4B — February 2, 2015
SportsMonday
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Michigan drops rivalry matchup 
to Spartans at Joe Louis Arena

By ERIN LENNON

Daily Sports Editor

DETROIT 
— 
It 
started 

with Andrew Copp flipping a 
Michigan State defender into the 
Spartans’ bench.

It ended with the junior 

forward 
and several 
other 
Michigan 
players 
throwing 
fists 
at 

Spartans, having suffered their 
first defeat since Dec. 13.

The 
much-anticipated 

matchup between the Spartans 
and No. 13 Michigan at Joe Louis 
Arena — a tradition dating back to 
1991 — was typical of the rivalry, 
with the game decided in the 
third period.

And in typical rivalry fashion, 

Michigan State (4-2-2 Big Ten, 
10-11-2 overall) managed to all 
but shut down the nation’s No. 1 
offense, forcing the Wolverines 
(7-2-0, 15-8-0) into a battle of 
goaltenders in front of more than 
20,000 fans.

“It’s 
pretty 
obvious 
what 

happens,” said Michigan coach 
Red Berenson. “Everyone builds 
this game up as an offense 
against a defense, and you know 
what happens. Defense wins.

“It’s pretty clear to us that the 

puck isn’t going to go in every 
night, and we’ve got to play 
tougher if we’re going to win 
close games.”

Though sophomore goaltender 

Zach Nagelvoort stopped 25 
shots in his second straight start, 
it was Michigan State goaltender 
Jake Hildebrand who stood on 
his head, handing Michigan a 2-1 
loss.

Hildebrand even stonewalled 

Zach Hyman, denying the senior 
forward on several backhanded 
wraparound moves, snapping his 
seven-game goal-scoring streak.

Following a scoreless second 

period, Michigan State found 

twine first in the third period.

From there, the Spartans 

exposed 
the 
Wolverines’ 

transition 
defense, 
adding 

several more scoring chances. 
Meanwhile, with less than four 
minutes remaining in regulation, 
the 
penalty 
kill 
stymied 
a 

Michigan power play that has 
led the nation since Nov. 29 by 
converting 42.9 percent of its 
chances.

Plagued 
by 
neutral-zone 

turnovers through the majority 
of 
the 
second 
period, 
the 

Wolverines couldn’t manage to 
find rhythm despite an equally 
shaky Spartans’ forecheck.

Then, with 5:34 left in the 

period, Copp poked a puck 
through the legs of Hildebrand 
for what looked to be the 
go-ahead goal, but after a review 
the goal was discounted and the 
game remained tied.

After 
four 
consecutive 

penalties and two poor power-
play efforts from both sides, 
the Wolverines headed into the 
second intermission without a 
lead for the first time since Jan. 9.

Michigan 
surrendered 
its 

first goal in five periods when 
Michigan State forward Villiam 
Haag took a breakaway pass 
from Joe Cox and flipped it over 
Nagelvoort’s right shoulder just 
minutes into regulation. From 
there, the Wolverines spent most 
of the frame in their own zone, 
allowing nine shots.

“He’s a good goalie,” said 

sophomore forward JT Compher. 
“You’ve got to get guys in front 
of him, get dirty chances, get 
rebounds, and tonight we were 
shooting from the outside and 
once again trying to be too 
pretty.”

Michigan earned the equalizer 

on a late period power-play 
goal, when Larkin — who hadn’t 
played at Joe Louis Arena since 
his youth hockey days — snagged 
a puck from the air with his left 
hand, dropped it and fired top-
shelf. In doing so, the Wolverines 
extended their team goal-scoring 
streak to 15 straight periods — a 
five-game stretch dating back to 
an overtime win over Minnesota 
on Jan. 9.

The 15th overall pick in the 2014 

NHL Draft, Larkin’s appearance 
was his first at Joe Louis Arena 
as a Detroit Red Wings prospect. 
That added pressure, Berenson 
said, may have hurt the center 
man who struggled along with 
his teammates after the first 
frame.

“I thought at times he was 

really good, and at times he tried 
to be too good, trying to do too 
much,” Berenson said. “He was 
probably overly excited to play 
this game.”

Still, 
Larkin 
and 
Hyman 

continued 
to 
distinguish 

themselves as Michigan’s top 
scorers. They have now tallied 
points in eight straight games.

Several 
skirmishes 
ensued 

after the final buzzer sounded, 
but they were of little importance. 
Michigan State had avenged its 
2-1 loss to Michigan in the Great 
Lakes Invitational.

“We played more like they’re 

playing 
now 
at 
the 
GLI,” 

Berenson said. “We played with 
desperation, tonight they had the 
desperation.”

LUNA ANNA ARCHEY/Daily

Dylan Larkin added a goal to his sterling freshman season, but Michigan had its seven-game winning streak snapped.

‘Pretty’ not enough 
for Michigan in loss

By ZACH SHAW

Daily Sports Writer

Sometimes, 
being 
pretty 

simply doesn’t cut it.

For the past month, the 

Michigan hockey team had 
played pretty hockey better than 
any team in the country.

Whether it was one-time 

goals by any of four superb lines, 
wrap-around shots by Hobey 
Baker award candidate Zach 
Hyman or flawless shots from 
beyond the face-off circle, the 
Wolverines had been playing 
highlight-reel hockey, and it 
worked 
incredibly 
well. 
In 

its 
seven-game 
win 
streak, 

Michigan scored 5.43 goals per 
game and looked nearly perfect 
doing so.

But that all came to an 

abrupt end Friday night when 
Michigan State goaltender Jake 
Hildebrand stopped 29 of 30 
shots and guided the Spartans to 
a 2-1 win.

“Michigan State is always 

going to play hard against 
us,” said sophomore forward 
JT Compher. “We’re going to 
get everyone else’s best game. 
Tonight we got a little too pretty. 
We’ve got to get back to playing 
hard, playing gritty, getting 
to the dirty areas and playing 
Michigan hockey and not relying 
on our offense as we have the 
last couple of weeks.”

Noticeably absent from the 

game were pretty goals, and the 
Wolverines struggled to produce 
much else in the game.

Certainly there were pretty 

moments. Be it one of Michigan’s 
plethora of forward threading 
through 
defensemen, 
timely 

passes in front of the net or even 
clutch shots that temporarily 
snuck through the defense to 
Hildebrand, 
the 
Wolverines 

had plenty of pieces in place to 
succeed.

Putting it together against 

one of the nation’s hottest 
goalies, however, was an entirely 
different story.

“We 
had 
our 
chances, 

absolutely,” said Michigan coach 
Red Berenson. “The face-off 
play, where Alex Kile hit the 
crossbar, and that was a near 
goal. We had isolated chances 
that maybe they were going in 
last week, but they weren’t going 
in tonight.”

Berenson had preached for 

weeks that, one day, the puck 
luck was going to run out. 
Finally, it did. The game was far 
from the high-scoring games the 
team was used to, full of fights, 
scrums, turnovers and missed 
opportunities.

The defense was tough, but 

it couldn’t compensate for what 
Michigan State had prepared on 
the defensive front.

Hyman 
and 
freshman 

forward Dylan Larkin, who 
each continued their eight-game 
point streaks, connected on a 
pretty power play goal near the 
end of the firs period, but even 
the pair, who had risen to among 
the nation’s best in recent weeks, 
were contained by their own 
confidence.

“I thought at times (Larkin) 

was really good,” Berenson said. 
“And at times he tried to be too 
good, trying to do too much. A 
lot of guys did.”

The Wolverines will have 

another shot against Michigan 
State next Saturday in Chicago. 
But if one lesson is learned from 
Friday’s defeat — Michigan’s 
first since Dec. 13 — it’s that a 
good hockey team needs more 
than just a pretty offense.

“You’ve got to get guys in 

front of the goalie,” Compher 
said. “Get dirty chances, get 
rebounds, and tonight we were 
shooting from the outside and 
once again trying to be too 
pretty. That’s not going to cut 
it.”

ICE HOCKEY

Abounader shines in defeat 
for Michigan vs. Penn State

By OLIVER HENRY 

For the Daily

As Matt McCutcheon’s left 

shoulder neared the surface of 
the mat, sophomore Domenic 
Abounader further intensified 
his efforts and resolve. With the 
possibility of a pin seemingly 
imminent, the crowd at Cliff 
Keen Arena rose to its feet and 
cheered in excitement. In the 
closing moments of the second 
period, Abounader dug deep 
and pushed McCutcheon just 
a few more inches and the 
referee’s hand hit the mat. 
Abounader rose to his feet in 
exaltation as the crowd erupted 
with cheers after his match in 
the 184-pound weight class.

Such was the scene Friday 

night as the No. 14 Michigan 
wrestling team (3-3 Big Ten, 
5-4 overall) lost to No. 5 
Penn State, 19-15. Despite a 
disappointing team loss, tenth-
ranked 
Abounader 
provided 

the highlight of the night with 
a pin on the Nittany Lions’ 
McCutcheon, ranked No. 17 in 
his weight class.

“It 
was 
a 
huge 
impact, 

a huge boost and a huge 
lift. (Abounader) is a fierce 
competitor,” 
said 
Michigan 

associate 
head 
coach 
Sean 

Bormet. “He doesn’t want to 
lose individually and he does 
not want the team to lose. He’s 
one of those guys that rises up.”

And 
that 
is 
just 
what 

Abounader did. With his team 
down 16-6 and in desperate 
need of a boost, Abounader 
stepped up to the mat.

During 
the 
first 
period, 

Abounader managed to earn 

two points on a takedown to 
earn an early advantage. The 
wrestlers were even for the rest 
of the period as time expired. 
McCutcheon elected to begin 
the second period in the down 
position, which in hindsight 
was a fatal decision.

“I actually 

wasn’t 
even 

thinking about 
it,” Abounader 
said 
in 

reference 
to 

the pin. “I just 
knew that we 
were 
really 

struggling, 
and I wanted 
to get some of 
the energy going back into the 
crowd. I thought the best way 
to do that was just to wrestle 
as best I could, and I’m pretty 
good on top so I just tried to 
utilize that and get the pin for 
the team.”

As the second period began, 

Abounader was able to maintain 
his hold on McCutcheon and 
prevent him from escaping 
early. Abounader then wrestled 
him down to the mat, making a 
series of adjustments to attempt 
the pin.

“It was just straightening 

that arm out,” Abounader said. 
“If his arm starts bending, 
he’s able to (escape). He wasn’t 
very flexible. He’s very strong, 
but he wasn’t the most flexible 
(wrestler), so it was a little 
bit easier to keep that arm 
from being limber, and once I 
straightened it and scooped the 
head, it was over.”

And with just eight seconds 

left 
in 
the 
second period, 

Abounader pinned McCutcheon 
to bring the crowd to its feet.

But Abounader’s path to 

success has not been an easy 
one. Despite early setbacks, 
Abounader 
has 
posted 
five 

victories out of six opportunities 
against 
nationally 
ranked 

opponents in 
the Big Ten.

“He started 

the 
season 

a little slow 
because 
he 

had a minor 
knee surgery, 
so he was a 
little behind,” 
Bormet 
said. 

“It took him 

a while to get his conditioning 
back to where it needed to be, 
and get his confidence back 
to where it needed to be in his 
leg and his knee. Since he’s 
gotten to that point, he’s just 
been working himself over 
and over on positions, working 
his conditioning, he’s lifting 
weights with more intensity 
and he’s doing everything with 
more intensity.”

Abounader is not relishing 

this victory, though, as he 
continues to work toward the 
postseason.

“I want to keep the train 

rolling, and I know my coaches 
will continue to prepare me,” 
Abounader said. “This (victory) 
doesn’t mean a whole lot. What 
matters (most) is in March in 
the Big Ten Tournament and 
the NCAA Tournament. I need 
to peak at the end of the season 
and just keep getting better 
and better and not halt my 
progress.”

Urgency missing for ‘M’

By BRANDON CARNEY

Daily Sports Writer

The Michigan men’s wrestling 

team just couldn’t find the right 
moves in time.

Redshirt sophomore Conor 

Youtsey, 
freshman 
Alec 
Pantaleo 
and 
fifth-year 
senior 
Max 

Huntley all lost matches by one 
point in the Wolverines’ 19-15 
defeat to Penn State (5-2 Big 
Ten, 9-2 overall). A win in any 
one of those matches would have 
created a six-point swing that 
could have put Michigan (3-3, 
5-4) on top.

Youtsey and Huntley came 

into Friday’s match in winning 
form, as both went undefeated 
last weekend against Wisconsin 
and Indiana. But when it came 
down to a crucial point in the 
match, Youtsey and Huntley 
couldn’t execute the moves to 
find the winning points against 
their Nittany Lion opposition.

But if there was a loss 

that stung the most for the 
Wolverines, it was Pantaleo’s 
defeat. The freshman led for 
a majority of his match and 
only had to stall through the 
final period. But in the final 10 
seconds, Pantaleo was taken 
down, giving Penn State’s Zach 
Beitz the two points he needed 
for an upset victory.

While 
Michigan 
expected 

several 
of 
Friday’s 
matches 

to be close and prepared for 
that during the week, the lack 
of execution was the match’s 
most hurtful takeaway for the 
Wolverines.

“We had some really tough 

moments, and they got tougher 
than we did,” said Michigan 
associate 
head 
coach 
Sean 

Bormet. “That’s disappointing, 
and that can’t happen if you’re 
going to win close bouts. We lost 
some positions we knew we were 
going to be in. We didn’t drive 
the nail through the board and 
finish.”

Bormet also credited the 

Nittany Lions for coming out 
more 
aggressively 
than 
the 

Wolverines did. The four-time 
defending national champions 
won their first four duals to take 
a 12-0 lead, sucking the energy 
out of the sold-out crowd at Cliff 
Keen Arena.

“The guy that stays more 

aggressive is usually going to 
win matches,” Bormet said. “We 
want offense, because offense 
wins matches in our sport. We’re 
constantly hammering our guys 
about scoring, building leads 
and attacking through the whole 
match.”

Michigan has been trying to 

implement aggressive strategies 
like Penn State’s all season, and 
sophomore Brian Murphy was 
one of the few Wolverines who 

came out assertive within his 
bout. But even then, Murphy 
thought there was more he could 
have done.

“I knew we needed to get a 

win to get us going,” Murphy 
said. “We didn’t end up pulling 
it out. For me, winning in the 
tough positions (was huge), but I 
could have extended the score of 
that match a lot (more).”

In addition to Murphy, three 

other Wolverine sophomores 
pulled out big wins that nearly 
got Michigan the points needed 
to win. Domenic Abounader 
was able to pin his opponent 
and get the Wolverines a huge 
six-point victory that cut the 
Nittany Lion lead to four. Adam 
Coon continued his domination 
over Big Ten heavyweights, 
winning his match 5-2. Redshirt 
sophomore Taylor Massa scored 
against his opponent early and 
gathered nearly two minutes of 
riding time in his 6-3 win.

Despite results that leave 

room for optimism, the coaching 
staff will reevaluate the team 
before a weekend of must-win 
duels against Nebraska and 
Purdue.

“When we got to critical 

scoring spots, we needed more 
urgency,” Bormet said. “We 
needed 
urgency 
to 
control 

the ties, we needed urgency 
to control the attacks. That’s 
what was missing, and that’s 
something we’ll be working on.”

WRESTLING

SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily

Sophomore Adam Coon won 5-2 in the heavyweight class in the Michigan wrestling team’s loss to Penn State on Friday.

MICH. ST.
MICHIGAN 

2
1

“I wanted to 

get some of the 

energy going back 
into the crowd.”

PENN STATE
MICHIGAN 

19
15

CHECK MICHIGANDAILY.COM 

FOR MORE COVERAGE

INCLUDING A LOOK BACK AT TOM BRADY’S LAST 

CAREER GAME AT MICHIGAN

