6A - Thursday, November 6, 2014
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
FOOTBALL
Peppers to receive redshirt
y' after season-ending injury
Senior defender Ben Manko scored his first goal of the season on Senior Night, but it wasn't enough to topple the Buckeyes.
W "
Wlverines doomedb
late gal on Seniojr Night
By ALEJANDRO ZfOIGA
ManagingSports Editor
Anyone who watched the
Michigan football team's
season opener against
Appalachian State knows what
it was missing without Jabrill
Peppers.
The freshman made his
first career start against the
Mountaineers, recording a pair
of tackles at nickel back. But the
former five-star recruit dazzled
the crowd most with an electric
punt return in which he eluded
several would-be tacklers.
But that return went for just
six yards.
It was that kind of season
for Peppers - not that it was
much of a season at all. He
certainly would have starred on
the Wolverines' secondary and
punt-return unit, but each time
he got a sniff at stardom, injuries
forced him back to the bench.
Peppers suffered an apparent
ankle injury that afternoon
against the Mountaineers
and hurt his leg again before
Michigan's Sept. 27 game
against Minnesota.
Wednesday, Michigan
coach Brady Hoke officially
announced Peppers will take
a redshirt this year. Hoke said
Peppers will "be in good shape"
in four to five weeks, and should
have no issues returning full-
speed for spring practices. The
injury won't need surgery.
"I've talked with his mother,
talked to doctors, trainers
and everybody that should be
included in the conversation
(about redshirting)," Hoke
said. "He's taking care of
himself. He's been great with
treatments, great with rehabs 12 touchdowns and surrendered
and all those things. 189 passing yards per game,
"He's not going to be where even after Indiana attempted
you'd want a guy to be (health- just eight passes last week.
wise) who has that kind of Peppers was burned a
ability." handful of times as a corner
Because Peppers has played against Utah on Sept. 20, but his
in less than 30 percent of the recovery speed helped him avoid
Wolverines' games this season surrendering any big plays.
- he appeared in just three And though Dennis Norfleet
contests - and didn't see the has done well returning
field after the midway point of punts, it's hard not to wonder
the season, he's eligible for the what Peppers would have
medical waiver, which could contributed to the special
theoretically give him six years teams. According to the stat-
with the program should he be tracking site Football Outsiders,
redshirted again. Michigan ranks 65th in the
But someone with Peppers' nation in offensive starting
talents likely won't be taking field position, excluding clock-
another redshirt year. Not kills at the end of the first half
when he was a standout as and garbage drives at the end of
a true freshman who could games.
have started anywhere in the But instead of contributing,
secondary. Peppers will watch from the
"We were very excited about sideline as the Wolverines fight
what he brings from an attitude to reach bowl eligibility - just
standpoint to the explosiveness like running back Derrick
he had, the Green, and
athletic linebacker
standpoint, " beesDesmond
the makeup be ngreat Morgan, and
speed all with te n s tight end
the things L reatLments, Khalid Hill
that made r wand wide
him one of the great WIth receiver
most recruited rehabs and all Drake
guys in this Harris.
country," those things." MAnd
Hoke said.Michigan
"His football will be left
intelligence wondering
was at a high level. what it might have had this
"We lost, possibly, (our fall in the nation's former No. 2
starting) nickel oreven a safety. recruit.
Either one of those. He could've "Oh yeah, no question (he
played all three positions." was as good as advertised in
And the Wolverines could practice)," Hoke said, smiling.
have used the depth in their "No doubt. I mean, in two-a-
secondary, which has allowed days ... Yeah."
By WES ROMAN
Daily Sports Writer
The combination of Senior
Night, a rivalry and a legitimate
chance for both teams to earn
a top-four finish in the Big Ten
gave U-M OHIO STATE 2
Soccer M
Stadium
a festive
atmosphere before the Michigan
men's soccer team's pivotal
match against Ohio State on
Wednesday night.
But less than 30 seconds from
the opening whistle, the mood
changed dramatically.
Straight from the kickoff, the
Buckeyes found space down the
right flank, and a cross fell to
forward UDnny Jensen 12 yards
out, where he slotted his shot
past fifth-year senior goalkeeper
Adam Grinwis. Twenty-six
seconds in to the biggest game
of their season, the Wolverines
trailed.
Although Michigan leveled
the score later in the first half,
it was the Buckeyes (5-3 Big
Ten, 8-6-4 overall) who shocked
the Wolverines with a late goal
in the 85th minute. Ohio State
secured a 2-1 victory over its
biggest rivals and the coveted
spot in the top four of the Big
Ten.
Michigan came into the
match full of confidence and
hope. It had just defeated
in-state rival Michigan State
and was finally playing the kind
of soccer Michigan coach Chaka
Daley envisioned.
The Wolverines also had a
complicated scenario in which
theycouldclinchatop-fourfinish
in the Big Ten, guaranteeing a
home game to open next week's
conference tournament. But
when Michigan State's 3-2
victory over No. 2 Indiana went
final midway through the first
half, Michigan's goal became
very simple: beat Ohio State.
That task, however, would prove
much more difficult.
The early goal registered
as a shock to their system, but
the Wolverines (3-3-2, 6-8-3)
responded with perhaps their
most exciting and attacking half
of soccer this season. The rest
of the first half was played at
a frenetic pace, with plenty of
chances for each team.
"Conceding 30 seconds in is
never a good thing," Daley said.
"I think we had to exert quite a
bit of energy to get back, but I
think we did that effectively."
The Wolverines got a prime
chance for an equalizer in
the 30th minute, when senior
midfielder Marcos Ugarte cut
in from the left side and went to
the ground in the box, earning a
penalty. But much to the dismay
of the home crowd, fifth-year
senior Tyler Arnone's penalty
was stopped by a diving save
from Buckeye goalkeeper Alex
Ivanov.
However, on the ensuing
corner, the Wolverines found
their much-needed goal from an
unlikely source. Senior defender
Ben Manko found himself on
the end of an inch-perfect cross
from Ugarte, and Manko -
looking very much like a lifelong
forward - scored the first goal
of his Michigan career.
"(Ugarte) put ina great corner
kick, I got up and scored the goal
... (it was) an unreal feeling,"
Manko said. "But (I was) a little
disappointed not to get the win
at the end of the day."
The second half proved more
difficult for Michigan. Grinwis
made a pair of spectacular saves
to keep the teams level, but
the Wolverines were unable to
create many good chances.
The decisive goal came in the
85th minute, when Ohio State
midfielder Christian Soldat
curled a shot past two sliding
defenders. Grinwis seemed to
anticipate a deflection, took a
step in the wrong direction and
could only watch as the ball
slowly rolled into the net.
The loss, then, ultimately
represented a chance
squandered.
"We found out (about
the Michigan State result)
at halftime," Daley said.
"Unfortunately, we got the
wrong end of it by not getting
the result tonight."
With Wednesday night's
result, the Wolverines will have
to play on the road for the entire
Big Ten tournament. But in the
first round, they find themselves
with a familiar opponent: the
Buckeyes. In what should be a
thrilling rematch, Michigan can
only hope that it gets the chance
to celebrate on its rival's home
field.
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ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
The Michigan women's soccer team's defense was strong, but its offense couldn't create enough chances to pull away.
'M' falls in second OT.
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By KEVIN SANTO
For theDaily
Nearly 19 minutes in to extra
time, Minnesota midfielder
Josee Stiever gained possession
in the
18-yard MINNESOTA 1
box after a MICHIGAN 0
defensive
scramble and failed clearance
by Michigan. Before a
Wolverine defender could get
to her, Stiever lofted the ball to
the back post, where midfielder
Taylor Winn Wodnick headed
it across the goal line.
That goal, scored in the final
minute of double overtime,
sent the Michigan women's
soccer team home packing with
a heartbreaking loss to the
Golden Gophers on Wednesday
night in the quarterfinals
of the Big Ten Tournament.
The Wolverines entered the
tournament the Big Ten's No. 3
seed, while the Golden Gophers
were No. 6.
Michigan coach Greg Ryan
was quick to emphasize that
the goal was not representative
of the team's defensive
performance as a whole.
"(The defense) was
outstanding, I think it was one
of the best performances of the
year," Ryan said. "They kept
I
Minnesota under pressure the
entire game. You know, the
one chance fell to them, and it
was a perfect cross and an easy
header."
However, it was Michigan's
offense that struggled to create
chances throughout the game,
and it appeared the match
would end in a stalemate as
both teams battled evenly
throughout.
"I think both offenses were
struggling," Ryan said. "Neither
team created great chances to
score. I thought Minnesota's
defense was very, .very good.
We just weren't able to get open
for an easy shot."
Michigan's best
opportunities to score came
in the second half, when
sophomore forward Nicky
Waldeck was on the ball often
and catalyzed the attack against
Minnesota's back line. While
Waldeck had only one shot
on goal, it was her precision
passing that resulted in some of
Michigan's best opportunities.
Ryan emphasized that
playing the ball through
Waldeck was a tactical strategy
that the Wolverines were trying
to employ.
"(Minnesota) leaves those
spaces in the flank areas, there
is a big pocket out there," Ryan
said. "Our game plan from the
very beginning was to try to
find Nicky in that space and to
attack from there."
The Wolverines now beging
the anxious waiting period in
anticipation of their postseason
fate. But Ryan was optimistic
about his team's chances of
earning an at-large bid to the
NCAA Tournament.
"It's up to the committee,"
Ryan said. "If-you look at the
Big Ten and the number of
teams they are going to take,
I think Michigan is in a great
position. We're going to come
back and recover, and then
train like we're preparing for
the first round of the NCAA
Tournament."
But Ryan was quick to
dismiss the defeat as a
hindrance to the Wolverines'
success if they receive a bid to*
the NCAA Tournament.
"The team morale has been
fantastic all year whether
we have won or lost," Ryan
said. "We've had no problems
getting motivated for that next
game. We're getting ready for a
second season now."
The first round of the NCAA
tournament will begin Nov.
14, and the Wolverines hope to
have the opportunity to break
some hearts of their own.
S a