8A — Wednesday, September 16, 2015
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Bunting’s father lives on in his memory
Tight end’s
pregame song helps
him remember
his father
By MAX BULTMAN
Daily Sports Editor
Ian Bunting’s musical tastes
are diverse, ranging from reggae
to rap to classic rock. But when
it comes to his pregame routine,
his final song is a constant, just
like the man it represents.
Before
each
game,
the
redshirt freshman tight end
plays “Wild Horses” by the
Rolling Stones. Its somber tones
and
slow-strummed
guitar
aren’t the typical hype-up music
for a college football player, but
that’s exactly the point. “Wild
Horses” is the song that was
playing when his father, Stephen
Bunting, passed away.
Ian was 19 on February 18,
2015, when his father died after
a yearlong battle with brain
cancer. Stephen was a far-too-
young 59.
“He was and still is my
inspiration,” Bunting said.
The song goes:
“Faith has been broken, tears
must be cried.
Let’s do some living after we
die.
Wild Horses couldn’t drag me
away.
Wild, wild horses, we’ll ride
them some day.”
In this context, the lyrics to
Wild Horses are both touching
and
heart-wrenching.
To
Bunting, though, they aren’t a
source of pain.
“It’s just soothing,” Bunting
said. “It calms me down, makes
me think of my dad, which
is awesome. That’s all I need
before the game.”
It’s remarkable in its own
right that Bunting is composed
when opening up about the
feelings associated with his
father’s passing.
Bunting
was
emotional,
of course, but he was also
reflective. He has come to terms
with the loss about as well as
anyone possibly could in such a
short span of time.
“It’s definitely been tough,
but
everyone
goes
through
stuff, everyone’s got a story,
everyone’s
got
(adversity),”
Bunting said. “(Mark) Naylor,
one of our strength coaches, he
helped me a lot through that.
He told me, ‘Everyone’s got
(adversity), you can either make
it your excuse or you can make
it your story. I try to make it my
story and not an excuse.’ ”
At the time of his father’s
passing, Bunting was already
dealing
with
all
kinds
of
change on the football team.
Jim Harbaugh had just been
brought in as coach, and he
had to balance staying afloat
personally while also juggling a
coaching transition and school.
But rather than sinking under
the pressure and uncertainty,
Bunting learned to use the
football
team
for
recovery
instead of letting it become
another source of stress.
“It was a lot. At times it was —
sometimes you’ve just to put the
blinders on,” Bunting said. “You
go out to practice and that’s time
you can forget about everything.
It’s like an outlet. You can just
go take out whatever anger you
have and just
forget
about
things for a
while.
“Hardest
thing
that’s
ever happened
to
me
in
life. But I’ve
learned
from
it.
And
I’m
stronger
because of it.”
Stephen Bunting played high
school football, but it was in
Bunting’s other sports that his
father coached him growing up.
Bunting was much younger at
the time, so doesn’t remember
everything, but he does recall
playing for his dad on his
childhood
basketball,
soccer
and
baseball
teams.
The
parent-coach
relationship
can
be
a
difficult
one
to
navigate,
but as Bunting
remembers it,
his
dad
had
a
knack
for
balancing the
two.
“He knew how to work me
hard and not be overly critical,”
Bunting recalled. “But he was
definitely critical, and gave me
pointers and let me know when
I needed to do better.”
Now,
those
memories,
however faint, are part of what
Bunting has to remember his
father by.
There
was
an
especially
poignant
moment
before
Michigan’s
season
opener
against Utah. Stephen’s brother
had played for the Utes, creating
a fitting way for Bunting to play
his first game after losing his
dad. He played “Wild Horses,”
and in his first-ever college
game, Bunting had a 12-yard
reception.
Stephen was able to see the
Wolverines play a few times
when he was sick, but his son
was redshirting. He never got to
see Ian play college football.
“He’s got the best seat in the
house now,” Bunting said.
RUBY WALLAU/Daily
Ian Bunting dealt with the loss of his father during Michigan’s offseason.
RUBY WALLAU/Daily
Redshirt freshman tight end Ian Bunting caught two passes for 33 yards in Michigan’s win against Oregon State.
“Hardest thing
that’s ever
happened to me
in life.”
Consistency key for Michigan
By KEVIN SANTO
Daily Sports Writer
For the past few years, the
Michigan men’s soccer team has
been plagued by inconsistency.
Consider the 2013 campaign,
when
the
Wolverines
tied
teams
like
Bowling
Green
and
Oakland,
yet
defeated No. 12
Creighton.
Or just last
year,
when
Michigan
earned
wins
against No. 6
Notre
Dame
and
No.
12
Michigan
State but suffered losses against
Bowling Green and Western
Michigan.
Now, as the Wolverines (2-1-
1) prepare to face Detroit on
Wednesday, a familiar task is
looming over them: defeating
a respectable team in the wake
of
impressive
performances
against national powerhouses.
But
for
fifth-year
senior
forward Colin McAtee, the 2-1
overtime victory against Niagara
on Sept. 6 convinced him this
team is different from those of
his past.
“Last year, we struggled in
these
games,”
McAtee
said.
“(But against Niagara) we were
relentless — we kept going and
we didn’t disrespect them. We
found a way to win. That was a
big turning point, because that
gives us the confidence that we
can go into those games with
the same mentality, and I don’t
expect anything different this
Wednesday against Detroit.”
The Titans (2-2-2) graduated
just four players in 2014 after
battling Michigan to a 0-0 tie
in their matchup at U-M Soccer
Stadium last year.
Defensively, the Wolverines
will be forced to handle Detroit’s
balanced attack, led by forward
Tyler Moorman and midfielder
Spiro Pliakos.
Moorman and Pliakos lead the
team with three goals and three
assists, respectively, but there is
plenty of firepower behind them
as well. Aside from the duo, the
Titans have seven players who
have contributed either an assist
or goal this season.
Though sophomore defender
Billy Stevens is a game-time
decision after suffering a face
injury at Maryland, the back
line should still be capable of
containing
Detroit’s
threats.
Michigan has allowed just three
goals this season, and sophomore
Evan Louro will continue to
anchor the Wolverines in net.
The goalkeeper boasts a .718 save
percentage and two clean sheets.
If necessary, Stevens would
likely be replaced with freshman
Marcello Borges.
On the opposite end of the
pitch, Michigan is averaging
more than one goal per game, led
by freshman Francis Atuahene.
After his hat trick against West
Virginia, he leads the Big Ten
in goals scored and is poised to
wreak havoc against the Titans’
defense with his on-ball skill.
Though Atuahene has looked
unstoppable
when
taking
defenders one on one this year,
Nathan Steinwascher — the 2014
Horizon
League
Goalkeeper
of the Year — will be waiting
for him when he finds scoring
opportunities.
Of
the
obstacles
the
Wolverines have to overcome,
Michigan coach Chaka Daley
feels
the
greatest
is
their
mindset.
“If we want to be a consistent
program nationally, (we can’t)
take any days off in preparation
or approach,” Daley said. “Detroit
is a tough team to play against.
They have a different style and
they have the personality of
grinders. We have to dictate the
game more than them.”
Following their game against
Detroit, the Wolverines will
host Northwestern for their Big
Ten home opener on Sunday, at
which there will be a ceremony
commemorating
125
years
of Michigan athletics. As a
comparatively young program
of 16 years, the ceremony will
have a unique meaning for the
Wolverines.
“Only being 16 years old, you
get to look at it and dream of
what you could be in 20, 30, 40
years when these guys come back
and I’m a retired old man,” Daley
said. “What you’re creating is
that legacy. And certainly other
sports have done that, with
softball almost 40 years and
football has 135 years.
“From that standpoint, it’s
something you look at and try to
emulate, and hope that you can
bring that kind of prominence or
recognition to your program one
day.”
Detroit at
Michigan
Matchup:
Detroit 2-2-2;
Michigan 2-1-1
When:
Wednesday
7:30 P.M.
Where:
U-M Soccer
Stadium
TV: BTN Plus
AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
Fifth-year senior Colin McAtee (center) believes this is the year Michigan can correct its struggles against lesser foes.