The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
October 25, 2010 - 3B
New-look lines spark six-goal outburst
By STEPHEN J. NESBITT
DailySports Writer
Michigan coach Red Berenson
had the golden touch on Saturday
- it seemed that no matter how
he tweaked his roster, it resulted
in goals for the No. 4 Michigan
hockey team.
After a dis- NOTEBOOK
mal offensive
performance in a 4-2 loss to No.
10 Nebraska-Omaha on Friday,
Berenson gave the Wolverines
(2-0-0 CCHA, 3-1-2 overall) a
facelift before the second game of
the home series.
The veteran coach's biggest
move was swapping left wing-
ers on the first two lines - senior
forward Carl Hagelin and junior
David Wohlberg - trying to find
a spark and help Hagelin net his
first even strength goal of the sea-
son.
The top two pairings had been
left unaltered since the season
opener, but Berenson felt that it
was time for some adjustments.
"We weren't getting five-on-
five scoring from either line,"
Berenson said. "They are our
top two lines, they have to play
better, they have to play strong
every night, and we're going to be
changing them from time to time
if we don't think they're working."
He made the switch and was
NEW OFFENSE
From Page lB
"Good for Wohlberg," Berenson
said on Saturday. "Shooting the
puck, he gave us a good start, and
I thought he had another strong
game tonight."
While Wohlberg's name will be
in the record books for his quick
goal, Vaughan had a noteworthy
Saturday night as well. For the
first time in his Michigan career,
the senior scored twice in one
game.
With four goals through six
games this season, Vaughan has
doubled his previous career total
- he finished last season with
only two total goals on the year.
Vaughan spent his first two years
playing defense, but the forward-
convertcis finding his shot early this
season.
"I'm just working hard, just
trying to get pucks to the net,"
Vaughan said after Saturday's win.
"That's what you've got to do to
score. You're not going to score if
you don't shoot. Just shooting the
puck into the net, and a good break-
up pass went out from the defense
and myline-mates really helped me
out."
Vaughan scored a power play
goal for Michigan just eight min-
utes into the Wolverines road con-
test at then-No. 9 New Hampshire
last Saturday. At 6-foot, one-inch,
Vaughan has been using his size to
penetrate opposing defenses, and
it's a good sign for the Wolverines
that he is finding success going to
the net against top-ranked teams.
Hagelin scored his first non-
empty net goal of the season on
Saturday, and Rust and Caporusso
both have two goals to their names.
But on nights when they're not
finding the net as easily - or even
when they are - Vaughan and
Wohlberg have shown just how
potent and deep this Michigan
offense can be.
rewarded royally.
The new-look lines exploded
for a combined three goals and
three assists in the Wolverines'
6-1 dismantling of the Mavericks
(5-1-0).
They wasted no time in putting
goals on the scoreboard - just
eight seconds into the first frame,
Wohlberg took a pass from senior
linemate Matt Rust and lit the
lamp to grab an early lead.
Hagelin got a goal of his own
in the opening minute of the sec-
ond period, and his pairing with
senior center Louie Caporusso
and junior winger Luke Glenden-
ing accounted for another goal
later in the third frame.
"I think (my line) had a good
game - two goals scored and none
against - that's pretty good,"
Hagelin said. "Coach had to do
something from last night to wake
the team up, and it worked."
THIRD-PERIOD SPARK: Enter-
ing the weekend series against
Nebraska-Omaha, the Wolverine
offensive attack had been nearly
nonexistent late in games. Michi-
gan had mustered only one power
play goal and an empty-netter in
the third period this season, but
was still searching for the first
even-strength tally.
But against the Mavericks, the
offense finally found its stride in
the third period. The last period
on Friday was the only time in the
game when the Wolverines man-
aged to score.
In the second game of the
weekend series, Michigan entered
the third period with a 4-1 lead,
and the Wolverines seemed to
have a commanding hold on the
game. But after letting a four-goal
lead slip away against Mercyhurst
in the season opener, Berenson
wasn't going to ease up.
"Coach talked about it in the
intermission before the third.
He said, 'We know what hap-
pened against Mercyhurst. If we
don't show up in the third period
they're going to take it to us,' "
Hagelin said. "So Coach wants us
to score goals, and that's what we
did."
Added Berenson: "A 4-1 game
is still a game that can still be in
doubt. If we had to kill penalties,
and got on our heels and they get
one or two, it's a whole newgame."
RED'S REUNION: An orange
sign with crude black lettering
hung above the entrance to sec-
tion 13 in the student section on
Saturday. It read, "Red Berenson,
a true Michigan Man."
The sign was made in honor of
Berenson's pregame award cer-
emony on Saturday, when the
coach received a plaque officially
commemorating his 700th career
win earlier this season in Bowling
ARIEL BOND/Daly
Michigan coach Red Berenson looks on during the Wolverines' 4-2 loss to Nebraska-Omaha on Friday night. Berenson was
honored at the game to commemorate his 700th career victory, which he earned against Bowling Green earlier this season.
Green.
When Berenson stepped out
onto the ice, his path was lined
on both sides with former Wol-
verines who had played under his
tutelage during the past 26 years
since returning to coach his alma
mater.
"It was a surprise to me,"
Berenson said of the returning
players. "I knew something was
going on - I didn't know what
- but I knew they were going to
have an acknowledgement just
before the game, but it was nice to
see all those guys back."
#
6
. .,
.
But true to form, Berenson
marched past the players, hastily
accepted his award and quickly
walked across the ice.
No sucker for the spotlight, he
waved his team back into its pre-
game warm-up routine and moved
behind the bench.
SPLIT
From Page lB
Just eight seconds into the game,
junior forward David Wohlberg
rifled a wrist shot from the left
end boards that caught goalie John
Faulker off guard and found its way
into the back of the net. The goal
was the fastest in program history.
Following the quick tally, a new
Michigan team seemed to surface
- one that played a tighter check-
ing game against Nebraska-Oma-
ha's prolific offensive attack.
"We didn't turn over the puck as
much as last night, so they didn't
get enough chances to win this
game," Hagelin said. "Itcomes down
to us playing well from the get-go
and winning battles."
And while you could look at the
amount of shots the Mavericks had
(36) and say they certainly had their
chances, that would be far from the
truth. Many of their shots came from
the perimeter of the offensive zone
and were easily seen by senior goal-
tender Bryan Hogan.
With Michigan holding a 4-1lead
heading into the third period, any
signs of a comeback from Nebraska-
Omaha looked hopeless as senior
forward Ben Winnett and junior
winger Luke Glendening each added
goals to seal the Mavericks'fate.
In arguably its best all-around
performance this season, a more
energetic Wolverine squad dis-
played what has been a hallmark of
Berenson-coached teams of years'
past: sound defensive hockey.
While playing with more fervor
in the defensive end, coupled with
sacrificing bodies to block shots,
getting the puck cleanly out of
the zone and backchecking with a
purpose, the team returned to the
Michigan of old.
"Now we know we can't just
play with 90 percent of our talent.
We need to show up and play 100
percent from the get-go like we did
(Saturday)," Hagelin said.
Players from Nebraska-Omaha celebrate after scoring a goal on Michigan g
Mavericks but came back on Saturday to dominate and earn a split.
ARIEL BOND/Daily
altender Shawn Hunwick on Friday night. The Wolverines lost the game, 4-2, to the
FLOREK
From Page 1B
moments in Durham when they
looked like a top-ranked team.
But senior goalie Shawn Hun-
wick stole that point while the
Wolverine power play got all
their goals by going three-for-
three on the power play. Besides
early in the first period, the
Wildcats dominated that game.
They ended up out-shooting
Michigan by 18 and out-chanced
them by a significant margin as
well.
Saturday, the Wolverines
still got themselves into penalty
trouble in the second period,
and still made turnovers in their
own zone. But good teams score
the goal that turns the game
into only a survival exercise.
And Glendening's goal, followed
by senior Ben Winnett's did just
that. Seven seconds after Win-
nett's goal, Nebraska-Omaha's
Brandon Richard threw a sucker
punch that ignited a brawl.
On its way back to the land of
steaks, it was the final act of an
Omaha team that had been get-
ting grilled the whole night.
"A 4-1 game is stilla game
that could be in doubt," Michi-
gan coach Red Berenson said.
"If we had to kill a couple of
penalties and got on our heels
and they get one or two, it's a
whole new game."
I'm not saying the Wolverines
are ready to make a national
title run. After six games,
nobody is. And looking back at
Friday night when they gave
up four goals to Omaha, they
haven't proven they are even
close.
But on Saturday night, they
showed a glimpse of the team
they were at the end of last sea-
son. For 60 minutes, they looked
like the team that scored two
goals in the third in East Lan-
sing to sweep the best-of-three
postseason series with the Spar-
tans. It looked like the team that
scored three straight goals to
bury Bemidji State in the NCAA
Tournament.
To believe Michigan is a top
team means to see them do it
consistently. And on the road.
Downing Ferris State in the
Bulldogs' own building next
Friday would be another small
step.
Fortunately for the Wolver-
ines, they don't need to look at
a clock. The season has a lot of
time left.
Florek can be reached at
florekmidumich.edu
* Trio leads Blue to record-setting
weekend and fourth-place finish
By MATT SLOVIN
For The Daily
It was a record-setting weekend
for the Michigan men's golf team
in Greensboro, North Carolina, as
numerous impressive individual
results led to a fourth-place finish
in the Intercollegiate Bridgestone at
Forest Oaks Country Club.
Spirits were high on Saturday as
the team seemed to be firing on all
cylinders. But Sunday's final round
left much to be desired and prevent-
ed the Wolverines from competing
for the title, ultimately claimed by
North Carolina.
"Obviously, I was a little disap-
pointed with the way we finished,"
Michigan coach Andrew Sapp said.
"But we were able to compete with
some great teams. We didn't put
three solid rounds together."
Michigan tied a school record for
lowest team round, posting a formi-
dable 13-under par 275 in the second
round, which was surpassed only by
the Tar Heels' 268, best out of the
O 14-team field.
The Wolverines also finished
with three in the top-10 in the indi-
vidual standings.
Junior MattThompson had a sea-
son-best six-under 66 in the second
round to springboard himself to a
sixth-place finish in a brilliant per-
formance. Senior Lion Kim's seven-
under-65 in the first round was a
career-best.
Kim's first round combined with
two successive even-par 72's pro-
pelled him to seventh on the indi-
vidual leaderboard.
Freshman Joey Garber followed
up his near-victory at the Bank
of Tennessee Intercollegiate last
week by tying for eighth at six-
under par.
"Two great finishes to finish off
the season is a huge boost for (Gar-
ber)," Sapp said. "There was great
leadership this week from (Kim)
and (Thompson).
Michigan has traditionally par-
ticipated in the Bridgestone Inter-
collegiate as the closing event to its
fall season and the success there is
not far from the norm. In the pre-
vious two seasons, the Wolverines'
trip to the tournament led to third-
place finishes in historically strong
fields that typically include several
ranked schools.
Next up for the Wolverines is a
four-month hiatus before Big Ten
Match Play commences in Febru-
ary in Coral Springs, Florida. Sapp
certainly hopes that the moder-
ate success found during fall play,
which included a team title at the
Windon Memorial Classic in Sep-
tember, carries over into the spring.
"We start our offseason tomor-
row," Sapp said. "We will condition
five days a week to be ready for the
season come second semester."
WANNA WRITE FOR SPORTS?
No problem.
CONTACT RYAN KARTJE AT RKARTJE@UMICH.EDU
THE TIMAM.
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T HURSDAY, OCTOBER 28
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