The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Sport
Wednesday, February 23, 2011- 7A
MEN'S BA SKETBALL
M' faces Badgers in
search of quality win
ICE HOCKEY
Hagelin gets flag as send off
By CHANTEL JENNINGS
Daily Sports Editor
Michigan meen's basketball
coach John Beilein says that for
his team, the game slows down
the second time around in Big Ten
play.
It's not that the actualspeed and
pace slow, or that teams stop run-
ning their fast
breaks, but for
the young play-
era, the college at Michigan
game becomes Matchup:
more comfort- Wisconsin
able as their 20-6; Michi-
minds adapt gan 17-11
throughout, the When:
season. Wednesday
But of any of 6:30 P.M.
the teams in the Where:
Big Ten, No. 12 Crisler Arena
Wisconsin is one
of the few that TV/Radio:
almost couldn't BTN
slow down any
further. Its methodical offense -
a near perfection of the Princeton
set - beat the Wolverines, 66-50 in
early January. And with the expe-
rience the Wolverines gained since
then, Michigan may be able to see
the game in slow motion now.
The Badgers are still riding a
high from beating then-No. 1 Ohio
State in Madison less than two
weeks ago, but Wisconsin coach
Bo Ryan's squad is less fearsome
on the road - all six of the Badgers'
losses this season have come away
from the Kohl Center.
With three games left in the
regular season, the Wolverines
have the opportunity to playthree
top-50 RPI teams, with Wisconsin
being the first on Michigan's slate.
"It's rare that you have these
opportunities where you have
these great teams - two at home
and one away - that you can be in
a position where we're in," Beilein
said Tuesday. "We're certainly a
top-tOO team tryingto beat one of
those 68 teams. So we have oppor-
tunities here. We're going to do
everything we can to take advan-
tage of them."
The biggest threat for the Wol-
verines is Wisconsin's junior Jor-
dan Taylor, who's commanded the
Badgers'offense this season with a
military-like precision. The 6-foot-
1 point guard averages 18 points
and just three assists per game.
But his most impressive feature is
that, despite the fact that he han-
dles the ball for most of the game,
he turnsthe ball over only once per
game. He boasts the nation's high-
est assist to turnover ratio - 4.13.
"Everybody touches the ball in
what they run, but (Taylor)'s going
to have it most of the time," Beilein
said. "He's just very calm and cool
and collected - it's what he does."
The Badgers are notorious
for forcing opponents to defend
for nearly the entire shot clock
before hitting a shot in the wan-
ing moments, which tires even
a well-conditioned team. And if
they don't have any luck getting in
the lane, Wisconsin can rely on its
long-range shooting - it has three
players whoshoot over 40 percent
from behind the arc.
But Taylor will match up against
sophomore point guard Darius
Morris, who saw just 21 minutes
of floor time when the two teams
faced off on Jan. 5 in Madison - a
memory that could very well light
a fire under the 6-foot-4 Morris.
At the Kohl Center, despite
shooting 40 percent from the field,
the Wolverines were outscored by
the Badgers, 40-22, in the second
stanza.
"We have to pick our right
shots," Beilein said. "If we're
guarded, we're not going to shoot
it. We're going to make sure that
we keep working until we get the
right shot, not just any shot."
The Wolverines' first road game
of the season was their loss to the
Badgers.
And since then a seemingly
new team has emerged, one that
is seeing the game more slowly, as
Beilein may put it.
"They're going to get better as
the year goes on," Ryan said after
Wisconsin beat Michigan in Janu-
ary. "But (the Wolverines have)
got young guys that are playing
loose. Sometimesabeing young isn't
always what other people make it
out to be.
"Those guys know how to shoot
it, they know how to pass it. Defen-
sively they're better, I thought.
That's why they've won some
games maybe with their youth.
(Beilein) scheduled those eight
games at home for a reason. Get
those young guys to play a little
older."
By MICHAEL FLOREK
Daily Sports Editor
With one heave over the glass,
the era was over.
After last Saturday's Senior
Night overtime victory, all seven
of the No. 10 Michigan hockey
team's departing seniors made a
lap around the ice carrying block
M' flags. With spotlights on the
seniors as the only lighting in the
arena, captain Carl Hagelin skat-
ed toward the glass near Section
17 with his teammates.
The monstrous Swedish flag
that had made its home in the
section for much of the past two
years was hoisted over the glass
with the yellow cross embla-
zoned with the black marks of
students' signatures.
Hagelin, a native of Sodertalje,
Sweden, took the flag, put it over
his shoulder, and skated on. He
has more games to play, but this
game - a game that ended with
last-minute goals by Hagelin both
in regulation and overtime - was
the last the flag will see.
It's Hagelin's now.
At the postgame press confer-
ence he said getting the flag was
pretty emotional. Engineering
junior Rob Eckert, the now-pre-
vious owner of the flag, felt the
same way.
"It marked that the era of Carl
had moved on," Eckert said. "It
had become such a big part of the
student section for the past two
years, this season and the season
before. It was kind of weird hav-
ing this little - I guess you could
say little landmark in the student
section be gone ... It was a weird
feeling handing itoff."
The roughly 120-foot hand-
made flag, which Eckert's mom "I got the note, that's for sure,"
made for him as a Christmas pres- Hagelin said. "It's always pretty
ent, started making appearances emotional getting a note like that
between the visitors bench and right after a game but at the same
the band shortly after the start of time I think everyone on your
last year's winter semester. Since team was so tired after the game,
then it has become a mainstay, it was hardto be reallyemotional."
paving the way for another giant Right now,the flag sitsin Hage-
flag to make an appearance - a lin's locker. The plan is to take it
Texas banner in honor of sopho- back to Sweden. But it might have
more forward and Flower Mound, to get by compliance first.
Texas native Chris Brown. "Someone said it might be
But with Hagelin's final season against NCAA rules to keep the
coming to an end and no Swedes flag so we'll see what happens,"
on Michigan's radar in the near Hagelin said.
Reporters at practice laughed,
but he didn't.
t e Either way, the Wolverines still
It m arked that have two regular-season games
the era of Carl and the postseason to play. Michi-
gan - currently second in the
(Hagelin) had CCHA - has already locked up
the right to Yost Ice Arena for the
moved on." second round of the conference
playoffs. According to Eckert,
with the big flag gone, the plan is
to distribute small Sweden flags
future, Eckert "figured we should to the crowd in Hagelin's farewell
probably do something." He did appearance at Yost. It may not
as he signed the flag, and walked make up for the whole enormous
throughout the entire student flag, but it will likely mean more
section so his peers could do the than the sum of itsparts.
same. By the time the flag was "(The fans' love for Hagelin)
thrown onto the ice, Eckert esti- just shows you our fans, they're
mated some 200 to 300 people more than just showing up at the
had signed it. And just before the rink," said Michigan coach Red
flag was to make its maiden and Berenson, who went to the locker
final voyage onto the ice, Eckert room and missed the fans giving
scribbled a quick note and tucked Hagelin the flag. "They're taking
it into the flag. an interest in our players and indi-
Carl it's been a pleasure watch- viduals."
ing you all these years. Everyone Hagelin has accumulated 145
definitely appreciates it. I'm sure points, including 58 goals in his
everyone inthe student section will four seasons. Those numbers will
continue to follow you. Keep your be added into the countlessothers
stick on'the ice. of Michigan hockey lore. But he
Signed, will always be the program's first
Rob + The Children of Yost flag bearer.
HAGELIN
From Page 8A
conversation and a week in
France mulling over the offers he
had in front of him, there was no
question about where Carl was
headed.
* Sixty minutes after
hearing the Swedish national
anthem played in Yost before his
last regular season home game,
Carl sent the seniors out on a
bang.
"I can't believe we're almost
done," Carl said after the win.
Against Western Michigan,
he muscled out two goals. With
40 seconds left in regulation
and then again with just three
seconds left in overtime. It was
his time to do what he does best.
Neither goal was pretty - the
tying tally came off a soft wrist
shot that hit a Bronco defense-
man before passing Western
Michigan goalie Jerry Kuhn,
and the game-winner was a slap
shot from the top of the left cir-
cle that sealed the win for the
seniors.
But they were both goals by a
player determined to impact the
outcome, as he came up big when
the Wolverines needed it most -
twice.
"He plays with energy every-
day but it seemed like he was
trying to do something special,"
Berenson said. "And we knew
what that was, and obviously he
did that. Maybe we have to play
* the Swedish national anthem
every weekend."
On senior night, with the
Wolverines down by one near
the end of the third, he took over
the game when the team needed
someone.
All this in front of his parents,
in front of a crowd so apprecia-
tive of his four years that stu-
dents signed the Swedish flag
that flew proudly in the Yost
crowd after every goal, in front
of his teammates.
He wasn't just good on senior
night. He was great.
"I just told him, 'Aren't you
glad you came to Michigan', and
'Aren't we glad that you came,' "
Berenson said. "He's set a stan-
* dard here. He's been a terrific
kid, student, player, teammate,
just a terrific kid. He's the first
Swedish player we've had, and
we'll always remember him."
* Sitting at Espresso
Royale on State Street, his out-
£
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table. Carl had no choice. He was going
answers, and in less than to come out of his shell because
'ds, makes plans for the of Louie."
g. They met at freshman orien-
(pause) Oh yeah. At tation on Carl's birthday. Both
's? (pause) Yeah, I'll go born away from the U.S., the for-
ger's (senior defenseman eigners bond was one that both
anglais' house)." united them instantly and has
y don't need to say much. kept them close since.
iends just know. Louie visited Carl and his
family in Sweden this past sum-
mer and has plans to return this
e Italian kid from summer with their other best
o makes friends no matter friend, Matt Turner. Matt and
he goes. Louie even took part in a few
sound of his constant games of power play during their
er, his slight Canadian trip to Sodertalje.
or one flash of his smile And Carl has been up to
ugh to make anyone feel Ontario multiple times. He can't
ly at ease. A jokester who get enough of Mrs. Caporusso's
'ong values and loves to cooking when he's there.
ouie Caporusso is a people "I was comfortable talking to
(Louie), so freshman year when
it was just me and him, I talked a
lot," Carl said. "He's never made
You should fun of my Swedish accent or any-
thing, which probably helped a
) the violin lot. I felt comfortable talking to
I him."
cel) wOuld've Now, roommates for the past
three years and best friends, nei-
loved it" ther of them can stop talking.
"Louie and Carl, they're
one person," former Michigan
defenseman and current Phoe-
when Carl came to Michi- nix Coyote Chris Summers said.
was reserved. He was the "They are always kind of playing
er who would only jump off each other, whether it's an
nversations when he was inside joke ... even during plays
ely certain he knew what during practice and in games,
going to say, even though you can definitely tell that these
ckey English" was good. two have something that really
high-profile players just connects between them and
ax Pacioretty and Aaron there is something (there) that
aj headlining the fresh- really works."
ass, Carl was one of the They're movie guys. They're
en the rest of the team hockey guys. They're play-FIFA-
he least about coming in. to-unwind guys.
guy who was always con- But even with Carl's soccer
ed on giving 100-percent, history, their FIFA competitions
nt much of his freshman are pretty even.
osed up. "We go through eras," Capo-
senior and a two-time russo said. "I'll give the edge to
, he still isn't the rah- him, though. But only because
eech-in-the-locker room he's European."
person. A true leader by Most importantly, they're
e, once inside of Yost, both family guys.
nothing but focused. "We live (life) the same way,
thanks in large part to try to enjoy every day but also be
Carl also knows how to let serious when it comes to hock-
ording to Kampfer, he's a ey," Carl said. "It's important
way from the rink." that family is your biggest thing
comfortable in his own and we both have that. I think
d confident in himself, he that really makes us click."
MAX cOLLINS/Daily
Senior forward Carl Hagelin celebrates with the "violin" following his goal during the Big Chill at the Big House.
from the point that bounced off
Drew Palmisano's pads.
On the rebound, Carl put it
over Palmisano and the crowd
went crazy.
He was in the right place at
the right time - literally to the
right of a sprawled out goalten-
der.
Skating around the back of
the goal, he threw his hands up
in celebration. He lifted his left
leg, extended his left arm and
used his stick as the bow of a
violin, sliding it back and forth
across his arm four times before
his teammates bombarded him
against the glass.
Carl had just scored his eighth
goal of the season, and this one
I felt like that was the right thing
to do."
For those few seconds as his
stick was used in celebration,
the goal wasn't just about hock-
ey.
For Carl, the violin was some-
thing much bigger - it was about
family and heritage.
It was about where he came
from and where he's going.
It was about Carl Axel.
"His cousin told me, with
tears in his eyes ... that (Carl's
celebration) was something for
his uncle," Turnersaid.
This wasn't any regular sort
of game, though it was no sur-
prise that Hagelin played hero
here too.
"I think it was just excit-
ing the whole weekend when I
had all the people there and my
brother showed up, my sister, my
mom and dad and their friends,"
Carl said.
"They were all talking about
how excited they were, they
were probably more excited than
I was. That night is just some-
thing I'm going to remember my
entire life and something I'm
going to tell my kids for sure."
This was The Big Chill at the
Big House. This was in front of a
Guinness World Record 104,173
people.
And Carl made everyone in
Michigan Stadium take notice
once again.
knows how to have a good time.
"But as Red says, '(Carl's) been
North Americanized,' " Powers
said. "He's more comfortable
now communicating with peo-
ple. He's normally quite shy, and
with home being so far away, I
think his first couple of years
was a feeling out process. Once
him and Louie identified them-
It was four years
after racing up his first set of
stairs as a Wolverine.
Eight minutes into the second
period and the Wolverines led
2-0. Off a faceoff in the Michigan
State zone and on the power play,
Brandon Burlon ripped a laser
was not only in front of his entire
family and all his friends, both
adorned in custom-made maize
jerseys with Sweden on the front
and Hagelin on the back - it was
in front of a world record crowd.
"Two of my cousins (came TO THE OPERETTA THAT LAMPOONS THE MILITARY
from Sweden) and one of them OWTVAC( I
said 'You should do the violin, HILARIOUS K3I lI(V
(Axel) would've loved it,' " Carl
said. "So we talked before, and ,U00 THURSDAY 8 PM SHOW ONLY
said 'That would be great, my AT THE DOOR, LYDIA MENDELSSOHN THR.
dad would've loved if you did
that.' We were kind of jokingP thentieG
around then. But when I scored, Presented by The Comic Opera Guild
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