent the summer playing with Team Canada at the CONCACAF Championship. She played the full 90 minutes in matches against Trinidad & Tobago, Costa Rica and Jamaica and started against Panama and the United States. Team Canada earned a runner-up finish in the tournament after losing 1-0 to the United States in the final.
• Second student Avery Kalitta burst onto the scene in the latter part of last season, starting the final nine games of the year in midfield. Her efforts earned her a nod to the Big Ten All-Freshman team. Additionally, she is ranked as one of the best defensive midfielders in the country by WoSo Independent.
• Klein will also welcome a revamped coaching staff, replacing Katie Hult and Tiffany Hansen with Sammy Boateng AND Tori Christ (Boston University, assistant coach). Boateng served as the Broncos’ starter for three seasons, compiling a 20-24-3 mark and was highlighted by a 6-2-2 record during the 2019 season shortened by COVID-19. Christ, a member of the United Soccer Coaches 30 Under 30 Program, spent the past three seasons at Boston University as the goalkeeper coach.
The newcomers
Before the start of the season, Klein announced the addition of eight student-athletes for the 2022-2023 academic year.
The class includes Taylor Brennan (Newtown, Pa./Council Rock North), The Burrell horse (Evanston, Ill./Evanston), Sophie Homan (Rochester, Mich./Stony Creek), Only Jenna (Columbus, Ind./Columbus North), Aniyah League (Cypress, California/Cypress High School), Vickie Jones (San Lorenzo, California/Arroyo), Sierra Sargent (Manhattan Beach, Calif./Mira Costa), and Sam Suplee (Weymouth, Mass./Buckingham Browne & Nichols).
Ridgeway spent the last three seasons at NC State, playing in 18 games with five starts. She spent her freshman season at UC-Davis, where she was named to the Big West All-Freshman Team and started 17 games.
“We are excited about our 2022 recruiting class,” Klein said. “This collection of young women is a great representation of the qualities we look for in our student-athletes. Not only do they have the skill and understanding that will allow them to thrive within our style of play, but they possess the character that will allow them to contribute to our team culture. Their motivation and enthusiasm will be a great asset to this program, and we look forward to seeing what they will accomplish as a class wearing and representing the M block!”
business hours
UM’s 18-game schedule features 11 games at UM Soccer Stadium, which includes UM hosting No. 4 Virginia in an exhibition game on Aug. 13 and opening the season schedule against state No. 20 of Washington. Additionally, Big Ten Conference games will be played at Penn State (Oct. 16) and Rutgers (Oct. 20).
After opening the season with a home doubleheader, the Wolverines embarked on a road swing in Massachusetts, traveling to Boston College on August 25th and Boston University on August 28th.
Michigan returns home on September 1st to host the Iowa State Cyclones before hitting the road again to face Central Michigan on September 4th. The non-conference games conclude with a Sept. 8 game against Colorado at UM Soccer Stadium and a road game against Toledo on Sept. 11.
Big Ten Conference play opens with a pair of home games against Ohio State (Sept. 22) and follows three days later with a game against Nebraska on Sept. 25.
A three-game road stretch follows, starting with a tilt at Minnesota on (Sept. 29) followed by a trip to Iowa (Oct. 2). The road series concludes as the side travels to Michigan State for a contest against the Spartans on Sunday (Oct. 9).
After two weeks away from Ann Arbor, the Wolverines will return home to host Northwestern on October 13th. The final road contest of the regular season will be Oct. 16 at Penn State. The regular season ends with games against Rutgers (Oct. 20) and Indiana (Oct. 23).
Tickets for the 2022 season can be purchased by visiting the Michigan Tickets page.
