ANN ARBOR, Mich. — While you’re one of many prime 4 groups in school soccer, some benefits could be razor-thin. However Michigan soccer has one which TCU doesn’t: it has performed within the School Soccer Playoff earlier than.
Whereas a 34-11 drubbing by the hands of Georgia isn’t ultimate, on condition that the Wolverines have now been via the method, having skilled the highlight and all the pieces that comes with being within the prime 4, the maize and blue now know the way to not be distracted by all the pomp and circumstance whereas specializing in the duty at hand.
Provided that TCU is coming into its first CFP, it’s a storm that Michigan is extra ready to climate.
“It’s large for us as a result of final 12 months, everyone didn’t actually suppose we’re gonna be that place. I assume a few of us didn’t both,” senior left guard Trevor Keegan mentioned. “I really feel like final 12 months, we’re simply there for the chance. This 12 months, we’re there to take the chance. We knew that we’re speculated to be there. We’re on this place, as a result of how we work and the way we’re as a workforce. So I feel it’s tremendous necessary.”
“I simply really feel like the boldness of figuring out we’ve been right here earlier than, we all know the type of errors we had final 12 months main up into it and the type of issues that we really feel like we did incorrect,” fifth-year linebacker Michael Barrett mentioned. “And I really feel like simply now we simply know the way to go about it somewhat higher now that we’ve been right here and simply go from there. Simply type of deal with it as another sport, preserve getting ready.”
That mentioned, what was it prefer to play within the School Soccer Playoff the primary time?
As Keegan famous, a 12 months in the past, the Wolverines had been extra so completely satisfied to be there, whereas Georgia had increased expectations. Barrett echoed these sentiments, as first-time entrants can get misplaced within the spectacle of all of it.
For Michigan, having gone via it earlier than, it might be a small benefit that the Wolverines can depend on.
“I wouldn’t say it was overwhelming, I’ll simply say it was to the purpose the place it was a whole lot of distractions,” Barrett mentioned. “Guys weren’t used to being there. That made sense, we type of went down there was type of level to the place I felt like we’re simply completely satisfied to be there. And we let that type of blind us from our purpose and what we’re there to perform. And I really feel like coming into this 12 months I really feel like we’ve been there and we simply know the way to put together and know what we’re there for.”
We’ll know extra about whether or not or not that performs a component within the Vrbo Fiesta Bowl on Dec. 31 at 4 p.m. EST, when Michigan performs TCU within the School Soccer Playoff semifinal.