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8A - Wednesday, November 3, 2010 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Berenson to continue
alternating goaltenders
Michigan football coach Rich Rodriguez has had to deal with plenty of rumors during his tenure in Ann Arbor.
With media) Rodrg
shouldfollow his QBt's lead
hen redshirt junior
center David Molk
stepped up to the
podium to address the media
during the
Michigan
football team's
weekly press
conference on
Monday, he
did so with
the unbridled
enthusiasm
of someone JOE
who was just STAPLETON
selected for
jury duty.
His face said it was the last
place he wanted to be, but his
words said a little more when
he was asked what the players
thought of the media criticism of
Michigan coach Rich Rodriguez:
"I could care less," Molk said.
"I don't think I've ever read or lis-
tened to a single media thing that
you guys have ever put out. So, I
mean, I could care less."
To be fair to Molk, he was
already agitated when he was
asked how it felt to sit out last
year's Illinois game.
"I mean I've answered this
question probably 300,000 times
at every media event I've ever
been to," he said. "Obviously it's
not good. I don't like sitting at
home watching it with my leg
up."
At least Molk had heard that
question before. Rodriguez con-
fronts new questions every day,
and with each loss they geta little
tougher.
But he takes them mostly in
stride. When confronted with the
recent rumors of defensive coor-
dinator Greg Robinson getting
demoted, Rodriguez said he didn't
take it seriously.
"I laughed," Rodriguez said
when asked about his reaction to
hearing the rumor.
"It's just, 'Here are some more
rumors.'"
But even Rodriguez let his frus-
tration show just a little.
"We've dealt with quite a few of
them these past few years, haven't
we?" he said, addressing the
rumors with a sarcastic smile.
When the Wolverines were 5-0
earlier this season, the player-
media interactions were a little
different. Junior wideout Darryl
Stonum entertained us with wild
outfits. Redshirt freshman Taylor
Lewan captivated the media for
almost 45 minutes with what's
best described as a one-man com-
edy show.
But now, the questions are
harsher and so are the players'
dispositions (see: Molk). But the
media criticism, especially that
focused on Rodriguez, doesn't
only affect the players. There are
Rodriguez's children, Raquel and
Rhett.
When asked whether he tried
to shield them from some of
what's said about him, he said
that's tough to do.
"It's hard to shield them,"
Rodriguez said. "I guess, for lack
of a better word, they're more
'worldly' than you would expect a
14- and 12-year-old to be."
And what about the player on
whom the media spotlight has
been brightest, sophomore quar-
terback Denard Robinson? If he
wasn't so nice, his attitude toward
the media could be considered
disdainful, but the massive grin
always plastered on his face sug-
gests he's more disinterested than
anything.
Robinson treats media atten-
tion, negative or positive, like
so many opposing defenders: he
either lets it bounce off of him or
he avoids it entirely.
And it's a good thing, too. if
he'd internalized anything said
about him at the beginning of the
year, he would be addressing the
media on a throne and insisting
we call him "Your Highness." The
way the media, myself included,
has pumped him up, it's remark-
able his head still fits inside a
winged helmet.
Molk himself talked after the
Notre Dame game, when the
Robinson hype may have been at
its craziest, saying there was no
chance Robinson will let it affect
him simply because he doesn't
like media attention.
One way Robinson avoids that
attention is by eschewing cable
television, which he doesn't get at
home. At one point this season, it
seemed like the only way.
But despite Robinson's stellar
performance against Penn State,
as long as the losses keep piling
up, the negative media attention
will continue. Rodriguez especial-
ly will continue to be asked the
tough questions about his tenuous
hold on his job, how many wins he
needs to hold on and the looming
possibility of missing yet another
bowl.
My advice to Rodriguez, if the
losing continues ...
Takea page out of your starting
quarterback's book and snip your
cable connection.
Stapleton can be reached
at jstaple@umich.edu.
No clear starter has
emerged between
Hogan, Hunwick
By STEPHEN J. NESBITT
Daily Sports Writer
Following the Michigan hock-
ey team's dramatic finish in the
NCAA tournament last season,
Michigan coach Red Berenson
found himself with a dilemma on
his hands.
The goaltender he'd bred for
three years to be the face of the
Wolverines - then-junior Bryan
Hogan - wasn't the hero in net
anymore. After racking up a
record of 26-4-0 and setting a
goals against mark of 1.97 that
etched him into second place in
the Michigan record books in his
sophomore season, Hogan and
the team faltered, and he missed
the entire postseason run last
year because of a groin injury.
Instead, it was the relatively
unknown backup, 5-foot-7 junior
Shawn Hunwick, who carried the
team to a Cinderella finish, win-
ning seven consecutive games
before losing in the NCAA semi-
finals to Miami (Ohio) in double
overtime, 3-2.
With both netminders return-
ing for their senior seasons,
Berenson told them that the start-
ing job was no longer Hogan's
right - even though he'd been in
line for starting duties since his
freshman season - rather, both
he and Hunwick would have an
equal shot at grabbing the start-
ing job.
Berenson, who refers to him-
self as "traditionally a one-goalie
coach," determined that he would
rotate the goalies until one proved
to be far-and-away superior. But
through eight games this season,
he hasn't seen it.
It isn't for lack of solid goalten-
ding, but Berenson just may stick
with the rotation.
"Are we competing for a No. 1
job?" Berenson said on Tuesday.
"Maybe, it depends how it goes. If
they both play well and our team
is winning, then they'll both play.
... I'm not closing the door and
saying, 'We have to have a No. 1
goalie.'"
So far, it's worked. Hogan,
who has been starting the second
game of every weekend series,
said the arrangement is helping
him get back on track after disap-
pointing results last season.
"It keeps you fresh and keeps
you ready to go," Hogan said. "It's
like a football experience - you
get rea
and yo
your b
Hog
petitio
own p
just ac
you ha
all the
On1
may s
a perf
goals a
wick h
with a
ence h
offensi
Hunwi
0
JAKE F
Senior goaltenders Shawn Hunwick and Bryan Hogan, shown here at N
Hockey Media Day, have been alternating starts so far this season.
cc
go(
dy all week for one game, with the lead - it changes the
u just go out there and try other team's game plan once
est to compete." we get the lead," Hunwick said
an admitted that the com- on Tuesday. "When we played
n in net has boosted his against Ferris State on Friday
'erformance, because "it's night and we didn't get a shot on
different mindset now that goal for the first 15 minutes, obvi-
ve someone on your back ously they're doing something
time." right. But Saturday we got a cou-
paper, Berenson's decision ple early goals on two shots, and
eem easy - Hogan holds that really changed their game
ect 3-0-0 record and 1.67 plan, so if we score first, pretty
gainst average, while Hun- much we get to dictate the game."
as fallen on harder times At the same time, Berenson
1-1-3 record. But the differ- thinks Hunwick has fallen vic-
as been largely due to the tim to something he calls "puck
e's lack of production with luck." In the first period against
ick in net. Nebraska-Omaha on Oct. 22, for-
ward Ryan Walters lifted a puck
over the goal, but it hit Hunwick's
back and fell into the net.
"I think "The first goal on Friday night
is against UNO was bad puck luck,"
)m petition S Berenson said. "The second was
of a rebound, he gave up an easy
od for both rebound and they scored a bad
goal on a shot that wasn't even a
them." good scoring chance to start with.
So you make some of your own
puck luck too."
Regardless of the results so far,
is five starts, Hunwick has Berenson has shown that he has
d 14 goals, but the sixth- full confidence in both of his goal-
I Wolverines (3-0-1-0 tenders. Against CCHA opponent
, 4-1-3 overall) have only Alaska this weekend, his rota-
ed in 15 themselves - five tion will continue - Hunwick
than their total in Hogan's between the pipes on Friday, and
pearances. Hogan on Saturday.
wick has been staked to "As far as I'm concerned,
ly deficit in his last three they've both proven that they can
, and he admits that playing be winning goalies at this level for
ehind changes the mindset this program," Berenson said. "I
altender. like the competition. I think com-
absolutely nice to play petition is good for both of them."
In h
allowe
ranked
CCHA
knocke
fewert
five ap
Hun
an ear
games,
from b
of a go
"It's
Rough final round plagues Blue
Despite record-
breaking team score,
'M' falters in Texas
By ZACH HELFAND
For the Daily
Record setting performances
in the first two rounds of the
Challenge at Onion Creek in Aus-
tin, Tex. boosted the Michigan
women's golf team to within one
shot of the lead on Monday, but a
cold, windy final round on Tues-
day brought scores back to earth
and dropped the team to a sev-
enth-place finish.
Senior Min Yean Tan's career-
low three-under par 67 in the sec-
ond round was just two strokes
off the Michigan single-round
record. She sat atop the leader
board going into the final round,
but a 10-stroke-over par day gave
her a sixth-place finish.
"I was disappointed because
I expected to win," Tan said.
"(Monday), I played well, but
today I just could not get any-
thing together.... I think my focus
was a little off, and I had to finish
strong, but I didn't."
Tan was not alone in her
struggles in the final round. All
15 teams, including the winner,
Iowa State, had their worst scor-
ing round on Tuesday.
Michigan's five players com-
bined for So bogeys on the day, in
addition to three double bogeys
and two triple bogeys. The Wol-
verines hit just four birdies as
their four scoring players finished
44-over par for the round.
Junior Meagan Bauer turned
in the low score for the team on
Tuesday, shooting a 77 and finish-
ing 11th overall. Her one-under
par 69 in the second round was a
career best.
A record-breaking second
round on Monday helped to
negate the rough final day. The
team's score of 285 broke the
previous Michigan single-round
record of 287 set by three previ-
ous squads.
Michigan women's golf coach
Cheryl Stacy cited promising play
from freshmen Yugene Lee and
Chelsea Pezzola who finished tied
for 43rd, and freshman Alyssa
Shimel who came in at 56th.
"I was very encouraged," Stacy
said. "It gives them confidence to
know that they can shoot those
low rounds and now we just have
to learn to finish it off... especial-
ly when the conditions are bad,
that's when you want to capital-
ize."-
Tan and Bauer were especially
sharp during the first two rounds,
combining for 15 birdies on Mon-
day. After a double bogey on the
16th hole in the first round, Tan
went on a tear with birdies on five
consecutive holes for the shotgun
start tournament. Both Bauer
and Tan finished with career
54-hole bests, shooting 217 and
221 respectively.
"Those were the kinds of scores
I expected of myself," Tan said.
"It seems like if somebody plays
well, everybody plays well. But if
somebody plays bad, everybody
plays bad.... It's all mental."
Tan added that the team must
foius on handling pressure situa-
tions more effectively.
"We just needed to play
decent," Tan said. "We didn't
have to play great to win, and we
played terrible. Everyone is going
to keep working hard and look
forward to next season."
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