2B - Monday, November 16, 2009
The Michigan Daily michigandaily.com
2B - Monday, November 16, 2009 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom __
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SPARTANS
From page 1B
in either game this weekend. After
starting the season 4-for-8 with
the extra-man advantage, it has
scored just three goals on its last
49 chances.
Trailing 2-0, Michigan had
four-and-a-half minutes with the
man advantage in Saturday's third
period. The Wolverines worked
the puck around the perimeter
and kept the pressure going in the
offensive zone, something they
failed to do in other power plays,
but Michigan State shut down the
middle and cleared the rebounds
with the man advantage. Of
those potentially game-changing
chances, the Wolverines gener-
ated just two shots.
"It's just execution," Kampfer
said. "Coach (Berenson) has given
us a very simple plan to go out
there with. ... I think we need to
get shots through and start crash-
ing the net."
The power play is just a small
part of Michigan's early-season
offensive woes. The Wolverines'
goals on the weekend came from
junior Carl Hagelin, one of the
few players consistently scoring
points, and freshman defenseman
Lee Moffie, who has been in and
out of the lineup.
Despite facing 31 shots Satur-
day, Spartan goaltender Drew
Palmisano was rarely forced to
make anything more than a rou-
tine save in his second career shut-
out. A little bit of bad luck and alot
of missed chances have resulted in
just four Michigan goals in its last
four games.
While the Wolverines have a
chance to find their scoring touch
next weekend in a home-and-
home against Bowling Green, the
conference's second-worst defen-
sive team, the series could end up
being a lot more complicated.
"We're not that good," Beren-
son said. "We've got one returning
20-goal scorer, and he's got one
goal, and outside of that, every-
body else - they're doing what
they can, but we don't have alot of
prolific offensive players."
CLIF RE
Michigan defensive coordinator Greg Robinson has struggled in his first season. The Wolverines have given up 309 total points in 11 games.
Robinson needs to be held
accountable or dfensive woes
WILDCATS
From page 1B
and the Wolverines didn't let up as
the game went on.
They were clicking on fast
breaks. They were trapping oppo-
nents on defense. And even the
freshmen looked comfortable
doing it. -
Some very impressive individ-
ual achievements were overshad-
owedby Harris' triple-double, too.
Vogrich, in his college basketball
debut, went 5-for-5 from beyond
the arc. And while reporters con-
tinuously asked questions about
Harris, Beilein made sure to point
out another player in the post-
game press conference.
"Look right next to (Harris')
name," he said.
Next on the box score was
senior forward DeShawn Sims, of
course. Sims recorded a double-
double, which included a game-
high 22 points.
Sims, along with Harris, came
out of halftime on fire. He quickly
scored a layup, and Harris drilled
an easy 3-pointer. After that, the
two created fast break opportuni-
ties and dunks as if they were put-
ting on a skills clinic.
And the scariest part for Michi-
gan's future opponents might not
be the multitude of points from
the potent duo. It could be their
defense, which was highlighted by
16 combined defensive rebounds.
Harris in particular impressed
fans with his hustle while fighting
for the ball, especially considering
his health concerns coming into
the game.
"I just want to be an all-around
player and crash the boards," Har-
ris said. "That's my mindset - just
attack, and try to get rebounds."
If Harris continues to concen-
trate on rebounding and tallying
assists, he could grow into an even
more dangerous, multi-faceted
player this season. Throw in a
quicker and stronger Sims, and,
well, there's a reason the pair has
been garnering a great deal of
attention.
"If Manny and (Sims) play
like they did (Saturday), shar-
ing the ball, getting rebounds,
doing all the little things, it's
going to be a great year for us,"
Vogrich said.:"We're going to be
hard to beat."
MADISON -
This is one of the all-time
worst stretches in the
history of the Michigan
defense.
Since padding the stats against
Delaware State,
the Wolverines
have given up
more than 1,800
yards and 156
points in four
games. As a
frame of refer-
ence, it took 11 ANDY
and a half games REID
for Michigan to
surrender that
many points in 2006.
Two quarterbacks - Penn State's
Daryll Clark and Wisconsin's Scott
Tolzien - have each thrown four
touchdown passes during that skid.
Before this season, just four quar-
terbacks had ever reached that feat
against the Wolverines. Even the
much-maligned 2008 defense isn't
on that list.
And even though Brandon Gra-
ham called Michigan a second-half
team after the Iowa game, the Wol-
verines have been outscored 99-19
after the break in the past four
games.
The Michigan defense is bad.
Understatement. The Wolverines
have given up 309 points this sea-
son, four more than at this point
last season, which was the worst
statistical defense in the history of
Michigan football.
But that's not what this column
is about. It's not hard to point out
that the unit is bad. What I want to
know is who is being held account-
able.
Rich Rodriguez will answer
questions about the defense in his
press conferences, but the head
coach is notoriously hands-off with
the defense, focusing instead on the
other side of the ball.
His defensive staff should be
answering some of the questions.
Where are the halftime adjust-
ments? What was going on with
switching Donovan Warren to
safety? How did Wisconsin "keep
getting stuff behind us," as middle
linebacker Obi Ezeh said?
But they won't even give report-
ers the time of day.
Greg Robinson has talked to the
media once in the last four weeks.
That one time, he was briskly walk-
ing toward Schembechler Hall as
myself and another reporter tried
to keep up and ask him a few ques-
tions.
After the Wolverines were torn
up for 500 yards against Purdue?
"Not today," Robinson said to
reporters. His defensive line coach
Bruce Tall also declined comment.
What about this week?
Linebackers coach Jay Hopson
told reporters he didn't want to talk
and then said, "Greg will handle
that." Robinson exited the locker
room five minutes later. He said
no, looked back and said, "You guys
- tomorrow. I'll talk to you tomor-
row."
There has never been media
availability on a Sunday, and Rob-
inson has never come to a midweek
press conference.
Last season, I almost felt bad
for Scott Shafer. Every week, the
defense looked inept. Every week,
Michigan gave up big play after big
play. But every week, as it became
more obvious that Shafer wasn't fit-
ting in and was probably going to be
let go at season's end, the defensive
coordinator still forced a smile on
his face, asked reporters how they
were doing and let them grill him
for a few minutes.
Robinson should be more than
comfortable with fielding tough
questions. He had to have gotten
his fair share of them while he was
the head coach at Syracuse, when
his teams went a combined 10-37.
As the defensive coordinator
of the Michigan Wolverines, you
should be willing to answer ques-
tions about your unit - even when
you give up 45 points and the ques-
tions will undoubtedly be negative.
Robinson should feel compelled
to at least give an update about
the defense every once in a while,
even if it's for nothing else than
the 100,000 people packing the
stadium every Saturday, for one of
the most loyal fanbases in college
sports.
I'm not asking for much. Just
answer a few questions.
- Reid can be reached at
andyreid@umich.edu.
01
Disappointing 10th-place finish
ends Michigan's postseason hopes
By MICHAEL LAURILA
For the Daily
BLOOMINGTON- The Michigan
men's cross country team couldn't
outrun illness and injury in the
Great Lakes Regional meet on Sat-
urday.
The team's 10th place finish
proved to be a disappointing step
back from last season's second-
place triumph.
Fifth-year senior Sean McNa-
mara, who tied for 10th in last
year's regional meet, strained his
Achilles tendon with 1,000 yards
to go Saturday, causing him to lose
about SO places.
Sophomore Bobby Aprill, who
placed 84th at last year's meet,
couldn't run due to illness.
Freshman Dallas Bowden, who
was slotted to run, did not com-
pete for undisclosed reasons.
Even though the Wolverines
facedeproblems outside of their
control, Michigan coach Ron
Warhurst wasn't going to blame
his team's mediocre performance
solely on that. After 35 seasons
as head coach, Warhurst knows
that every team faces these same
issues.
"We've been pretty affected by
illnesses and stuff," Warhurst said.
"Everybody is going through it. We
just didn't run well. Period."
Coming into the meet, Michi-
gan was hoping to qualify for
the NCAA Championships for
the second straight year. The top
two teams at the regional receive
an automatic bid into the NCAA
meet, and 13 other teams receive
an at-large bid.
With the Wolverines' 10th-place
finish, they were nowhere near
qualifying.
"We ended up 10th, and you're
thinking coming into it that you
can get second or third," Warhurst
said. "It was very disappointing."
Leading the way for Michigan
was redshirt junior Peter Christ-
mas in 29th place. Following close
behind him were freshman Bren-
don Blacklaws, finishing 31st, and
fifth-year senior Brandon Fel-
lows, finishing 33rd. The race is a
10-kilometer run, or approximate-
ly six miles.
"I did great up until about 7K,"
Christmas said. "About everybody
on our team just had a bad day.
Personally, I just had a cramp in
my lung.
"Not really anything I can do
about that."
Christmas knows the Wolver-
ines had an outside chance to make
it to the NCAA Championshipmand
didn't perform to their maximum
potential.
"I would say it was a mediocre
race for me at best," Christmas
said. "I didn't have a horrible day,
but I didn't have a great day, just
not a good one."
With this meet, the team is done
for the year.
Warhurst wasn't very pleased
with the team's performance
throughout the season, but he
knows it can bounce back. The
Wolverines had plenty of talent,
but just couldn't tie it all together.
"I just don't think we performed
well in a lot of situations, at least
up to their capabilities," Warhurst
said.
"We'll have to reevaluate and
find out what the deal is."
SAID ALSALAH/Daily
Sophomore Alex Hunt and Michigan swept Purdue and Indiana this weekend.
'M' moves closer to NCAA
bid with weekend sweep
By MARK BURNS ing balls off our blocks, and we
DailySports Writer just kind of sat back and waited
for them to lose instead of us
Ever since the spring season, going out and winning."
the Michigan volleyball team has Two sets later, the Wolverines
worked on serving, passing and were in what Rosen called a "dog-
blocking, just like every other fight." With the match tied at two
team in the Big Ten. sets apiece, sophomore right side
But after months of daily prac- hitter Alex Hunt used her pow-
tices and preparation, coach erful serve to throw the Hoosier
Mark Rosen knows what his defense off balance and grab four
team needs more than anything points for Michigan.
this late in the season: wins. The Wolverines (10-6, 22-7)
And that's just what the 14th- won the fifth set 15-11, as Hunt
ranked Wolverines got this week- led the offense with 18 kills on
end against Purdue and Indiana the night. Senior outside hitter
at Cliff Keen Arena. It was the Juliana Paz garnered 15 kills as
Wolverines' first weekend sweep well.
since Sept. 25 and 27 - against The Wolverines played their
the same Purdue and Indiana way to a similar outcome against
teams. During the seven-week the Boilermakers on Friday. The
stretch, the team was just .500 in Wolverines raced out to a 2-0
conference play. lead and then squandered the
"At this point in the season, next two sets to set the stage for
you can sense everyone's urgen- another five-set match. Michigan
cy," Rosen said. "I think for us, boasts a 4-2 record in five-set
we feel pretty secure that we're matches.
going to get in, but we don't want Senior captain Megan Bower,
to limp into the tournament. We like Rosen, noted how this week-
want to run in the tournament." end's matches were critical for
Against the Hoosiers, Michi- possibly securing a higher seed
gan took the first two sets of the in the NCAA Tournament, and
match, and all signs pointed to a earning the right to host the first
three-set sweep. But four service two rounds. The last time the
aces in the third match by Indi- Wolverines hosted the beginning
ana (4-12 Big Ten, 15-15 overall) stages of the tournament was in
and some sloppy defensive play 2007.
allowed the Hoosiers to jump "At this point in the year, you
back into contention. take wins where you can get
"When you hit (an attack per- them," Rosen said. "When our
centage of) .433, you expect to kids' backs were against the wall
win a game," Rosen said. "Defen- and the match was on the line,
sively, we got very casual. They they found a way to win. I'll take
started tooling our block, bang- that any day."
Blue qualifies for NCAAs with at-large bid
Peale leads
Wolverines to
third-place finish at
Regionals
By CAITLIN SMITH
For theDaily
BLOOMINGTON - Thanks to a
strong performance at the Great
Lakes Regional Tournament and
some at-large points accumulated
throughout the season, the Michi-
gan women's cross country team
will advance to the NCAA Cham-
pionships.
This weekend's regional meet
provided the ultimate spectator
sport. Family, friends and fans
raced up hills and through fields
of waist-high grass to follow the
stampede of runners as they took
on the 6,000-meter course.
The Wolverines came in third
place (104 points) at the meet, and
were just two points shy of auto-
matically qualifying for Nationals.
Notre Dame and Ohio State took
first and second place, respective-
ly. Redshirt sophomore Kaitlyn
Peale led the Wolverines with a
second-place finish overall (20:51),
which means she will automati-
cally advance as an individual to
Nationals.
The race began with a lot of
pushing for a good position, but
Notre Dame runner Lindsey Fer-
guson forged a large lead early
on. Peale kept her initial pace and
stayed close behind in the chase
pack.
"I could tell (Ferguson) was
fading the last 2K or so, and
(Michigan coach Mike McGuire)
kept telling me that I could catch
her," Peale said. "So, I just kept on
my pace and stayed with Emily
MacLeod from Michigan State.
Once you catch someone at the
end, it is a big mental boost. So I
knew once I had that, I would fin-
ish strong."
Peale made her move and fin-
ished strong, just nine seconds
behind MacLeod. Although Peale
had felt under the weather before
running, she still felt good about
her race.
"It was a battle," McGuire said
of the meet overall. "You could tell
during the course of the race that
it was just back and forth."
Four freshmen also helped score
points for the Wolverines. Rebecca
Addison (13th) and Jillian Smith
(21st) both placed among the top
25. Kaitlyn Patterson claimed 27th
place, and Lindsey Hilton followed
behind in 45th.
The NCAA Championships will
be held Monday, Nov. 23, in Terre
Haute, Ind.