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Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 7A

The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday, December 11, 2013 - 7A

'M' takes on No. 3 Ferris State

By ERIN LENNON
Daily Sports Writer
As a child, freshman forward
Tyler Motte wanted to be a goalie
just like his older brother, CJ.
But when Motte's parents,
Nancy and
Steve, told Ferris State
their younger
son that one at Michigan
goaltender Matchup:
in the family Ferris 13-2-
was more than 2; Michigan
enough, Tyler 10-2-1
settled for a When:
thinner stick. Wednesday
Playing against 7 p.m.
his brother in Where: Yost
the basement, Ice Arena
Tyler became TV/Radio:
a prolific for-
ward. but that Fon Sports
was the only Detroit Plus
place he and CJ
would go head-to-head. That is,
until Wednesday. The brothers
will face one another on the ice
for the first time when the No. 3
Michigan hockey team takes on
No 4. Ferris State in the 104th
meeting between the two Michi-
gan schools.
"He'd throw the gear on, and
I'd rip some pucks at him, just to
work on some things. It kind of
worked out pretty well for both
of us growing up," Tyler said
Monday.
Behind the junior goaltender
- who is 13-0-2 this season and
boasts a 2.23 career goals-against
average - in net, the Bulldogs
present arguably the biggest
challenge of the nonconference
slate. Ferris State enters Yost rid-
ing a 13-game unbeaten streak
and now sits right behind the
Wolverines in the U.S. College
Hockey Organization rankings.
Still, it's a top-10 matchup few
could have predicted just months
ago.
Against an unranked, .500
Ferris State team last season, the
Wolverines - who limped into
the final regular-season series
with a 13-18-2 record - rallied
behind goaltender Steve Racine
to secure their best win to that

Gardner resting this
week with turf toe
By ZACH HELFAND terback Devin Gardner hobbled
Daily SportsEditor in on crutches, wearing a boot.
Behind a struggling offensive
Fifth-year senior left tackle line, Gardner has sustained hits
Taylor Lewan had the misfor- and injuries for much of the sea-
tune of going to Indianapolis last son.
weekend. The Big Ten wanted to Now, Michigan coach Brady
honor him for being named the Hoke said, is the time for him to
Rimington-Pace rest.
Offensive Line- NOTEBOOK Gardner missed practice on
man of the Year Tuesday and will sit out Thurs-
for the second year in a row. day to heal what Hoke said was
That meant he had to watch turf toe. Gardner has not missed
the Michigan football team's time this year to injury, and
two biggest rivals compete for Hoke called the rest "precau-
the Big Ten Championship, the tionary."
same title the Wolverines had "He's a tough guy," Hoke
coveted all year. For Lewan, it said. "He's demonstrated that
was a game between hated and through the year. The best medi-
more hated. Before the game, he tine for it is to rest, and we're
said he was rooting for a fluke in gonna rest him as well as he
the rules that would allow both can."
teams to lose. LEWAN LEAVING: It will
The only consolation, Lewan come a year later than most
said, was that the Ohio State fans expected, but Lewan is finally
were nice to him, or as he put it, set to leave Michigan. Lewan
"as nice as Ohio can be." will leave with the Wolverines
Really, Taylor? for the Buffalo Wild Wings Bowl
"Not at all," he said, laughing. in Tempe, Ariz., but he does not
"It was just weird because plan on returning to Ann Arbor.
they announced (sophomore Lewan will begin training for
tight end Devin Funchess), and the NFL Draft after the bowl
he got a generic boo," Lewan game, though he hasn't picked a
added. "And I was like 'Alright, locationyet. Hesaidhehasheard
I'll just get a generic boo.' And his draft stock hasn't altered
I didn't even hear my name it since last year, when he chose to
was so damn loud. Just so many return to Michigan for his final
boos." season in a surprise move.
Lewan watched the Spartans "I played my best year of foot-
win a thriller in person by obli- ball," Lewan said.
gation. Back in Ann Arbor, his NOTES: Redshirt sophomore
teammates watched voluntarily. quarterback Russell Bellomy
Redshirt junior linebacker participated fully in practice
Jake Ryan said he wanted to for the first time this season on
watch because he enjoys watch- Tuesday after tearing his ante-
ing what the other Big Ten teams rior cruciate ligament in spring
do. practices. ... Lewan and fifth-
"It was a good game," Ryan year senior right tackle Michael
said. "I mean, it was tough to Schofield will take fewer reps in
watch, don't get me wrong, butI practice to allow redshirt fresh-
think it was a really good game. man Ben Braden and freshman
"Just kind of gives you an David Dawson extra work on the
inspiration. That's where we offensive line.... The Wolverines
wanna be nexryear." will practice 14 times before the
TURF TOE TRIBULATIONS: bowl game. The NCAA allows a
At the Michigan football bust on maximum of 15.... Michigan will
Monday, redshirt junior quar- leave for Arizona on Dec. 23.

JAMES COLLER/Daily
Freshman forward Tyler Motte is going tobe playing against his brother, CJ, when Michigan plays Ferris State on Wednesday.

point in the season, 4-1.
Though the stakes in Decem-
ber aren't nearly as high head-
ing into a two-week break before
the Great Lakes Invitational, this
game could end up holding just as
much weight.
"Ferris is huge," said senior
defenseman Mac Bennett on
Monday. "This game, come April
when the selection comes, who-
ever wins this game, it's going to
count for a lot We know that and
are prepared for that."
Last week, Michigan was
embarrassed at home in a 5-4
exhibition loss to the U.S. Nation-
al Team Development Program.
Though the loss had no reflection
on the record, it was the third
time in as many games that the
Wolverines allowed a seemingly
insurmountable lead to be erased
after backup goaltender Luke
Dwyer let in three late goals.

"We're past the exhibition,"
Bennett said.
To do that, Bennett said the
Wolverines will simply have to
"bear down" on chances even
when third-period fatigue sets
in. That starts with the defense.
Though the defense scored
its first two goals of the season
against Ohio State and the NDTP
- one by Bennett and the other
by freshman Michael Downing-
the unit has allowed 12 goals over
its last three games, forcing two
overtime contests.
"Up until the Ohio State week-
end (the defense) really hadn't
contributed the much, point-
scoring wise," Bennett said.
"Who knows, maybe we get
hot all of a sudden and we can
ride that, but as defensemen the
first thing we have to do is play
defense."
,Since the 1981-82 season, the

Wolverines and Bulldogs have
scheduled each other at least
twice a season - one time in
Ann Arbor, another in Big Rap-
ids. Michigan will take on the
Bulldogs just once this season,
breaking a streak that exceeds
Michigan coach Red Berenson's
tenure with the program.
"Ferris is the real deal," Beren-
son said. "It's a home game and
a nonconference game, but it's
against a team that's going to be
in the hunt at the end, it looks
like. You have to win these games
because it could have a big impact
at the end of the season."
Tyler said his dad bought over
100 tickets for in-state friends
and family to watch the brothers
duke it out in Yost on Wednesday.
It will be the first and only time
the season that there will be fans
at Yost cheering for both a Wol-
verine and a Bulldog.

With full week off, the Wolverines
prepare for No.1 Arizona on Saturday

By DANIEL WASSERMAN
Daily SportsEditor
At this point last year, the
Michigan men's basketball team
had its eye squarely fixed on the
country's No. 1 ranking.
Now, with No. 1 Arizona com-
ing to Ann Arbor on Saturday for
a nationally televised game, the
Wolverines have a chance to sal-
vage what has been a rocky non-
conference slate.
The Wildcats represent the
first formidable opponent Michi-
gan will host in Crisler Cen-
ter this season, as it has rolled
through a set of cupcake games
thus far. But away-from-home
matchups have been a different
story. After a seven-point loss to
Iowa State, the Wolverines need-
ed a desperate comeback to beat
Florida State in Puerto Rico, and'
one night later, were stunned by
Charlotte.
A week later, the margin of
Duke's 10-point win over Michi-
gan was deceptively small.
For the unranked Wolverines,
hosting top-ranked Arizona
could wipe away some skepticism
Michigan fans have had.
Sophomore guard Nik Staus-
kas wasn't ready to label it
a make-or-break game, but
stressed how important the game
can be should the Wolverines
come out on top.
"I don't know if it's necessarily
a measuring-stick game because
I think we're capable of beat-
ing anyone when we play well,"
Stauskas said. "But as far as con-
fidence goes, to know that we can
get to that point - because we
know we haven't peaked yet - so
to get to that point where we can
beat good teams, it's going to be
key for us."
Last season's non-conference
schedule included only one true

The Wolverines had Sunday
off, and Monday and Tuesday
were scheduled -as "boot camp"
or "Michigan camp" - Beilein's
terms for the days focused on
his own team getting better as
opposed to preparing for an
opponent.
"Those first two days will be
all about trying to shore up what
we think our weaknesses," he
said.
One area Beilein stressed
was giving sophomore forward
Mitch McGary a bigger role in
the team's plans. McGary, who
has practiced just eight times
since practice began in October
because of a back condition, in
the three weeks, has been limited
thus far.
Michigan will then have a light
Wednesday - "You can't go five
days hard and then play Arizo-
na," Beilein said - before initiat-
ing the typical two-day prep for
Arizona on Thursday and Friday.
"We're going to be all pumped
for it, our fans are going to be
pumped for it, so we're ready,"
Stauskas said.

TERESA MATHEW/Daily
Sophomore forward Mitch McGary isstill recovering from a back injury.
road test - a win over Bradley Stauskas said. "So to be here and
and three neutral-site wins in have our fans cheering for us will
New York City. Michigan coach be great."
John Beilein called this year's Michigan's recent stretch of
early-season schedule "choppy," games and travel should prepare
but said that's to be expected it nicely for the Big Ten sched-
on the road, ule. In a16-day
especially with span, the Wol-
such a young verines trav-
team. "W e're going to eled to Ames,
That's why, Iowa, then to
Stauskas said, be all pumped Puerto Rico,
the team is so and back to
excited to play for it..." Ann Arbor for
a marquee a game against
game in front Coppin State
of its home before round-
fans, the likes of whom have yet ing out the stint with the loss to
to fill Crisler Center. the Blue Devils in Durham, N.C.
"It'll definitely be different Prior to his team's 107-53 win
because as much as no one wants over Houston Baptist on Satur-
to admit, the opposing crowd day, Beilein expressed his excite-
definitely bothers you a little bit ment at finally having an entire
and throws you off your game," week off. It's convenient that it

TERESA MATHEW/Daily
Sophomore guard Nik Stauskas had 25 points in Michigan's win on Saturday.
came in the lead-in to the Arizo- some much-needed rest, espe-
na game, but more importantly, cially when his team is preparing
he said, it should give his team for final exams.

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