The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com k Monday, February 24, 2014 - 3B SpovtSN Oil {1 Monday, Fehruary 24, 2014 - 3B Turnovers plague Wolverines Defensive miscues lead to Friday loss By JEREMY SUMMITT Daily Sports Editor Defensive inconsistencies have plagued the Michigan hockey team all season, and those same theatrics played out inasecondconsecutive weekend filled with disappointment. With a 3-1 lead late in the second period of Friday's game against Penn State, the Wolverines looked poised to snap a three-game losing streak. But a Nittany Lions goal with 35 seconds left made things interesting heading into the second intermission. Then, Michigan self- destructed. It was as if the Wolverines pointed a 12-gauge shotgun at their bare feet and pulled the trigger, collapsing against an opponent that has won two conference games all season - both against Michigan. "When you have the lead at home, you should build on it," said Michigan coach Red Berenson. "In the third period the game is on the line, and we gave it away. They earned it, but we gave it away." There had been plenty of defensive miscues in previous games, but this was far from an isolated mistake. Veteran players made elementary blunders, and a string of three costly turnovers resulted in three Penn State goals. It was junior forward Alex Guptill's miscue at the offensive blue line early in the third period that resulted in forward Dylan Richard's shorthanded breakaway goal to tie the game. Though Guptill later scored what should have been Michigan's go-ahead goal, his lackluster effort in the defensive zone all evening caused Berenson to bench him for Saturday's game. "We need him to work hard every shift, the whole game," Berenson said. "You've got to play both ends of the rink. You're never going to be a good hockey player if you can't play hard at both ends of the rink." Senior defenseman Mac Bennett has been the catalyst of a young defensive corps, but his gaffes late in the third period and in overtime Friday ultimately pushed his team toward defeat. With 10 ticks on the clock, Yost Ice Arena was buzzing in anticipation of a victory. Then, Bennett swung a blind pass behind his own net and into the corner where two Nittany Lions waited patiently. And 5.4 seconds later, the puck Bennett just had safely in his grasp was sitting in the net. Yost fell silent, and fans shifted in their seats waiting for overtime. With under a minute remaining in the extra period, Bennett mishandled the puck in the offensive zone, springing Penn State to an odd-man rush. Forward David Goodwin roofed a shot past freshman goaltender Zach Nagelvoort with 43 seconds left, and Bennett probably wished he were anywhere but under the microscope of thousands of Michigan fans. "This doesn't come down to talent, and this is really hard work and just sticking with it," Berenson said. "The defense and hopefully the goalie will make up for your mistakes. And tonight, it didn't happen." It'd be easy to make excuses about defensive lapses, especially since two starting defensemen - freshman Michael Downing and junior Andrew Sinelli - were both suspended from Friday's game for illegal hits Feb. 15 at Minnesota. But as expected, the Wolverines refused to make any excuses. Instead, sophomore forward Andrew Copp talked about how the loss stains the reputation of a place like Michigan. "I think everyone knows we need to pick it up, because this is flat out unacceptable," Copp said. Copp realized the magnitude of another embarrassing defeat, and the next evening, the Wolverines had to respond. They needed a victory, and they got one, dominating Penn State as they should have the night before, 5-2. It wasn't anything to be too overjoyed about, but Berenson and his players were somewhat content, and perhaps even relieved. But Friday was the deal- breaker. With a chance to bounce back from a lackluster weekend at Minnesota on Feb. 14-15, Michigan stumbled and fell flat on its face. One win in a two-game series against the lowly Nittany Lions was far from ideal. And for a team that's now hovering around a .500 conference record with a slew of defensive concerns, Michigan might just be fortunate to stay Michigan salvages series, earns split By GREG GARNO Sophomore goaltender Steve Daily Sports Editor Racine, making his first start in net of the weekend, received Senior defenseman Mac plenty of insurance in the Bennett lay on the ice, clutching second period. his shoulder with all of Yost "(The defense) played Ice Arena silent and holding its unbelievable tonight," Racine collective breath. said. "We knew we had to be The No. 10 Michigan hockey better defensively, and they team was really stepped up tonight." already PENN STATE 2 Kile scored on a deflection reeling MICHIGAN 5 seven minutes into the frame after its after he was denied on a shot defense surrendered a two-goal moments earlier. Di Giuseppe lead in a 5-4 overtime loss the tallied midway through the night before to the worst team period to capitalize on a penalty in the Big Ten, Penn State. for his second goal of the But rather than sulk without weekend after scoring only one their captain, the Wolverines in the previous 16 games. held the Nittany Lions to 20 Kile tacked on his second shots in a 5-2 victory for a later in the third on one of weekend split. With the win, several Penn State defensive Michigan sits in sole possession breakdowns. The goals were of third place in the conference Kile's second and third of the and remains five points behind year after he was held scoreless second place Wisconsin. since Nov. 22 against Niagara. Freshman forward Alex "It definitely gives me a lot Kile and junior forward Phil Di of confidence," Kile said with a Giuseppe each scored two goals grin across his face. "I got put to lead the way, while freshman in this position and I needed to forward Tyler Motte added a produce." goal and an assist. The freshman was placed "I like the way our team on a line with DeBlois and responded tonight," said freshman forward JT Compher Michigan coach Red Berenson. in place of junior forward Alex "I thought we were a different Guptill. Berenson said Guptill team tonight." was a healthy scratch, citing his Nearly six minutes into the failure to play well defensively game, Bennett skated near the Friday night. boards with his head down, The Nittany Lions got two and Penn State's David Glen goals back in the final five dropped his shoulder in a clean minutes of the game. The first hit that sent him flying. Bennett came on a breakaway attempt didn't return in the game due to from Curtis Loik and the second an upper-body injury, according on a shot from Taylor Holstrom to a Michigan spokesperson. that took an awkward bounce Berenson said after the off the skate of freshman game that Bennett had been defenseman Michael Downing. transported to the hospital But Di Giuseppe added an for X-rays as a precautionary empty-netter to put the game measure in case of a fracture, away to inspire confidence after but his status otherwise Michigan looked threatened remains unknown. and deflated two periods earlier "It's tough seeing him go with the loss of Bennett. down," said senior forward What happened Friday: Derek DeBlois. "But different Michigan needed to hold a guys have to step up, and I think lead for just two minutes and we did a good job (responding)." two seconds, but it couldn't put Nearly two minutes after the Big Ten's bottom feeder Bennett's injury, the Wolverines away on Friday night. Penn State relieved some of the pressure scored when junior forward Zach the game- PENN STATE 5 Hyman took a loose puck in his tying goal MICHIGAN 4 own zone down to the other end with 4.6 of the ice for an easy feed from seconds remaining in regulation, behind the net to an open Motte, erasing what looked to have been who tipped in the goal. the go-ahead goal from junior Forward turned defenseman forward Alex Guptill less than turned forward again, Andrew two minutes prior. Sinelli saw six minutes in his Guptill finished with a original position before he was goal and an assist to lead shifted back to defenseman for the Wolverines while senior the rest of the night in place forward Derek DeBlois and of Bennett. After allowing the junior forward Zach Hyman Nittany Lions to fire 44 shots the each added two assists. night before, Michigan's defense Though the defense as a unit prevented a potent offense from struggled mightily, freshman ever getting good looks. defenseman Lohan's return was "I think we played harder on a positive for Michigan. the man, harder on the puck," Back in uniform for the first Berenson said. "We got pucks time since suffering a knee deep, we played more in their injury on Nov. 2, Lohan held his zone, and we blocked more shots own in his return. Lohan took in our zone." part in the Wolverines' first It helped that Penn State was penalty kill and blocked four called for three consecutive shots. Paired with senior Kevin penalties in the second period Clare, his line combined for nine and four altogether, preventing of Michigan's 27 blocks. it from finding a rhythm and having enough men forward to By Erin Lennon, Daily apply pressure. Sports Writer VICKI 1LU/Daily Senior defenseman Mac Bennett didn't return to Saturday's game after suffering an upper-body injury in the first period. An unacceptable performance When Michiga takes the ice Yost Ice Are: it's introduced with a vi that boasts an extensive of accolades: Nine nation championships, 24 Froz Four appearances, 35 N( Tournament appearanc( the most in college hockey. But the players who started that NCAA Tournament run aren't these A ALEJA ones. The ZOJIG teams that won those championships aren't th And facing Penn State night, the worst team in Ten, this Michigan lost. and simple. "(The Nittany Lions)' the hungrier team - you see it," said Michigan co Red Berenson. He was right. The Wolverines blew a pair c two-goal leads. They ga' up the game-tying goal' fewer than five secondsI regulation. They allowe sudden-death winner in of a stunned and silent C of Yost student section. All that to a programI has existed for less than two years. To " a team that can't win a emb conference 0 game, except when the opponent dons a winged helmet. Michigan, which is fig for the No. 2 seed in the. Tournament and an at-l to the NCAA Tournamet outworked by a team tha nothing but pride to play "When you come to a1 like this, with all the tra all the history, the legac playing for Coach Beren for us to be putting forth effort is unacceptable," s n sophomore forward Andrew at Copp, a look of disgust na, plastered on his face. deo Why unacceptable? Because list the talent is there. The nal Wolverines climbed all the en way to No. 2 in the nation for CAA a reason. They beat Boston es - all College and Boston University and passed a road test at New Hampshire. They lost freshman defenseman Kevin Lohan and sophomore goaltender Steve Racine to injuries, but they didn't lose games. That's what's keeping this team's NCAA Tournament hopes alive, but it's also what makes the sudden NDRO incompetence all the more A maddening. Michigan, despite all the tradition and pregame pizzazz, is one. sits dangerously close to the e Friday bottom half of the Big Ten the Big and to missing the NCAA Plain Tournament for a second straight year. were Before last season, the could Wolverines had made every ach NCAA Tournament since 1990. A championship team doesn't lose to Penn State because it f couldn't be bothered to play ve hard, even with so much on with the line. It doesn't split the left in season series to the conference d the cupcake. If Michigan needs front an attitude change, the time is hildren now. There are no more games left to give away. that "This is flat-out unacceptable," Copp We kind of got repeated. Yes, iarrassed in our Michigan won wn building."1 Saturday to salvage a home split, but the problems were still there. The Wolverines took ghting a penalty 20 seconds into the Big Ten game. They committed mind- arge bid numbingly obtuse turnovers nt, was in their own zone. The Nittany at had Lions actually outshot Michigan y for. on the first three Wolverine place power plays and then cuta dition, four-goal deficit in half to turn y, a blowout into a somewhat son, competitive contest. a this Afterward, Berenson and aid Michigan praised the change in attitude and bemoaned the previous night. "We kind of got embarrassed in our own building last night, and that is unacceptable being at Michigan," said senior forward Derek DeBlois. "We knew we had to bounce back." And to give them credit, they did, holding a trigger-friendly Penn State offense to just 20 shots. When the final horn sounded, the Children of Yost yelled, "The Victors" blared, and for a moment, everything was OK. But it's not. Thanks to their own failures, the path to the NCAA Tournament isn't easy, and the Wolverines may have to navigate it without senior captain Mac Bennett, the heart and soul of the team and the thread that holds the patchwork defense together. He suffered an upper-body injury in the first period Saturday. Upon taking the hit that knocked him out of the game, Bennett laid on the ice staring up at the roof of Yost, where the banners hang. The 32 pennants are memories of those championships and the moments that created them. They're the lore and tradition that Michigan flaunts so boldly in its pregame video. There is room for a 33rd. "It's time to set our place in Michigan history," Bennett's voice resonates in that video. The Wolverines are flawed. They've lost half of their games this calendar year. They could very well finish the inaugural Big Ten season closer to the bottom of the conference than the top, especially if they play with the same mindset as Friday. DeBlois said it. Copp said it. This is unacceptable. So where will their place in history be? Zdhiga can be reached at azs@umich.edu and on Twitter othe-zuniga PATRICK BARRON/Daily Senior forward Derek DeBlois called Michigan's performance against Penn State Friday "unacceptable," and he responded with two assists in Saturday's 5-2 win.