6B - Tuesday, April 17, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Overtime heroics lift Michigan over Hokies Then-senior goalie Shawn Hunwick made an emergency start at the Big Chill, blanking Michigan State in a 5-0 shutout. Blue dominates BigChill before world-record crowd By MARK BURNS pared to play, and you try your DailySportsEditor best to get ready in practice but you know it's not the same. Dec. 11, 2010 - Michigan ice You're not mentally as sharp as hockey coach Red Berenson you would have been if you knew calmly sat down at Saturday's you were going to play." press conference following The Alongside Hunwick - who Big Chill at the Big House, and stopped 34 shots en route to his after gathering himself for a few first shutout of the season - the seconds, he let out a wry smile Wolverines got another surprise followed by four measly words from freshman defenseman Jon to the media: "Pretty good show, Merrill, who notched Michi- eh?" gan's first two goals against the If a convincing 5-0 win over Spartans. Michigan State in front of the With Michigan on the power largest crowd ever to watch a play midway through the first hockey game or a NCAA sport- period, Merrill received a cross- ing event, coupled with a pre- ice pass from senior defenseman game B2 stealth bomber fly over Chad Langlais at the right point. and post-game fireworks, is any With the Michigan State penalty indication, then the answer is killers stretched out due to the yes. With a recorded attendance Olympic-size ice sheet, Merrill of 113,411 at Michigan Stadium didn't hesitate to one-time the on hand to watch the Wolverines pass, beating goalie Drew Palm- and Spartans - the teams that isano on the glove side to give set the precedent for outdoor Michigan the 1-0 lead. hockey games when they skated "I blacked out," Merrill joked, to a 3-3 tie in the Cold War back speaking about the fans' cheers on Oct. 6, 2001 at Spartan Sta- after scoring the first tally and dium - hockey fans from across the eventual game-winner later. the country and some around "I don't even know. It was nuts." the world witnessed a spectacle Just under three minutes on Saturday afternoon. later, Merrill noticed that all of "I was hoping that people the Wolverine forwards were would fill up the seats. I know it behind the play following a was a late-arriving crowd, and Hunwick kick save, and jumped you wouldn't want a record-set- up on the rush with senior for- ting crowd without the people ward Matt Rust. As Rust crossed and say, 'Well, we sold the tick- the Spartan blue line, Merrill ets but nobody came,' " Beren- streaked down the right side of son said. "That was not the case. the ice, collecting a backhand People showed up. This was a feed from the alternate captain. great event. It was exactly as Looking more like Detroit advertised, and it was the real Red Wings defenseman Nick deal ... it couldn't be any better." Lidstrom than an 18-year-old But prior to the opening freshman - a reference senior faceoff, Berenson's starting co-captain Carl Hagelin made neminder, senior Bryan Hogan, following the game - he flipped suffered a groin injury. Unable the puck underneath the bar to to play, Hogan relinquished the give the Wolverines a 2-0 advan- starting job to senior goaltender tage heading into the locker Shawn Hunwick. room for the first intermission. "To be honest, I was a little "Merrill's been big all year," scared," Hunwick said about Berenson said. "He's been as starting. "I wasn't really pre- consistent a player as we've had ... For him to step up in a game like this and an event like this and score the first two goals is pretty special. He'll never forget that." Through the second and third periods, Michigan doubled its lead with a pair of power play tallies from Hagelin - the Wol- verines were 3-4 with the man- advantage. At the 8:57 mark of the third period, Rust corralled a loose rebound in front of the Michigan State net, spun away from a defender and feathered a pass backdoor to a wide open Hagelin. The Swedish native made no mistake about it, bang- ing home the puck past an out- stretch Palmisano. Merrill, who generally plays on the first-power play unit, cited "keepingthings simple and getting pucks to the net" as two contributing factors for the Wol- verines' success on the power play against the Spartans. Berenson added: "We work on our power play probably as much or more than most teams, and we've had minimal results. And tonight, it clicked. So I cant tell you if it was any one thing, but it clicked it. Especially that first one, that was a good start for us." And at 8 p.m. on Saturday night, the lights were finally turned off inside Michigan Sta- dium after The Big Chill at the Big House. The show has now come and gone, but the memo- ry of such a historic event will certainly linger in the minds of everyone who was apart of the spectacle. As Berenson said, "at some point, we'll realize this was really, really something." "Whether you see it again, the NHL continues to do it, we'll see where it goes with these outdoor games," he continued. "But you can see as a participant there's something special about them, and this was another one." By TIM ROHAN Daily SportsEditor Jan. 3, 2012 - Brady Hoke leaned in, hugged Junior Hemingway and gave him a kiss on the forehead. Hemingway's Most Outstanding Player Tro- phy sat on the table in front of him, and Hoke wore a smile as he took his seat. Earlier, Hemingway cried on his mother's shoulder while cel- ebrating Michigan's 23-20 over- time victory in the Sugar Bowl over No. 13 Virginia Tech. Hoke always said he'd lead with his seniors, and a fifth-year senior had capped the coach's blessed first season with a win. "You've got to have guys who can make those plays, and when (Denard Robinson and Heming- way) are the ones doing it, you feel pretty good about it," said Hoke, whose team became just the fifth in modern Michigan football history to win 11 games. On a day Michigan amassed just 184 yards of offense, it wasn't Denard Robinson or Fitzgerald Toussaint that saved the day, it was "Big Play" Hemingway, as Robinson calls him. No one will be quick to call Michigan's win pretty, but the few plays Michigan did make came at the most crucial of times, when the game was in the balance. The first half had belonged to Virginia Tech, but Michigan held the lead. The second half belonged to the Hokies too, but Michigan had overtime. When overtime came, Virginia Tech's third-string kicker - who had was a perfect 2-for-2 to that point - missed a 37-yard field goal. Michigan's Brendan Gib- bons made his 37-yarder. After the game, Hemingway found his place on the stage at the 20-yard line, maize and blue confetti falling, right near where he initially caught in his first touchdown catch-and-run. At that point, right was left. Up was down. And, still, Junior Hemingway was celebrating in the end zone. Call it magic. Call it luck. But Robinson and Hemingway rou- tinely made plays like this all season. Robinson had thrown a pick on just his second pass attempt of the game, when he lofted a ball toward Hemingway, who had a one-on-one matchup. Earlier this week, Robinson said he wouldn't second-guess him- self when he looked towards Hemingway. "We had a lot of confidence in that combination," Hoke said. With Virginia Tech romping and the half winding down, Rob- inson had Kyle Fuller, Virginia Tech's best cornerback, reach- ing for his ankles. But the junior quartet off his Hokies The safety the pit Antone out of neatly The fif 45-yar For er he that tu resigne his qu listen t before and let "Son outta t wants said. On t "11 ma plicabl Virg Logan aerial and art ary tha by the break.' receive a nuisa ondary And ACC P Wilson edges, exploit On d seven b ing hit saint's enough Virg in the did th the H points Michig mistak "Thi happen more , "Becau didn't.' On of the down- their o bounce aborte offensi the gr Tho Jordan and Ja like a rback reloaded and fired Relentless, they chased Wilson back foot as two more as he retreated. crashed into him. Briefly, Wilson entertained ball floated. Virginia Tech the thought of running around Eddie Whitley whiffed on them. But Ryan accelerated, k, while his teammate, wrapping Wilson and hurling Exum, was two steps him down 22 yards from where place. The ball landed the play started. in Hemingway's hands. Virginia Tech settled for a th-year senior raced for a field goal. d touchdown. Then, with a chance to demor- Robinson, it was anoth- alize Michigan and build on a ad-scratching decision 6-0 lead, facing a fourth-and-1 ned out OK. Borges has again on the Wolverines' 4-yard rd himself to the fact that line, Thomas tried to sneak the arterback doesn't always ball himself. Fifth-year senior o the advice he gave him defensive tackle Ryan Van Ber- the season: "Make plays gen stuffed him. God do the miracles." Virginia Tech came away netimes he elbows God with no points. he way and decides he After Hemingway's touch- to do it anyway," Borges down catch - and right on cue - senior special teamer J.B. hat play, Michigan inex- Fitzgerald forced a fumble on the kickoff and Michigan tacked on a field goal. Early in the second half, the "his defense defense complemented "Big Play" Hemingway again. Fresh- de this game man defensive end Frank Clark snatched a screen pass out of the happen." air, and four plays later Heming- way was celebrating. Robinson threw the ball high and far, where only Hemingway y took its first lead, 7-6. could reach it. He tiptoed the inia Tech quarterback sidelines and came down with Thomas had put on an the catch. The play was remi- show, lasering passes in niscent of his missed opportu- ound a Michigan second- nity at Iowa, when Hemingway t lived almost exclusively couldn't come down in bounds motto "bend, but don't with a high pass. His favorite target was In his head, he thought: r Danny Coale, who was "Please, Denard, throw this up. nce for the Michigan sec- Please, I want you to so bad." all game. The 17-6 lead allowed Michi- Thomas's running back, gan breathing room, as Thomas 'layer of the Year David led the Hokies back with two , found room on the consecutive scoring drives - where so many teams a field goal and a touchdown. ed Michigan this season. A beautiful pass to the back efense, the Hokies' front of the end zone converted the litzed Robinson, contain- two-point conversion, tying the n to modest gains. Tous- game. quickness wasn't always But Michigan no longer need- , either. ed "Big Play" Hemingway's ser- inia Tech had more yards vices. first half than Michigan Coale, who kicked in high e entire game (185), but school, was called upon to punt kies were held to just six earlier in the game for the Hok- due to an opportunistic ies. He was no slouch kicking an defense and timely the ball, but with the game tied0 es. 17-17 midway through the fourth s defense made this game quarter, Virginia Tech coach ," said redshirt sopho- Frank Beamer elected to call the tackle Taylor Lewan. fake. :se God knows our offense The Wolverines had trouble " covering the Hokie receivers and Virginia Tech's first drive slowing Thomas's quarterback game, facing a first- runs, but they snuffed Coale's and-goal, with the ball on run out. Then Gibbons nailed a own 4-yard line, Wilson 39-yarder, which was enough to d outside. But he quickly get Michigan to overtime. d the original plan, as his His teammates knew ve line lie obliterated on Hemingway had carried them und. there. mas Gordon, Craig Roh, "Real big impact," Toussaint Kovacs, Jibreel Black said. "I'm kind of speechless ke Ryan stared him down about that. He was outstanding pack of foaming dogs. tonight." Russell ends career with second-straight NCAA Championship By LIZ NAGLE Just after Russell's final vic- Daily Sports Writer tory, ESPN played a video about the challenges that wrestlers March 5, 2012 - It was the encounter. beginning of March Madness "You make yourself very vul- - the Michigan men's basket- nerable," said Oscar winner and ball team just fell to Ohio in the former wrestler John Irving. "If NCAA Tournament, and every- you're tired, everybody knows. If one donned Irish-green apparel you're not as strong or as fast as in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day. your opponent, everybody sees it. Meanwhile, in St. Louis, Kellen If you quit, everybody sees it." Russell was wrestling in his last But Russell didn't make him- moments of glory. self vulnerable, nor did he let any- On Saturday, the fifth-year one witness signs of weakness or senior stepped onto the mat for exhaustion. Of the 18,919 in atten- the last time in a maize and blue dance, not one would say they saw singlet. When he walked off, he him quit - Russell fought until was a two-time national cham- the referee raised his arm in vic- pion. tory. Russell's journey was long "Most of these wrestlers today and physical. He spent count- are expected to just tell them- less hours training for a single selves, 'This is just like every moment. But in the last weeks of other match,' " said Anthony his college-wrestling career, Rus- Robles before the finals on Sat- sell made history, sought revenge urday. and passed on a tradition. Robles, who earned last year's Russell is an irreplaceable 125-pound national title, despite puzzle piece. Without him, the being born with only one leg, con- Michigan wrestling team would tinued, "but really, it's not like not have been able to complete every other match." its 11th-place finish at the NCAA "This is what they train for Championships this weekend. year round, what they dream But with him, the Wolverines about. So it's all about who can built upon their legacy and added come out tonight, perform under Russell's name to the short list of the lights for one more match." Michigan's multiple-time cham- But it wasn't just Russell's last pions. match that mattered. After three early wins, Russell squared off against Ohio State's Hunter Stieber in the semifinals. The Buckeye was Russell's only loss in 72 matches over the last two seasons. Russell reflected on that match more than once. He knew his focus wasn't there. But this time, it was. Stieberstruck first after scram- bling to keep a hold on Russell's left leg. But in the second period, Russell started in the down posi- tion and scored an early escape. That's when he started to open up and rally a 5-2 win. With a lead, he drove Stieber's head into the mat, riding him out to advance to the finals, where he would face Iowa's Montell Marion. In a press conference before the 141-pound final, someone asked Russell's opponent a telling question. "Montell, you've got one more match tomorrow night. Does it feel like it could be a fairy-tale ending for your career if you were ever able to bring it home?" But there are no fairy tales in wrestling. Russell had a 3-0 record against Marion, so he was con- fident before the match. But it didn't turn out exactly the way he planned. Though Russell posted 4 Senior wrestler Kellen Russell is a four-time Big Ten champion and two-time national champion at 141 poands. the first takedown, Marion retali- ated and kept the score close. Russell aggressively drove Marion into the mat while the Hawkeye tried to earn an escape. But Marion tied it up in the middle of the second period. And after trading escapes, at the sound of the whistle, Russell was a single second away from a win off of riding time. But 59 seconds was not enough, and Marion took Russell into sudden victory. "He kind of caught me sleeping a little bit when he got that take- down," Russell said. "Going into overtime, I knew I had the upper hand." Again, Russell came out on top. He took control and brought Marion down to the mat with 23 seconds left on the clock. Though his first national title was an accomplishment in and of itself, his second-consecutive crown was just icing on the cake. Russell's last match as a Wol- verine finalized his career record at 134-12 to share the eighth place on Michigan's all-time win- ningest wrestlers list. 1 After the championships ended, the Scottrade Center emp- tied and the wrestlers parted ways. But Russell left a two-time national champion.