The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
September 21, 2015 — 3B
‘M’ beats Iowa, Nebraska
Haidar’s goal
in 89th minute
Sunday completes
weekend sweep
By MITCH BECKMAN
Daily Sports Writer
In the 89th minute of its
Sunday
afternoon
game, a 0-0
tie looked
inevitable
for
the
Michigan’s
women’s soccer team.
After dominating Iowa (0-2
Big Ten, 6-3 overall) in all aspects
of the game, a failure to convert
on scoring chances appeared to
have doomed the Wolverines in
a game that should have gone in
the win column.
But with a minute remaining,
senior
defender
Christina
Murillo launched a cross from
the left side of the box to the
back post. It was a routine
play that Michigan had tried
countless times in the previous
89 minutes, never successfully.
This time, senior forward
Lulu Haidar got her head on
the ball, sending it just over the
Iowa goalkeeper’s hands. It gave
Michigan the lead and, a minute
later, the win. The victory
sealed a weekend sweep for the
Wolverines after they defeated
Nebraska 2-0 on Friday.
“We
need
to
finish
our
chances earlier in the game,”
said sophomore forward Taylor
Timko. “We should have had
finished earlier. But we stayed
composed, kept playing and
thank God for Lulu.”
For the previous 89 minutes,
Michigan (2-0, 7-3) controlled
the play, racking up 27 shots
and 12 corner kicks. By contrast,
Iowa attempted just three shots
and one corner.
But as much as they controlled
the ball, the Wolverines had a
hard time finding the back of the
net.
In the 52nd minute, Timko
sprung loose in the Iowa box,
beating her defender down the
left side. Her shot flew just wide
of the near post. Of Michigan’s
seven shots on goal, four were
straight at the Iowa goalkeeper’s
chest.
In the 87th minute, sophomore
forward
Ani
Sarkisian sent
a
hard
shot
from the top
of the box just
over the right
corner of the
goal.
“I’m
disappointed
in
the
way
we took our
chances,” said Michigan coach
Greg Ryan. “We won’t win much
in the Big Ten without scoring.
We’re lucky we finally found
one.”
Set pieces were no different
for the Wolverines, who failed
to score on a corner or free kick
all weekend, despite the high
number of chances. Michigan
tried a variety of different
plays on corner kicks, but none
provided any change in result.
“We’ll do a lot of work
on
finishing
(in
practice),”
Ryan said. “We created the
opportunities, and when we’re
getting the kicks and headers,
they’ve gotta go in.”
In
Friday
night’s
game
against
Nebraska
(0-1, 4-3), the
Wolverines
once
again
controlled
possession,
winning
the
shots
battle
24-8
and
attempting 12 corners to the
Cornhuskers’ two.
Unlike Sunday, they found
the back of the net early. It took
just six minutes to score, as
Timko got behind the Nebraska
defense, received a pass from
Murillo on the left side of the goal
and placed a shot to the far side of
the net for the early lead.
One minute later, Michigan
struck again. Murillo cleared
the ball from the Michigan half,
and a fortuitous bounce off a
Nebraska defender put the ball on
Sarkisian’s foot directly in front
of the goal. She knocked it under
the goalkeeper, and suddenly the
Wolverines were up, 2-0.
The score held for the rest
of the game, as Michigan let
off the gas offensively and
stifled the Cornhuskers. Strong
team defense kept the ball in
the Nebraska half, and when
the Cornhuskers did get their
chances, freshman goalie Sarah
Jackson was up to the task.
“I thought our whole team
defending was fantastic,” said
Ryan. “We’re rock solid in the
defending category and had some
outstanding plays on that side.”
Despite the issues with putting
the ball in the net, the Wolverines
escaped with a weekend sweep
and dominated in all other
aspects of play.
JAMES COLLER/Daily
Senior midfielder Lulu Haidar scored the game-winning goal in the 89th minute against Nebraska on Sunday.
“We stayed
composed, kept
playing and thank
God for Lulu.”
IOWA
MICHIGAN
0
2
NEBRASKA
MICHIGAN
0
1
Michigan’s perfect
start comes to end
By TYLER SCOTT
Daily Sports Writer
Ending the non-conference
season
without
a
loss would
have
been
an
impressive
feat for the No. 20 Michigan
volleyball team, which had been
off to its best start since 2011.
The
Wolverines
(10-1)
traveled to take on Duke and
North Carolina in the Big Ten/
ACC Challenge, where Michigan
was defeated by the Tar Heels,
3-0 (18-25, 7-25, 19-25), in
Sunday’s matchup for its first
loss of the season.
“We knew there was certain
things that (North) Carolina
likes to do,” said Michigan coach
Mark Rosen. “We made really no
adjustments to make changes to
try and affect them. So we kind
of let them do what they do best.”
The loss came after Michigan
swept Duke, 3-0 (25-19, 25-20,
25-21) Saturday to extend its
then-perfect record.
With his team trailing early in
the first set against Duke, Rosen
was forced to call a timeout. The
Wolverines responded with a
10-1 scoring run that built up a
strong lead. The offense seemed
to be running out of gas again
as the Blue Devils (5-4) tried to
rally, but another timeout and
set of adjustments from Rosen
led to Michigan sealing the first-
set victory.
“Even though we defended
really well (against Duke), I
didn’t think the rhythm of our
offense was very good,” Rosen
said. “We just didn’t have the
tempo and rhythm we normally
have.”
Key efforts against the Blue
Devils came from sophomore
outside hitter Adeja Lambert,
who had five of Michigan’s first
10 kills and finished with a team
high of 13. Sophomore defensive
specialist Caroline Knop had 10
digs to go with five kills.
Senior
middle
blocker
Krystalyn Goode contributed
with six kills and two blocks, as
Michigan held on to win, despite
the issues.
Sunday
against
North
Carolina, more frequent lapses
in play proved too costly, as the
Tar Heels (3-7) were too much
for Michigan to handle.
Despite thier losing record, the
Tar Heels have been competitive
in
matches
against
seven
different ranked opponents so
far this season, and they are still
receiving votes in the American
Volleyball Coaches association
poll, making their victory over
the Wolverines less of an upset
than their record would suggest.
Against
Michigan,
North
Carolina dominated the first two
sets before clinching the win.
Tied 11-11 in the third set, the
Tar Heels eventually wore down
the Wolverines and won the
third set and the match, 25-19.
“We knew they were capable
of that,” Rosen said. “They
haven’t played that well much
this year, and tonight they did.
Give them all the credit, they
played extremely well. I think
had we played our best match
(Sunday), it would have been a
dogfight. The frustrating part
for us is that we really didn’t give
ourselves that opportunity.”
Rosen wasn’t happy with the
weekend’s performance, but was
optimistic about the Wolverines’
ability to curtail future miscues
as Big Ten competition begins.
“I’m confident with this team,”
Rosen said. “I think this team
has a high ceiling. I think that
we still have a ton of room to get
better, which is encouraging. It’s
exciting. But, you never know.”
Wolverines control
Northwestern, 3-0
By AZALEA HINOJOSA
Daily Sports Writer
Last week’s defeat against
Detroit
didn’t seem
to have any
lingering
effect on the Michigan men’s
soccer team when it took on
a
bigger
challenge
Sunday
afternoon: Northwestern.
The Wildcats were expected
to be a stronger opponent than
the Titans, but the Wolverines
were quick to set a dominant
tone in their conference home
opener.
From the start, Michigan took
control of the ball, dominating
the field with its agile footwork,
speed and aggression. Ninety
minutes later, the Wolverines
(1-0-1 Big Ten, 3-2-1 overall) had
outshot Northwestern, 28-11, in
a 3-0 victory that marked the
program’s 150th win.
Freshman midfielder Francis
Atuahene
played
a
critical
role in the victory. His fancy
footwork
stole
the
show,
helping him move swiftly past
defenders to take nine shots
on goal. When senior forward
William Mellors-Blair took a
shot that was redirected by
the Northwestern goalkeeper,
Atuahene reacted and quickly
made contact with the ball in
midair, sending it straight into
an empty net.
With the score at 1-0, the
Wildcats’ offense fought hard
for the ball. But the Wolverines’
defense bested Northwestern’s
attack
with
a
number
of
turnovers.
In the 35th minute, redshirt
sophomore Michael Kapitula
scored Michigan’s second goal
fresh off of the bench with an
assist by Mellors-Blair.
The second half saw an
aggressive
approach
by
the
Wildcats (1-1-0, 2-3-1), as the
pressure to score became more
intense
with
each
passing
minute. Northwestern had one
silver lining when sophomore
defender Billy Stevens initiated
a scuffle against the Wildcats’
Mike Roberge and was issued a
yellow card.
After colliding with Michigan
sophomore
goalkeeper
Evan
Louro, Roberge was forcefully
pushed further back into the
goal by Stevens. The nearby
players from both teams then
rushed into the net in an attempt
to separate the two.
“These guys are competitive,”
said Michigan coach Chaka
Daley. “They’re fighting for
everything … protecting our
players.
I
wouldn’t
expect
any less than for them to be
brothers.”
Already up 2-0, Michigan had
no problem putting the tension
aside and it helped fifth-year
senior Colin McAtee focus in to
score the team’s third and final
goal, assisted by Atuahene.
Freshman
midfielder
Ivo
Cerda also showed glimpses
of good things to come. His
physical dominance on the field
allowed him to keep the ball
under Wolverine control for the
majority of the game.
After the unexpected loss to
Detroit, Michigan could have
played in the same manner
against
Northwestern,
but
bounced right back instead.
“I thought we had a really
good game as a team,” Kapitula
said. “If we can keep this energy
and the style that we brought
today, we’re going to be a really
dangerous team.”
Michigan cruises to two wins
By TYLER COADY
For the Daily
With experienced forwards
like Sina Lampe and Shannon
Scavelli
leading the
way for the
Michigan
field
hockey
team, it has
not been easy for freshman Lydia
Sydnor to get involved in the
early part of the season.
But on Friday, the young
forward
turned
a
match
against No. 18 Penn State into a
breakout performance. She was
a constant threat to the Nittany
Lions’ defense and even drew
the game’s first penalty corner,
which resulted in a goal to help
the Wolverines (1-0 Big Ten, 6-2
overall) to their first win of the
weekend. Michigan maintained
its lead for the rest of the game,
beating Penn State, 3-1.
After scoring the game’s first
goal, the Wolverines continued
to ramp up the pressure, but were
stifled on numerous occasions
by Penn State goaltender Jenny
Rizzo. The Nittany Lions (0-1,
2-4) responded to the attack by
forging some dangerous chances
of their own. Penn State came
close on a penalty corner, but
sophomore
goaltender
Sam
Swenson made a swift save to
keep the Nittany Lions at bay.
With just three and a half
minutes left in the first half, the
Wolverines scored off of another
corner. Ellis passed the ball to
sophomore
Katie
Trombetta,
whose shot was deflected, but
Lampe tucked away the rebound
to give Michigan a 2-0 lead going
into the half.
The Wolverines pushed their
shot count to 17 in the second
half, making things difficult for
the Penn State defense, but the
Nittany Lions’ offense started to
work hard, too. With just under
16 minutes left, Penn State’s
Shay Cannon rocketed one past
Swenson to cut the Michigan lead
in half.
Just as it seemed Penn State
was
going
to
make
things
interesting,
Michigan
senior
defender Lauren Thomas took
a pass from Ellis off the penalty
corner and deposited it in the net.
With that goal, the Wolverines
silenced Penn State and closed
things out for their first Big Ten
win of the season.
“Being Penn State and the fact
that we always play them hard
and tough, the whole atmosphere
before the game [motivated] us to
play our best game,” Sydnor said.
Speaking
after
the
game,
Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz
was quick to praise the whole
team’s effort, especially that of
her freshman class.
“They all came in super fit,
fast and smart, and that is why
they are Michigan Wolverines,”
Pankratz said.
Michigan
maintained
its
weekend dominance on Sunday,
cruising to a 3-1 victory over Kent
State (1-6 overall).
In a game in which the
Wolverines outshot the Golden
Flashes, 15-5, the defensive unit
for Michigan shone once again,
even with the absence of Ellis
through injury.
“We have been training really
hard on our one-on-one defense,”
Thomas said. “It has just been
something that we work on all
the time … and it is just something
that we really pride ourselves
on.”
Even
with
the
staunch
defensive effort, the offense
was not overshadowed, as the
Wolverines scored early on. With
just under 11 minutes played,
junior
forward
Allie
Sardo
converted a Michigan penalty
corner.
Then,
with
Michigan
dominating and halftime nearing,
Kent State’s Madison Thompson
took the ball in the circle, twirled
around two Wolverine defenders,
and put it past Swenson to tie the
game at one.
But that was it for the Golden
Flashes,
as
the
Wolverines
responded with two quick goals
to take a 3-1 lead.
It was a comfortable weekend
for the Wolverines, but with Big
Ten matchups coming up against
Maryland and Rutgers, Michigan
will look to maintain its defensive
consistency and offensive prowess.
KENT STATE
MICHIGAN
1
3
PENN STATE
MICHIGAN
1
3
FIELD HOCKEY
MEN’S SOCCER
the Wolverines and the team’s lon-
gest run since 2012. Isaac ended up
leading all Michigan rushers with
114 yards on eight carries.
Meanwhile,
led
by
senior
defensive end Mario Ojemudia,
the defense made eight tackles
for loss and forced two intercep-
tions. It was the most tackles for
loss for Michigan since Nov. 8 of
last season.
“We want to play our game,
play Michigan football,” Ojemu-
dia said. “Our game is aggressive,
getting to the ball, hitting people
in the mouth, all of the above.
“I don’t like to talk about last
year too much, but I don’t remem-
ber us getting anything … just
getting the ball back is our motto,
and it was good to see that today.”
A different kind of highlight
came in the beginning of the
fourth quarter, however, when
senior fullback Sione Houma
leaped over the offensive line for
his first-career touchdown. After
an official review on the previ-
ous play took away his moment,
Houma was delighted with the
second chance.
“There’s no feeling like scor-
ing your first touchdown at the
Big House on your home turf,”
Houma said. “I just lay there
and tried to take in the moment.
Thank God, He’s the one that
brought me along and built me up
to be this fullback I am right now.”
On the subsequent drive, UNLV
pieced together a 75-yard drive to
put a sudden end to the shutout.
Whether it was a gambler’s falla-
cy or sloppy play by Michigan, the
Wolverines weren’t happy.
“We want to play up to our
expectations, not our opponents,
and giving up that touchdown
late was unacceptable,” Ojemudia
said. “I think it’s completely fair
of how we expect to play. … They
shouldn’t have gotten anything.”
Nonetheless, the cards fell in
Michigan’s favor in the end, and
the Rebels were forced to fold.
“I would never use the word
‘satisfied’ in a football sense,” Har-
baugh said. “But yes, I’m happy. …
It feels good to get a team win.”
MICHIGAN
From Page 1A
VOLLEYBALL
DUKE
MICHIGAN
0
3
N. CAROLINA
MICHIGAN
3
0
N’WESTERN
MICHIGAN
0
3