The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 2B - November 23, 2009 HUSKIES From page 1B behind the are, for 22 points and six rebounds. The senior also reached a career milestone, picking up his 500th rebound as a Wolverine. Though Harris led the team in scoring (25 points), he was inconsistent all night, shooting just 8-of-21. But his free throws kept Michigan in the game early and he finished 8-of-11 from the charity stripe. The Huskies started the game playing a 1-3-1 defense that gave the Wolverines trouble. And while Michigan, did get some good looks in the opening min- utes, the team didn't hit its shots, making just 38 percent in the game. Only Harris and Sims finished the contest with more than 10 points. Michigan coach John Beilein was concerned with his team's interior defense and rebound- ing. Houston Baptist's lead- ing scorer, Mario Flaherty (17 points), picked up nine offensive rebounds and turned most of them into baskets. Overall, the Huskies outrebounded Michi- gan 52-39. Beilein hopes the game's opening minutes will be a teach- ing tool, particularly as the team heads to Lake Buena Vista, Fla. this Thursday to battle Creigh- ton in the Old Spice Classic. "We haven't struggled in a game since Oklahoma beat us (last year), " Beilein said. "You forget what it's like, and it's important that we learn from the experience of playing teams. They were very aggressive and it's certainly better than when we would have just walked away from somebody. We'll learn from it." CUIF REEDER/Daily Ohio State fans celebrate after Saturday's win. The Buckeye faithful came out in full force for the game, and by the end of the game, were ouder than Michigan fans. Too iTuc re Uin the Big House Ynou all heard it. The first time Ohio State fans attempted the "O-H- 1-0" chantt around the massive bowl of Michigan Stadium,it was drowned out in an onslaught of boos and hatred. ANDY By the end REID of the fourth quarter - when it was apparent that the Wolverines would fall to their most hated rival for the sixth consecutive year - Michigan fans lacked the energy and passion to dam the flood of Buckeye joy. "O-H-I-O" rang out in the Big House, over and over, for what seemed like half a century. The signs came out - scarlet-and-gray text reading "Rich Rodriguez, we love you!" and "2,191 days and counting" and "Another Buckeye Championship" - to taunt the Michigan faithful even more. And following Tate Forcier's fourth and fStal interception, the enormous Ohio State fac- tion began to chant, "This is our house, this is our house." And, you know what? For that day, it was. "It felt good," Buckeye receiver Ray Small said. "Every time I've been here I've celebrated after the gamee. It felt kind of homey. And the only people to blame for that are Michigan fans. Those who gave up on this season. Those who sold their tickets on Stub- Hub or EBay. Those who had the audacity to sell their tickets to the greatest rivalry in sport to the opposing team's fares. You know what happens when a Michigan fan tries to scalp a ticket in Columbus? The seller looks you up and down, surveys your maize-and-blue attire and succinctly says, "Fuck you." He turns around and tries to sell to someone else. Buckeye fans apparently didn't meet the same resistance Satur- day. I can't count the number of Brutus the Buckeye dolls I saw or the number of times I heard that "Hang on Sloopy" song when I walked around the tailgating scene at Ann Arbor Pioneer. But having that many Ohio State fans in Michigan Stadium is downright embarrassing. The entire south end zone looked be red. Maybe the Buckeye fans' attire just stood out that ruch, but the rest of the stadium seemed- to e housing a lot of Buckeye fans, too. A member of the Athletic Department said it reminded him of the 1969 game in that aspect, with the sheer num- ber of people making the trip up from Columbus. And that's pretty much the only way in which Saturday's contest resembled the famous 1969 game. When the Buckeyes trotted over to their fanbase in post- game celebration - a sight that's become all too familiar after eight home losses in the last two years - they sang the fight song and swayed to the alma mater as if the game had been played in Ohio Sta- dium. It might as well have been. I will give credit to the student section, which came out in full force, but the rest of the stadium was absolutely unacceptable. I realize the team sucked this year, to put it bluntly. But this was Michigan-Ohio State, and it ended up being a pretty good game, despite five offensive turn- overs. To see that much red in Michi- gan Stadium was embarrassing, simple as that. And if you sold your ticket this weekend, you were part of the problem. -Reid can be reached at andyreidumich.edu. Lehigh too much for 'M'in first dual meet Wolverines struggle one more match, when redshirt junior and team captain Antho- to wrestle fr full - ny Biondo defeated Lehigh's Joe seven minutes in loss Kennedy 6-4. Still, the Wolverines struggled even when they won. By AMY PARLAPIANO "Anthony Biondo won the For The Daily match, but he stopped wrestling when he got the lead," McFarland During the No. 21 Michigan said. "That's been a problem that men's wrestling team's first dual I need to fix. You have to compete match of the season yesterday, for seven minutes." both the crowd and the Michigan On the whole, Michigan lacked bench chanted two words: "Keep aggressiveness and toughness wrestling." yesterday. When the Wolverines But the Wolverines couldn't got behind, they seemed to lose stage a comeback. An inability to spirit. capitalize in scoring situations "It's the effort and being a led to a disappointing defeat, competitor and a warrior when 21-9, to No. 14 Lehigh. you get on the mat," McFarland Though there was a strong said. "And some of our guys just turnout of maize-and-blue-clad didn't step up tonight." fans, some even donning claws, Sophomore captain Zac' Ste- Michigan didn't give them much vens (133 pounds) was one of the to cheer about. few who did step up, winning his Freshman Sean Boyle (125 early match 7-5 to tie the score pounds) lost the first match 4-0, at 3-3. Unlike many of his team- and the team went on to lose mates' matches, Stevens was in three of the four next matches control much of the entire bout. to go down 12-3 at intermission. "Zac stayed aggressive," Despite pleas from their bench, McFarland said. "He's got that the Wolverines simply couldn't great toughness and that's what wrestle strongfor the entire seven it takes to win matches. I've got minutes of a match. guys that didn't do that tonight, "We had guys that, when and in the end, it cost us." things got tough, they didn't The Wolverines have a chance respond," Michigan coach Joe to show they have learned McFarland said. their lesson when they travel Things looked like they might to Guilderland, N.Y. on Sunday turn around when redshirt for three sets of duals against junior Aaron Hynes (165 pounds) Bloomsburg, American and came out after the intermission Penn. McFarland hopes that this and defeated Lehigh's Brandon weekend his team learned that Hatchett in overtime. they need to stay focused both Hyne's resilience electrified when they're behind and when the building as he worked his way they're ahead. back and earned a takedown with "I want my kids winning in the 30 seconds remaining to win the third period," McFarland said. "I match and cut Lehigh's lead to want my kids winningthose tough 12-6. matches like Aaron Hynes did. It But the rest of his teammates goes into overtime, I want my kids couldn't keep up the momentum. winning because I want my kids Michigan went on to win only feelingthatthey deserve to win." From page 1B Falcons: quick start propels'M' last period, we showed a lot of character killing off that penalty. ... You can hear the guys in the locker room (after the game) - we're all excited." But the Wolverines weren't as lucky in the series' opening game. In Friday's loss, Michigan struck first with an impressive goal by junior center Louie Capo- russo - just his second of the sea- soil. He weaved through the Bowl- ing Green defense on the power play and slipped a backhand past Nick Eno. Then, the Falcons (2-9-1) tied the game with just over a minute left in the first period. But the goal. Wolverines recaptured the lead Within the next 2:22, they with a Robbie Czarnik wrist-shot scored two more goals off of weak goal over Eno's defensive zone glove late in the coverage and second frame. poor rebound Lee Mof- "You can hear the control by fie and Steve Michigan goalie Kampfer each guys in the locker Bryan Hogan. took penal- Stunned, the ties early in the room ... tney're Wolvertres wat- third period, nessed their and that's when all excited." one-goal lead Bowling Green turn into a took control. two-goal deficit Nine seconds within a matter gan hockey," Caporusso said. "Michigan isn't known to lose five in a row. "It doesn't sit well. It doesn't feel good to belong to a team that is not playing Michigan hockey- caliber." The Wolverines returned to form with the decisive win on Saturday, but that win was over a Bowling Green team that had won just one game this year prior to this weekend. The Wolverines still haven't defeated a ranked team this sea- son and find itself in an unfamiliar spot, under .500 this far into the season. Like The Daily but can't stand reading anything over 140 characters long? We have the perfect solution. @michdailysports. after the Kampfer penalty, the Fal- of minutes. cons tied the game with a 5-on-3 "Obviously, (that wasn't) Michi- 0 On Senior Night, Blue grabs key three-set victory .Am. Paz wa NC For, Rood, ending With sota tie Friday' Rood s two po the Gol "To come b legitte us bad proud Michig Thrc Michig all) co sive att and Rood lead the block on the outside, which ranks y as Wolverines second in the conference. Early in the first set, the 12th-ranked Gold- move closer to en Gophers centered their block- ers on sophomore Alex Hunt, the AA Tournament Wolverines'hitting leader heading into the match. Knowing that, the coaching By MARK BURNS staff wanted the team to "bal- Daily SportsWriter ance out the offense," according to senior right side hitter Megan Juliana Paz and Veronica Bower. Senior Night was a fitting Michigan did just that, catching the Gophers off guard with hits Michigan and Minne- from the right side off of slide sets ed at 25 in the .third set of and back sets. s volleyball game, Paz and Bower finished with six kills cored the Wolverines' final and Rood with eight. ints in a three-set sweep of In the third frame, the Wolver- den Gophers. ines were down 24-20 with the come back in game one and game on the line. But led by Paz ack in game three against a and Rood, the team clawed its way am- and (Minnesota) beat back. at their place -,I'm just The duo was responsible for of how our kids played," Michigan's last seven points en an coach Mark Rosen said. route to its fifth consecutive win. eughout the entire match, After the sweep of Minnesota (13- an (12-6 BigTen, 24-7 over- 5, 22-8), the two, along with Bower nstantly shifted its offen- and senior Cassie Petoskey, were ack to combat Minnesota's honored with a video tribute. The Wolverines have two more regular-season matches on the road next week against Ohio State and Penn State. Rosen said his team is peaking at the right time as it heads into the final weekend of the regular season and the NCAA Tournament. "We talk about this every year "It's great to send our seniors out on such a good note." that the sign of a good team is playing your best volleyball at the end of the year, and we're play- ing and competing the best right now," Rosen said. "That tells me0 these kids are doing the right thing, and we're going in the right direction." TOREHAN SH ARMAN/Dal Senior Juliana Paz ard senior Veronica Rood Ied a comeback in game three against Minnesota to complete the sweep. The Wol verines won on Senior Night and moved closer to securing an at-large bid in the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight year.