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The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Wednesday, September 17, 2014 -- 7A
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Wednesday, September17, 2014- 7A
Michigan blanked,
early goal decisive
PAUL SHERMAN/Daily
Freshman corner Jabrill Peppers was targeted by Miami (Ohio) on Saturday, but he impressed in his first game back since suffering an ankle injury in week one.
Frosh fcs Kycnriuin
By WESLEY ROMAN
For theDaily
Less than a week after
conceding a late equalizer in
a draw with Maryland, the
Michigan men's soccer team was
unable to
get one of BGSU 1
its own as MICHIGAN 0
it suffered
a disappointing 1-0 defeat to
Bowling Green on Tuesday night
at the U-M Soccer Stadium.
The decisive goal came early,
in the 17th minute, at a time when
the Wolverines appeared to be
bossing the game. After another
Michigan attack broke down,
Bowling Green midfielder Joe
Sullivan found a bit of space on
the edge of the 18-yard box and
slid anenticingballto forward Pat
Flynn, who delivered a composed
finish into the far corner to give
the Falcons a 1-0 lead.
For the most part, the
Wolverines enjoyed the lion's
share of possession, and the ball
seemed to spend most of the time
intheirattackingthird.Butonthe
whole, the incisive attacking play
that everyone envisioned was
lacking, despite the switch this
season to the 4-3-3 formation.
The home team undeniably
created the majority of the
chances, but again and again its
attackers could not finish. Still, it
was hard for the hosts not to feel
like they deserved atleast apoint.
While this midweek fixture
did come at an awkward time for
the Wolverines - in betweentwo
important conference matches -
Michigan coach Chaka Daley was
unwilling to use the timing as an
excuse..Rather, he stressed that
his team's performance didn't
necessarily deserve the result.
"I think we carried a lot of
the game," Daley said. "(We)
certainly were, I think,
unfortunate to get ourselves
this result."
Realizing that they would
not be on the ball too much,
the Falcons seemed more than
content to sit back defensively.
But while the Wolverines
struggled to create good chances,
Bowling Green had great success
hitting on the counterattack.
Despite conceding early,
the Wolverines continued
to dominate possession.
Throughout the first half, they
found success on the wings.
Junior winger William Mellors-
Blair was particularly influential
on the left side by utilizing his
pace to beat defenders, but too
often his searching crosses found
the opposing orange shirts.
Despite numerous
unsuccessful crosses, Michigan
didn't appear to have too many
other ideas of how to unlock
the stingy Falcon defense. The
visitors frequently packed the
box with numbers, which gave
the Wolverines all kinds of
difficulties.Daleytriednumerous
substitutions - including the
collegiate debut of freshman
forward Nate Kohl - but the
creative play that his team so
desperately needed was nowhere
to be found.
Michigan survived a scare just
before the halftime whistle when
freshman goalie Evan Louro
tipped a dangerous header over
the bar to keep the deficit at one.
The second half proved to be
a near carbon copy of the first, as
Michigan once again. controlled
the possession but was unable to
find the equalizer.
"It's one game, one loss," a
visibly frustrated Daley said.
"At the end of the day we've got
to pick ourselves up and go to
work again."
Peppers most
hyped, but Cole
and Mone earning
significant time
By ALEXA DETTELBACH
Daily Sports Editor
Since fall camp started in
August, both the media and
the fans have been clamoring
for - a look at freshman
cornerback Jabrill Peppers.
A- top-three prospect out of
high school, comparisons to
Charles Woodson were placed
on Peppers' shoulders by the
legendary cornerback himself
before Peppers even stepped
foot onto the field.
So when the starters were
announced Saturday against
Miami (Ohio), Peppers
unsurprisingly received one
of the loudest cheers from the
Big House crowd. And yet, he's
just one of four true freshmen
receiving significant playing
time months out of high school.
Left tackle Mason Cole has
started at the offensive line's
most important position in
all three games, protecting
fifth-year quarterback Devin
Gardner's blind side.
Against Appalachian State, he
became the first true freshman
to start a season opener at left
tackle and just the sixth to start
any game on the line in program
history.-
"I've been very impressed
with Mason since he first came
in," junior center Jack Miller
said Monday. "The poise he
has for an 18-year-old kid
playing offensive line is pretty
remarkable. He's got maybe
the best attribution to have in
an offensive lineman, which Mone received the second-most
is being consistent, play in and reps after Glasgow.
play out." Mone made his presence
It's often said that an felt in South Bend, with the
offensive lineman does his job most memorable play coming
when you don't hear his name. in the third quarter when he
And with Cole, that has often was left unblocked and got to
been the case. After giving up a quarterback Everett Golson,
sack against the Mountaineers forcing him to make a bad throw
in week one, Cole has kept that fell incomplete.
Gardner's jersey clean. He was "Coach Mattison always
one of the few highlights in compares me to (Baltimore
the Wolverines' shutout loss Ravens nose tackle) Haloti
to Notre Dame, and aside from Ngata when he was my age,"
getting beaten once against the Mone said. "I have to keep that
RedHawks, Cole has continued up ... (but) I have to work on my
to shine. moves to get there."
Opposite Cole is defensive The fourth true freshman
tackle Bryan Mone, who has seeing time this season is wide
surprised many in his surge up receiver Freddy Canteen. After
the depth chart. In arguably a strong spring camp, Canteen
Michigan's strongest unit, received the praise of his
Mone has found early playing coaches and quarterbacks, buta
time on the defensive line. poor showing during fall camp
"(Mone) has a great attitude led to limited snaps against
and (is) a great talent," said Appalachian State.
defensive coordinator Greg Hoke said in his postgame
Mattison. conference
"The sky's after the
the limit for "The k 'the Miami game
him. You don't that Canteen
think he's the limitf ( n made strides
youngest of all f back to where
of them. You don't think he was in
"And he's the spring.
another one he's the youngest." Through
that every day three games,
gets a little Canteen has
better and two receptions
it's not big for - for five yards.
him. I have a feeling (Utah) is And of course there's
going to be a big ballgame for Peppers, the crown jewel of
him." Hoke's freshman class. He
Inthe seasonopener,theUtah started as the team's nickel
native was second on the depth corner against Appalachian
chart at his position, splitting State and Miami, only missing
reps with junior Ondre Pipkins, the Notre Dame game because
but the latter received most of of injury. And his instinct and
the snaps behind starter Ryan uncanny athleticism has given
Glasgow. However, Mattison him- the opportunity to play
shuffled the playing time up with the starters on the outside,
against the Fighting Irish, and moving starting cornerback
Blake Countess at nickel on
select plays.
"I thought Jabrill held up
pretty well," Hoke said of
Peppers' performance at corner
against the RedHawks. "I think
it's a learning process every
time he goes out.
"Every time he plays, he'll
get better. He's very instinctive,
which is a plus."
Hoke has excelled at
recruiting and bringing in
highly ranked classes.
And given Michigan's
lackluster start to 2014, how the
trust freshmen progress could
play a major role in returning
the program back to the
national conversation.
Gae 2lydb
GmspaebyPeppers. He has been
nursing an ankle inury.
4.43
Canteen's listed 40-yard dash time in
seconds.
TUNA ANNA ARCHLY/Saily
IfWilliam Mellors-Blair was one of Michigan's bright spots in Tuesday's loss.
MEN' S SOCER
SMellors-Blair impresses in loss
By FREDDY KASTEN
Daily Sports Writer
Despite losing 1-0 to Bowling
Green on Tuesday, not all was
amiss for the Michigan men's
soccer team. In a game full of
missed opportunities, junior
forward William Mellors-Blair
had a strong game, contributing
four crosses and generating
the Wolverines' best scoring
chance.
In the 11th minute of the
contest, Mellors-Blair sparked
the offensive attack. After
obtaining the ball on the right
wing from fifth-year senior
midfielder Tyler Arnone,
Mellors-Blair crossed it into the
box to redshirt junior midfielder
Colin McAtee. However, the
chance was squashed by Falcons'
goalkeeper Nick Landsberger,
who fisted the ball out.
Due to a Michigan defensive
lapse, Bowling Green (0-0
Mid-American Conference,
5-1 overall) scored in the 16th
minute off the footofsophomore
forward Pat Flynn, who struck
the ball nicely to beat freshman
goalkeeper Evan Louro.
"We worked on the
commitment level," Daley said.
"I think they scored against the
run of it for sure. They had one
chance, one goal."
Mellors-Blair once again
commenced the attack in the
20th minute from the right side.
He received the ball, finessed
around a defender and then put
an efficient cross into the box,
setting up McAtee with a prime
scoring opportunity. But, McAtee
wasn't able to finish, heading
the ball just over the crossbar in
between two defenders.
Just three minutes later,
Mellors-Blair struck for a third
time, hitting the ball off the
side of the net while one-on-
one with Landsberger. The
speedy forward didn't need any
help as he produced his own
chance in space and chipped
the ball to himself around a
Falcon defender. But once again,
Landsberger made a great play,
cutting down the angle well.
Mellors-Blair was the focal
point of the Wolverines' last
offensive chance of the first
half in the 40th minute, too.
Off a through ball from junior
forward James Murphy in
the attacking half, Mellors-
Blair was chased down by two
Bowling Green defenders on the
left side of the field. Not wanting
to waste the opportunity, he
shook them off with a fake shot,
producing an audible gasp from
the crowd. History repeated
itself, though, as the two
Michigan forwards in the box
weren't able to connect and the
cross went wide for a Bowling
Green goal kick.
Because of all of the
Wolverines' (0-0-1 Big Ten,
1-3-1 overall) squandered
opportunities in the match's
first 45 minutes, Daley wanted
his squad to convert on more
chances and be more offensive.
The second half didn't include
any goals, even though Michigan
controlled possession for most
of the final 45. Mellors-Blair
attempted to make one last
promising run for Michigan in
the 75th minute, but it wound
up amounting to nothing. He
crossed the ball into the box
for Arnone, who took one step
in and fired it off of a Falcon
defender, ricocheting out of play.
"We really didn't have
enough in us to stick one away,"
Daley said. "College soccer is
certainly a challenge with a lot
of parity, but it's not the end
of the season. We have to pick
ourselves up and go to work
again tomorrow. There's still
plenty to play for."
I