1 F f f t t f f I I he Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com GAME STATISTICS Team Stats MICH PUR Fist Downs 21 12 Rsh/Yds 55/202 36/124 Pasing Yards 193 132 Offesve Plays 80 69 TotalOffense 395 256 Kick returns/Yds 3/54 4/105 Pnt returns/ Yds 0/0 1/9 Comp/Att/Int 14/25/2 17/33/2 Punts/Avg 6/39.7 7/37.0 Fumbles/Lost 6/3 3/3 Peraltis/Yads 6/60 3/25 Timeaof Pss 3:47 2813 November 15, 2010 - 3B Michigan offense falters in first-round loss to Monarchs Wolverines unable to capitalize on early lead, fall to OK State PASSING Player RUSHING Player Smith Focier Grad Totals RECEIVING HPmayy Totats Playerc Hagerup toaal Totals KUCING Player Gobnson Totals Player, Gacny TCKFLETS Player platt taye Playst EzKh Dmens Vinopa Van Bergen Moundr-s Bans Christian Sith Totals PASSING Player Totals RSHING Heny Dierking Mc"urse Totals RECEIVING Plnayer Adams Dierking Henry PUNTING Playe Webster KICKING lyer Dinke Totals KiCKOFF RETURNS Player PUNTRETURNS Totas TACKLES plyr L"nk Kerrigan Beckford Lucas Allen Gooden Holland Gaston Harris Williams Johnson Evans Short Kitchens Carios Werner Adams Carlino Maci Totals M f C H I G A N C"A Yds 13.22 176 1-4 17 14-25 193 TD 1 lil 2 Att 18 2 4 s3 No. 6 3 1 14 Yds 99 68 5 3 3 11 13 202 Yds 69 50 29 17 28 193 Avg 5.5 06 1.5 0.8 0 Avg 27.3 16.67 28 13.79 Avg 47.0 39.7 Lg TD 19 1 4 1 12 0 7 0 0u 0 19 2 By JAMES BLUM Michigan managed just one Daily Sports Writer shot on goal in the first half, but went on to out-shoot Old. For the third time this year Dominion 7-6. The Wolverines the No. 8 Michigan field hockey also had eight penalty corners team trav- - seven in the second half - eled to Cha- ODU 1 to the Lady Monarchs' five. pel Hill, N.C. MICHIGAN 0 Despite dominating offensively And for the on the stat sheet, it was Old third time, the Wolverines Dominion that was able to take walked out of Francis E. Henry capitalize on a fast break - a Stadium disappointed. key to its offensive production. The Wolverines entered "It's just execution," Way the first round of the NCAA said about the team's strug- Tournament with high hopes gles on corners. "We get shots of restoring their success after on goal and everything and two years of sub-.500 play, but they just aren't falling. Old thanks to a late goal and a slew Dominion played really well of missed opportunities, they on defense. They had some left with their sticks held low. really nice defensive plays in Michigan (5-1 Big Ten, 15-7 the circle. They played well but overall) entered Saturday's we need to execute better and match as the favorite against I'm sure that's one of the things No. 12 Old Dominion (13-10). they'll really be focusing on The Wolverines captured the next year." Big Ten crown last weekend in But it was not the defense Evanston propelled by timely that lost the game. In the sec- offense. However, the Wolver- ond half of the season the Wol- ines couldn't net a goal after verines have failed to convert the Lady Monarchs pulled on penalty corners - pivotal ahead with 2:09 left in the to a good offense especially in match and fell to Old Domin- defensive-minded games. That ion, 1-0. weakness plagued them in this "The loss was obviously game. heartbreaking for a number "Our defensive unit all sea- of reasons," senior midfielder son has been really strong," Meredith Way said Sunday. Michigan coach Marcia Pan- "Everybody hates to lose and kratz said the day after the it ended our season, and not loss. "We just couldn't really only that, it ends my career as get anything going on offense. a senior because I'll never get It was kind of a -disjointed to wear the block 'M' and rep- game for us ... I felt confident resent Michigan again for field all game that we were going to hockey. So it's definitely heart- hold them. Old Dominion is a breaking." good team so to shut them out all game isn't that easy." Way was one of four Wol- verines named to All-Big Ten teams. She and redshirt senior forward Paige Laytos were named to the first team while freshman forward Rachael Mack and senior midfielder Alicia Mayer were selected to the second team. The team's dramatic turn- around from last year's 7-14 finish and first-round exit from the Big Ten Tournament is thanks largely to the develop- ment of the team under Pan- kratz, who was named the Big Ten Coach of the Year. "I can't really put into words everything that she's done," Way said. "She's pushed us to the absolute limit. That's the thing about Marcia, when you think that you absolutely can- not go anymore she will push you to that extra level and to that extra gear that you will magically find when she's tell- ing you to get there ... It was always just the little extra stuff that Marcia would push us to do so we could get better and be successful this year." Pankratz, however, saw the award as a sign of the team's hard work and development. "I think it's a reflection of how hard the players worked all season and the strength of the staff that we have," Pan- kratz said. "Certainly it is a team effort all the way around including the players and the coaching staff and the support staff." Ls 18 23 25 12 28 28 LS 72 39 11 72 TD 1 0 0 0 1 By MATT SLOVIN Daily Sports Writer Four years removed from its last NCAA Tournament bid, the Michigan women's OK STATE 2 soccer team MICHIGAN 1 was desper- ate to hustle until the final min- ute of the season. Those precious seconds final- ly ticked off of the clock Friday night in Stillwater, Okla. as the Wolverines fell to host No. 6 Oklahoma State 2-1 in the tour- nament's first round. "It was just a really even game," Michigan coach Greg Ryan said after the game. "It was a game that came down to some mistakes." An enthusiastic Michigan squad took a 1-0 advantage into halftime off of a goal by fresh- man Tori McCombs. Just when it seemed the Wolverines were poised for a magical postseason run, the wheels fell off, leading to a first-round exit. Michigan (5-3-2 Big Ten, 10-5- 4 overall) could not afford to lend any momentum to the Cowgirls (8-2 Big 12, 18-3-2), who were playing on their home field. Early in the second half, an Oklahoma State set piece led to an equalizer that Wolverine goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer barely missed scoop- ing up. "We didn't defend their free kick well," Ryan said. "It was very easy to defend. We let them back into the game." The woes continued for Michi- ganjust two minutes later when a loose ball squirted right onto the awaiting foot of junior Cowgirl Krista Lopez. She easily knocked it in for the eventual game win- ner. As could only be expected after the thrilling upsets the Wolverines have pulled off throughout the season, the team fought until the bitter end. Shots were fired until just seconds remained, but any hope of a last- second miracle was thwarted by superb Oklahoma State goal- keeping on the part of sopho- more Adrianna Franeh. The loss ended the careers of five seniors on the roster. Only redshirt senior Kylie Nescbke had previous NCAA experience, as she was a part of the Wolver- ine squad that lost in penalty kicks to Wisconsin-Milwaukee in the opening round of the 2006 tournament. "I'm very proud of our seniors who have taken Michigan back to the NCAA Tournament," Ryan said. "They really raised the level of our team." Prior to the 2006 visit, the Wolverines last trip to the tour- nament came in 2004 when a first-round nail-biter was once again the end of the line for the Wolverines. No. 4 6 Yds 188 238 FG Pat. Lg XP Pts 1-2 50.0 35 8 11 1-2 50.0 35 8 11 No. Yds Avg Lg TD 3 54 18 19 0 3 54 18 19 0 No. Yds Avg Lg TD 1 14 1.0 14 Solo 8 6 6 S 4 4 4 3 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 t 56 Asst 0 1 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 2 P U R D U E ;-A Yds -23 78 5-9 54 -33 132 Tot 8 7 7 5 4 4 4 3 3 z 2 z 2 t i 88 Third down stops help 'D' in win C- 12- 5 TD 0 0 Att 12 12 3 3 1 t 1 2 36 No. 4 4 3 3 1 1 1 17 Yds 75 39 8 7 3 1 0 .9 124 Yds 28 20 18 1s 39 11 1 132 Avg 6.2 3.0 2.7 10 Avg 7.0 50 6.0 5.0 3.0 776 L9 27 1s 7 6 3 1 0 0 27 L9 10 9 10 10 39 11 1 39 Int 2 0 2 TD 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 TD . 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 Rodriguez says 'D' has best day on third downs of entire season By NICOLE AUERBACH Daily Sports Writer WEST LAFAYETTE - For weeks, Michigan football fans watched the Wolverines allow opponents to convert third NOTEBOOK downs at an alarming rate. Third and short, third and long - it didn't matter. Michigan's first loss came to Michigan State, which con- verted four of 13 third-down attempts (30.8 percent). A week later, Michigan lost to Iowa, which converted seven of 13 third-down attempts (53.8). And in perhaps the Wolver- ines' most disappointing loss so far, Penn State converted100 of16 third-down attempts (62.5). For comparison's sake, Michi- gan - the fifth-best offense in the nation, in terms of total yard- age -converts nearly 47 percent of third-down attempts. But Michigan's defense made a statement against Purdue on Saturday. The Boilermakers suc- ceeded on just two of their 17 third-down attempts (11.8 per- cent). Though part of that was due to the rain and wind, which certainly didn't help Purdue quarterbacks in those situations, the rest of the credit goes to the Michigan's defense's ability to create pressure and tackle well. "Our third-down defense was the best it's been all year," Mich- igan coach Rich Rodriguez said after the game. Statistically, that was true. More important was the feeling that Purdue's sputtering offense didn't get anything going against a Michigan defense that made the key plays when it needed to. "I feel like on third down we won," redshirt sophomore line- backer Kenny Demens said. "All season long we've struggled with what went wrong on third down but we played with a little spark today." KERRIGAN'S RECORD DAY: Lost in Purdue's inept and turn- over-happy day on offense was the Boilermakers' defensive playmaker's big day. Senior defensive end Ryan Kerrigan recorded 10 tackles, five tackles for loss, four sacks, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery in Saturday's game. He now owns the Big Ten record for career forced fumbles (14) and has tied the FBS record. Coming into the game, the Michigan offense had allowed just four sacks all year. Michigan sophomore quarter- back Tate Forcier called Kerri- gan "a monster." Rodriguez said his team had a hard time with him at various points through- out the game. "He just plays his heart out every snap every day," Purdue coach Danny Hope said. "NFL scouts come to practice, and they watch him, and they like him. Then they watch film on him all day long, and they like him even more because they realize he's got a great motor, a relentless effort. "He's a very unselfish player. He plays for the team first. He plays inspired football. ... He deserves all the accolades and attention he's getting. He's defi- nitely one of the best defensive players in the country." Even Michigan's defensive players had nothing but praise for Kerrigan. "I recognize a good game and he has a real good game," Demens said. "He went out there and did his thing. He's just a great player. A lot of credit goes out to him on defense. KICKING THEMSELVES: After a missed field goal and a missed extra point, redshirt freshman Seth Broekhuizen lost his pre- carious hold on the kicking job. Rodriguez said he would "probably" open up the kicking competition again, allowing red- shirt freshman Brendan Gibbons another chance to win back the job he had at the start of the sea- son. "It was a disappointing day from that standpoint because (Broekhuizen) has been kicking great in practice," Rodriguez said. "We've struggled all year, but he's clearly the best one in practice. ... We'll see what hap- pens this week in practice." Michigan kickers have made just four of 12 field goal attempts this season. Na. Yds Avg L9 1 34 34.0 34 6 225 375 63 7 2s9 37.0 63 FG Pct. Lg XP Pts 3-4 75O 44 6 15 3-4 75.0 44 6 15 No. Yds Avg Lg TD 2 54 27 35 0 4 s51 25 3s 0 No. Yds Avg Lg TD 1 -9 -9 21 0 1, -9 .9 21 0 Solo 9 10 8 8 7 3 4 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 1 0 0 64 Asst 4 0 1 1 t 2 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 1 1 12 Tat 13 10 9 9 8 5 4 3 2 2 2 2 1 1 1 1 1 t 1 68 And with two and a half SPLIT minutes left Saturday as Notre From Page 1B Dame (5-2-1-1, 7-3-1) tried to pull within one to have a of two Notre Dame defensemen chance at the tie with the extra before it popped over Johnson's attacker, Irish forward T.J. head and dropped into the net. Tynan came into the zone with "It's the most puck luck I've speed. He faked hard toward seen in one the net and game," Beren- then went out son said of Sat- W e were lucky wide, causing urday. "When - senior goal- you work hard, tonight, tender Bryan it's amazing 1 1 Hogan to fall how lucky you no question, down. Tynan might get, and wrapped we were lucky around the tonight, no question." net and tried to stuff it in. The Notre Dame, which entered puck slid across the empty goal the weekend atop the CCHA mouth and out the other side. and retained the spot by win- Some might call it the un- ning one in Ann Arbor, took a luck of the Irish. Berenson 2-1 lead. But while Michigan explains it from his side with didn't respond to Notre Dame's two simple words: puck luck. second goal quickly (or at all) Friday night, senior forward Matt Rust tied the game less than three minutes after the Irish took the lead Saturday. Twenty-eight seconds later the puck luckbegan to show up with Langlais's goal. "You earn your luck," Hagelin said. "We worked E hard all game, we got WIT pucks to the net and I think we outplayed them." The weekend split pushed No. 9 Michigan - More fle to 5-0-2 on Saturdays and lunch hou 1-3-1 on Fridays. Although the Wolverines (5-2-1-0 * More for Big Ten, 6-3-3 overall) of the low played competitively all o weekend and put nine greater C more shots on Johnson * More ac Saturday than they did in the first game, they were locations. outshot by the Irish in both games. BOILERMAKERS From Page lB for both teams to hold onto the ball. We haven't had a game like this all year and we have a lot to learn from it." The weather especially affected Robinson, the sophomore quarter- back. After committing his fourth turnover of the game in the third quarter when Purdue defensive end Ryan Kerrigan knocked the ball out of his hands, Rodriguez put sophomore backup quarter- back Tate Forcier in the game to try and give Robinson some time to regain his composure. Rodriguez decided to "go by feel" from then on out, switching back and forth between the two signal callers for the remainder of the game. For once, the offense - ranked No. 5 in the nation before this game - just couldn't move the ball like it did last week against Illi- nois, when Michigan accounted for 67 points. But in as bizarre a game as Sat- urday's, it was the defense that brought the Wolverines to .500 in the Big Ten. Michigan's 115th-ranked pass defense held Purdue (4-6, 2-4) to 132 yards and forced a pair of inter- ceptions - its best performance of the season. The defense forced five turnovers for the first time since Sept. 10, 2007. And the Wolverines kept their opponent out of the end- zone on offense for the first time since Michigan's blowout win over Delaware State last season. For redshirt sophomore line- backer Kenny Demens, the wet, sloppy conditions gave Michigan's defense a perfect opportunity to have its best showing of the year. "Oh my God, I love it," Demens said. "We all love it. Just to get out there and get dirty and play hard and just come downhill, it was really fun." Although Purdue's offense has struggled all season, Demens said the confidence from a game like this is invaluable to a Wolverine defense that has had plenty of its own struggles. "In the locker room after the game, the offense was just patting us on our back and just thanking us," he said. "We been down in the slumps and the offense picked us up the whole season so it was about time we could do that for them and just get a win." "It shows not just us but the country that we can really go out there and compete." (PECT MORE. BE MORE H THE MORRIS GRADUATE SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT WANNA WRITE FOR SPORTS? Email rkartje@umich.edu ibility: with online and ur classes. 'your money: with one west tuitions in the hicago area. cess: with 8 convenient MORRIS Graduate School oJManagement 800.762.5960 1 masters.robertmorris.edu