The Michigan Daily "- michigandaily.com
Friday, October 3, 2014 - 7
The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom Friday, October 3, 2014- 7
Wolverines open at Ferris
Waldeck trifecta
leads to easy win
By ZACH SHAW
Daily Sports Writer
Ready or not, Michigan
hockey is back in action.
Despite NCAA rules
limiting the coaching staff's
participation in practice and
a young group still getting
acclimatedtocollegehockey,the
No. 8 Michigan
hockey team
opens its Mhigan at
2014-15 season Feris State
with a trip to
Big Rapids, When:
Michigan, to Saturday
take on No. 9 7:37 p.m.
Ferris State. Where: Big
"We haven't Rapids, Mich.
had enough TV: Comcast
time on any
one phase
of the game
for me to tell you we're game-
ready," said Michigan coach
Red Berenson. "But I think the
players are anxious to play, and
the enthusiasm will be there.
We just need to capitalize on
our breaks and minimize their
breaks."
The opening game kicks
off yet another season of high
expectationsfortheWolverines.
Followingadisappointing18-13-
4 campaign last year, Michigan
still showcases enough talent
to garner a top-10 ranking and
be picked by coaches to finish
second in the Big Ten.
Junior forward and
returning captain Andrew
Copp and sophomore forward
JT Compher look to bring
back their top-scoring tandem
from last season. In total, the
Wolverines bring back five
of their top-10 scorers from
last season, and the addition
of highly touted recruit and
freshman forward Dylan Larkin
will give Michigan plenty of
scoring threats on its top three
lines.
By KEVIN SANTO
For the Daily
Despite conceding early,
the Michigan women's soccer
team left no doubt on the field
Thursday against Nebraska. .
Nicky Waldeck's hat trick led
the Wolverines to a 3-i comeback
victory.
From NEBRASKA 1
the first MICHIGAN 3
whistle,
the Wolverines exhibited a
comfort in possessing the ball
out of their own defensive third.
Michigan's back line patiently
circulated the ball until
opportunities to play it over
the top to a target striker were
available. Nebraska prepared
with a counter-attacking
defensive shape, employing all
10 field players to sit behind the
ball untiltheygainedpossession.
Although Michigan displayed
dominance in the air and an
acute level of defensive discipline
for the majority of the game, it
found itself down early due to a
poor defensive clearance.
In the eighth minute, after
the Wolverines failed to clear
a blocked shot, Nebraska
forward Mayme Conroy gained
possession inside the 18-yard box
and buried a shot firmly in the
bottom right corner of the goal.
However, Michigan continued
to dominate possession and
apply intense pressure until its
scoringbreakthrough. In the 31st
minute of the first half, redshirt
freshman forward Ani Sarkisian
won possession in the midfield
and played a ball over the top
of the defense to sophomore
forward Waldeck. After beating
a defender in a one-on-one
situation, Waldeck dribbled past
the goalkeeper and tapped the
ball in from three yards away.
After putting one on the board,
the Wolverines played with an
air of confidence, when they
scored for the second time in the
first half. In the 42nd minute,
after an interception, freshman
midfielder Niki Wilkinsonplayed
Waldeck in on a breakaway with
the Cornhuskers' keeper. In a
similar fashion, Waldeck drew
the keeper off her goal line and
slotted the ball in.
In the second half, Nebraska
began with intense pressure
and escalated the speed of play.
It appeared that the Wolverines
would concede a second goal
for the first 20 minutes of the
second half, as the Cornhuskers
maintained the majority of
possession and had two shots
on goal.
However, in the 65th minute,
Waldeck relieved the pressure
by completing her hat trick.
Junior midfielder Corinne
Harris sent a through ball to
Waldeck, who hit it across her
body and placed it brilliantly in
the bottom left corner.
Waldeck's hat trick makes
her the Wolverines' highest
scorer, with eight goals.
Waldeck though, was quick to
deflect credit for the feat to her
teammates.
"The last person to do it was
Nkem (Ezurike) in 2011.... So the
fact that I'm being associated
with that is humbling and
incredible," Waldeck said. "They
were all pretty similar goals....
They were just great passes, the
balls through were perfectly
timed and weighted."
The Wolverines remain
undefeated at home this season,
and Michigan coach Greg
Ryan won't understate the
unblemished home slate.
0
JAMESCOLLtR/Daily
The Michigan hockey team's rood bock to the NCAA Tournament begins Saturday with a touth lest away from Yost.
But questions remain on
defense - a weak point in each
of the past two seasons. This
year's team features just two
upperclassmen on the blue line.
Berenson is counting on the
talented and energetic crop of
freshmen and sophomores to
mesh with the experience of
returning goalies junior Steve
Racine and sophomore Zach
Nagelvoort.
"I think we've got two goalies
we can play, whereas last year
I wasn't sure," Berenson said.
"On defense we don't have the
seniors we had last year, so
we're going to be relying on
some of our younger guys to
step up. So far I've liked the
energy from the younger guys.
"We might not be as deep
on defense as last year, but we
might be better on defense."
on the other side of the
ice, the Bulldogs are quite the
opposite. After falling just one
double-overtime loss shy of the
Frozen Four last March, Ferris
State graduated a number of key
offensive weapons, but returns
an experienced and hungry
lineup led by senior goaltender
and captain CJ Motte.
"Their strength starts in goal,
where CJ Motte is as good as
it gets and is a real top college
goalie, and their defense is
good around him," Berenson
said. "They've got all their
defensemen back but one, so I
think it'll be a tough challenge
for us."
The matchup also presents a
unique challenge for Michigan
sophomore forward Tyler
Motte, CJ's brother. The two
faced off last year in Ann Arbor,
the Wolverines winning in a
shootout.
"Last year (against Ferris
State,) my mom had the split
sweater going with half-
Michigan, half-Ferris, and
my dad went with the neutral
gray," Tyler said. "Our friends
and family get into it, probably
more than we do, but it can be
a lot of fun. We're both playing
on competitive programs and
trying to get a victory, so we
really look at it as just another
game."
It's early in the year, it's 'a
non-conference game and the
Wolverines may not feel ready,
but ultimately come Saturday
night, Michigan hockey will be
back.
. LeVert, Albrecht take veteran roles
By LEV FACHER
Daily Sports Editor
The Michigan men's
basketball team's leadership
duties for the 2014-15 season will
fall to a pair with a reputation for
being soft-spoken: junior guards
Spike Albrecht and Caris LeVert.
Albrecht, LeVert and senior
forward Max Bielfeldt are the
only upperclassmen among the
15 players the Wolverines list
on their roster. And it seems
that from the get-go, beginning
with Michigan's summer trip
to Italy, the duo of juniors has
been taking its role-model
responsibility seriously.
"It could be something as
simple as making sure you're
showing up to practice 10 or 15
minutes early and not in there
looking sleepy-eyed," Albrecht
said. "That type of stuff will
drive the coaches nuts."
Albrechtadmittedthatneither
he nor LeVert is outspoken in
the first place, making their
emergence as leaders more of an
intentional transition than an
organic one.
"It's interesting, because both
Carla and myself are a little
bit more mellow, kind of shy,"
Albrecht said. "But when we
talk, people listen. Like I said
earlier, we've kind of earned our
stripes here. We're juniors now.
We have respect among some
of the other guys in the locker
room."
The team's early cohesion has
impressed Michigan coach John
Beilein, who said this squad has
gelled in the early going as well
as any other in his eight years at
the helm.
The Wolverines had the
advantage of spending 10 days in
Italy over the summer, playing
four games against competition
that generally wasn't ready for
them. And with six incoming
freshmen, Michigan was happy
__to take advantage of a ready-
made opportunity for bonding
and growth while overseas.
"This group right now is very
connected for this age," Beilein
said. "That has a lot to do with
the personality of Spike and
Caris and (sophomore forward
Zak Irvin and sophomore
guard Derek Walton), who are
extremely otgoing."
It's clear that Albrecht and
LeVertwill lead moreby example
than anything else.
"I'm not some crazy rah-rah
guy," Albrecht said, indicating
that he, Bielfeldt and LeVert are
happy to lead
more through -
example.
"Caris is just a " .Bothc
really good kid.
He's always me are
helping out the
younger guys, moren
the freshmen.
So that type
of stuff goes a
long way."
Beilein's personality
classifications didn't quite
a reputation in hi
with the progran
spoken player co
out of the spo
the more osten
of leadership ati
teammates like N
Mitch McGary.
"We definitel
sure we're looki
aris and
a little bit
riellow"
played the big
changing his r
member to teaml
s first two years before, we've had so much
m as a shy, soft- playing time in the past, on and
ntent to remain off the court we know what goes
tlight, leaving on around here."
tatious aspects With several freshmen
id gameplayto expected to contribute right off
ilk Stauskas and the bat, the upperclassmen's
collective ability to hold down
y have to make the fort will be critical.
ng out for the Talent stopping briefly in
younger Ann Arbor before making
guys," its way to the NBA is a good
LeVert said. problem to have, and Michigan's
"We have a upperclassmen have gone out of
growing team their way to avoid a potential
right now." issue that cycle carries with it:
LeVert was continued loss of leadership and
also quick to consistency.
acknowledge Beilein seems confident
that simple that Albrecht and LeVert are
circumstance key components, along with
ggest part in Bielfeldt, of the leadership
ole from team his remarkably young team
leader. needs. Rather than shirking its
fferent," LeVert massive responsibility, the duo
oldest guys on seems to have welcomed it with
've been there onen arm
NOTABLE QUOTES FROM
JOHN BEILEIN AT MICHIGAN
AVAILABILITY:
"If my sons were high school
football players, I would love
for them to play for Brady Hoke
and his staff."
"The leadership right now of
Caris and Spike has really been
tremendous.... There is no
question they are in charge."
"This group right now is really
connected for this age.... These
guys are as connected
as we've been."
match up with the reputation "It has to be di
LeVert, especially, has held in said. "We're the
nrior seaons.Levert develoned the team. We
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Spike Albrecht, despite being a junior, is the oldest player on a young Michigan team that has to replace several players.
i