4B - November S, 2012

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com

Michigan sweeps Iowa
after upset of Nebraska

Junior guard Kate Thompson and the Wolverines scored their highest point total since 1998 on Friday at Crisler Center.
Wolverines eci1pSe the
century mark in opener

By GREG GARNO the score is ... because if we win
Daily Sports Writer every four minutes we'll be in
good shape."
Less than 20 seconds into the Michigan had seven players
Michigan women's basketball finish with double digits on the
exhibition against SlipperyRock, night, led by senior guard Kate
sophomore point guard Brenae Thompson's double-double - 16
Harris found herself in the right points and 10 rebounds. Sopho-
corner more guard Nicole Elmblad led
alone and SLIPPERY ROCK 35 all scorers with 20 points while
out of sight MICHIGAN 106 Harris followed behind with 16
of the near- points. Ryan, who was named
est defender. Senior guard Jenny -team captain before the game,
Ryan spotted her and allowed finished with 13 points and a
Harris to bury the basket and team-high six assists.
give the Wolverines the lead for The Wolverines built up an
good. 8-0 lead to begin the game and
Michigan scored early and never looked back. Slippery Rock
often, showing no mercy for the turned the ball over 24 times
school loved by students across while shooting a dismal 29.1
the campus- in a 106-35 victory percent from the field. The Wol-
on Friday. The Wolverines' first verines, on the other hand, com-
and only exhibition of the season mitted just five turnovers during*
culminated with the program's the game and finished with a
first triple-digit game since 1998 60.6 field-goal percentage.
and was 27 points higher than "(Barnes Arico) really focused
its biggest offensive game of last on us taking care of the ball,"
season - a 79-68 victory over Harris said. "She tells us to value
Northwestern. the ball and I think we did a pret-
First-year Michigan coach ty good job of doing that."
Kim Barnes Arico was quick Freshman Madison Ristovs-
to downplay the 106-35 win, a ki, the-2012 Miss Basketball in
71-point victory in a dominating Michigan, saw her first min-
appearance against an opponent utes at Crisler Centeraafter four
picked last in its division during minutes in the game and scored
the preseason. her first points midway through
"I don't really look at the the half. Thompson, a 6-foot-4
scoreboard, and I try not to have guard, used her height advantage
the players look at the score- and speed to cut underneath the
board," Barnes Arico said. "I hoop for a pretty reverse lay-
think we need to become more up later in the half and tiptoed
disciplined and worry about us along the line again for a similar
and play four minutes at a time. shot, frustrating Slippery Rock's
Every timeout I tell them what defense.

"I was expecting us to play
really well, but what I really
loved to see was our ball move-
ment and working together,"
Thompson said. "We were on
point with cuts, people saw the
open cutter, and we had a lot of
assists. It was a good game."
The Wolverines steadily built
up a sizeable lead, creating more
offensive opportunities from the
11 steals recorded in the game.
Senior forward Sam Arnold
capped a 29-4 run to end the
first half with a reverse lay-up of
her own to make the score 56-19
heading into the locker room for
halftime.
Michigan scored at will
throughout the second half, as
Barnes Arico played with differ-
ent lineups frequently.
"I think there's always the
ability to change," Barnes Arico
said. "I want the kids to know
that if they do really well in prac-
tice their going to have the ability
to start."
With 1:40 remaining in the
game, Arnold put her team over
the century mark by sinking a
pair of free throws.
Barnes Arico, though pleased
with her team's performance,
was quick to discuss what her
team would be working on before
its season opener against the
University of Detroit next Friday.
"I think we gave up way
to many offensive rebounds,
and Detroit is a good offensive
rebounding team," Barnes Arico
said, noting that The Rock talued
12 boards in the Michigan zone.

By GREG GARNO taking advantage of an Iowa
Daily Sports Writer team that looked lost and con-
fused. The Hawkeyes finished
Late in the third set against with a .087 attack percentage.
Iowa Saturday, freshman libero Tied at seven to begin the
Tiffany Morales' serve went first set, the Wolverines began
directly into the net, ending to pull away with a short 4-0
a short run for the Michigan run - its biggest of the set.
volleyball Led by junior outside hitter
team. NEBRASKA 2 Lexi Erwin's six kills in the set,
Morales, MICHIGAN 3 Michigan steadily managed to
though, buildup a20-13 before coasting
walked IOWA 0 to the end.
back to MICHIGAN 3 The Wolverines raced out
her huddle to an early 4-0 lead in set two
with a smile across her face and only to watch Iowa take the
a group of teammates matching next three points back. Michi-
her expression. gan broke the game open with
It was the type of game a 13-4 run immediately after,
where even when a play didn't capped by a kill from freshman
work out, the game was still in outside hitter Kelly Murphy.
the Wolverines' favor. Making good use of the Hawk-
After a dramatic and thrill- eyes' numerous attack errors,
ing five-set victory over No. 4 the Wolverines closed the set on
Nebraska on Friday, Michigan a 5-0 run.
made quick work of Iowa on The second set eventually
Saturday, winning 25-19, 25-10, allowed Rosen to rotate his
25-12. It was the Wolverines' lineup and provide action for
third-straight victory, evening a young and inexperienced
up their Big Ten record at 7-7 bench. It was the first time
with six games remaining in the in Rosen's 14 season that he
season. The Hawkeyes (2-12 Big remembers using every member
Ten, 10-17 overall) have' yet to of his lineup in a match.
win a set since October 13 dur- , "Everyone works really hard
ing their six game skid. in practice," Rosen said. They
"We've been much more play at a really high level, and
steady," said Michigan coach they don't always get to show
Mark Rosen. "Part of that is it in a game. Tonight we had an
related to confidence. Part. of opportunity to do that. Every-
that is becoming more mature body who normally does get
as a team. We're seeing it come to play, was more excited for
together, which is what you everybody else than themselves.
expect throughout the season. "A lot of times, when you
I really thought we've taken a make those changes, the level
really big step in the last four to drops down because every-
five matches." body is thinking about them-
Michigan (19-9 overall) hit 'a selves instead of each other. But
season-high .451 on the night, tonight it didn't drop at all. We

stayed a super high level."
Ahead 3-2 in the third set,
Michigan put together a 9-1 run
with three of Erwin's team-high
10 kills on the night. The Hawk-
eyes, appearing lethargic, could
not match Michigan's energy at
the end of the game. The Wol-
verines finished on a 6-2 run
with kills from an unlikely pair
in freshman setter Carly War-
ner and freshman outside hitter
Ally-Davis.
A balanced attack account-
ed for 44 kills, 42 digs and 40
assists on the night. Follow-
ing a 64-assist game against
Nebraska, sophomore setter
Lexi Dannemiller tallied just 28
assists to lead the team, while
Morales contributed a team-
high11 digs.
"We have the skill and we
knew that all along," said senior
right-side hitter Claire McEl-
heny. "We know the games that
we've lost, we could have played
a lot better."
With the potential to fall
after an emotional game, Michi-
gan instead heads into the final
stretch of the regular season
before it prepares for a chance
in the NCAA ournament.
"We want to prepare the
same every night, no matter
who were playing, no matter
where we're playing, no mat-
ter what happened the night
before" Rosen said. "We went
through the same process and
if we prepare the same way we
can expect the same outcome."
It may just be the year where
even when the season doesn't
appear to be going their way, it's
still working out in the Wolver-
ines' favor.

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Ohiotate edges'M'
in Big Ten semifinals

Seniors lead Blue over Spartans

By ALEJANDRO ZUNIGA
DailySports Writer
Junior forward Nkem Ezurike
has scored plenty of goals for the
Michigan women's soccer team
this season. But on Friday after-
noon, an own goal off of Ezurike's
back helped
No. 24, OHIO STATE 2
Ohio State MICHIGAN' 1
eliminate
the Wolverines from the Big Ten
Tournament in Bloomington by a
score of 2-1.
Ezurike's mishap came just 12
minutes into the contest. When
defender Megan Fuller crossed
a' Buckeye corner kick toward
the far post, Ezurike was turned
away ball going up for a challenge
and couldn't see it drop towards
her body. The cross was headed
by Lauren Granberg and then
deflected off of Ezurike's back
past senior goalkeeper Haley
Kopmeyer. The tally gave Ohio
State an early two-goal lead.
"It was unlucky," Ezurike said.
The Buckeyes (10-2-1 Big Ten,
15-4-1 overall) had already gotten
on the board in the third minute
on a penalty kick. The referee
awarded the shot when sopho-
more defender Chloe Sosenko
stumbled and tripped an attacker.
Ashley Gruenbaum cooly buried
the penalty kick to give Ohio State
the early advantage.
Michigan coach Greg Ryan dis-
agreed with the call, arguing that
Sosenko had been fouled before
committing an infraction of her
own. Replays showed plenty of
contact between Sosenko and
Granberg before both fell to the
ground.
"We saw it completely differ-
ently," Ryan said. "(Sosenko) was
in good defending position and

she got knocked from behind."
After Ezurike's own-goal less
than 10 minutes after the penalty
kick, the Wolverines (8-3-2, 14-5-
2) trailed by their largest deficit of
the season.
In the second half, Michigan
began sending defenders forward
to create more offensive opportu-
nities. It almost paid off seconds
into the complementary period
when a short cross by freshman
midfielder Corinne Harris nearly
reached a wide-open Ezurike in
front of the net. As the Wolverines
shifted to a more offensive forma-
tion, they opened up space for
Buckeye attackers to make long
runs through Michigan's back
line. In the 61st minute, forward
Tiffany Cameron - Ohio State's
most dangerous player - received
a pass at the top of the 18-yard
box. Completely unmarked, she
took a touch before ripping a shot
that ricocheted off the post.
The Michigan offense finally
got a shot past the Buckeye geeper
in the 72nd minute. Taking con-
trol of a loose ball, Ezurike pow-
ered through one defender and
got around another before beat-
ing the freshman goalkeeper with
a rising shot. But the Wolverines
never threatened again.
Despite the loss, Michigan will
likely earn a bid to the NCAA
Tournament.' The Wolverines
last participated in the 64-team
competition in 2010. This year,
the higher-seeded team will host
the first round of the tournament,
which begins on Nov. 9.
"I will be shocked if Michigan
isn't in the NCAA Tournament,"
Ryan said.
Michigan hasn't hosted an
NCAA Tournament game since
2002. It will learn its fate on Mon-
day.

By JEREMY SUMMITT
Daily Sports Writer
There were much more than
statewide bragging rights at
stake between the Michigan
men's soccer team and Michi-
gan State on Saturday's senior
night in Ann Arbor. With both
squads eyeing an NCAA Tour-
nament berth and a high seed
'in next
week's Big MSU 0
Ten Tour- MICHIGAN 1
nament,
this match wasn't just another
rivalry game.
In the annual battle for the
Big Bear trophy, the Wolver-
ines edged out the Spartans
1-0. With a win, Michigan State
would have clinched the Big
Ten championship, so the vic-
tory was even sweeter for the
Michigan side.
"You want to play for your
seniors and they had a great
day today, said Michigan head
coach Chaka Daley. ."I think
the younger 'guys fought for
the seniors as well, which was
exactly what we talked about in
our pregame meeting."
Daley's pregame speech must
have been stellar. The Wolver-
ines' energetic start proved that
much, at least.
Michigan won two corner
kicks in the first five minutes,
both of which tested Michi-
gan State freshman goalkeeper
Zach Bennett. In the midst
of the Wolverines' persistent
attack, junior midfielder Fabio
Pereira ripped a shot from just
inside the 18-yard box that rat-
tled off the crossbar, landing
just in front of the goal line.
The Spartans managed to
absorb the pressure early on,
as they eventually placed some
stress on redshirt sophomore
goalkeeper Adam Grinwis and
Michigan's defense in return.

4

TERRA MOLENGRAFF/Daily
Senior defender Kofi Opare scored a late goal on Saturday to defeat Michigan State, 1-0, in Ann Arbor.

But with both teams in a heat-
ed, foul laden first half, neither
side managed to concede any-
thing, leaving the score line at
0-0 heading into the break.
Daley was calm, cool, and
collected at halftime. He said

Sometimes it does matter
though, and it sure did for the
Wolverines in the heart of the
most important half of their
season. Senior defender Kofi
Opare, who was plagued by a
broken nose and appendicitis

he didn't this season,
mind that his . headed a. ball
team failed from Fabio
to convert "They're gonna Pereira into
early on, and , the back of
he kept his enjoy the Big the net to give
team focused Michigan the
on an NCAA Bear tonight. lead in the
Tournament 71st minute.
berth and the "I credit my
opportunity team, Opare
to ruin its archrival's night. said. "They kept pushing me
"It doesn't matter who scores and kept me going (during my
first, but it matters how you injury). When I got back on the
deal with winning the game field tonight, I was 100 percent
or how you handle adversity if and I give my team praise for
you're losing," Daley said. that."

The Wolverines then did
what they have done best in the
second half of the season. They
played defense.
"I think our back line had one
of its best performances today,
and that makes my job so much
easier," Grinwis said. "I love
having confidence in the four
guys playing in front of me."
With a victory, Michigan
captured all that was at stake. It
ruined Michigan State's season
and more importantly, it kept
the team's aspirations to reach
the NCAA Tournament alive
and well.
"They're gonna enjoy the
Big Bear tonight," Daley said.
"I think the feeling of winning
something tangible like that
can push them onto winning
something bigger like the Big
Ten Tournament."

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