8A - Thursday, October 22, 2009
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Blue must play blue-collar
hockey to best Purple Eagles
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By TIM ROHAN
Daily Sports Writer
The Wolverines have played
scrappy teams like Niagara before,
but recent struggles with similar
teams make tonight's matchup
against the Pur-
ple Eagles thatN
much more entic- Niagara at
ing. Michigan
Yesterday, Matchup:
Michigan associ- Niagara 0-2-1;
ate head coach Michigan1-1
MelPearson com- When
pared the Purple Tonight 7:35
Eagles' style ofT
play to Air Force Where:nYost
and Alaska-Fair- Ice Arena
banks. Last year, Live Blog:
the Wolverines' michigandaily.
season ended com/blogs/
with a 2-0 loss She game
to the Falcons in
the first round of the NCAA Tour-
nament. Michigan opened this
season with a 2-0 loss to the Nano-
oks. It was the first time Michigan
had been shut out in back-to-back
games since the 1942-43 season.
"A lot of these teams now, they
play solid defensively," Pearson said.
"They're going to get their breaks on
the power play or catch you in odd-
numbered rushes. They're all the
same. They pack it in defensively
and they don'tgive you much."
"You have to keep it simple and
at the same time get pucks and
players to the net. Don't look for
the cute, fancy, sexy goals."
The Wolverines couldn't con-
vert on their few chances a couple
weeks ago against the Nanooks in
Alaska. Playing simply is easy to
say, but it's another thing to go out
and actually play with poise.
Both Nanook goals came off of
Michigan mistakes, and Alaska-
Fairbanks tightened its defense
after taking the lead. If Michigan
turns the puck over tonight, it will
play right into Niagara's hands,
just as it did for the Nanooks.
"I think we have to get the puck
behind their D, get them moving,
make their D skate," junior for-
ward Louie Caporusso said. "Use
our speed to our advantage. And
use our puck skills to our advan-
tage. I think we have a bunch of
guys on this team that can really
control the puck and have great
hands."
During the past few seasons,
the Niagara has been notorious
for giving Michigan tough games.
Last year, the Wolverines won 4-2
in a tight contest. Two years ago,
Michigan won 5-1 over Niagara in
the first round of the NCAA Tour-
nament, but Hobey Baker Award
winner Kevin Porter scored four
goals.
"We expect a physical game,"
senior captain Chris Summers
said. "They're kinda known for
being a blue collar team, (and)
being a team that bangs bodies
out there ... We're going to have to
come out and play our style hockey
and take it right to them."
Blue-collar hockey is tough and
hard-hitting, but Michigan hasn't
played a game since Oct. 10. Beren-
son acknowledged that the team
could be rusty and needs a fast
start tonight.
"We have to play Michigan
hockey," Berensonsaid. "Andwhen
I say Michigan hockey, we have to
be rock solid defensively. We have
to force turnovers. Through good
forechecking, and winning more
than 50 percent of faceoffs, we
(can) get the puck. And then we
got to get the puck to the net and
put them on their heels when we
get the puck."
Summers said the team is
excited to get its home sched-
ule started. Berenson is 21-1-3 in
home openers during his coaching
career at Michigan, and the team
seems ready to avenge its poor play
against both the Nanooks and Air
Force.
"We got to work just as hard
as them," Caporusso said. "When
you're playing a big school like
ours, you can get revved up for it.
But I think we're goingto be revved
up for Niagara too, though."
'M' blanks Spartans
By MARK BURNS Megan Bower said. "We tend
Daily Sports Writer sometimes to get outside dominat-
ed, and teams have started to catch
EAST LANSING - Michigan onto that. So now we're trying to
volleyball player Lexi Zimmerman spread the set choice out."
let out a loud scream inside the Zimmerman - injured hand
Breslin Center last night. and all - still effectively managed
Except that scream wasn't in the balanced Wolverine offense
jubilation - it was in agony. The and confused Michigan State (2-7,
junior setter dislocated her thumb 14-7) all night.
early in the second set against Michigan used a variety of lob
Michigan State. shots, sets to the back row and
After lingering on the court for middle of the court, and slide sets
a minute with a Michigan trainer, - where a hitter cuts behind the
Zimmerman went into the locker setter - to generate its scoring.
room, where the Spartan team "We're trying to get more
doctor popped the thumb back into offense out of our team," Michigan
place. coach Mark Rosen said. "We've
Five minutes later, with tape on been working on it since the begin-
her right hand, the Barrington, Ill. ning of the season, and it's slowly
native returned to her team. starting to come."
"I'm really proud of her for com- Regardless of how well the
ing back and playing hard," senior offense played, there is still con-
outside hitter Juliana Paz said. cern over whether Zimmerman,
"That got us really motivated, tobe last year's AVCA All-America See-
honest, and we started to play for ond Team selection, is going to be
her tonight." all right.
Michigan (6-3 Big Ten, 18-4 Still,theWolverines tookagame
overall) used the added inspira- they needed to win to stay within
tion to dispose of its in-state rival reach of the top of the Big Ten.
in three sets (33-31, 25-22, 26-24) "Playing in a hostile environ-
while using an arsenal of hitters. ment, in an opposing gym and in
Sophomore Alex Hunt led the the Big Ten - they're a good team,"
offensive attack with 19 kills while Rosen said. "State beat USC this
Paz and senior Veronica Rood year and Illinois, so they're very
added 12 and 11 in the winning legit. For us to win in three sets,
effort. and two (of which were) really
"Our game plan every night is tight deucegames,I'mreally proud
to stay balanced," senior libero of how our kids played."
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ARIEL BOND/Daily
Senior Chris Summers wil lead the Michigan hockey team's defensive attack tonight against Niagara.
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