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