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Wednesday, February 12, 2014 - 7A

The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Wednesday, February 12, 2014 - 7A

Another Curling Canadian

M' signs nine recruits

By JEREMY SUMMITT
Daily Sports Editor
Michigan hockey coach Red
Berenson has been curling, and
not just in the weight room.
He's participated in the
Olympic sport that most of
Americans can't quite figure
out, and despite his storied
success in ice hockey, he labels
it one of his favorite events in
this year's Olympic Winter
Games. Though the Canadian
men's curling team has posted
just a 1-2 mark in Sochi thus far,
Berenson remains intrigued.
The game of curling is most
popular in the prairie provinces
of Canada, such as Alberta, Man-
itoba and Saskatchewan. From
time to time, Berenson par-
ticipated in throwing rocks and
sweeping in front of them him-
self, and has always found solace
in the long-time Canadian sport.
"Being a Canadian, I think
curling is a great event,"
Berenson said with a smile. "But
that's not as popular down here."
Despite curling's relevance in
the United States, or lack there
of, the sport has been rooted in
the Michigan hockey program
for more than a decade. When
the Wolverines played in the
Central Collegiate Hockey
Association, before joining the
Big Ten Conference this season,
Berenson would take his team
curling when it would travel to
play Alaska-Fairbanks.
The venue was just half a
mile from the hockey rink in
Fairbanks, and an instructor
would always show the team
the basics of curling. Berenson
recalls everyone having an
enjoyable experience.
"It's amazing," Berenson said.
"It's like shuffleboard on ice.
There's a great skill to it. There's
a great touch."
His mom and dad both curled

PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Michigan coach Red Berenson watches the Olympics in between game film.

By BRAD WHIPPLE
Daily Sports Writer
Despite the loss of the class
that changed a program, the
future doesn't look bleak for the
Michigan women's soccer team.
On Tuesday, Michigan
coach Greg Ryan answered
looming questions regarding
who would fill the vacant spots
when he announced that nine
recruits committed to play for
the Wolverines this fall: Alyssa
Dillon, Megan Hinz, Danielle
Hogarth, Sarah Jackson, Kendall
Kramer, Courtney Parr, Taylor
Timko, Rubina Veerakone and
Nicole Wilkinson.
The addition of nine recruits,
two more than the 2013 class,
comes as no surprise following a
record-breakingseason.
What does surprise isthe range
of talent this class boasts. Michi-
gan's expectations will be high
next season as Ryan works with
new rotations to keep his aggres-
sive offense and stonewalling
defense con-
sistent. Based
on the acco- "This C
lades of the
2014 recruit-
ing class, next a little
season looks
promising. everyt
"This class
has a little bit
of everything,"
Ryan said in a statement. "We're
adding depth at every position on
the field, but the best part about
this class is that every player is
athletic and skillful.
"We're graduating one of the
most successful senior classes in
our program's history and while
that entire group is irreplace-
able, there's going to be a fierce
competition to fill the spots that
they held."
Before the 2013 season, Ryan

predicted his team could make
a deep
run in the New Kids on the Block
NCAA M
Tourna- Michigan'sninerecruits
ment. 1. Alyssa Dillon
After a 2. Megan Hinz
23-game 3. Danielle Hogarth
regular 4. Sarah Jackson
season, 5. Kendall Kramer
the Wol- 6. Courtney Parr
verines 7. Taylor Timko
(9-1-1 Big 8. Rubina Veerakone
Ten, 18-4- 9. Nicole Wilkinson
1 overall)
made an
impressive run to the Elite Eight,
where they fell to No.1 Virginia.
But the run wouldn't have
been possible without the efforts
of the senior class - a class
Ryan says shaped the program
in many ways. The loss sealed
the departure of forward Nkem
Ezurike, the program's all-time
leading scorer and assister, and
left Michigan with big cleats to
fill - seven pairs to be specific.
The incoming class consists
of four mid-
fielders, two
forwards, two
lass has goalkeep-
bitof ers and one
2 it defender.
thing. There
g is some
familiarity
among the
upcoming
freshmen that should certainly
help adjust them to collegiate
soccer. Hinz, Hogarth and Parr
played club together on Maryland
United FC, Kramer and Timko on
Vardar and Dillon and Veerakone
on the Michigan Hawks.
"Hopefully we won't annoy
each other too much," Parr said
of Hinz in an interview with
The Washington Post last Sep-
tember. "No, we love each other,
it'll be fun."

Defender Dillon, who led a
defense that limited opponents
to four goals all season, attended
Plymouth High School with
freshman forward Madisson
Lewis. She was also named as a
Michigan High School Athletic
Association All-State first team
selection and Dream Team pick,
and will be Plymouth's captain
this spring.
Currently, the Wolverines have
two goalkeepers - freshman Tay-
lor Bucklin and sophomore Mad-
die Clarfield. Though Bucklin
started every game last season,
time in the net will be more com-
petitive with the addition of goal-
keepers Hinz and Jackson.
Hinz is one of 44 players in
the country to be selected to play
in the National Soccer Coaches
Association of America's All-
American Game in December,
held in Cary, N.C., during the
College Cup.
She also has back-to-back
State Cup championships
(2010-11) under her belt.
Meanwhile Jackson held a 0.813
goals-against average last fall
and was a Massachusetts All-
State All-Star.
Forward Timko is a unique
and well-rounded addition to
Michigan. Not only is she a
forward who scored 39 goals her
junior season, but she also served
as the kicker for her high school's
football team. She was also called
into the ECNL Elite Training
Player Development Program in
2012-13, and 2011.
Hogarth is the other forward
signed for next season, and she
played with Hinz when Maryland
United FC won two straight state
championships.
"We expect several of these
players to make an immediate
impact and add to the culture that
we've built here at Michigan,"
Ryan said.

competitively, and Berenson
took after his parents by
participating in curlinggrowing
up in Regina, Sask. He never
competed on an organized
team, though, as hockey usually
took precedence throughout his
adolescence, but he remembers
learning the game well.
One of his fondest memories
involving curling was watch-
ing the great Garnet Campbell
- a legendary curler from Sas-
katchewan nicknamed "The
Little General" - win the Cana-
dian Curling Championships at
a venue in Berenson's hometown
in 1955. Campbell was the first
native of Saskatchewan to take
home the honor. Both Berenson
and Campbell have since been
inducted into the Canadian
Sports Hall of Fame.
Aside from curling, Berenson

also expressed interest in cross-
country skiing and the biathlon.
He said being from Canada
helps him relate to the Winter
Olympics a bit more closely than
the Summer Games.
There won't be any curling for
Berenson's squad in the foresee-
able future beside spending time
with strength and conditioning
coach Joe Maher. But 5,545 miles
away from Sochi, Michigan will
still get a taste of the Olympics
when it plays on an Olympic-
sized ice arena during this week-
end's two-game series at No. 2
Minnesota. Berenson mentioned
he enjoys watching downhill
skiing because of the speed, and
on the large ice surface in Min-
neapolis, the Wolverines will
have a premier opportunity to
impress their coach with their
own speedy skaters.


Response to runs key for Wolverines

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ByMAX COHEN a 9-0 run by Minnesota halted part to
Daily Sports Editor any momentum. The Wolverines result w
never recovered, and the Golden the last f
t Sunday against Minne- 3ophers dominated the paint en "She's
came early in the second -oute to a double-digit victory. she has i
Thursday at Northwestern Though Michigan unraveled Arico sai
urred right after halftime. tgainst Minnesota, its response Again
y- against Purdue it hap- in its next game against the missingt
right before the half Wildcats was
its last three games, the that of a more
gan women's basketball experienced
has developed a habit of team. "W e've kind
ng out to a lead before The Wolver-
uishing its advantage by ines led 39-31 anicked a ii
ng a substantial scoring intfie first min-p
rom its opponent. Each ute of the set- bit and have
Itered the momentum of ond half after
mes. controlling responde
w it has responded to those the majority of
has been the difference the game, but exceptional
en victory and defeat Northwestern
e Wolverines. Because of battled right well.
nexperience, Michigan's back with an
se to adversity during 8-0 run.
has varied. Michigan
e've kind of panicked a maintained
tit and haven't responded an even keel for the next few trouble.
ionally well," said minutes, until freshman guard "We c
gan coach Kim Barnes Siera Thompson drained three tal mista
on WTKA Tuesday. 3-pointers in two minutes to get in a r
he first game of the three- swing the momentum back in Val Drisc
stretch, the Wolverines her team's favor. Thompson's Thoug
olden Gopher run change free throws later earned the fold afte
omplexion of the game victory. The Wolverines didn't chanceL
y. Early in the second let the Wildcats' run spoil their the run
lichigan led by three until earlier efforts thanks in large the posi

Thompson, and the
as their lone victory in
our games.
really a special kid,
ce in her veins," Barnes
d onWTKA.
st Purdue, Michigan was
he kind of poise Thomp-
son brought
in respond-
ing to a run.
of After build-
ing a 27-13
Ittle early lead, the
Wolverines
n't let the Boiler-
makers back
into the game
and their lead
Y shrank to
29-27 at the
break, with
Driscoll and
junior for-
ward Cyesha
Goree in foul
an't let those little men-
kes let the other team
un," said senior forward
oll after the loss Sunday.
gh Michigan didn't
r the run, and had a
until the final minute,
put the Wolverines in
tion of needing timely

shots to win the game. Michi-
gan didn't hit the shots it made
against Northwestern, and a run
doomed the Wolverines once
again when an experienced Pur-
due squad hit theirs.
After Sunday's game,
Barnes Arico acknowledged
that her team's recent lapses
may have been induced by its
schedule of four games in 10
days. Michigan has lost four
of its previous six games while
many of its players experience
the full grind of the Big Ten
schedule for the first time. But
Barnes Arico takes pride in the
fact that the Wolverines have
shed some of their inexperience
and have been in the thick of
every conference game except a
blowout loss at Nebraska.
"If any team in our conference
thought that we were going to be
in the position where they come
out and Michigan is going to give
you agame or," BarnesArico said,
"You don't show up, Michigan is
going to beat you. I think we've
been a surprise to alot of people."
As of late, it hasn't been a
surprise when an opponent goes
on a run to shrink a Wolverine
lead. The question isn't if
Michigan will allow a run, but
how it will respond to it.

A POEM:
Sportsing is a thing we like to do,
So join the Daily and you can too.
Maybe basketball is your sport of choice,
Or writing soccer you'll find your voice.
The sports section is the place to be
If you have thoughts on track or hockey.
So come on in, you'll have a ball,
We know how to write about them all.
-Teresa Mathew/ Co-Managing Photo Editor
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TRACY KO/Daily

Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico has struggled to manage how her team responds to opponents' scoring runs when the Wolverines hold a lead.

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