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- £ dated, on the1 Carl 10 wor evening "Yo. Langer to Lan Chad L They Best fr Th Ontari whereI The laughte accent, is enou instant has str talk, L( person do (A But gan, he foreign into co absolut he was his "ho With like M Palush: man c freshm knew t A quiet central he spec year clc As a captain rah, sp kind of exampl Carl is But1 Louie,( up. Acc "goof a Now skin an tiny flip-phone vibrates selves as really good friends, 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 14t i