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October 20, 2014--38

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Slippery Rock fans make trek

15,121 people watch
The Rock lose
By GREG GARNO
Managing Sports Editor
The population in Slippery
Rock, Pennsylvania is 3,668,
according to the U.S. Census
Bureau. There are now four
traffic lights in the town.
The enrollment at Slippery
Rock University is 7,595. It's a
Division II school that averages
between 7,000 and 9,000 fans at
its football games.
Saturday's attendance for
The Rock's game against
Mercyhurst was 15,121.
The event, by no means the
biggest event in the school's
history, is still the biggest event
the program will play in this
year.
Though fans may not
understand the full connection
between the two schools, or
care that Slippery Rock lost an
important conference game, they
still came for the experience.
Fans filled the sections in the
middle of the stadium even on a
cold and cloudy day. They came
from Western Pennsylvania or
Kalamazoo, Michigan "because
it's U of M," or because they "get
to watch Slippery Rock play."
There's Carly Atwood of
Slippery Rock,who made the four-
hour trek because she remembers
Thursdays in high school.
Declared simply "Michigan
Thursdays," students dressed
in maize and blue or wore their
Michigan apparel. There were
no days dedicated to Ohio State
or Penn State, both a few hours
away. Just Michigan.
Atwood, like some of her
friends at the high school of
approximately 800 students,
had no idea why. But they had
them anyway.
That's because the
connection between Slippery
Rock and Michigan goes back to
1959. The two universities have
been associated with each other

Slippery Rock lost Saturday at the Big House, but the experience was still special to The Rockfans who made the trip.

since Michigan's public address
announcer at the time, Steve
Filipiak, opted to provide the
score when he was struck by the
name of the school.
Since then, The Rock (yes,
that's the mascot) have played
three times at the Big House -
1979, 1981 and Saturday - and
have had their score announced
on the PA system ever since. The
relationship has trickled down
to the town and the high school
- directly across the street.
"At first, we really didn't
know what the connection
was," Jamie Atwood, Carlie's
mother, said. "We always knew
that they cheered for us ... and
then this past year, we started
seeing Michigan people come to
our games."
Atwood came out with her
mother, father and her cousin
for "the experience" and
because her sister, Andi is in

the color guard for The Rock.
In fact, Andi came back for a
fifth year in school, after being
the captain of the color guard,
just so she could perform in
Michigan Stadium.
"We were coming no matter
what," Jamie said. "This is
something we booked on the
calendar."
The Atwoods weren't the only
ones who had the game marked
on their calendar. Heather Rice
and Chris Bonneau both made the
trip to Michigan Stadium.
Rice, a professor at Slippery
Rock,cameouttosupportabout10
of her past and current students.
She has never been to Michigan
Stadium, but Bonneau has. A
graduate of Michigan State, he
came in his Spartan apparel with
Rice, matching Slippery Rock's
green and white colors.
"As soon as we saw they were
playing, we almost immediately

bought tickets," Rice said.
And Mike Barry, a Michigan
season-ticket holder from
Kalamazoo, knew he would be
attending this game, too. He
wore his hat with the same yellow
stripes of the Wolverine helmets.
Barry didn't know the history
between the two schools, either,
only the score from every game.
It was an opportunity to see
the oft talked about program
for himself. He has been to the
Wolverines home games this
season, and Saturday was a
relief from a 3-4 season.
"I'm hoping to see some more
points scored,"he joked."You can
just relax and watch the agame."
And they all waited until
the end, even as Slippery Rock
trailed by 22 points, to soak in
the experience. It's not every
day three times the population
of the town comes to watch its
team play.

MEN'S TENNIS
Loss knocks 'M,
Petrone from ITA
By JUSTIN MEYER clearly fatigued from his
Daily Sports Writer loss to Steinbach just 30
minutes before. As if to put an
Alex Petrone sat on the exclamation mark on his rough
courtside bench mid-match, morning, Petrone continued
shaking his head and looking to to drop shots and his building
the crowd for answers. frustration showed.
The junior captain started The pair was swept 8-0 and
the ITA Midwest Regional the Michigan crowd quietly
Championship with a dominant filed out of the stadium - it
Saturday, cruising to the singles seemed everyone was ready to
and doubles quarterfinals. But forget the collapse that had just
on Sunday, his success unraveled transpired.
at a furious pace. "We got run over a little bit,"
Petrone battled Ohio State's Steinberg said.
Ralf Steinbach to a tiebreaker It wasn't all grim faces on
in the first set, and had multiple the Michigan side after the
set points as the pair went back eliminations, though. Steinberg
and forth. The environment in called Petrone's play on
the varsity tennis center grew Saturday his best of the season,
tense as the tiebreaker drew on and there was legitimate reason
for 10 sets before a roar erupted to be happy with his earlier
from the Buckeye contingent as performance in the weekend.
Steinbach finally clinched the "I was feeling great
first set, 7-6 (8). yesterday," Petron said. "(Notre
Despite all the fight he'd Dame's Josh Hagar) was good. I
shown during the tiebreaker, was able to get it out of his strike
Petrone couldn't shake the zone and do what I do best, and
loss. He hit long, short and stay on the baseline and push
wide, playing like a shell of the him around."
player who had rolled through Even the loss to Steinbach,
tough competition earlier in the the nation's 62nd-ranked
weekend. Steinbach dispatched player, can't be called an utter
him with much greater ease in disappointment for Petrone,
the second set, 6-2, and Petrone who ranks 53rd. Steinberg said
finished his Sunday on a 2-14 it "wasn't the best matchup" for
run. him.
"He had the tiebreaker on On the doubles side there
his racket, was even
and I think less concern.
it affected o st The Petrone
him in the For mo and Hua duo
beginning of tennisplayers performed
the second f right in
set," said th n slk h t line wsth
Michigan things like that
coach Adam happen." for their
Steinberg. first-ever
"He needed to tournament
be a little bit together, and it
tougher in the seems unlikely
second set, but for most tennis that they will spend much time
players things like that happen." playing alongside each other
Added Petrone: "(Steinbach) this season.
was pretty aggressive, and I "(Hua) was fun to play with,"
think that was the difference." Petrone said. "He's excited
In the doubles quarterfinal every point. Obviously, we
matchup, Petrone played had five deuce points this last
alongside freshman Runhao match. Hopefully we would win
Hua, and the pair looked more of those, but we didn't."
impressive. Hua and Petrone There was even positive news
swept through the second and from the freshman class, as
third rounds with scores of 8-2 both Hua and fellow first-year
and 8-4, respectively. Alex Knight won their first-
"That was their first time round matches. Knight, a highly
playing together - I thought touted prospect, enrolled early
that they did great gettingto the last year and is now a redshirt
quarter finals," Steinberg said. freshman despite being a part of
"For Runhao, I don't know the the recruiting class of 2014.
last time he's played doubles." So while the Wolverines
But the Wolverine duo ran won't walk away from the
into a wall against a strongteam weekend devastated by the
from Notre Dame. results, the way in which it
Hua and Petrone began to all unfolded can't be called
look out of sync, the latter anyhingless thanexcruciating.
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DEFENSE
From Page 1B
"We don't know if (the
defensemen) are going to find
the net or not, but goals are hard
to come by for our team right
now. We played three games
and scored six goals. We have to
get goals wherever we can right
now."
After the offensive outburst,
the defense got back to business..
Surrendering just nine shots in
the period, with one breakaway
SPLIT
From Page 1B
both the intensity on the ice
and in the stands.
The Wolverines allowed two
goals in 10 minutes, two goals
that came off of near makes
from the offense. It appeared
the Wolverines would score
14:02 into the second period
when sophomore forward Tyler
Motte received a cross-ice pass
and had a wide-open net, but
New Hampshire goaltender
Adam Clark robbed Motte with
a sprawling glove save. Instead,
Michigan's poor transition play
led to the Wildcats' second goal.
Facing the team he played
against in his first collegiate
appearance one year ago,
sophomore goaltender Zach
Nagelvoort struggled without
much help from the defense.
The netminder allowed five
goals on 32 shots, failing to come
up with timely saves on several

goal - the only defensive "I thought they played great,"
blip in the game - being the Racine said of his defense." I
only difficult one for junior probably couldn't count more
goaltender Steve Racine. than five grade-A chances
Racine (for New
rewarded the Hampshire's
rest of the unit offense), and
with a stout "Goals are hard they really
performance helped me
of his own in to come by for out, which is
the third. A nice on my
desperately this team." first game
aggressive back in there.
Wildcats Despite the
continued to win Saturday,
be turned away by the fresh the Wolverines haven't shed
Racine. their dark side yet. Struggles

will likely continue, and with
an offense that has just six goals
in three games and road games
against top-15 teams next
weekend, those struggles may
prove costly.
If Michigan wants a happy
ending to its season, it can't
continue to be two-faced on
defense.
NOTE: Forward Andrew
Sinelli was hit from behind into
the boards late int he second
period. He remained on the ice
for five minutes before skating to
the bench. Sinelli returned to the
ice later.


New Hampshire transition
opportunities.
His performance, and that of
several Wolverines, prompted
MichigancoachRedBerensonto
shake up the lineup for Saturday.
Nagelvoort was listed as third
on the depth chart Saturday,
while Friday's starters, senior
defenseman Brennan Serville
and sophomore forward Evan
Allen, didn't dress.
What happened Saturday:
In his first appearance of
the season - more than seven
months since his last start 224
days ago - junior goaltender
Steve Racine impressed,
stopping31 of 32 shots faced and
making several key saves in a
tight contest.
Midway through the third
period, after sophomore
defenseman Michael Downing
took an untimely penalty,
Racine fended off a handful of
New Hampshire shots in traffic
before taking a puck to the
mask. He quickly covered the

puck in front of him. The Wildcats earned
"Good for Steve," Berenson one back off a shorthanded
said. "We started the year with opportunity that Racine had no
(Zach) Nagelvoort being our chance of saving.
starter, and it is still early in Michigan began the third
the year, but Racine has been frame with more than 3:30
working hard remaining
in practice and on the power
got his chance play by
tonight and "(Racine) got virtue of a
took advantage big hit taken
of it, so good his chance by senior
for him." forward
Whereas tonight and took Andrew
Friday, when Sinelli late in
Michigan advantage of it." the second
followed up period, but
a strong first failed to
period with capitalize.
a flat second, the Wolverines Instead, the penalty kill
expanded momentum after defended several rushes to earn
heading to the first intermission Michigan's first victory.
tied, 0-o. This time, fans stayed until
Downing found twine just the final buzzer sounded.
28 seconds into the period and
freshman defenseman Cutler There' more online!
Martin fired one in a minute
later, giving the Wolverines an ChekMichiganDaily.com
early 2-0 lead. throughout the day for updates

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