The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com Monday, January 27, 2013 - 3B WRESTLING From Page 1B and hulking McClure. Coon's loss put the heavily favored 12th-ranked Wolverines in an uneasy and unusual position as they headed toward the lower weight classes tied 6-6 with Michigan State (0-4 Big Ten, 5-7 overall). Michigan (4-0 , 8-2) began the meet by takinga hard fought 6-0 lead. Redshirt junior Collin Zeerip avoided getting caught in a takedown late in the match to hold on to a 3-2 victory at 174 pounds. Afterward, freshman Domenic Abounader rallied to win in overtime at 184 pounds. After the intermission and Coon's loss, the Wolverines rebounded with renewed enthusiasm, highlighted by an aggressive match from redshirt freshman Conor Youtsey, who scored amajor decision. Fifth year senior Eric Grajales also had a strong performance, keeping his opponent fighting in vain while forced flat against the mat. Michigan nearly got the pin before a series of blood stoppages put an exclamation mark on a vicious match. Grajales has recovered to prime form after a shaky start to the season, just as the Wolverines have begun to burn through their conference competition. Redshirt junior Steve Dutton and freshman Brian Murphy also provided high points for the Wolverines, but the end to Coon's undefeated streak still weighed on the crowd. The Spartans' 18th-ranked junior JohnRizqallah dominated Abounader in the first period of the day's most exciting match, but Abounader eventually began to heed Michigan coach Joe McFarland's screams to push the pace. "In the third period I started to pick it up and he started to get worn out," Abounader said. "Coach was telling me he would before the match and I've been working realhard all week trying to get my conditioning up, and it definitely paid off." Abounader reversed the riding time deficit and nearly rolled the faltering Rizqallah into anear fall at the end of the third period to force a scoreless tie. In overtime, Abounader came to life, shooting for takedowns to take control of the match. The breakthrough finally came at the end of the second 30-second tiebreaker when Abounader scored a takedown and immediately put the match out of reach by forcing a near fall. "Rizqallah is a tough 84-pounder," McFarland said. "I got a lot of respect for him. We could see that it looked like conditioning was going to be a factor in the match. The way that Domenic escaped, and then scored, and then went right in for the kill in overtime, that was great to see." Coon took the mat with Michigan leading 6-3, and a sold-out crowd buzzing in anticipation of the marquee matchup. McClure was too strong for the freshman, though, and never let Coon get close. "We weren't able to clear our ties and get to our offense," McFarland said. "It was a good lesson for us. (Adam's) not happy about it, but he'll be back. We have a lot more wrestling left this season." Both wrestlers scored by escaping from the down position at the start of the second and third periods, and McClure almost scored a takedown early in the third. In the closing seconds Coon began to force the action and ended up caught in a takedown. The resulting desperate escape attempt ended with a near fall count and a 5-1 loss. Coon was composed and reflective after the meet, explaining that a loss taught a wrestler more about himself than a win. For Michigan wrestling, a rivalry victory without Coon might have given them the confidence to take adversity in stride in a way that a Coon win never could have. ALISONFARRAND/Daily Mixhigan wrestling coach Joe McFarland has signed some of the top athletes in the state, and high-school dual meets in Ann Arbor have helped his efforts. Recruits impressed at Cliff Keen Dual meet helps Michigan dominate in-state battles By BEN FIDELMAN DailySports Writer Before the No. 12 Michigan wrestling team took on Michigan State on Friday, two future Wolverines stood on the mat of Cliff Keen Arena. St. John's junior Logan Massa and senior Zac Hall will be high-ranking members of their respective Wolverine recruiting classes, and they had just finished competing in a high-school dual meet hosted by the University. Hours later, Michigan did its best to get the block 'M' emblazoned in the minds of potential recruits. "We know it's good for our program to do these kinds of things," said Michigan coach Joe McFarland. "Get some high- school kids in here competing, and who knows, maybe they'll be here ina couple of years." Bringing in schools from near East Lansing and Mount Pleasant gives the Wolverines a chance to have a step up on the other prominent wrestling universities in the state, Central Michigan and Michigan State. According to InterMat's recruiting profiles, Michigan has dominated Michigan State and Central Michigan when it comes to signing in-state recruits. Of the 21 recruits coming out of Michigan high schools in 2014,10 are wrestling at colleges in Michigan. Four of them are bound for Ann Arbor, while no other school has more than two. St. Johns is one of the top- ranked wrestling squads in the state and frequently sends athletes to top wrestling programs inthe country. There's a strong connection between St. Johns and Michigan, as Logan Massa's older brother, sophomore Taylor Massa, and freshman Payne Hayden both wrestle for the Wolverines. Hall, who weighs in at the 138-pound weight class, wrestled at Cliff Keen Arena during his junior season at St. Johns and said that he gets a special feeling every time he sets foot in the building. "I love wrestlingonthis mat,". Hall said. "The atmosphere and fans here are crazy. I can't wait to be back on this mat next year. There's nothing like it." McFarland added that it's tough to get recruits to campus in the winter because of both sides' packed schedules. That's where having high-school meets before college meets can be most helpful. Because the high-school programs competed before the Michigan's match, the athletes were able to enjoy mat-side seats for the evening's main event. As if the intrastate rivalry needed any more fuel, it was wrestling's "Maize Star" event for the year, meaning the pep band was in attendance to provide a better atmosphere. According to St. Johns coach Dave Phillips, the most important thing for a high- school wrestler to consider when choosing a college is finding the place where one feels most at home. Hall believes he has found just that at Michigan. The high schooler's eyes glazed as he looked around the gym watching the high-school parents file out. He had just won, 7-5, to remain undefeated on the season, and solidify a St. Johns victory. Soon the stands refilled, and Michigan took down the Spartans in front of a roaring crowd. Hall kicked back in his mat-side seat and enjoyed one of his last times being in the arena as a spectator. This time next year he will be under the lights striving for Big Ten and nationalchampionships that he's been dreaming about. BASKETBALL From Page 1B "I hope they realize," Morgan said, pausing to catch himself. "I hope we realize what happened today - that's just not okay." By time the buzzer sounded on that mid-February night, Michigan was in the midst of what seemed like an epic collapse to a once-promising season. In hindsight, it was a team learning how to win by learning what it's like to lose. Still, the memory of the hallway that night doesn't seem any brighter. The first half of Saturday's game, save for the Wolverines' 10-2 outburst to open the eve- ning, had all the makings of a rerun of last year. Michigan's start silenced the crowd, but not for long. Michigan State stormed back with a 19-6 run and the Spartans held an eight-point" lead for much of the half. After a Wolverine turnover on a near-shot clock violation, one longtime Michigan State official noted that it was the loudest atmosphere he'd ever heard in the arena, a notch above last year's game, the previous best. It was the moment that would've cracked last year's freshmen-laden lineup: Nik Stauskas, Glenn Robinson III, Spike Albrecht and Mitch McGary in his first-career start. Like the year before, the ensuing huddle, and each one after it, would've been full of blank stares and an overall sense of defeat. But that moment never came about it, Morgan stepped in. on Saturday. "It got a little chippy - guys The Wolverines narrowed talking that wasn't necessary," their first-half deficit to two late Morgan said. in the half, and when Michigan He pushed back - earning a State scored the final two technical foul - and Michigan buckets of the period to take a followed his lead. Fifteen six-point lead second later, it into the break, took the lead, Michigan 54-53, with scored the first "W e've been fewer than four points out. eightminutes of the locker tested a 1 t miny. e room. , With just A few year. over three minutes after minutes left, Michigan a Stauskas climbed out 3-pointer put of another eight-point deficit, Michigan ahead for good. To Morgan backed up his words cement the contest, freshman from the previous year. When Derrick Walton Jr. did Michigan State's Russell Byrd something last year's National blocked a Robinson layup and Player of the Year, Trey Burke, got in his face to let him know couldn't do, commandeering the Wolverine offense to a win in spite of the hostile Breslin Center crowd. The freshman made nine of his 10 attempts from the line, giving the Wolverines sole possession of first place in the Big Ten and their fifth win in their last seven attempts against the Spartans. It capped a grow-up-in-front- of-your-eyes week for a team that was supposed to crumble after a poor non-conference showing and the loss of pre- season All-American Mitch McGary. The team's current run certainly can't be judged side- by-side with last year's NCAA Tournament run, but the message was the same. After drilling his 3-pointer to cap a miracle win over Kansas, Burke was quick to reference all the misses, the in-and-out buzzer beaters - Indiana, Ohio State, Wisconsin - that led to that moment. When asked why this year's rivalry game was different than last, Morgan's comments echoed Burke's. "We've been tested a lot this year. That might be the differ- ence," he said. "We had a couple road games where we did get knocked back and we didn't fight back. Learning from those experiences, being able to keep our composure in those situa- tions, really helped us." Last year's loss in East Lansing is a distant memory because of what happened in March - a string of wins from a team that learned, in its losses, how to win. Just like Saturday. HOCKEY gotta survive it," Berenson From Page 1B said. "We've gotta play with discipline. We don't want to take penalties that are going to hurt paid off both nights. Friday the team." evening, it completed a series Thursday's contest in Detroit sweep with a 5-2 win at Munn was no different. Plays didn't Ice Arena. stop at the whistle; they ended "We knew that we had to when the referees managed to play stronger and harder and come between shoving and push with more of an edge," said apart not-so-friendly bear hugs. Michigan coach Red Berenson. The Wolverines' game- "And I think you saw that this winning goal that night was weekend." equally as scrappy, coming off For half of a shot that a period, took several the teams deflections played clean, "W e knew we before junior unbroken - forward Phil hockey. had to play Di Giuseppe Then junior poked it in defenseman stronger and on his second Brennan . effort. Serville harder with But on stepped into Friday, an open-ice more of an Michigan hit at the edge played pretty of Michigan edge. when it State's blue counted. Fifty- line and the one seconds game began in after going up earnest. 3-2 in the third period, senior Four minutes later, Copp defenseman Mac Bennett's and sophomore forward Boo backhand-forehand deke netted Nieves came threateningly the Wolverines a fourth. close to blows with Spartan Minutes later, despite being forward Brent Darnell, and the down a man, a breakout play teams earned offsetting minor by Bennett, freshman forward penalties for roughing after JT Compher and Copp created the whistle. a two-on-one that Compher "We didn't instigate any of buried. the trouble on the ice, but you've And after a weekend of taking a beating from a team not designed to deliver one, Michigan State finally snapped. With seconds remaining in a three-goal game, the tension boiled over into a brawl in response to a play by the boards in Michigan's zone. Michigan State's Joe Cox picked up junior forward Zach Hyman like a parent cradles a baby. Junior forward Andrew Sinelli exchanged blows with Spartan Thomas Ebbing. Four players - two from each team - received penalties, including one game misconduct, and they jawed at each other even as the referees escorted them off the ice. "You want to make sure you're winning the game and not start everything and get too chippy," Compher said. Followingthe ensuing faceoff, defenseman Jake Chelios crosschecked Compher from behind needlessly and ruthlessly and he too was ejected. Compher skated away instead of retaliating. From the bench, Berenson looked both ways before affording a small smile. In a weekend of hard hits and frayed nerves, the Wolverines had kept their cool. Series in review: MSU By ERIN LENNON Daily Sports Writer What happened Thursday: It took seven tries, but late in the third period at Joe Louis Arena, on his eighth shot, junior forward Phil Di Giuseppe knocked a rebound puck past Michigan State goaltender Jake Hildebrand, snapping the No. 14 Michigan hockey team's four-game losing streak. For the 14th-ranked Wolverines (4-2 Big Ten, 12-6- 2 overall), though, the first period mimicked those in the losing streak. Michigan was plagued by a series of unlucky bounces and golden saves throughout, and failed to find a presence down low. With five seconds remaining in the frame, freshman forward JT Compher took a pass from sophomore forward Boo Nieves to even the score at one. Michigan State (2-4-2, 8-12- 3) brought itself back early in the third period when forward Joe Cox's shot in the slot was deflected by teammate Michael Ferrantino to tie the game. Something old, something new: Back together on a line after midseason struggles, Compher, junior Alex Guptill and senior Derek DeBlois put together the Wolverines' strongest weekend this season. The line recorded five goals and five assists in two games against Michigan State. On Michigan coach Red Berenson's newest line, Di Giuseppe partnered with sophomore forwards Andrew Copp and Nieves for the first time this season. The trio combined for 13 shots, including an assist and a goal. Meanwhile, the duo of junior forward Zach Hyman and senior Luke Moffatt added seven of the Wolverines' 36 shots. Hyman, who hadn't recorded a point since Dec. 2 against Ohio State, nearly scored twice. What happened Friday: Early last week, Copp, an Ann Arbor native, said he was confident the Wolverines could beat "those guys" every night. So after five periods of back- and-forth hockey between Michigan and Michigan State, the Wolverines showed what that dominance might look like, including three goals in the third period en route to a 5-2 victory. Though the offense posted its best scoring performance since Dec. 2, Michigan's penalty kill was burned twice in five man-down situations, making the Spartan's power play - which came into the game with a 12.9-percent success rate - look like the team's best unit. One at Munn: After each victory, Michigan circles up in the locker room to sing a sped-up rendition of "Hail to the Victors." Following the conclusion of the Wolverines' sweep of the Spartans, the chant penetrated the cinderblock walls of Munn Ice Arena. For any Michigan team - especially one with12 Michigan natives on its roster - a sweep of Michigan State is special. But for the Wolverines' senior class, doing it on the road was even more remarkable. Friday night was the first time the five-man senior class took a game from the Spartans at Munn Ice Arena. Compher, calm and collected: Compher's four- point night was the most by a Michigan player since Oct. 13, 2011. He now leads the team in scoring with 20 points.