8A - Wednesday, October 5, 2011
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
aj Penalty kill perfect
inseason opener
711
ALDEN REISS/Daily
Junior forward Lindsay Sparks scoredjust four goals all of last season, but he registered three goals and an assist yesterday against Niagara.
parks htallies trick in win
ZACH HELFAND from a fortunate deflection off a
Daily Sports Editor Purple Eagle defenseman.
"It just seemed like every-
Bad puns about "sparking" the thing we shot found the back of
No. 6 Michigan hockey team's the net," Sparks said. "When you
offense aren't necessary. have games like that, it just kind
Junior forward Lindsay of falls into your lap, and you just
Sparks's play spoke for itself in run with it and build off it."
the Wolverines' 5-0 trouncing The two goals may have fallen
of Niagara in the regular-season in Sparks's lap, but the third goal
opener was all his own.
yesterday NIAGARA 0 And it was a beauty.
at Yost Ice MICHIGAN 5 Sparks left the penalty box
Arena. to find Niagara forward Patrick
The season had barely begun Divjak with the puck and his
when Sparks gave Michigan (1-0) back turned. He pick-pocketed
its first lead 1:02 into the first Divjak, deked the goalie and
period. He added two more goals fired a backhanded wrister into
in the span of a minute in the the top shelf.
second period to become the first Sparks had just eight points
Wolverine since Louie Caporus- last season, yet he tallied four
so in March 2010 to record a hat in this season's opener with the
trick. addition ofa second-period assist
Sparks received some help on junior forward Chris Brown's
on his first and last goals - the goal.
former on a string of passes to "Lindsay has been a question
the crease by freshman forward mark, whether he can score,"
Zach Hyman and junior defense- said Michigan coach Red Beren-
man Lee Moffie, and the latter son. "I've seen it right from day
one (this year). He's looked like
a better hockey player, and he
might be one of our most skilled
players."
Sparks's two second-period
goals came in a flurry of shots at
the end of the frame that led to
three Wolverine goals. And there
could have been ohe more.
Just seconds after Sparks's
two tallies, freshman forward
Phil Di Giuseppe appeared to
score the first regular-season
goal of his career, but Michigan
was whistled for goalie interfer-
ence and the goal was waved off.
Brown scored just minutes later
to give the Wolverines a com-
manding5-0 advantage.
The Michigan defense suf-
focated Niagara all game. The
Purple Eagles outshot the Wol-
verines, 38-37, but Michigan kept
the puck in Niagara's zone for
the majority of the game. Of the
Purple Eagles' 38 shots, few were
genuine scoring opportunities.
Fifth-year senior goalie Shawn
Hunwick turned away the ones
that were close. He made several
flashy saves, including a diving
stop and a glove save on a one-
timer in the second period. He
finished the night with 30 stops,
and sophomore goalie Adam
Janecyk spelled Hunwick for the
final 9:32 of the game to complete
the shutout.
"Hunwick, really I thought
was a big factor in the game, in
the second period especially,"
Berenson said.
Still, Berenson wasn't pleased
with the amount of penalties his
team committed. And he's keep-
ing expectations in check despite,
the lopsided score.
"I think we were opportu-
nistic - we got lucky around
the net," Berenson said. "Even
though we outscored them in the
second and took a comfortable
lead, we didn't outplay them.
"You feel good about the
score, you feel good about play-
ers getting some confidence and
winning your first real game of
the year, so that's all positive."
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MATT SLOVIN silent when holding a man
Daily Sports Writer advantage Monday night. They
were 0-for-6 on the power play
relentless penalty kill is against last season's national
rk of a dominant hockey runners-up.
And following the gradu- And though Michigan could
of most the unit's anchors afford itself a few shortcom-
season, Michigan coach ings against Niagara - a team
terenson might not have that hasn't defeated Michigan
'ted to see Michigan's in six tries - CCHA play will
handed brilliance yester- be less forgiving.
- especially not this early In the meantime, Berenson
season. prefers to focus on forwards
t only did the Wolverines he'll need to rely on while kill-
opening-night opponent ing penalties.
ra off the board, but they "We've got a shorter group
scored shorthanded dur- of guys that we're using now,"
e 5-0 win. Berenson said. "It's players like
enson was quick to point (junior forward) Kevin Lynch,
he importance of main- Travis Lynch and (sophomore
ig an attack when down a forward) Derek DeBlois -
just as freshman forward they're the key players right
s Lynch did when he gave now."
igan a 2-0 lead. Fifth-year senior netminder
lamplighter just nine Shawn Hunwick also pointed
es into the game came out the opportunity for new-
econds after a Wolverine comers to step forward on the
ty for too many men on penalty kill and make his life
e. easier when he's missing a crit-
enson highlighted the ical defender.
-tance of hands-on expe- t"There's a lot of roles to fill,"
when down a skater. Hunwick said. "Most of our
hat gives everybody a lift," (penalty kill) guys from last
son said of shorthanded year graduated. The team's
like Lynch's. "One way doing well so far."
rk on (the penalty kill) is But decreasing opponent's
g the games." conversion rate on power
en without sophomore plays from last year's figure of
seman Jon Merrill - 16 percent will be no easy task
currently serving a without graduated forward
me suspension - the Carl Hagelin, whose pres-
ty kill unit has the poten- ence on the unit will be sorely
o win the Wolverines missed.
s this season on its own Berenson noted the impor-
s. tance of the not-so-secret key
manage the penalty kill, ingredient to any successful
pect of the game that's penalty kill.
'ularly unforgiving to "Your goalkeeper - he's
classmen, Berenson will your best penalty killer,"
o his leaders. Berenson said.
ime guys, I don't know if Hunwick will hope for
e ready for that, so we improvement from the Wolver-
use everyone," Berenson ines' eight shorthanded scores
"I need (senior forwards) last season - a total that can
Glendening and David easily be surpassed if fresh
berg to lead it." faces like Travis Lynch contin-
e Purple Eagles were ue to take the initiative.
--r-- --a--- . .
0'
Molk returns to Northwestern, his first college offer
KEVIN RAFTERY "Yot
Daily Sports Editor footbal
you'ret
Michigan fifth-year senior
David Molk was set on calling it
a career.
Heading into his junior year
at Lemont Township (Ill.) High
School, the center had received
little attention on the recruiting
trail - and he was OK with that.
"Going through high school, it
really wasn't, 'Oh, I'll just go play
college football now,' " Molk said
after practice Tuesday.
"(I was thinking) I have a year
left, or two years left, and then
football's done."
But then his dad received a
phone call. It was Northwestern
University.
When he received the call,
Molk was in his usual hang-out
spot - the weight room.
"My dad sprints up to the
weight room and goes, 'Dave!
Northwestern offered you,' "
Molk said, a smile creeping onto
his face.
Mol
an ho
laughe
He wa
but its
arshipf
"C
qu;
fr
fit
u're gonna play college "We said that if either of us
l," his dad told him. "And gets a full scholarship to college,
going to college for free!" we get any American-made car
k, who lived only about we want."
ur away from Evanston, Naturally, Molk took advan-
d when recalling the story. tage of the deal as soon as he
s happy about the offer - could. When he graduated high
vas more than just a schol- school, his dad bought him a
for him. brand new 2006 Cadillac STS
that he still drives today.
But he wasn't preparing to go
to Northwestern when he got the
enter is the new car, as his father originally
expected.
arterback up He was getting ready to take
himself and his Cadillac to Ann
)nt .(Molk) Arbor.
sthatrol And as the 12th-ranked Wol-
roe. verines prepare to play a hard-
nosed Northwestern team on the
road this Saturday night, they're
glad Molk - who was ranked as
y dad) was more happy the No. 3 center in the nation by
(me getting a scholarship) Scout.com as a high school senior
iat I was gonna playthere," - won't be on the home sidelines.
"(M3
about l
than th
MAd MSA MdwLAIsN/Daily
Fifth-year senior center David Molk chose Michigan over Northwestern. Iowa and Wisconsin as a high school senior.
0
0
Molk said. "But it came to bite
him in the ass, because me and
my brother made a deal with him
when we were real young.
Michigan offensive coordina-
tor Al Borges has recently opened
the playbook more, especially
during last weekend's 58-0 win
over Minnesota. The Michigan
offense featured a new diamond
set with both junior quarterback
Denard Robinson and backup
sophomore Devin Gardner on the
field - something Borges would
like to do more often.
But his creativity would have
to be limited without an experi-
enced center like Molk.
"It really does help (to have
Molk)," Borges said. "He can
handle a lot of things they do up
front. Hecan get us all working in
the right direction. It's very, very
important."
With Molk at center, it's like
the Wolverines have another sig-
nal caller.
"The center is the quarterback
up front," Borges said. "David
Molk certainly fits that role. He's
a great athlete, a smart kid who
loves to play football. We're lucky
we've got (him)."
And now, Molk feels lucky to
be at Michigan as well. It was
a difficult decision during high
school - he said he narrowed his
decision down to Northwestern,
Michigan, Iowa and Wisconsin
- but looking back on it, it seems
like a no-brainer.
"I wanted to be part of the
greatest football tradition of all
time," Molk said.
"I wanted to go where the
greats have been."
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