4
8A - Wednesday, October 13, 2010
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
0
Young players help out
in exhibition victory
With Rust out of the
lineup, freshman
DeBlois steps up
in his place
By MARK BURNS
Daily Sports Editor__
The absence of senior forward
Matt Rust after suffering a lower
body injury last Saturday at Bowl-
ing Green
clearly left USNTDP 0
a wrinkle MICHIGAN 3
in the
Michigan hockey team's lineup.
With the loss of Rust - one of
the third-ranked Wolverines' top
three forwards - for Tuesday
night's contest against the U.S.
National Team Development Pro-
gram Under-18 team, there was
certainly the possibility of any
number of players fillingthat void.
Leave it to freshman forward o,
Derek DeBlois to do the trick, as
the Narragansett, Rhode Island
native tallied assists on the Wolver-
ines' first two goals in the team's
3-0 victory over the USNTDP.
"He was in the right place at the
right time, and sometimes, that's
whatitatakes for a player," Michi-
gan coach Red Berenson said of Sophomore Bran
DeBlois's two helpers. "That hap- exhibition win o
pens to some players more than
other players. There's more antici- Burlon fireda
pation in their game, they have a neath the bar t
better idea of where the puck is early 1-0 advai
going. And sometimes it's by being Berenson s
lucky and sometimes it's by being ferent night,a
smart." position as D
Earlier this week in practice, been nervouso
Berenson mentioned how he en opportunit
hoped some of his underclassmen
would see some significant playing
time in the team's final tune-up "The
exhibition game before playing its
first ranked opponent, No. 9 New ply t
Hampshire, this upcoming Satur- pljy,
day. COM
Prior to last night's game, DeB-
lois had only seen game action TO
against Bowling Green. But with J
the chance to dress before head-
ing into CCHA conference play,
DeBlois capitalized on the oppor-
tunity. teammate. Or
Just under four minutes into shot the pucki
the contest, the Wolverines (2-0- his head andl
0 CCHA, 2-0-1 overall) drew first man. But witl
blood, when junior defenseman little on-ice
Brandon Burlon saw a seam and executed in tip
jumped into the rush, receiving a the USNTDPn
cross-ice pass from DeBlois at the "The more
bottom of the right circle. Over a comfortable
sprawled out USNTDP netminder, said. "It takes
/A
Black establishes
himse..%lf as viabl~e
option o n D -line
ARIEL BOND/Daily
ndon Burlon (pictured here) scored the first goal in Michigan's
ver the U.S. National Team Development Program Under-18 team.
1
Uu
c
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t
i
r
i
:l
i;
z
a wrist shot under- shoulders, especially when you
to give Michigan the can get a few points."
ntage. Five minutes later, Michigan
aid that on a dif- had an odd-man rush against the
a player in the same USNTDP defense. With senior
DeBlois might have forward Louie Caporusso streak-
and missed thegold- ing down the left side of the ice,
y to set up a fellow he delivered a cross-rink pass to
DeBlois.
DeBlois caught the puck with
his right skate, kicked the puck
more yOU up to his stick and feathered a
the more back door pass. Caporusso banged
home the Wolverines' second goal
.fortable of the game.
Wi l t ghe two assists, DeBlois
u get." earned second-star honors behind
senior goaltender, Bryan Hogan,
who stopped all 33 shots he faced.
In the post-game press confer-
ence, Caporusso said that playing
he might have just against the USNTDP in his fresh-
instead of pickingup man season really helped him the
looking for an open rest of the year and a game like
h some poise and a this one "could really spring a
awareness, DeBlois player" like DeBlois for the rest of
ght quarters around season.
net. "He's quietly become a real
you play, the more solid freshman, and I'm looking
you get," DeBlois forward to seeing more of him,"
the weight off your Berenson said.
For n
only th
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who ha
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former,
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But I
from th
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said th
freshm(
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But i
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Monda:
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The
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By TIM ROHAN Michigan's games, but in recent
Daily Sports Editor weeks, he has seen a lot of time
as Banks's replacement on third-
ow, his Mohawk may be the down situations.
ing that separates him from "He's a hard-working guy," Van
on Michigan defensive line. Bergen said. "Just by looking at
those same upperclassmen him, you wouldn't be able to tell
ssle him about his haircut. he's one of the most explosive play-
young defensive end even ers we have. But off the line, he's
he No. 55 jersey - the same probably one of the quicker guys
r that Brandon Graham, a we have."
All-American, wore the pre- And so far, the freshman has had
our years. Freshman defen- the energy and motor of someone
I Jibreel Black couldn't be in who hasn't had to endure multiple
r shadow. years in the Big Ten. Those were
he's now separating himself the same words used to describe
e crowd. Graham when he was playing at
he beginning of the season, Michigan, but Van Bergen says that
an coach Rich Rodriguez everyone should wait a year or two
ere would be some true to make that kind of comparison.
en who would have a chance "He's a speed-type guy," Banks
ribute right away on defense said. "You want people on third
k was named, along with a downs with high motors, because
er defensive backs. then they're willing to strain more.
t took Black a while to pick He doesn't have to take much of the
defensive schemes. He was grueling work of getting beat up on
his role while trying to the first and second downs with the
big college playbook - one run. So we put him out there, and
fth-year senior defensive he does what he does best."
Greg Banks admitted to hav- The results aren't tangible just
uble with during his fresh- yet, but you could see Black in the
ar. backfield on a few plays against
, Black turned a corner. Michigan State. He only has two
showed (in) two or three tackles and two quarterback hur-
eeks of practice that he's not ries on the season, but he still has
o make any more of those room to grow.
es," redshirt junior defen- As of right now, Black under-
d Ryan Van Bergen said on stands what the coaches are ask-
y. "He hasn't made a single ing of him. He's the freshman on a
game." defensive unit that may be the Wol-
6-foot-2, 258-pound defen- verines' deepest and most talented
d has appeared in all six of - there are plenty of players to look
up to. And those veterans are learn-
ing something from him, too.
The defensive linemen share
pass rush moves with each other.
Even though he's a freshman,
Banks and Van Bergen have give-
and-takes with Black.
When Banks was a freshman,
Shawn Crable liked his stab pass-
rush move, and decided to use it
himself. There were no secrets -
everyone's on the same team.
Over the past few weeks, the
defensive line has put pressure on
opposing quarterbacks. And on the
season, Banks and Van Bergen each
have two sacks and junior nose
tackle Mike Martin has 2.5 sacks.
"I definitely feel like we're get-
ting our swag, so to speak," Black
said. "We're gelling pretty well. We
know where we want to be at. We
know our pass rush moves. We're
getting them down to a T."
Bringing in Black on third
down is just another weapon the
Wolverines can throw at oppos-
ing offenses. Banks said that once
Black develops himself physically,
he could become a "remarkable
player."
"(He's) fresh," Banks said.
"That's what you want against Big
Ten offensive linemen. Because,
one, they're all good. And those are
the money downs you're trying to
capitalize on."
Black now has his role. And
Michigan fans will recognize the
No. 55 streaking to the quarterback
on third downs - soon enough
they'll know his name too.
WOMEN'S GOLF
Michigan struggles mightily
in last-place tourney finish
By MATT SLOVIN tion, finishing with a comfortable
For the Daily 17-stroke victory over second-place
Northwestern. The Boilermakers
The Michigan women's golf are expected to contend for Big Ten
team got a preview of the Big Ten and national titles this season.
Tournament course yesterday at Two Wolverines achieved scores
the Lady Northern Invitational in of par or lower in the second round
Glencoe, Illinois. Unfortunately for - two of the only bright spots that
the Wolverines, the results didn't can be taken away from the disap-
indicate that the team is close to pointing last place finish.
contending for the conference title Senior Min Yean Tan finished
just yet. 13th on the individual leaderboard
"It's good to see the course," at Lake Shore Country Club, sav-
Michigan coach Cheryl Stacy said ing par for a combined 220 strokes
in an interview with the Daily last over three rounds. The best indi-
week. "It works as an extra prac- vidual round any Michigan golfer
tice session for us. Each week, we posted was junior Meagan Bauer's
are trying to gain more confidence one-under-par 71 in the second
leading up to that event." round.
Ten Big Ten schools were repre- Also placing for the Wolver-
sented, in addition to visitors from ines were freshman Alyssa Shimel
Iowa State and Texas Tech. (T-62nd), freshman Yugene Lee
Purdue walloped the competi- (T-62nd), senior Jenn Cleary
(65th), and freshman Chelsea Pez-
zola (70th).
Michigan will wrap up the
fall season with a trip to Austin,
Texas next week for the Chal-
lenge at Onion Creek. The course,
renowned as the host of the first
ever PGA Senior Tour event is also
regarded as treacherous - several
of the pins are guarded tightly by
the water that's the course's name-
sake. The event also always boasts
an intimidating field - the Wolver-
ines finished 15th out of 21 schools
last year at the tournament.
Salvaging a successful season
is not entirely out of the question;
however, after the first four events
of the 2010 campaign, all signs
point to a rough finish for the inex-
perienced Wolverines, competing
amongst an especially talented Big
Ten conference.
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