Mertz garners honors after junior season at Michigan
Robbie Mertz of Upper St. Clair capped his junior year of soccer at the University of Michigan by earning several post-season honors. The 5-6, 150-pound midfielder earned All-Big Ten, second-team honors as well as All-Midwest Regional acclaim by the United Soccer Coaches. He also shared team MVP laurels with Jack Hallahan, a sophomore who led the team with nine goals, seven assists and 25 points.
Mertz was the lone player to start all 20 matches for the Wolverines, who claimed the school’s first Big Ten regular-season championship. He scored three goals, dished up four assists and finished with 10 points, third-best on the squad. He also logged a team-leading 1,755 minutes for Michigan, which finished with a 12-6-2 record and the fourth-most victories in program history. The Wolverines also rose to as high as a No. 10 ranking in the United Soccer Coaches Pool and No. 8 in the TopDrawerSoccer.com poll. They competed in the NCAA tournament, falling to Colgate, 3-2, in a second-round playoff game in Ann Arbor.
On the academic side, Mertz earned All-Big Ten honors. The son of Rob and Kelly Mertz is a business administration major.
While at USC, he was the Gatorade Player of the Year in Pennsylvania from 2014-15. He helped the Panthers win back-to-back PIAA state championships in 2012 and 2013. Mertz also earned national and regional All-America honors as well as all-state, all-district and all-section acclaim during his prep career.