8 - Tuesday, October 27, 2009
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
8 - Tuesday, October 27, 2009 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
Molk done for'09 after ACL tear
By COURTNEY RATKOWIAK
Daily Sports Editor
Somehow, David Molk's bad
break just got worse.
Five weeks after breaking his
foot against Eastern Michigan on a
fluke play, the center tore his right
anterior cruciate ligament during
his first drive back on the field,
Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez
confirmed Monday.
The new injury, suffered on the
fourth play of Michigan's 35-10 loss
to Penn State on Saturday, means
Molk will be out for the remainder
of the season.
Rodriguez said the redshirt
sophomore will have knee surgery
as soon as the swelling goes down.
Molk will also miss spring prac-
tice, but could participate in sum-
mer workouts if the surgery goes as
planned.
"He was running really well all
week in practice, and I talked to
him about it this morning, and he
said it's kind of crazy, he felt good,
running good," Rodriguez said. "I
just feel bad for Dave because he's
had so much bad luck."
Rodriguez said the tear was a
non-contact injury where Molk
"planted funny on one of the run
plays," and it was not related to any
possible or lingering pain in his
foot. He walked off the field on his
own after the injury.
After Saturday's game, Molk
was standing and walking without
help, though he was terse when
asked abouthow it felt to be hurt so
early in the game.
"Do I really have to spell that out
for you?" he said derisively.
After breaking his foot in the
first half of the Eastern Michigan
game on Sept. 19, Molk played for
much of the restof the game. He
also didn't seem to know the extent
of his knee injury immediately
after Saturday's game, saying, "Uh,
it's not bad. I'll be back."
Redshirt sophomore defensive
tackle Ryan Van Bergen, Molk's
roommate, said Molk had told him
the same thing - that he would be
back and ready to play this week.
But yesterday, Molk went to Van
Bergen's room to share the bad
news.
"(Molk) got a phone call from
Rust sparks offense
by skating on two lines
Berenson ready to goals per game, but they know that
mix and match lines they are missing opportunities.
"We have full faith in Coach
to find right combos Berenson," Brown said. "He knows
his stuff. He's been around long
enough that he can gel some guys
By TIM ROHAN together so we can start scoring
Daily Sports Writer some goals instead of just getting
chances.....500 is not going to cut it
Three minutes into the third for Michigan."
period of the Michigan hockey GIDDY UP: Caporusso, Michi-
team's loss to Boston University on gan's top returning scorer (24 goals
Saturday, freshman Chris Brown and 49 points last season) and a pre-
was given a game misconduct and season All-Conference first team
five-minute major for checking selection, is under pressure.
from behind. Brown was ejected And through the first four games
with the Wolver- of the season, he hasn't registered a
ines down 2-0. NOTEBOOK single point.
The penalty "I'm surprised," Berenson said
forced Michigan coach Red Beren- of his lack of scoring. "After four
son to play junior Matt Rust on two games, you would've thought with
lines, a rare occurrence at this level the power play time we've had (that
of hockey. he would have scored)."
The move paid off. Rust scored Berenson acknowledged Capo-
the game-tying goal later in the russo has had a strong presence
third period while playingleft wing on offense with his passing and
instead of at his usual position at playmaking abilities, but he and
center. his teammates haven't been able to
No. 5 Michigan (2-2-0) lost the capitalize.
game 3-2, but the line changes Berenson said rest could play a
sparked the stagnant Wolverine role in rejuvenating him, too.
attack. "I think it's actually a good thing
Berenson made even more drastic that Louie doesn't have a goal yet,
line changes in yesterday's practice. because we know it's going to kick
"You don't want to stay with your in some day and he's going to get
same lines if your team is under- on a roll," Hagelin said. "We know
achieving," Berenson said. "And I he's a dangerous threat for us. He
think we are underperforming in didn't have that many points after
(every) area. And it's early in the four games last year either, so we
year. So we're still not sure who the know he's going to pick it up. When
best combinations are." he picks it up, he's going to be great
The Michigan offense has strug- for us."
gled, except for the line of Rust, Caporusso could benefit from
Brown and junior Carl Hagelin. Hagelin's presence on his line, and
The trio has combined for 11 of the Berenson is confident it won't be
Wolverines' 30 points this year. long before Caporusso is back to
That means Berenson is moving scoring goals.
Hagelin to join junior Louie Capo- "Is he a bit of a concern? Yeah.
russo's line and shifting sophomore He'll work his way through it,"
David Wohlberg to play with Rust Berenson said.
in order to spread the wealth. INJURY NOTES: David Wohlberg
"We don't know if (that line) was held out of practice because he
is gone for sure," Hagelin said. "I was "sick to the stomach," accord-
think we play well - me, Rusty and ing to Berenson. Junior Ben Win-
Brown - but they want to get Louie nett, who pulled his groin during
and Wohlberg going and get some practice a week and a half ago, is
points for those guys." about 90 percent healthy, according
The Wolverines average 2.75 to Berenson.
"
Redshirt sophomore David Molk receives attention from Michigan trainers after tearing his anterior cruciate ligament Saturday.
the doctors saying, 'You're prob-
ably not going to be able to play the
rest of the season,' " Van Bergen
said. "He's really good at hiding
emotions. I think he's obviously
upset. Anybody would be upset if
you weren't going to play the rest
of the season.
"But he took it really well, and
he just says, 'You gotta pick up the
slack for me a little bit.'"
Picking up the slack for Molk
will be fifth-year senior David
Moosman, who moved from right
guard to center for the four games
during Molk's absence. Redshirt
sophomore Mark Huyge will again
shift from right tackle to right
guard, and redshirt jutiior Perry
Dorrestein will take over Huyge's
spot at right tackle.
When Moosman was called to
switch to center after Molk's inju-
ry Saturday, the offense appeared
to lose rhythm gained during the
opening touchdown drive. The
struggles were especially evident
on a second-quarter miscommuni-
cation that led to a snap out of the
Michigan end zone for a Penn State
safety.
"It was loud down there and
Moosman didn't hear me, and I
didn't say anything so I don't know
why he snapped it, but he did," quar-
terback Tate Forcier said Saturday.
The team experienced similar
growing pains against Indiana,
the first game after Molk broke his
foot, where the Wolverines record-
ed six dropped snaps.
Moosman seemed to find his
groove by the Iowa and Delaware
State games, though, and putting
a veteran back at the position will
likely make the Wolverines' tran-
sition easier before they head to
Illinois this weekend. But echoing
what Rodriguez said the Monday
after the Eastern Michigan game,
Molk is one of the team's best play-
ers, which makes the loss especial-
ly tough for the team.
"It's not an individual thing for
him, which is why the coaches and
everybody loves him so much,"Van
Bergen said. "He went out there on
a torn ACL and a bad foot to play
for the team."
NOTE: Michigan's home game
against Purdue on Nov. 7 will be at
12 p.m. on the Big Ten Network, the
conference announced Monday.
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