8 - Friday, February 21, 2014
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The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
A.
M' gets chance for redemption
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Wolverines set for
senior day battle
By JEREMY SUMMITT
Daily Sports Editor
Four days after the Michigan
hockey team suffered an
embarrassing 4-0 defeat at Penn
State on Feb. 7, all senior captain
Mac Bennett had to say was,
"we're moving
forward." Penn State
Instead, the
10th-ranked at Michigan
Wolverines Matchup:
(6-5-1 Big Ten, Penn State
14-9-3 overall) 5-19-2;
haven't gone Michigan
anywhere. 14-9-3
They've moved When: Friday
backward' 6:30 P.M.
actually. 7tRM.
In three
straight losses, Where: Yost
Michigan's Ice Arena
Achilles' heel TV/Radio:
has been BTN
its inability
to bury
scoring chances. It's been the
same storyline all season - it
creates those chances and often
outshoots opponents, but the
puck always refuses to hit twine.
"The only reason we're with a
winning record is because of our
defensive game," said Michigan
coach Red Berenson. "Our
goalies, whether it's our penalty
killing, our goals against, that's
the only reason we're surviving."
As the Big Ten title race heats
up,the NittanyLions(1-10-1,5-19-
2) come to Yost Ice Arena this
weekend for a two-game series,
and the Wolverines can't afford
another setback. They need to
move forward, and quickly.
Michigan sits uncomfortably
in a third place tie with Ohio
State, while Minnesota and
Wisconsin rest ahead of them
in first and second, respectively.
However, the Wolverines still
have eight games to play, and the
others have just six left on their
conference slate. Heading into
the final stretch of the season,
with a logjam in the middle of
the standings, those two games
PAUL SHERMAN DAILY
Junior defenseman Mike Chiasson will get a chance to start in place of Andrew Sinelli and Michael Downing on Friday.
could make all the difference. and so on. We want to make the ing a torn lateral meniscus on
"Best case scenario, you NCAA tournament. They may Nov. 1against Michigan Tech.
mathematically find a way to get not have some of those pressures, "It'll be an opportunity for
in the top two," Berenson said. so they're just playing hard every Chiasson," Berenson said. "But
"But you have to do it by really night." it's also good to get size in our
playing well, and it starts on That's not to say Michigan lineup too with akid like Lohan."
Friday night." isn't playing hard. If it wasn't, the With some tinkering
As simple as that sounds, scoring opportunities wouldn't inevitable on the defensive side in
Michigan hasn't been in a groove be there. the midst of two suspensions, the
lately, and even against a lowly It wouldn't be ranked 10th, forward lines will return back
Penn State team, it won't get any and the team's goaltending to normal when junior forward
easier. The Nittany Lions will wouldn't compare with the best Alex Guptill makes his return
look to play the role of conference in the country. With Nagelvoort to the lineup Friday night. He'll
spoiler for the rest of the season, and Racine splitting time in the rejoin freshman JT Compher
and after getting the best of the crease, they've combined for a and junior Derek DeBlois on
Wolverines in Happy Valley, 2.46 goals against average and a the first line after sustaining an
confidence shouldn't be an issue .924 save percentage. upper-body injury in the shutout
this weekend. But the defensive pairings in loss to Penn State.
When Michigan was shutout front of whichever goaltender With the injury bug fully
against Penn State nearly two receives the starting nod will cured, this weekend is as good
weeks ago, the Nittany Lions look a little different Friday. The as any to bounce back from a
were looking for their first Wolverines will be without two losing streak. But as Berenson
conference win in 10 tries. They starting defensemen - freshman said, Michigan is just surviving.
looked desperate, and that's Michael Downing and junior With a 4-5-1 record in their last
because they were. Three first- Andrew Sinelli - after both were 10 games, the Wolverines are
period goals were too much for suspended for one game by the quietly limping toward the Big
the Wolverines to overcome, NCAA for illegal hits in last Sat- Ten's finish line.
resultingintheir mostsurprising, urday's game at Minnesota. Two wins against an inferior
and probably most frustrating, Berenson said junior Mike opponent, at least on paper,
loss of the season. Chiasson will fill in one spot, are expected. That's why a
"They don't have the pressure, while freshman Kevin Lohan successful weekend might not
maybe, that we feel," Berenson will earn the other starting role. be a huge step forward, but
said. "We have to win and finish Friday will mark -Lohan's first rather a platform to propel a
in the top two in the conference, time in the lineup since sustain- late-season surge.
ByALEXA DETTELBACH
Daily Sports Editor
It's been a rollercoaster of a
season for the Michigan wom-
en's basketball
team. Iowa at
Wednesday
night's 70-58 MiChgan
win over Indi- Matchup:
ana in Bloom- Iowa 20-7;
ington proved Michigan 17-10
not all was lost When:
for the Wolver- Saturday
ines (8-6 Big 1:30 P.M.
Ten, 17-10 over- Where: Crisler
all). Center
After jump- TV/Radio:
ing out to an BTN
unexpectedly
impressive 13-5
start, Michigan dropped five of
seven, struggling with defense
and failing to connect on long-
range jumpers that had guided it
to the top of the Big Ten.
But the Wolverines have man-
aged to bounce back by stringing
two wins together for the first
time since Jan. 18 with two more
games to play before the Big Ten
Tournament.
And first up, Michigan has
its last home game of the season
Saturday, facing Iowa (8-5, 20-7)
in a matinee. It's the team's first
matchup with the Hawkeyes this
season.
Unfortunately for the Wolver-
ines, they haven't had the same
success at home as they have on
the road. Posting a measly 6-7
record compared to their more
impressive 9-1-road record.
But Michigan has one last
chance to right the ship at Crisler
Center and send its seniors out in
fashion for the team's senior day.
To do so, the Wolverines will
need to slow down a hot-handed
Iowa team. The Hawkeyes have
notched impressive wins over
then-ranked No. 14 Dayton in
November, then-No. 22 Syracuse
in December and then-No. 9 Penn
State at Happy Valley in February.
Iowa's success has stemmed
from its offense where it sits first
in the conference scoring offense
and second in field goal percent-
age, and five players averag-
ing double digits to thank for it.
Leading their streaking offense is
guard Samantha Logic and center
Bethany Doolittle, who average
14.3 points and 14.1points, respec-
tively. Logic also averages a con-
ference-best 7.5 assists per game.
The Hawkeyes sit in third place
in the conference and will fight
to get into the top two in order to
earn two byes in the conference
tournament in two weeks.
If Michigan continues to com-
mit defensive lapses, like it has
recently during its five losses, it
will struggle against Iowa. Most
notably it's the Wolverines' sec-
ond-half slips that led to their
demise. But against the Hoosiers,
it was Michigan's 44-point second
half, after being down by six at
halftime that gave it the win.
The Wolverines will have to
try and replicate that new-found
second-half success against the
red-hot Hawkeyes - who average
79.4 points per game. In doing so,
junior forward Cyesha Goree will
need to continue offensive ways
as of late, after scoring 40 points
in her last two games.
Freshman point guard Siera
Thompson has been a sensation
from beyond the arc for most of
the season and the Wolverines
will rely on her finding a groove
on the court early and often.
Note: Junior forward .Nicole
Elmblad was named to the Capi-
tal One Academic All-America
second team Thursday. As a bio-
psychology, cognition and neuro-
science major the captain sports
a 3.95 GPA. She is only the second
Wolverine in program history
to earn Academic All-American
honors.
SOFTBALL
Softball tests hot
start in Florida
Chance to sweep Spartans
By DANIEL FELDMAN
Daily Sports Writer
February 12, 2013.
ByJUSTIN MEYER
Daily Sports Writer
The beginning of the season
for any talented and highly
ranked teamwill have unforeseen
challenges and missteps.
For the No. 7 Michigan softball
team, though, the first third of the
season is a frenzied blitz.
Six tournaments in six week-
ends, thousands of miles of travel
and top competition await the
Wolverines each preseason. The
team heads into the halfway point
of the grueling stretch this week-
end as it travels to Boca Raton, Fla.
tofaceKentState,Pittsburgh,Flor-
ida Atlantic and No. 5 Kentucky at
the Florida Atlantic Kickoff.
"Only the tough go to
Michigan," said Michigan coach
Carol Hutchins. "Everybody else
goes somewhere warm."
The travel burden hasn't fazed
Michigan (7-2) thus far. Instead,
the Wolverines have beaten a pair
of ranked teams and scored 65
runs in their first nine games.
"Being locked in Oosterbaan
for practice," said senior
centerfielder Lyndsay Doyle, "it's
always exciting to get on dirt and
big blue skies and just play ball."
Doyle, the leadoff hitter for
Michigan, is currently in one of
the best hitting stretches of her
career witha.444batting average,
16 hits and a nine-game hitting
streak. The first four hitters inthe
batting order have also performed
well thus far and have provided a
remarkable stability by starting
every game of the season.
Hutchins has continued to
rotate the lower half ofthe batting
order, particularly in response
to the Wolverines' tendency to
strand runners on base. Outside
of the top four hitters, the team
is just 3-for-28 on the season with
runners in scoring position.
Against Kentucky, Michigan
will face top-five competition for
the second time this season, but
will be looking for a much differ-
ent result. On opening weekend, a
late-inning collapse against cur-
rent No. 1 Florida cost the Wolver-
ines a game they controlled.
The Wildcats (10-0) are off to
the best start in program history
and feature a dangerous hitter
in Griffin Joiner. The catcher is
batting .556 on the season and
owns a 1.296 slugging percentage
to go along with six home runs.
Michigan also has power at the
plate, though, with sophomore
shortstop Sierra Romero hitting
.536, two grand slams and 17
RBI despite being intentionally
walked frequently.
Romero was given co-Big Ten
Player of the Week honors after a
strongperformance last weekend,
and freshman pitcher Megan
Betsa received Freshman of the
Week recognition.
"It's hard coming in as a
freshman," Doyle said. "They've
all done really well, and that's
what we need. It doesn't matter
if you're a freshman or a senior,
if you're playing on the field, we
need you to do your part."
The pitchingstaff has also been
the subject of Hutchins' continual
toying this season. Junior Haylie
Wagner, junior Sara Driesenga
and Betsa give the Wolverines a
fearsome rotation with experience
and talent, but Hutchins has not
been satisfied yet with the results.
Instead, Hutchins said that
Driesenga needs to stay ahead in
the count and that Betsa is still
givingup too many free bases.
The rotation has been
unpredictable thus far, with a few
complete games registered and
the rest splitting time. Michigan
will need all three pitchers in
top form this weekend if it hopes
to complete its first undefeated
tournament of the season.
The offense has come in
bunches, but the Wolverines have
yet to string together the kind of
tournament they are looking for
with the depth and experience
of this team. Facing a middling
field and one strong opponent
in Kentucky, Michigan won't be
happy returning after anything
less than an undefeated weekend.
That was
the last time
the Michigan
men's basket-
ball team lost
back-to-back
games. Since
that fateful
day, when
the Spartans
clobbered
the Wolver-
ines, 75-52,
Michigan
has avoided
the same fate
nine times.
If the
Michigan
State at
Michigan
Matchup:
Michigan
state 22-5;
Michigan 18-7
When: Sunday
12 P.M.
Where: Crisler
Center
TV/Radio:
CBS
guard Keith Appling, who had
missed the previous four games
due to a lingering wrist injury.
Despite the four-game absence
to heal the injury, Appling was
a non-factor in the loss. Playing
19 minutes, the senior attempted
just two shots and recorded two
points as Michigan State shot a
putrid 34 percent from the field.
After the game, Spartan
coach Tom Izzo said he was con-
sidering "shutting him down"
for the remainder of the regular
season. However, on Thursday
against Purdue, Appling was on
the court, albeit for 25 minutes.
Though it appears Appling
will be available in some
capacity Sunday as well, what
is yet to be determined is the
status of forward Branden
Dawson. After missing his
eighth straight game against
Purdue, speculation remains
that the junior will be available
against Michigan, even in just a
limited role.
But if that Spartan duo isn't on Sunday.
at 100 percent come Sunday, And with solo possession of
Michigan State will be a lot first place in the Big Ten and a
healthier than the last time the potential season sweep on the
Wolverines (10-3, 18-7) faced line for Michigan, the in-state
them. That rivalry means
time around, even more
forward than usual
AdreianPayne "W e're aware of with the reg-
was out for his , ular season
fifth of seven the standings, approaching
games due to a butits end.
sprained foot. wutw e're not "We're
Since return- . aware of the
ing, the senior gomng place a standings,
has averaged 1 fbut we're not
18 points and IOtof emphasis going to put a
6.8 rebounds. lot of empha-
With the on * sis on it,"
Spartans' said sopho-
health more guard
improving, Nik Stauskas
having a week off to prepare on Sunday. "We're just going
for the interior battle to come to take it one game at a time
could prove pivotal. Especially and next up we have Michigan
after the play of Wisconsin State, and obviously they're our
forward Frank Kaminsky, who rival so we're going to be look-
had 25 points and 11 rebounds ing forward to that one."
20th-ranked Wolverines plan to
push that streak to 10, it'll come
against that same Michigan
State team Sunday.
After playing six games in
the span of 17 days starting
Jan. 30, Michigan is coming off
its longest break since playing
every Saturday with no weekday
games from the seventh to
the 28th of December. And
following a tough loss this past
Sunday to Wisconsin, the respite
was welcomed.
"It's just time to rest," said
redshirt junior forward Jon
Horford on Sunday, "especially
for the high-minute guys. We
can focus on the next opponent
and collect ourselves and just
get ready for a push."
Added Michigan coach John
Beilein: "When you come out of
(playing games so frequently)
we try to get some rest. But it
is good for us to be able to rest
a little bit, be able to get back in
the gym and practice."
After it appeared that
Michigan would fall a game
behind Michigan State in the
Big Ten standings following
its game Sunday, Michigan
ultimately remained in a first-
place tie after No. 13 Michigan
State (11-3 Big Ten, 22-5 overall)
fell to Nebraska at home.
The game marked the first
game back for Spartan shooting
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Sophomore guard NIk Stauskas had a team-high 19 points in Michigan's 80-75 win over the Spartans earlier this year.
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