Michigan soccer coach Steve Burns (in background pointing) instructs players during Dec. 10’s 2-1 loss to Akron. Photo courtesy of MGoBlue.com

Near the midway point of Friday night’s game against Akron, Dearborn’s Soony Saad received a pass from his brother Hamoody, setting him up for a good look at what would have been the go-ahead goal in the first game of the NCAA’s College Cup.

But Soony Saad, who finished as the nation’s second-leading scorer, did something he hadn’t done a whole lot of during the course of the year: he misfired, if only by a little bit, and hit the post.

The game remained tied 1-1 until Akron’s Kofi Sarkodie broke the deadlock with a header in the 74th minute of action that would stand as the difference in a 2-1 win.

Despite the loss, the 2010 soccer campaign will remain as perhaps the best in Michigan’s history after their first-ever run to the College Cup, NCAA soccer’s equivalent of the Final Four.

The Wolverines finished the year 17-5-3 and almost handed Akron just their second loss of the season

Michigan got on the board first early on at the 1:02 mark of the game when Justin Meram took a pass from Soony Saad, fired a shot from the deep right side of the field and found the left side of the net.

The goal marked the ninth-straight game Meram had scored, setting a new school record.

Soony Saad joins U.S. National Team, Meram honored

Following the game, Soony Saad and Meram were both honored for their outstanding play on the season.

Fresh off leading the University of Michigan men’s soccer team to its first-ever College Cup, freshman forward Soony Saad (Dearborn, Mich,./Dearborn) was selected as one of 24 players for the USA U-20 National Team training camp, held from Dec. 12-19 in Sunrise, Fla., and will include friendlies against Canada on Dec. 16 and Dec. 18. He set a UM-Ann Arbor single-season goals record in his first season on campus and helped lead the Wolverines to their first-ever Big Ten Tournament Title as well.

Meram was named to the NCAA College Cup All-Tournament Team as well and has recently been considered a strong professional prospect in college scouting circles.

Saad, who finished second in the nation in goals with 19, broke U-M’s seven-year-old single-season goals record and has also set new single-season records in points with 43 and shots with 143. Saad’s 19 goals also led all freshmen nationally and he is the only freshman to be ranked in the top five nationally in points (43) and goals (19). Saad led the Wolverines to their first ever Big Ten Tournament title by scoring a goal in each game en route to the championship game, including game-winners against Michigan State and Wisconsin.

Saad was named All-Big Ten first team, Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Offensive Player of the Big Ten Tournament. Additionally, he became the seventh player in program history to record a hat trick — in U-M’s 3-2 win over Kentucky on Sept. 22. Saad was named Big Ten Player of the Week twice during his rookie season.

The U.S. training contingent consists of a combination of nine players that will be making their first appearance in a U-20 camp and relative veterans of the program. In all, the roster features 11 college players and professional players that ply their trade in eight different countries. There are three representatives of Major League Soccer represented at the national team camp.

He will be one of two college players among the group of forwards, along with Louisville’s Dylan Mares.