8A - Wednesday, October 8, 2014 Sports
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
FOOTBALL
Defense refocuses for PSU
By ALEXA DETTELBACH said. "We got a three-and-out
Daily Sports Editor (after the half)."
BOYCOTT?: It's no secret
The Michigan football team Michigan's disgruntled student
has plenty to brag about with its body is frustrated with the
defense. That is, until it allowed Athletic Department. A petition
476 yards in a meltdown against to fire Athletic Director Dave
Rutgers. Brandon and a last-minute 'Fire
One of the few bright spots Brandon' rally were last week's
in the 2014 season - the run cover stories. This week, there
defense - held are movements for not only
itsown against NOTEBOOK students, but also other fans,
the Scarlet to boycott the Wolverines'
Knights, allowing 30 carries for impending nighttime matchup
74 yards dgn the ground. with Penn State.
The Wolverines (0-2 Big Ten, Started last week by
2-4 overall) rank sixth in the MGoBlog.com, select Michigan
Big ITen in total defense and fans are calling for a boycott
19th in the country. But one of the game's opening kickoff.
areadefensive coordinator Greg During the past two Under
Mattson's1 unit has struggled the Lights events, the Athletic
withu all season is during the Department had a panoramic
poss4ssion right before the half. camera take a stadium picture of
In Michigan's four losses, the he record-setting crowds. The
Wolvrines have allowed a score'goal is to make the stadium's
in the last minute of the second student section as empty as
quarter. possible so when the picture
"That's just something we've is taken this time around, it's
got to work on," said senior Devastatingly empty.
middly linebacker Jake Ryan. While it's unclear how much
"It's 4omething we practiced traction the movement will get,
today, 'we did the two-minute it's something the players are
drill." fully aware of.
Ryan maintains that the team "I would say I understand
remains positive in the locker their frustration, I share it,"
room at halftime following said junior center Jack Miller on
those defensive struggles, but Monday. "We have just as high
it's something that Michigan of expectations of any fan or any
coach Brady Hoke and Mattison critic does. ... At the end of the
have touched upon as areas for day things are more important
improvement. than wins and losses.
"The defense loves to go back "This experience, and what
out onto the field and that's what the atmosphere could be like
we did (against Rutgers)," Ryan Saturday night, is special for
everyone involved. To represent
the University, to represent Ann
Arbor and what a special thing
that can be, for that to go to
waste would be disappointing."
As of Tuesday, a Facebook
event to boycott kickoff was
created, with the hashtag,
#DownwithDave, but as of 8
p.m. only 48 people were set to
"attend."
Ironically, Michigan's student
section struggles to fill up by
kickoff even when the student
body approves of the Athletic
Department and the team is
winning, so it may be unclear
to the public if the boycott is a
planned success.
"We understand the
frustration in life or on the field,
but in the end, we love the fan
support," said senior defensive
end Frank Clark.
BRIGHT LIGHTS, NEW
UNIS: In Michigan's third-ever
homenightgame,theWolverines
will don new uniforms for the
special occasion. Unveiled in
August, the uniforms take a step
back from the traditional maize
bottoms and blue or white tops
and take a more "nighttime"
approach to the design.
"The whole dark night theme
has a good little thing going on,"
Ryan said.
The uniforms are dark blue
on top and bottom, with striped
maize numbers and maize
gloves. Adidas has created an
alternate uniform for each of
Michigan's Under the Lights
games.
Fifth-year senior midfielder Tyler Arnone led the Wolverines back from a 2-2 tie in the second half of Tuesday's win.
upse rish as
Mc~eenets httrick
By JASON STEINMAN
For the Daily
The Fighting Irish hadn't
given up two goals in any game
so far this_
season, NOTRE DAME 2
but a MICHIGAN 3
struggling
Michigan offense was able to
accomplish that feat in just less
than a minute.
The Michigan men's soccer
team rode the offensive
explosion past the sixth-ranked
FightingIrish in thrilling fashion
Tuesday night, as they edged out
a 3-2 victory capped off by junior
forward Colin McAtee's game-
winning header in the 82nd
minute.
It's just the second time the
Wolverines have defeated Notre
Dame in the schools' 14-game
history. But more importantly,
Michigan was able to ride its
momentum from its 2-1 overtime
victory against Wisconsin last
Saturday.
"I think we've proven we can
play with the best teams in the
country," said Michigan coach
Chaka Daley. "But when we have
the target on our back, are we
mature enough to take care of
business? I think that's the next
learning curve that this team
needs to evolve through."
The Wolverines (1-1-2 Big Ten,
3-5-2 overall)got off to a hotstart
when they broke the scoreless tie
in the 20th minute. Freshman
midfielder Tyler Anderson kicks with nearly seven minutes
crossed in a corner kick that to go. Once again, Anderson
McAtee headed smoothly past found McAtee off a perfectly
the goalie into the right side of executed setpiece.
the net. "It was definitely a euphoric
Most fans were still out feeling, and probably the biggest
of their seats -cheering when goal I've scored to this point,"
McAtee kicked in his second McAtee said. "Especially given
goal of the match 37 seconds where we were at as a team this
later. This time, senior midfielder season."
Tyler Arnone found McAtee on Michigan finished the game
a cross from the wing, which he strong, as freshman goalie Evan
calmly collected with his chest Louro made one last spectacular
and scored with a low, clinical save off a header in the box with
finish past Notre Dame's keeper. just over a minute to go, one of his
Michigan went into the half three on the night.
with a comfortable 2-0 lead, "At times, they had the ball
but that dissipated quickly as and we weathered the storm,"
the Fighting Irish buried two Arnone said. "But that's to be
unanswered expected
goals within against a top-
five minutes five team;
of each other. "It w aS we knew we
Forward were going
Jeffrey Farina definitely to have to
scored for . defend."
Notre Dame a euphoni McAtee
(2-1-1 ACC, 5-3- recorded the
2) off a cross eeling. first hat trick
in the 63rd for Michigan
minute and, in since , 2012.
the 67th, junior The three-
midfielder Patrick Hodan hooked goal outburst represented a quick
in a beautiful, left-footed finesse turnaround after the Wolverines
shot from 20 yards out. were shut outfour straight games
But the Wolverines proved earlier in the season.
their resiliency by continuing to "The scoreless drought has
fight andscramble for every loose really hampered us in terms of
ball. Just when it seemed Notre both RPI and confidence," Daley
Dame would escape Ann Arbor said, "butI think five goals in two
with at least a point, Michigan games will help any team in any
was awarded one of its 21 corner league with confidence."
4
Freshman defensenan Zach Werenski was on the U.S. NTDP just two months ago before he opted to graduate early.
Fam iliarfoanew team
ARE YOU A DEGENERATE OR DRUNK?
JOIN DAILY SPORTS.
We'll make you worse!
By JASON RUBINSTEIN
Daily Sports Writer
Skating through the
handshake line after Monday's
game, Zach Werenski could
finally take a deep breath. One
by one, he embraced his best
friends, his former teammates,
and when he got to the end of
the line, both U.S. National
Team Development Program
coaches slapped the freshman
defenseman on the backside.
He didn't feel: relieved
because Michigan defeated the
U.S. NTDP, a team that's come
into Ann Arbor and.won two
consecutive years, but rather he
didn't have to play against his
best friends any longer.
These were his teammates
just two months ago. Werenski,
a 17 year old, skated in the
NTDP last year, and was slated
to play with the same team that
faced off against the Wolverines
Monday night had he not taken
the opportunity to graduate
high school early.
"At first, I didn't think it was
going to be so bad going out
there and playing against my
friends," Werenski said Monday.
"Once I got out there I was
pretty nervous. I'm close with
all of them so it's kind of hard.
At first, you couldn't really treat
it like a regular game. I kind of
had to tell myself to get out there
and play."
Werenski added that he
felt more nervous on Monday
than he did on Saturday when
Michigan opened its season on
the road against Ferris State,
Werenski's first collegiate game.
Freshman forward Dylan
Larkin, another alumnus of
the NTDP program, said he
"couldn't imagine" playing
againsthisbestfriendsorformer
teammates and that Werenski
told him it was difficult to play
physical. However, if that's the
case and Werenski was reluctant
to be an aggressor, it certainly
didn't show.
Through
two games,
Werenski has "At fir
paired with C
sophomore couldn
defenseman
Kevin Lohan treat i
to form
one of the regular
Wolverines'
top defensive '
pairings,
The duo skated on Mnday,
and Werenski and LohaI have
added a formidable line to one
of Michigan's most uncertain
positions.
Against Ferris State, down
4-1 in third period, Werenski
made a strong effort to keep
the puck in the offensive zone,
passed to junior forward Justin
Selman, who dished a pass to
senior forward Travis Lynch
who buried it home. Michigan
coach Red Berenson lauded the
play after the game, saying the
freshman certainly rose to the
occasion in a raucous arena.
Despite being the youngest
player on the ice, Werenksi's
success doesn't surprise NTDP
coach Don Granato - Werenski's
coach last season - one bit.
"He's (a) heck of a player,"
Granato said. "His skills are
incredible; it's almost like he sees
the game in slow motion. He can
stay calm when other guys are
going100 miles per hour.
"He'll go 100 miles per hour
with them as far as speed but it's
smooth as silk. That is why he
is so elite: He
can do things
effortlessly."
st, you Werenskis
temper flared
('t really near the end
of the third
t like a period Monday
when he and
r gam ." Michigan-
commit
Brendan
Warren found
themselves fighting for body
position on a puck. Warren shot
down any animosity, but noted
that it was strange facing off
against one of his best friends,
and that he would talk to him
later in the night.
"(Werenski's) a tough player
to play against," Warren said.
"He's a really good defenseman,
going into college a year early.
We're good buddies and he's not
going to give you anything easy."
Werenski proved that to
be true Monday night. It just
took him a moment to realize
he wasn't donning the same
uniform as Warren.
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