4B - October 22, 2012
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
4B - October 22, 2012 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom
'M' hockey blows past Bentley
By MATT SLOVIN
Daily Sports Editor
The Michigan hockey team
fired off 56 shots and enjoyed a
late flurry of goals to finish off
a 6-3 come-from-behind victory
over Bentley.
"Even though we got down in
the game, I thought we played
with a lot of patience, discipline
and just a good overall team
work ethic," said Michigan
coach Red
Berenson. BENTLEY 3
After MICHIGAN 6
the two
teams spent the first period's
early moments feeling each
other out, Michigan (2-1) finally
produced a promising 2-on-1
with freshman forward Boo
Nieves and sophomore forward
Alex Guptill streaking down
the slot. The Falcon defender
made the first move, commit-
ting to Nieves, leaving Guptill
open, but the puck never got to
him as the clearing attempt suc-
ceeded.
At the 8:07 mark of the first
period, Bentley (1-1) had a 2-on-
1 of its own, but it came away
with more to show. Michigan
freshman goalie Steven Racine
allowed a lazy snapshot from
the top of the slot to skip past
him and the Falcons had the
early lead.
The Wolverines had their
best chance to score in the
opening frame when Nieves
fed senior forward Lindsay
Sparks a perfect pass right into
the crease. Sparks hesitated
and only mustered a weak shot
attempt. Though Bentley net-
minder Branden Komm didn't
need to flash the leather on
Sparks's shot, he gloved several
tough shots in the first period,
and Michigan found itself trail-
ing 1-0 after one period.
"Give (Bentley) credit - they
were putting a lot of pressure
on our defense and trying to get
us to turn the puck over, and we
Pair competing for
starting goalie job
PATRICK BARRON/Daily
Senior forward and team captain A.J. Treais scored twice in the Wolverines' 6-3 victory over Bentley on Friday.
did a few times," Berenson said.
It didn't take long for the
Wolverines to open the second
period's scoring. Just 30 sec-
onds in, a messy scrum in front
of the Bentley goal ended in a
tap in from senior captain A.J.
Treais that tied the game.
But Bentley's response came
almost as quickly. A Falcon shot
deflected off of Racine's pads
and forward Jared Rickord was
there to give his team the lead
once again.
Still, Treais bailed out the,
Wolverines once again on- a
beautiful give-and-go with
sophomore forward Phil Di
Giuseppe. The tally knotted the
game at two.
Minutes later, Michigan
looked like it should've taken
the lead as Komm corralled a
backhand from Guptill, and
the referee blew his whistle,
ending the play. But right after
the whistle sounded, the puck
trickled out of Komm's grasp
and over the goal line. After a
review, the officials upheld the
initial ruling.
Luckily for the Wolverines,
the go-ahead goal came not
long afterward. Freshman for-
ward Andrew Copp, who com-
mitted to the Wolverines in
May, scored his first collegiate
goal playing in his first colle-
giate game.
He reacted quickly for a
one-timer look and Michigan
regained the lead, 3-2, going
into the second intermission.
In the third period, Guptill
extended the Michigan lead to
4-2 off a wrister that directly
followed a faceoff in Bentley's
end.
The goal was the first of the
season for Guptill, who tied for
the team lead last season with
16 goals. Sophomore forward
Zach Hyman followed with his
first marker of the young season
off a rebound goal that found its
way through the Bentley goal-
tender's five hole.
"It's pretty satisfying,"
Hyman said of his first goal
since Nov. 12 of last year. "I was
a scratch last week, and it put a
little bit of a fire under mybutt."
Bentley managed to slip
one more past Racine during
a delayed penalty at the 10:17
mark of the third period, but
the Michigan offense kept up
the pressure, thwarting any
possible comeback attempt by
the Falcons.
Guptill added the night's
final marker and his second
of the night after senior for-
ward Kevin Lynch had his shot
deflected from in tight, before
the New Market, Ont. native
hammered it home to seal the
victory for the Wolverines.
Michigan now will have a
full week off before taking the
ice at Yost against Miami (Ohio)
to begin CCHA play.
"One thing we don't have to
worry about is a game tomor-
row night," Berenson said. "I
think our team left everything
on the ice tonight."
By MICHAEL LAURILA
Daily Sports Writer
When the Michigan hockey
team defeated Bentley 6-3 on Fri-
day, freshman goaltender Steve
Racine notched his second-career
victory.
Though he is 2-0 on the year,
Racine's performance hasn't been
the kind that the Wolverines were
accustomed to in years past with
Shawn Hunwick in net. Racine
is still in a battle for the starting
netminder position with fellow
freshman Jared Rutledge. Rut-
ledge doesn't have a victory yet,
but Michigan coach Red Beren-
son expressed early in the season
that neither goalie has seized the
job.
Opposing Michigan in net for
the Falcons was junior Branden
Komm. Coincidentally, Komm
and Racine both are from Wil-
liamsville, N.Y. - a small suburb
of Buffalo.
While Racine started on Fri-
day, Berenson said Rutledge has
been "lights out" in practice this
past week and that he is begin-
ning to find his comfort zone in
the net.
After a slow first two minutes
of the game in which neither side
tallied a single shot, the Wolver-
ine offense finished the first peri-
od with 12 shots, compared to just
six for the Falcons. Though the
final score was 6-3, Friday night's
game turned into a battle in the
net, especially on Bentley's side
of the ice. Racine finished with a
.880 save percentage and Komm
an .890 save percentage.
Racine's stat-line benefited
from a strong defensive effort
that was absent from the Falcons'
end. He struggled throughout the
game to control the shots and stop
the puck from rebounding in front
of the net, and looked flustered at
times when there was pressure on
him in the crease.
And the final score didn't
show the kind of performance
that Komm put forth. Michigan
totaled 54 shots, 20 of them com-
ing in the second period. With the
constant battering of the Falcon
net, it was just a matter of time
before the goals started coming
for the Wolverines. It finally hap-
pened in the third period when
Michigan tallied another 22 shots
on net.
"(Komm) is a good goalie," said
senior forward A.J. Treais. "I've
played against him my whole life.
It's just a matter of keeping at it
and getting shots on net and get-
ting guys in the paint and eventu-
ally the pucks started going in."
Both players are 21 years
old, but Racine's inexperience
showed early and often. He let a
soft stick-side goal go right past
him on Bentley's first goal of the
game, which gave the Falcons a
1-0 lead. Berenson said that he
didn't like the first goal, but was
pleased overall with Racine's per-
formance.
"Even in the third period when
we were up three goals, there
were some point-blank shots from
the slot that he was in good posi-
tion," Berenson said.
On more than one occasion he
probably should have held the
puck to allow his lines to change,
but instead passed it behind the
net to a defenseman, leaving the
same line on the ice. But with
CCHA play opening this week
when the Wolverines host Miami
(Ohio) in Ann Arbor, Berenson is
still not set on a starter.
"I can't tell you that there's a
plan right now," Berenson said. "I
want to see them both play well
... They both need to play games
and they'll both play, and we'll see
where we go from there."
t.
Michigan beats
Indiana for first
road victory
By DAN HARTLEP
For the Daily
Hope has resurfaced for the
Michigan men's soccer team at a
time when the Wolverines' season
seemed to be on its last leg.
Timely play from the back line,
which was missing senior defend-
er and cap-
tain Brian MICHIGAN 2
Klemczak INDIANA 1
kept the
team on top after a pair of unan-
swered goals by the Wolverines. It
was enough for Michigan to grab
its second win all-time against
Indiana, winning by a final score
of 2-1.
The Wolverines (2-2-1 Big Ten,
5-7-1 overall) arrived in Bloom-
ington on Friday to face the lith-
ranked Hoosiers (3-1-0, 10-3-2)
looking to get the road victory
that has eluded
the road, the Wolverines couldn't
afford to get ahead of themselves,
assistant coach Tommy McMen-
emy said. He told the team at half-
time that it needed to just follow
the gameplan.
"We need to trust in the game
plan and stick to it," McMen-
emy said.."Just execute like we're
capable of doing and try to focus
more on possession. If we can do
that, we'll finish a lot more close
matches."
But solid play in the second
half has not been the team's forte
this fall. In the opening half this
season, Michigan has outscored
opponents 11-6, but it has been
outscored 11-5 after halftime.
The Wolverines' defense during
crunch time has cost them games
against Penn State and Wisconsin
in the past few weeks.
The final 10 minutes of the
match on Fri-
RUBY WALLAU/Daily
Junior forward Nkem Ezurike scored Michigan's lone goal of the afternoon against Penn State, giving Michigan a 0 lead. But the lead fell in the 85th minute.
Penalty kick in final minutes doomS
Wolverines'upset bid over Penn State
them all season. day showcased
Indiana Michigan's
struck first in "Earning a win effectivelyreck-
the match's nless defense, as
27th minute, against Indiana the Hoosiers
when for- had four corner
ward Femi is huge." kicks and four
Hollinger-Jan- shots on goal in
zen trapped a that stretch.
through ball Fortunately
inside the Michigan penalty for Michigan, the stellar back line
area and slid it home underneath showcased its mettle once again
redshirt sophomore goalkeeper this season.
Adam Grinwis. Led by Grinwis in net, the
The Wolverines were quick to Michigan defense did not allow
answer though, and within seven the equalizer in the second half,
minutes of the Hoosier goal, red- and he finished the game with
shirt sophomore midfielder Tyler seven saves.
Arnone nailed home a give-and- It was an important win for
go from junior midfielder Fabio Michigan, since Indiana is one
Pereira into the corner of the net. of the top teams in the nation.
In the 48th minute, Michigan McMenemy hopes that the vic-
got its go-ahead goal from fresh- tory will start to show critics that
man forward James Murphy. Michigan is a team capable of
Coming off a spectacular feed doing damage when playing up to
from junior forward T.J. Roehn, its full potential.
Murphy slotted the ball past the "Earning a win against Indiana
Indiana goalkeeper for his first is huge, especially at their home
collegiate score. field," McMenemy said. "This will
With almost an entire half left go a long way in helpingus receive
in regulation, a formidable foe on an at-large bid in the postseason."
By ALEJANDRO ZUNIGA
Daily Sports Writer
Five minutes away from com-
pleting a stunning upset over No.
4 Penn State, the No.17 Michigan
women's soccer team conceded
an equalizing tally that allowed
the Nittany Lions to earn a 1-1
draw on Sunday afternoon.
The
result MICHIGAN 1
math- PENN STATE 1
ematically
eliminates Michigan from the
regular-season title. It also guar-
antees that Penn State (9-0-1 Big
Ten, 15-2-1 overall) will finish
first in the conference or win the
Big Ten championship for the
15th-straight year.
Junior forward Nkem Ezurike
and the Wolverines drew first
blood in State College. In the
60th minute, junior forward
Shelby Chambers-Garcia got
her head on a long free kick
and flicked it over Penn State's
defense. Ezurike controlled the
ball and chipped it over goal-
keeper Erin McNulty. It dropped
into the back of the net to give
Michigan (7-1-2, 13-3-2) the State player was brought down
improbable advantage. from behind during the ensuing
"The goal came from a whole scramble and the referee award-
group effort," Ezurike said. "We ed a penalty kick. Midfielder
all played well the whole game." Christine Nairn took the shot,
After the go-ahead tally, the and the high effort flew inches
Wolverines tried to preserve past Kopmeyer's fingertips for
their lead by defending with her 13th goal of the season. The
all 11 players. But Penn State's tally sent the game into overtime,
prolific attack continued to cre- but the two extra periods ended
ate numer- without any
ous scoring more late dra-
chances, and matics.
the team fired "It would With a
16 shots in the strong wind at
second half have been huge its back in the
Senior goal- second half,
keeper Haley to beat Penn Penn State
Kopmeyer relentlessly
responded to State." pressured
the challenge, the Wolver-
recording 12 ines' defense.
saves. The Nittany
"I just want to do everything Lions' attack, featuring four dif-
I can to keep the team in the ferent players who have scored
game," Kopmeyer said. "I got a five goals or more this season,
couple of good saves and momen- launched 31 shots against Michi-
tum was swinging my way." gan. But Kopmeyer and the back
With under five minutes left line held the best scoring offense
to play, the Nittany Lions finally in the country (3.25 goals per
found the back of the net. After a game) to just a single tally, Penn
shot caromed off the post, a Penn State's lowest offensive output of
the year.
"(Penn State) beats teams by
a lot of goals,' Michigan coach
Greg Ryan said. "Our defense
was very, very solid today."
It was a similar result to Mich-
igan's Sept. 2 contest at then-No.
11 Long Beach State. The 49ers
scored late to steal a game that
the Wolverines had led. After
Michigan fell just short of an
upset once again, Ryan sounded
notably let down.
"We're disappointed," he said.
"We were four minutes away
from winning. It would have
been huge to beat Penn State."
Though Michigan came tan-
talizingly close to giving Penn
State its first conference loss of
the season, Ryan was proud of
his squad for giving the Nittany
Lions their only blemish in the
Big Ten. More importantly, the
draw earned Michigan a key
point that moved it closer to its
best regular-season finish since
2002. If the Wolverines defeat
Illinois this weekend or if Ohio
State loses or ties Indiana, Michi-
gan will finish second in the con-
ference.