0 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com January 11, 2010 - 3B M' defense struggles in second half, again NORTHWESTERN From page 1B It's as simple as that. And Michigan's defense, which feeds off offensive suc- cess, struggled in the second half, too. Northwestern shot 7-for-10 from beyond the arc and tallied 40 points after half- time alone. The lack of defen- sive pressure made it all too easy for the Wildcats to claw back into the game. "We were distracted by our lack of offense, and that's just the story of this team," Beilein said when asked why his team collapsed. "There was no com- placency." Worries of complacency should have been at the fore- front of every Wolverine's mind at halftime Sunday afternoon. Just three nights earlier, they had been the stars of an incred- ible comeback story, storming back from a 16-point deficit to defeat Penn State on the road. Sunday's game felt all too simi- lar - but from the opposite point of view. In the postgame locker room, reporter after reporter asked players what exactly happened. Blank stares and dejected expressions answered the ques- tion better than words could have. Nobody knew what hap- pened, nobody could come up with ideas to fix the team's problems, and certainly, nobody felt good after Sunday's loss. "It's real confusing," sopho- more guard Stu Douglass said. "I'm not sure, you know. I think it starts with leadership at all positions. We all have to step up. "We have to get a lot better than we were today." BURNS From page 1B And until it defeats any team of significance, it will continue to be a mediocre squad which has underperformed all season. On paper, Michigan has one of the best crops of talented play- ers in the conference, maybe even in the country. It boasts 11 NHL draft-picks and a multitude of other solid, well-rounded play- ers. While counting the number of NHL draftees isn't a fool-proof method for assessing a team's tal- ent, many Wolverines have been recognized as players with the skill-set to potentially have a shot at the next level. This team beat now-No. 4 Wis- consin over Thanksgiving break - its signature win of the season. Michigan played one of its best games of the season, defensively, winning 3-2 in a "man's game," according to coach Red Berenson. That win, in contrast with the Wolverines' recent performance on the ice, further indicates that the team is playing beneath its STAPLETON From page 1B to a Northwestern team play- ing without its best player, senior Kevin Koble. And after every game, no mat- ter the opponent, one of the first things we hear from Beilein is how good the opposingteam is. It's one of the things I like about Beilein. He's a good guy, and he is very willing to give credit where credit is due. But here's the thing-the vast majority (I might venture to say all) of Michigan's losses this year can't be blamed on how great the other team was. They happened because of this team's tendency to shoot itself in the foot. Come on a ride with me. Let me take you back to Orlando, during the Old Spice Classic, when Michi- gan's season was still young and full of promise. Remember the first game, against Creighton, when junior Manny Harris had to carry the Wolverines on his back to barely eke out a win against the Jays? "I truthfully believe we just beat a very good team," Beilein said after the game. "They've got a lot of talent, and their fans are going to enjoy watching them play, because they're a good team." What's Creighton's record now? 7-9. They had me fooled, too. In Beilein's defense, they did look like a good team against Michigan. But that was because the Wolverines made them look like a good team, not because they actually were. Every Michigan loss besides Kansas was to an inferior oppo- nent. Take your pick-Marquette? The Golden Eagles are 1-3 in the Big East, 10-6 overall. Boston Col- lege? 1-1 in the ACC, 10-6 overall. After each of these losses, Beilein made sure tolet us know just how good these teams were and how good they were supposed to be. And against Northwestern yesterday, it was the same story. Michigan was at home. It came into the game having won two Big Ten games in a row. It even led by 17 at one point. The Wolverines should have won this game, and they lost it not because Northwestern was that much better, but because they gave it away. "They're a good team," Beilein said yesterday. "They were nation- ally ranked last week." While there is some truth to that assessment, it still doesn't explain how a Wildcat team without its ' best player, coming off a 21-point loss at home to Michigan State, snatched away a game that looked like it was 100 percent Michigan's until the end of the first half. The Wolverines are not losing to great teams. They are beating themselves. And while there are clearly internal problems within the team that need to be addressed, want to know the real problem? Pretty soon, Michigan is going to start playing teams that actually are great. These first five Big Ten games on the Wolverines' schedule (at Indiana, home against Ohio State, at Penn State, home against North- western, home against Indiana) were supposed to be relatively easy, givingthem time to prepare for the gauntlet that is the next two weeks. After they take on Indiana at Crisler on Thursday, the Wol- verines have a brutal four-game stretch, starting with Connecticut at home on Jan. 17, then Jan 20 at Wisconsin, Jan. 23 at Purdue, and at home against Michigan State on Jan. 26. Certainly not for the faint of heart. Michigan has officially missed its chance to build up its Big Ten resume by giving away two of its early conference opportunities. Now, it faces what is unquestion- ably its toughest stretch of the sea- son with a less-than-stellar record. After losing so many early non- conference games, the Wolverines' only chance at an NCAA tourna- ment berth is to tear through the Big Ten, beat Connecticut for their only relevant nonconference win, and make a run in the Big Ten Tournament. But unless they can pinpoint what it is that causes them to beat themselves, that doesn't look like it's going to happen. "We're better than this," Beilein said yesterday. It's true. The Wolverines are better than the team they played, better than they themselves are playing, and they're better than their record. And when they fix whatever internal problems are ailing them, ARIEL BOND/Daily they might just have time to prove onference. it. :: Junior Manny Harris has carried the Wolverines' offense in the Big Ten, but Michigan remains 1-; potential. But if they have the skills, where is the success? The Wolverines have been swept by Miami and Michigan State, No.1 and No. 2 in the CCHA respectively, and they split series with Ohio State and Bowling Green. The Wolverines' struggles must stem from another fault - it could be the lack of consistent play on the defensive side of the redline. Or it couldbe the inefficient power play that has struggled to get the puck on net. It could potentially be any number of things. "We'll turn it around," Beren- son said after his team's second loss to Michigan State in the mid- dle of November. "It's just a matter of when. It's like any team, there's going to be a weak point in your season." The entire team is still experi- encing that weak point, and the transition from average to a team in contention, still hasn't hap- pened. It'll be decided when the Wol- verines face off against Alaska, Ferris State and Michigan State the next three weekends - three of the top four teams in the CCHA. So, in actuality, the sweep of Western Michigan means nothing, unless the Wolverines show some- thing new in the next few weeks - something that proves it was a turning point. Berenson said he breaks down the season into small, 10-game segments, where the coaching staff and players analyze different aspects of the team's performance and how they can improve in the coming weeks. In the first 20 games, Michigan finished with a sub-par 10-10 over- all record. The next 10 games will define this team's season and whether it makes it to the NCAA Tourna- ment. But for now, Michigan is noth- ing exciting, and it must keep this weekend's results in perspective. It defeated a pitiful Bronco team and until it knocks off a con- ference powerhouse, the Wolver- ines are and will continue to be average. - Burns can be reached at burnmark@umichedu WESTERN From page 1B weekend. On Saturday, Junior defense- man Chad Langlais wasted no time, scoring 26 seconds into the first period on a slap shot - the fastest goal of the season for Mich- igan and his first this season. Soph- omore Brandon Burlon got a shot through from the point that beat the Broncos' goaltender on Friday. Burlon and senior defender Steve Kampfer each had a goal and two assists on Friday. Even though the defenders contributed offensively, West- ern Michigan (2-11-3-1, 6-12-4) took advantage of a few uncon- tested opportunities. The defense responded with an energetic effort Saturday that seemed to feed off of the offense's success. "I think it gives the defense more confidence to step up, to play more aggressive," junior forward Matt Rust said. "The forwards play off the 'D,' and the 'D' plays off the forwards. If the forwards are struggling then the 'D' feel like they need to play more cautious propelled Michigan. And along and their confidence goes down. I with a few of the regulars on the think their confidence is up when stat sheet, like juniors Carl Hage- we're scoring goals." lin and Louie Caporusso, Sparks is Junior goalie Bryan Hogan starting to be a factor on the ice. bounced back from a soft goal on And the offensive firepower Friday to make some key saves the may be the key to success for following night. Michigan for the rest of the sea- Facing a five-on-three in the son. In the Wolverines losses, they have scored an average of 1.4 goals per game, but when Michi- "There's no room gan wins, it tallies 4.5 goals per game. But the Wolverines haven't for error at this been able to sustain the success - or score big against ranked teams. pOnt. Their longest winning streak of the season is three games, and it was matched with this weekend's sweep. middle of the second period, the Their inconsistency certainly defense successfully killed off a has been noticed too. Michigan five-on-three Western Michigan only sings "The Victors" after advantage to preserve a 3-1 lead. it sweeps a weekend series, and "That's a bigboost for our team," Berenson joked that his team had senior defenseman Chris Summers forgotten the words. said. "I think that was .a definite "There's no room for error at turning point in the game saying, this point," Berenson said. "We've 'This is our game, and you can go got to take advantage of this week- five-on-three or whatever, but end. I think it will give us con- we're going to shut you down."' fidence. It got some guys on the Hogan and the defense showed score sheet that haven't been on up at a crucial time, but the offense the score sheet for a while." Kelly's effort falls short in loss to Hoosiers By FELIX CARREON Daily Sports Writer Before the start of the 200-yard butterfly, the Michigan women's swimming and diving team trailed 72-59 against Indiana in its first home Big Ten dual meet of the sea- son on Saturday. It needed someone to step up. To the surprise of no one, the Wolverines' all-star senior swim- mer Margaret Kelly answered the call. Kelly went stroke-for-stroke with Hoosier Kate Zubcova dur- ing the first 150 yards. In the final 50 yards, Kelly edged out the five- time All-American- who domi- nated in the Wolverines' Oct. 31 loss to Indiana- by 18 hundredths of a second. "Anytime you can have a best time when you're not rested is great," Kelly said. "I think I had some extra motivation because swimming against Indiana, they're a very strong team and they won Big Tens last year." Too strong for the Wolverines, perhaps. Despite Kelly's strong performances, No. 16 Michigan couldn't complete the comeback, falling to No. 12 Indiana, 130-113., The Wolverines recently endured the most difficult practic- 14 ft; I JAKE FROMM/Dail Senior Margaret Kelly defeated Indiana's five-time All-American Kate Subcova to pace the Wolverines' efforts. es of the season and started a new phase of dry-land training. They were visibly fatigued. "We're in a demanding part of our training cycle right now," Michigan coach Jim Richardson said. "Some of our people are han- dling it well and others you can see were fatigued." In the team's previous meeting, Zubcova edged out Kelly in the 200-yard individual medley. This time around, Kelly took the lead and never looked back, finishing first by nearly four seconds. Fifth-year senior Emily Brun- emann cruised to an easy victory in the 1,650-yard freestyle. Senior Emily Hanson was a distant second to touch the wall. In a rare outing, Brunemann also came in second in the Soo-yard freestyle.. With the meet still in conten- tion, Michigan's fatigue and lack of depth in the breakstroke reared its ugly head. Indiana claimed the top two spots in the 200-yard breast- stroke to cement the victory. "For the most part, I think we're better than we were last year at this time," Richardson said. Richardson emphasized that his sights are set on the postseason. "A month from now, nobody will remember if we won or lost a dual meet," Richardson said. "All that matters is what you do at Big Tens in February and NCAAs in March. I sometimes think of dual meets as 'leftovers.' After a week of train- ing, sometimes leftovers are really good and other times they are not."