2B — Monday, February 16, 2015
SportsMonday
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

SPORTSMONDAY COLUMN

Through steel blue eyes

T

he first thing you notice 
when you walk into her 
office are the framed 

newspapers 
resting on a 
shelf oppo-
site the door. 
One screams 
the head-
line “His-
tory Makers.” 
The other, 
“Champions 
in the West.”

Then you 

turn right, 
toward her desk. There, you 
see the large stuffed wolverine 
atop the cabinets on her wall, 
and then the numerous Big 
Ten championship trophies 
positioned carefully in 
mahogany-colored cubbies.

Your eyes are drawn to the 

white sheet of paper pinned 
to the wall behind her right 
shoulder. It’s a to-do list written 
neatly in black marker, thick 
enough so you can clearly read 
items six and seven:

6. Call in one of my players. 7. 

Make them cry.

Later, you’ll ask about it, 

and she’ll explain the list 
was made by a player as a 
gag for Halloween. She’ll tell 
you why she keeps it: the list 
is “hilarious,” but also “not 
inaccurate.”

But you don’t know that yet. 

You wonder if she could make 
you cry.

As she glares at you through 

steel blue eyes, you decide she 
probably could.

* * *

C

arol Hutchins is the face 
of Michigan softball, 
though she’ll disagree 

vehemently with the notion, 
citing Bo Schembechler’s “The 
Team” speech in the process.

Never mind that you can’t 

seem to escape her stare 

anywhere inside the new 
softball center. There’s a large 
cardboard cutout of Hutchins 
by the stairs, for instance, 
and pictures of her on walls 
throughout the building.

“I’m not very happy about 

that,” she said. “I’ve just been 
the fortunate one to get to be the 
leader of the program. … If I up 
and retire tomorrow, it’s going 
to be here. My goal is to leave 
it standing strong, to put it in 
position to be successful.”

But her achievements speak 

for themselves: In 30 years, 
never a losing season; 17 Big 
Ten crowns; 16 NCAA regional 
titles; and the first national 
championship won by a program 
east of the Mississippi River.

So too do the challenges 

she overcame to reach those 
milestones.

There were the years before 

universities 
properly valued 
women’s 
sports, when 
she had to 
work double-
duty as both 
the softball 
coach and as 
a secretary, 
or how she 
sometimes had 
to tend to the 
outfield grass herself.

Today, Hutchins enjoys the 

use of world-class softball 
facilities — even if she scorns at 
how much her face is plastered 
on them.

“I certainly have seen a lot of 

years,” she said. “The growth 
of women in sport, especially 

women 
in college 
athletics — I 
could have 
never dreamed 
it.

“I’m still a 

coach because 
I realize it’s 
better than 
working 
for a living. 
Coaching 

is about a life, and it’s about a 
family. It’s what I do. It’s what 
I love.”

Michigan moved into that 

new softball center just over 
than a year ago, but there’s 

already a minor issue. One 
wall in a conference room is 
dedicated to celebration photos 
of all of the Wolverines’ Big Ten-
champion teams.

When Michigan won its 17th 

such title last spring, someone 
noticed there wasn’t any more 
space left for their picture.

“We need a bigger wall,” 

Hutchins said with a laugh.

* * *

T

he color in Hutchins’ 
eyes comes from her 
mother. The intensity 

behind them, from her father.

He was a Marine and a cop, 

and he made sure Hutchins 
valued two things: discipline 
and honesty. From his strict 

parenting came her imposing 
personality.

“There was never one day in 

my life that I felt like my dad 
didn’t love me,” she recalled. 
“I knew he loved me, but I was 
afraid of him, and I was never 
going to get in trouble with 
him. I would venture to say that 
I am really hard on my kids, 
because I want them to achieve 
the greatest thing they can. I 
want them to get the most out of 
their career because that’s what 
success is.”

Hutchins’ goal at Michigan 

isn’t to win, though that has 
virtually always been a side 
effect. Rather, she strives to 
turn “weak-minded kids” into 
graduating classes of leaders 
who understand “it’s OK to be a 
strong woman.”

“Learning it is where there’s 

tears,” she said. “Learning it 
is where you go through those 
tough times. It’s not all comfy.”

She’s not promising to be 

nice, or to be a friend, or to be a 
mother figure, but she vows to 
push her players to greatness.

And Hutchins expects there 

to be rough patches along the 
way. She expects frustration. 
She expects them to cry — as 
long as her players know she 
cares about them.

“That’s what you do to people 

you love — you push them,” she 
said. “I know they’re kids. I know 
they’re not going to be perfect. 
That, though, is not an excuse.

“I’m here to say, ‘Fall down? 

Get up.’ That’s what we do. 
That’s how you grow up.”

So while step No. 7 on her 

mock to-do list involves pushing 
people to tears, it’s only as a 
precursor for item No. 9:

Make the team great.
There’s no doubt she has done 

that.

Zúñiga can be reached 

at azs@umich.edu and on 

Twitter @ByAZuniga.

RUBY WALLAU/Daily

Michigan coach Carol Hutchins has built a powerhouse program in Ann Arbor, and the mementos, including newspapers and trophies, decorate the softball center.

ALEJANDRO

ZÚÑIGA

“I’m here to say, 
‘Fall down? Get 
up.’ That’s what 

we do.”

inconsistency. Even if it isn’t 
Berenson’s first choice, and 
if the Wolverines have been 
satisfied with beating mediocre 
teams in a mediocre Big Ten, 
complacency will incite a steady 
decline.

The most costly turnover of 

the weekend, and perhaps of the 
season, came late in the second 
period of Saturday’s game when 
junior forward Andrew Copp 
laid a pass off at the blue line 
that was picked off.

Copp raced back to 

Michigan’s zone to stymie 
a breakaway opportunity, 
and as he made contact with 
Minnesota’s Travis Boyd he fell 
hard into the boards, crunching 
his left arm and left shoulder in 
the process.

The Wolverine captain left 

the game and never returned. 
He held his arm at his side, 
immobilized, as he walked 
to the locker room. After the 
game, his arm was in that same 
spot.

It isn’t fair to speculate about 

Wilcox, Minnesota 
blank Wolverines, 
sweep series, 2-0

Despite strong 

performance from 
Racine, Michigan 

drops finale

By ZACH SHAW

Daily Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS — It was 

an unconventional play, but 
with 
desperation 
mounting, 

freshman forward Dylan Larkin 
got 
down 

on all fours 
right 
by 

his team’s 
bench to stop forward Hunter 
Fasching 
from 
scoring 
an 

empty-net goal.

The play worked, but the 

puck broke loose. Moments 
later, Larkin banged his helmet, 
then his hands, then his stick on 
the boards. Minnesota forward 
Kyle Rau had netted the goal 
— his fourth of the weekend 
— putting a dagger in the No. 
12 Michigan hockey team’s 
comeback efforts.

The Wolverines (8-4 Big Ten, 

16-10 overall) had just spent 
56 minutes trying to avenge 
an early goal. The efforts were 
all for naught, as the Golden 
Gophers (6-2-3, 16-9-3) held on 
for a 2-0 win and the weekend 
sweep.

Though 
the 
defeat 
was 

Michigan’s third loss in four 
games, 
its 
improved 
effort 

against a strong team on the 
road didn’t go unnoticed.

“I thought our team played 

harder,” said Michigan coach 
Red Berenson. “We played well. 
Both teams were stingy, both 
goalies played well. We’ve got 
to score a goal to win the game, 
and we couldn’t score one.”

After dominating Friday’s 

game by a score of 6-2, the 
Golden Gophers picked up right 
where they left off just four 
minutes into the game. As two 
Wolverines were occupied with 
a big hit on the boards, forward 
Seth Ambroz fired a high 
screamer past junior goaltender 
Steve Racine to give Minnesota 
a 1-0 lead.

Despite the early setback, 

Michigan 
— 
Racine 
in 

particular — settled in for a fast 
and physical first period. The 
forwards had a number of good 
looks and near-misses as the 
defense cleaned up its passing 
on the other end.

That effort carried into the 

second period, but as the shots 
piled up, Racine and Minnesota 
goaltender 
Adam 
Wilcox 

seemed to only get better in the 
back-and-forth battle. In total, 
Racine stopped 31 of 32 shots in 
his first start since Jan. 16.

“He gave us a chance,” 

Berenson said. “Your goalie 
comes in here and gives up one 
goal against a team like that, 
you’re going to have a chance at 
winning. We just didn’t get the 
goals that he needed.”

Added Racine: “I was just 

seeing 
pucks 
well. 
We’ve 

been talking a lot about my 
preparation 
going 
into 
the 

games. I thought my preparation 
today was really good.”

With nine minutes to go in 

the second period, what had 
been a fast-paced game came 
to a troublesome halt. Copp 
and Minnesota forward Travis 
Boyd, tangled up in the midst of 
an increasingly physical game, 
flew into the board behind 
Racine hard enough to bring the 
crowd to its feet.

While the fans at Mariucci 

Arena wanted a penalty on 
Copp, the junior proved to be 
the real victim of the collision, 
failing to get up for several 
minutes. Though he was seen 
without a cast after the game, 
it remains to be seen just how 
long the team’s captain will be 
off the ice.

The Wolverines were without 

their captain for the rest of the 
game, but continued their strong 
play, actually outshooting the 
Golden Gophers once Copp 
went to the locker room.

But as the clock wore down, 

frustration set in for Michigan. 
Once scoring 4.36 goals per 
game, the Wolverines were shut 
out for the first time all season. 
Rejection by rejection, Wilcox 

was able to get inside the heads 
of Michigan’s players. Moving 
forward, senior Zach Hyman 
knows that can’t happen again.

“We’ve got to keep shooting, 

keep throwing it at the net,” 
the forward said. “We can’t get 
frustrated. We’ve got to keep 
putting it on net, and eventually 
if we do the right things, staying 
in our system, it’s going to go 
in.”

Still trailing 1-0 in the third 

period, Michigan picked up 
its pace. Minnesota matched, 
however, every shot, hit and 
save 
the 
Wolverines 
made, 

ultimately pulling off the win 
and pulling into a tie for first 
place in the Big Ten.

It was an improved effort for 

Michigan, but in Minneapolis 
against a team that is 5-0-1 
in the past three weekends, it 
simply wasn’t enough to win.

“I’m happy with our game 

tonight,” 
Berenson 
said. 
“I 

didn’t like the outcome, but I 
thought our team played much 
better. We gave ourselves a 
chance, but then we couldn’t 
score. One thing we’ve been 
able to do is score goals, but we 
couldn’t tonight.”

PAUL SHERMAN/Daily

Michigan coach Red Berenson’s team has lost three of its past four games against Michigan State and Minnesota after winning 13 of its previous 16.

Copp’s injury, but it doesn’t look 
promising. Berenson may have to 
plan accordingly to shift around 
lines that have showcased 
chemistry and depth all season 
long. Racine made his case as 
the new starting goaltender 
for a second time this season, 
and Berenson will have to plan 
accordingly.

And now that the Wolverines 

no longer have a tight grasp 
on first place in the Big Ten 
standings, Berenson will have to 
plan accordingly.

Change is difficult and 

sometimes unwanted, but at 
the same time, it’s usually 
warranted. Michigan hasn’t had 
its back against the wall since 
mid-November. Back then, it 
responded by winning 13 of its 
next 15 games.

It’s now mid-February, and the 

Wolverines are stuck again. They 
need a triumphant response, 
something they’re capable of.

And willing or unwilling, 

change is something they’ll have 
to accept.

Summitt can be reached at 

jssumm@umich.edu and on 

Twitter @jeremysummitt.

ROSES
From Page 1B

MINNESOTA 
MICHIGAN 

2
0

BY THE NUMBERS
Michigan Hockey

10

Freshman forward Dylan Larkin’s point 

streak that ended with Saturday’s 

shutout loss
31

Saves by Michigan goalie Steve Racine, 
including 18-for-18 in the second period

1979

The last time Michigan was shut out by 

Minnesota

2008

The last time Michigan won at Mariucci 

Arena in Minneapolis