8 - Tuesday, November 9, 2010

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.cor

After three bowl-less years,
bid special for Blue's seniors

ByJOE STAPLETON
Daily Sports Editor
For each of his first two sea-
sons as Michigan's coach, Rich
Rodriguez had to tell the depart-
ing seniors that, even though they
weren't going to a bowl game, they
were laying the foundation for
future success.
And that's something to be proud
of, to be sure.
But, as Rodriguez said dur-
ing Monday's press conference,
it's especially nice that this year's
seniors will finally get to go to a
bowl.
"The seniors, I think the chance
to extend their college career one
more game is huge," Rodriguez
said. "That bond you have with your
team is pretty tight, and being able
to extend that another month for a
bowl game I think is really impor-
tant for our seniors."
The Wolverines (2-3 Big Ten,
6-3 overall) secured their first bowl
berthof the Rodriguez era on Satur-
day with a dramatic triple-overtime
67-65 victory over Illinois.
One senior, defensive end Ryan
Van Bergen, said that for a lot of
players, achieving bowl eligibility is
a huge relief.
"Being a senior, you feel a lot of
pressure to be a leader and give the
team everything you have," Van
Bergen said at Monday's presser.
"To be a part of the upperclassmen
who got us back on track ... I defi-
nitely feel a pressure lifted off my
shoulders."
For many of the younger players,
giving the seniors a chance to play
in a bowl was an importantmotivat-
ing factor throughout the season.
Junior wide receiver Darryl Sto-
num said the rest of the team talked
about sending the seniors to a bowl
after the game.
"We talked in the locker room
after the game," he said. "A lot of
the guys got kind of emotional. We
love our teammates and our seniors
mean a lot to us. We were happy to
do this for the seniors."
ROBINSON DOING FINE: As has
been the case in nearly every game

Senior forward Amanda Bowery, along with most of her teammates, will see the
postseason for the first time in her Michigan career.
'M'headed for
NCAA Tourney

Redshirtjunior Ryan Van Bergen and the rest of the Michigan seniors will be playing in their first bowl game this winter.

this season, sophomore quarter-
back Denard Robinson went down
with an injury during Saturday's
matchup against the Illini.
The Deerfield Beach, Fla. native
was taken out of the game near the
end of the third quarter and did not
return.
Rodriguez said Robinson was
experiencing concussion-like
symptoms when he was taken out,
and because of this, the team's
trainers kept him out the rest of the
day.
"He got a little dizzy, had a little
headache," Rodriguez said. "So for
precautionary reasons, the trainers
wanted to hold him out."
However, Rodriguez said Rob-
inson went through a series of tests
on Sunday and the results indicated
that he was "okay."
Sophomore quarterback Tate
Forcier performed well in Robin-
son's absence, throwing two touch-
downs over the course of three

overtimes and the time remaining
in regulation.
But barring another injury, it
looks like the team won't need his
services next week. Robinson has
been cleared to practice and will be
fine for the Wolverines' next game
at Purdue.
"He'll do everything today and
be good to go," Rodriguez said.
RYAN VAN SUH?: When asked
about Detroit Lions' defensive tack-
le Ndamukong Suh's extra point
attempt during the Lions game on
Sunday, Van Bergen had an interest-
ing first thought.
"I know I would have made that,"
Van Bergen said. "There's no way
I miss an extra point. I kicked in
high school, my long is 46 (yards),
I would have made that. Ndamu-
kong should be a little embarrassed
- 13-yard field goal, right down the
middle?You got to capitalize."
Van Bergen has a history in the
kicking game. He said he started

kicking for his high school and got
pretty good at it. He even kicked
off in the Michigan East vs. West
game during his senior year of high
school.
Though he made a 35-yarder in
practice, Van Bergen said his skills
have undoubtedlyeroded since high
school. But should he be called upon
to kick a point after?
"If I got called upon, I would
make an extra point for this team,"
he said.
INJURY REPORT: Sophomore
running back Teric Jones left Sat-
urday's game with a leg injury and
Rodriguez informed the media that
Jones tore his ACL and is out for the
season. ... Junior nose tackle Mike
Martin got through the game with-
out aggravating either of his injured
ankles. ... Rodriguez said the
availability of redshirt freshman
Fitzgerald Toussaint will depend
on what he can do in practice this
week.

ICE HOCKEY
Hagelins unselfish play draws praise
after weekend split in Fairbanks

Wolverines haven't
been selected since
2006 season
By DANIEL WASSERMAN
Daily Sports Writer
Just two years after finishing
last place in the Big Ten, Michi-
gan is back where it wants to be
- the NCAA Tournament. With
the women's soccer team packed
around a TV watching ESPNU's
selection show yesterday after-
noon, anxious minutes passed
before it was finally announced
that the Wolverines had made it
for the first time since 2006.,
They will now travel to Stillwa-
ter, Okla. and face Oklahoma State
- the region's host - on Friday.
The Cowboys are the No. 3 seed in
the North Carolina Region.
Michigan coach Greg Ryan -
who guided Wisconsin to two
Final Fours and a runner-up fin-
ish in 1991 - is in his third year
as the Wolverines' head man and
has returned his team to familiar
territory. Before his tenure began,
Michigan had made the tourna-
ment in nine of its last 11 years.
only one player on this roster,
senior defenseman Kylie Neschke,
has any tournament experience.
But for the Wolverines (5-3-
2 Big Ten, 10-4-4 overall), who
haven't had a winning record since
2007, being back on top is incred-
ibly rewarding.
"We knew we weren't going to be
very strong on the field, so we com-
mitted to being good teammates
and getting along and working for
each other," Ryan said. "That's car-
ried over for all three years. I think
when you get to a year where you
have enough talent on the field to
win and you have that great team
chemistry, I think that combination
puts you over the top."
The season has been a magical
ride for the seniors who had gone
through so much. After the show's
conclusion, a nostalgic Ryan
addressed his team, nearly chok-
ingup.
"It's a great credit to this group
of girls who have made the NCAA
Tournament, but it's also a credit
to people of the past few years that
have helped us rebuild the pro-
gram, building the culture, learn-
ing how to fight every second,"
Ryan said. "This is just a gritty
group of players that believed in
themselves when nobody else in
the country believed in them."
With all they've gone through,
the season couldn't have been any
more special for a transforming

soccer program. To begin the sea-
son, Michigan unveiled a brand-
new stadium and discovered a
vibrant fan base. A bid to the tour-
nament just caps it all off.
"It really makes us realize how
far we've come as ateam and as a
senior class," senior captain and
forward Amanda Bowery said. "To
go from our freshman year when
we won three games to now, it feels
really good to look at and reflect
on what we have done. When we
found out freshman year that we
were going to get a new coach, it
was kind of like, 'We know there's
going to be a turnaround in the
program and restructuring,' and
now that we've actually been able
to see it from nothing to now win-
ning, it's really cool."
The'tension built in the room as
the bracket filled up and the Wol-
verines were still absent. Needing
a win or tie to all but secure a bid,
Michigan lost to Penn State on
Sunday in the final 17 seconds of
double overtime.
With banners andstreamersstill
hanging in the locker room from
last week's Senior Day victory, the
players and coaches were loose
prior totheshow's beginning, most-
ly enjoying the large spread of food
and laughing among themselves.
But when three of the four brackets
had been finished, the mood dark-
enedbas the room swelled with ner-
vous words of encouragement and
frustration.
Someone even yelled at com-
mentator Julie Foudy to "shut up"
as she rambled about numerous
matchups.
When Michigan was finally
announced, jubilant yells were
let out in celebration, as the team
hugged and high-fived. After
Ryan's speech, coaches piped in
rock music, yet the celebration was
short lived.
"(Oklahoma State) is obviously
a very, very good team," Ryan said.
"My next hour is going to be call-
ing coaches, figuring out every-
thing I can about them. We'll roll
up our sleeves against anyone in
the country. This team has showed
that all year long."
The Wolverines will head down
to Stillwater onWednesdayin prep-
aration for Friday evening's game
against Big-12 champion Oklahoma
State (8-2-1, 17-3-2). The winner
will advance to play the winner of
Memphis and Oregon State.
"Our gameplan the whole year
has been taking it one step at a
time," Bowery said. "We'll just go
in there Friday, give itour all, leave
it all on the field. This is the point
where one loss is your season.
Then it's done."

By MICHAEL FLOREK
Daily Sports Editor
It didn't mean anything. The
goal only pushed the game fur-
ther out of reach. But senior for-
ward Carl Hagelin's assist on the
Michigan hockey team's fifth goal
of its 5-2 victory over Alaska-
Fairbanks on Saturday may have
been the most intriguing of the
year.
With 1:37 remaining in the
third period and the game already
at 4-2, senior forward Louie
Caporusso let go of a one-timer
for his second goal of the game
and his fourth this season. But it
was the way the play developed
that opened some eyes.
The goal started in the defen-
sive zone. Hagelin picked up the
puck on the left side boards and
came out of the zone with speed.
He beat the Nanook defense-
man to the outside and cut hard
towards the net, setting up the
play that eventually resulted in
Caporusso's goal - the play which
was a prime example of Hagelin's

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hip. joined the rush - probably the
Ain skated in all alone, fastest he's skated all year."
Caporusso joining the The Nanooks had pulled their
make it a two-on-zero and goalie about a half-minute before
puck over to his linemate the goal, when they first gained
ommate. Caporusso , get- control in Michigan's zone. Hage-
*wn on one knee to gain lin's final scoring opportunity
could have ended with an easy
tap-in goal. Instead he showed
the team his selflessness in giving
don't preach up the puck.
"It shows you're a real team
)ut it but ... it's player when you do that," Michi-
gan coach Red Berenson said. "I
al team player think it's a great move, I've done
it myself. We've had other players
at does that." I've seen do that. I don't preach
about it but I think it's a real team
player that does that, that would
make a pass to a player and give
everage, uncorked a shot them a goal. That's a sign of a
he hashmarks - on the good team or a good leader, a good
et. team player."
t's what you do if you come Said Caporusso: "We've talked
wo-on-zero and no defen- a little before so he kind of knew
back and an empty net," what I was going to do. He knew
i said. "I would have done what to do I guess, pass me the
se thing if the goalie was puck. I tried to do the same thing
too. That's just how you for him against Ferris State ... I
le deserved that goal. He would have done the same for

him."
As a captain this year and an
alternate captain last season,
Hagelin leads the team by exam-
ple on the ice. But this particular
play may have resonated more
because of his struggles to open
the season.
Coming into this season, Capo-
russo and Hagelin were expected
to carry the scoring for the team.
But Hagelin has just three goals
through 10 games while Capo-
russo has just four, including the
empty netter.
Now, with the two playing on
the same line for the past five
games, it could be the spark both
of them need to break out of their
slumps.
"I can probably score a lot more
goals with him on the line, just
trying to get to the net and get
open for him" Caporusso said. "As
opposed to other lines that I've
played on, I felt like I was trying
myself to play-make. I feel like my
play-making doesn't have to be as
prominent as scoring goals when
I'm on his line."

WOMEN'S TENNIS
Young players show spark in Wolverines' final fall action

By MATT KRASNOFF
Daily Sports Writer
Senior tennis standout Denise
Mursean wasn't there to defend her
title last weekend at the Arizona
State Thunderbird Tournament.
Instead, the nation's No. 12 player
was busy competing in the presti-
gious USTA/ITA National Indoor
Championships in New York. But
the show mustgo on and so must the
tennis.
Michigan coach Ronni Bern-
stein took the rest of her nine-player
roster to Tempe, Ariz. where the
Wolverines competed in a singles
tournament, consolation matches
and doubles matchups. Michigan
was part of a competitive field that

featured Arizona State, California,
Northwestern, Ohio State, Oregon
and San Diego.
The team has spent a majority of
the fall season playing at home, so it
was nice to get away for a weekend.
"It's always enjoyable to go on a
trip," Bernstein said Sunday. "But it
was the last time we'd see them com-
pete before we start again in January
so of course it's very important."
Every Wolverine played at least
three matches and no one went
home winless. The weekend was
highlighted by freshman Brooke
Bolender's run to the semifinals. Ari-
zona State's Kelcy McKenna - the
nation's No.54 singles player and the
eventual tournament champion -
upended her.

Sam Crister, Michigan's other
freshman, suffered a first-round
loss to No. 80 Pavlina Smatova from
Oregon. But the rookie persevered to
win her next four consolation match-
es, defeating a Big Ten opponent in
each one.
The quality play from the young
guns comes as no surprise to Ber-
nstein. Both players come in with
valuable experience on both the
national and international levels.
Bernstein feels that this experience
has paid major dividends in their
adjustments to becoming Division-S
student-athletes.
Senior co-captains Rika Tatsuno
and Whitney Taney each won three
singles matches, while sophomore
Mimi Nguyen picked up two wins

before a quarterfinals exit. Overall,
Bernstein was certainly pleased with
how her team performed.
"It's a really competitive tourna-
ment that's full of good teams, so
every match was tough," she said.
"We got in a lotcof good matches and
I'm really happy with the results."
The 2009-10 Wolverines were
ranked in the top five nationally for
most of the season. The program had
the honor of hosting regional play in
the NCAA Tournament for the first
time ever.
But after falling in the Sweet 16
in June, this year's senior-led squad
is setting higher goals. Michigan
prided itself last year on its superb
doubles play, winning many impor-
tant doubles points in every Big Ten

dual-play match. This weekend,
however, doubles was not the team's
strong suit.
The Wolverines went 4-5 in dou-
bles, though the No. 4 duo of Taney
and Tatsuno did not play together.
Bernstein acknowledged the impor-
tance of doubles play, but stressed
that the fall is a period of assessment
and evaluation, which is exactly
what took place.
"(Doubles) is one area we've been
consistently good at in years past,"
Bernstein said. "So we need to keep
working on that and figure out our
teams for the season."
It will be more than two months
before Michigan plays its next tour-
nament. The team returns to host the
Wolverine Invitational in mid-Jan-

uary, and the next eight weeks are
crucial to the team's development
goingforward.
"I think we're in good shape,"
Bernstein said. "We go into eight-
hour weeks now but we have to con-
tinue to work hard and we need to
stay healthy and stay in shape when
everyone goes home over break.'
And as the fall season comes to a
close,the Wolverines feelthat they're
prepared to repeat as a force to be
reckoned with across the nation.
"Overall, I think we had a good
fall," Bernstein said. "With whatthe
girls showed this weekend and the
quality of the programs there, we
proved that we're definitely a team
that's going to compete hard and
should be in every match we play."

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