The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
November 2, 2015 — 3B

‘M’ onto semifinals

By PAIGE VOEFFRAY

For the Daily

A battle occurred Sunday 

afternoon 
between 
the 
Michigan 
women’s 
soccer 
team 
and 

Northwestern as the two teams 
faced off in the quarterfinals 
of the Big Ten Tournament. 
Possession was back and forth, as 
neither team was able to establish 
a rhythm at the beginning of the 
match.

But Michigan was able to 

break through in the second 
half and advance in the Big Ten 
Tournament with a 1-0 victory.

The Wildcats (7-4-1 Big Ten, 

13-5-2 overall) put up impressive 
defensive efforts in the first half 
to almost entirely shut down 
the Wolverine offense, allowing 
the Michigan unit just four 
shots and making it difficult for 
the Wolverines to create good 
opportunities. 

“Northwestern 
threw 
a 

different system at us than we 
expected,” said Michigan coach 
Greg Ryan.

Northwestern’s 
first 
shot 

came 20 minutes into the first 
half. Both the Wolverines and 
the Wildcats traded shots, but 

ended the first half unable to find 
the back of the net. The first half 
concluded with four shots for 
the Wolverines and three for the 
Wildcats.

Despite 
being 
shut 
down 

on offense, Ryan still believed 
the Wolverines (7-3-2, 12-6-2) 
would come out victorious after 
halftime, and he commended 
his players’ “tactical ability” 
in counteracting the Wildcats’ 
defensive efforts.

Both teams struggled to find 

fluidity in their pace due to 
physical play from both sides, 
resulting in fouls and free kicks. 
Free kicks created unsettled 
balls, not made any easier for 
the defense by the artificial turf, 
which caused the ball to bounce 
more and roll quicker. Michigan 
knew the field was going to pose 
a problem, and it came prepared 
as the Wolverines practiced 
indoors on turf all week.

Michigan 
did 
not 
waste 

any time once the second half 
began. In a matter of three 
minutes, redshirt sophomore Ani 
Sarkisian took a shot, but it was 
junior forward Nicky Waldeck 
who put the Wolverines up, 
1-0. Waldeck received a cross 
from senior forward Corinne 
Harris and was able to kick it to 
the lower corner, just out of the 

Wildcat goalkeeper’s reach.

Play 
only 
became 
more 

physical 
as 
Northwestern 

desperately tried to earn an 
equalizer. Five yellow cards were 
issued, one each to Harris, senior 
midfielder 
Christina 
Murillo, 

senior 
defender 
Christina 

Ordonez 
and 
Northwestern 

midfielder 
Nandi 
Mehta. 

Michigan even picked up a 
yellow card as a team, proving 
the referees were desperate to 
keep the game under control.

Desperate to tie the match, the 

Wildcats continued to push more 
and more players up. However, the 
Wolverines settled themselves in 
a defensive stance and looked to 
maintain their 1-0 lead.

In the end, Northwestern’s 

efforts were not enough for the 
strong Michigan defense, and 
sophomore goalkeeper Megan 
Hinz earned herself a shutout.

“Postseason soccer is definitely 

more intense,” Waldeck said. 
“We knew that coming into the 
game. Our season was on the 
line tonight, and that was our 
main focus going into the game, 
and we just want to keep playing 
game by game.”

With 
Sunday’s 
win, 
the 

Wolverines secured a spot in the 
semifinal match against Penn 
State on Friday.

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Junior forward Nicky Waldeck scored the only goal in Michigan’s win over Northwestern in the Big Ten Tournament.

OHIO STATE
MICHIGAN 

1
3

Wolverines keep 
Big Bear Trophy

By AVI SHOLKOFF

Daily Sports Writer

The context was perfect for a 

sports movie: An injured player 
returns 
to 

his 
team 

and scores 
the winning 
goal in front of his parents. In the 
Michigan men’s soccer team’s 
1-0 victory on Saturday over 
Michigan State, that’s exactly 
what happened.

Senior forward James Murphy 

returned to the pitch for just the 
second time since Sept. 11 and led 
his team to victory. In the 24th 
minute, he headed a beautiful cross 
by junior midfielder Rylee Woods 
into the net for the Wolverines’ 
(3-2-2, Big Ten, 8-4-4 overall) only 
goal to defeat the Spartans (2-3-2, 
8-7-2) in the Battle for Big Bear at 
U-M Soccer Stadium. 

“(It) was a storybook ending 

for him to score the goal,” said 
Michigan coach Chaka Daley.

Murphy, a native of Oxford, 

England, had the chance to play 
in front of his family for the first 
time in his collegiate career.

After playing for just 30 minutes 

in 
Tuesday’s 
match 
against 

Western Michigan, Murphy kept 
himself fit and active throughout 
the week in preparation for the 
Battle for Big Bear, playing 61 
minutes in the victory. Since he is 
from a different country, Murphy 
adds a different perspective to the 
rivalry.

“I think that’s what makes it so 

cool,” Murphy said. “I don’t think 
there’s another game in college 
soccer like it.”

The 
Wolverines 
controlled 

possession and shots throughout 
the 
first 
half, 
outshooting 

Michigan State, 5-0.

“In the first half, I thought we 

passed the ball well, attacked well 
and defended really well,” Daley 

said. “We didn’t give them a sniff 
and got the goal we needed, and 
just battened down the hatches in 
the second half.”

In 
the 
second 
half, 
the 

Wolverines 
maintained 
the 

lead with smart play and a 
controversial call in their favor.

In the 78th minute, Woods 

appeared to have used his hands 
in the penalty box, but the referees 
did not blow the whistle, much to 
the disappointment of Michigan 
State’s players and coaching staff.

Michigan 
was 
missing 
its 

leading scorer, freshman forward 
Francis Atuahene, because he 
received a red card in Michigan’s 
scoreless 
draw 
Tuesday. 

Freshman 
defender 
Marcello 

Borges, who tore his quadricep 
minutes before game time, did not 
take the field either. 

In 
their 
places, 
senior 

midfielder 
William 
Mellors-

Blair and junior midfielder Tyler 
Anderson stepped up to lead the 
Wolverines. Anderson led the 
team in shots with five. Mellors-
Blair crossed in a shot from 
Anderson but was blocked on a 
great save from Michigan State 
goalkeeper Zach Bennett in the 
29th minute.

For both Murphy and Daley, the 

game had significant meaning, as 
Murphy was Daley’s first recruit 
as the Wolverines’ head coach.

“James Murphy has scored 

every big goal for this program 
since I’ve been here,” Daley said.

Murphy 
understands 
the 

significance of not only this last 
season but also of this rivalry 
game. He won the game in his 
freshman year, junior year and 
now in his senior year.

When he scored the goal, it 

added more icing to the cake.

“I think I just blanked out,” 

Murphy said. “I ran over to my 
family, gave them a little wave 
and I just kinda blanked out.”

MEN’S SOCCER

MICH. STATE
MICHIGAN 

0
1

‘M’ disappointed by 
second-place finish

By CHRIS CROWDER

Daily Sports Writer

The Michigan women’s cross 

country team has been surprising 
teams as of late, soaring to No. 2 
in the rankings after beginning 
the season outside of the top 15. 
In the NCAA Pre-Nationals, the 
Wolverines outraced four top-10 
teams in then-No. 2 Colorado, No. 
4 Oregon, No. 7 Georgetown and 
No. 9 Stanford.

But this week at the Big Ten 

Championships in Chicago, it 
was Michigan that was surprised. 
No. 15 Penn State squeaked past 
the Wolverines to claim the title, 
halting Michigan’s win streak.

The Wolverines finished in 

second place with 58 points, five 
behind the Nittany Lions. The 
two were well ahead of the rest 
of the competition, as the other 
12 teams in the field, including 
No. 21 Michigan State and No. 
22 Minnesota, had at least 104 
points.

The course at Sydney R. 

Marovitz 
Golf 
Course 
was 

challenging and presented racers 
with hilly terrain and muddy 
conditions. But junior Erin Finn 
didn’t think the difficulty of the 
course had much to do with her 
team’s outcome.

“I think we have performed 

better on more difficult courses 
because we’re a very strong team,” 
Finn said. “We can run hills, and 
we can run through mud. I think 
more than anything, it just wasn’t 
our day.”

Finn once again led the pack 

for 
Michigan, 
finishing 
first 

to capture her second Big Ten 
individual title. She became the 
second athlete in program history 
to do so — joining decorated alum 
Katie McGregor, who won the 
race in 1997 and 1998. Finn’s time 
of 19:44 was a personal best, 15 
seconds faster than her previous 
for a 6,000-meter race.

“Whenever your name is next 

to someone like Katie McGregor, 
it’s definitely very special,” Finn 
said. “She is an incredible athlete 

and did incredible things in 
college and after, so it definitely 
bodes well for the future. So I’m 
really excited to kind of follow the 
path that she followed.”

Redshirt sophomores Jamie 

Phelan and Gina Sereno rounded 
out the Wolverine finishers in the 
top 10, placing eighth and 10th, 
respectively. Redshirt sophomore 
Sophie Linn crossed the finish 
line in 18th place with a time of 
20:34. Senior Shannon Osika was 
the final scoring runner, running 
a 20:46 clip, good for 21st place. 
Linn’s 
performance 
was 
the 

second personal best, along with 
Finn, out of the scoring five.

The remaining Wolverines in 

the race — fifth-year senior Anna 
Pasternak, redshirt sophomore 
Jamie 
Morrissey, 
redshirt 

sophomore Courtney Munley and 
senior Taylor Manett placed 23rd, 
26th, 29th and 43rd, respectively. 
Pasternak, 
Morrissey, 
and 

Munley all set personal bests.

Though the team’s result was 

disappointing, 
Michigan 
isn’t 

letting the setback get the best of 
it. McGuire said his team entered 
the race together as a unit and 
will leave as one as well. He noted 
there is still a lot of the season left, 
giving his team time to improve 
and perform well once the NCAA 
Championships come around.

The Wolverines are in a better 

position this time of the year than 
they were last season, when two 
of their top runners were unable 
to race due to injury. It’s just a 
matter of having the best race 
possible from now until the end of 
the season.

“We just have to trust in our 

training and trust in our process,” 
Finn said. “We have to just believe 
in what we do, and you can’t have 
a bad day every time out. We’re 
not going to change much. We’re 
going to move forward, what’s 
done is done. We’re disappointed, 
but not devastated.”

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Junior Erin Finn won her second individual Big Ten title on Sunday.

Wolverines win 
conference title

By SYLVANNA GROSS

Daily Sports Writer

Confidence is the ability 

to stand on the starting line 
knowing 
your 
team 
could 

win. It’s the ability for nine 
Michigan men to race, ready to 
give it their all. 

It’s the feeling of winning the 

Big Ten title. 

“We started the season with 

this goal in mind — we were 
focused,” said fifth-year senior 
Mason Ferlic. “I saw everyone 
training with a purpose and 
everybody 
showing 
up 
to 

practice with a purpose. These 
nine 
guys 
did 
something 

special. Other teams can talk all 
they want, but it’s the team that 
gets it done that wins. That feels 
good.” 

This weekend, the No. 5 

men’s 
cross 
country 
team 

traveled to Chicago for the Big 
Ten Championships. They came 
back as champions for just the 
10th time in program history 
and the first time since 1998. 

“My job is to give my athletes 

the tools to line up and compete 
at 
championships,” 
said 

Michigan coach Kevin Sullivan. 
“When the gun goes off, the race 
is on them. It’s up to my runners 
to decide how they want to 
place. This is about them doing 
something for themselves and 
Michigan.”

To date, Ferlic has led the 

Wolverines in 17 consecutive 
races and seven postseason 
competitions. 
He 
is 
the 

highest-scoring 
Michigan 

individual since 2001 and was 
made an All-Big Ten First 
Team honoree. 

At 1,000 meters after the start 

of the race, Ferlic watched as 
a Wisconsin athlete ran ahead 
of the pack. At 4,000 meters, 
Ferlic knew the moment was 
coming up to make his move and 
close the gap between him and 
the leading athlete. At 5,000 
meters, the course became a 
three-man race between Ferlic 

and runners from Purdue and 
Illinois. 

And at the finish line, 8,000 

meters from the start, Ferlic 
placed second with a personal 
best of 23:19.6. 

“I’m proud that (Ferlic) put 

it all on the line,” Sullivan said. 
“That’s exactly what I ask the 
guys to do. I’ve been in this 
position (as a former Michigan 
athlete), so it was exciting to 
see the program get back to 
where we wanted to be for the 
last 15 years. It was surreal and 
exciting and interesting to be 
where we stood today.” 

Second 
of 
the 
Michigan 

scorers was junior co-captain 
Ben 
Flanagan, 
who 
placed 

eighth with a time of 23:42.6. 
Exactly one second later, senior 
Tony Smoragiewicz finished 
the course. Both of their times 
qualified them as second-team 
honorees. Rounding out the 
other Michigan scorers were 
junior Connor Mora in 19th and 
redshirt junior Nick Renberg 
in 25th. It was Renberg’s first 
time competing in the Big Ten 
Championships. 

The remaining competing 

athletes 
included 
redshirt 

sophomore Micah Beller, his 
classmate Aaron Baumgarten, 
fifth-year senior Nick Posada 
and 
his 
classmate 
August 

Pappas. 

Smoragiewicz, 
Mora, 

Renberg, Beller and Baumgarten 
all ran personal bests. 

“I do my very best in my 

leadership role,” Flanagan said. 
“But even though I know I’m 
considered a co-captain, at 
the end of the day, I see nine 
captains on this team.” 

It was a weekend of big 

numbers. All five Michigan 
scorers made it into the top 25. 
Three all-conference runners 
competed. Ferlic earned second. 

But the number that counts 

the most is one. For the first 
time since 1998 Michigan is the 
Big Ten Champions. And that 
confidence will last forever. 

WOMEN’S CROSS COUNTRY

three days after head coach Jerry 
Kill retired due to health con-
cerns, interim coach Tracy Claeys 
went for the win.

Leidner ran a quarterback 

sneak with two seconds left, but 
he was stuffed short, and Michi-
gan reclaimed the Little Brown 
Jug.

“We like to call that giving us 

a place to stand,” said redshirt 
freshman safety Jabrill Peppers. 
“We got it down at the half-inch-
yard line, I don’t know how much 
closer you can get.

“I thought they were gonna try 

to do one of their trick plays, but 
we felt good thinking that they 
were gonna go sneak, and they 
went sneak, and the big guys up 
front blew up the line of scrim-
mage and we came out of here 
with a victory.”

The Wolverines (3-1 Big Ten, 

6-2 overall) have been able to 
rely on their defense all season 
to escape tricky situations. Sat-
urday night was about as tricky 
as it gets.

Even outside of Minnesota’s 

final drive, the game was filled 
with theatrics, highlighted by an 
unsung hero, redshirt freshman 
quarterback Wilton Speight, who 
threw his first career touchdown 
to put the Wolverines ahead late.

With 4:27 left in the third quar-

ter, Golden Gophers defensive end 
Andrew Stelter laid a fierce hit on 
fifth-year senior quarterback Jake 
Rudock as Rudock began sliding 
to the ground after a scramble.

Rudock left the game and did 

not return, throwing Speight into 
the fire. Coming into the game, 
Speight had not completed a pass 
all season. Fittingly, he struggled 
at first, failing to earn a first down 
his first three series.

“The first couple drives, I was 

not really comfortable,” Speight 
said. “I was probably flushing 
myself out of the pocket when I 
did not need to.

“I talked to (passing game 

coordinator Jedd) Fisch on the 
phone before that last drive and 
he said, ‘Look, just relax and 
have fun and smile because we 
know you can do it, and the team 
believes in you, so just go out and 
do what you can.’ ”

Starting on the Minnesota 

40-yard line with eight and a half 
minutes left, after the Michigan 
defense forced a crucial three-
and-out, Speight completed an 
eight-yard pass to junior tight 
end Jake Butt on first down. It 
was his first completion of the 
season, and it set the tone for the 
entire drive.

Speight found redshirt sopho-

more tight end Khalid Hill to get 
to the red zone, and four plays 
later, at the 12-yard line, Speight 
made the biggest play of his young 
career.

With 4:57 remaining, he found 

redshirt junior receiver Jehu 
Chesson in the back of the end 
zone over the middle, putting 
Michigan up by one. Speight then 
connected with redshirt junior 
receiver Amara Darboh for the 
two-point conversion on the next 
play.

“What an invaluable learning 

experience for Wilton Speight,” 
Harbaugh said. “To get his first 
action and do it with a fourth-
quarter comeback, and then kind 
of dramatic style. That’ll be really 
good for his confidence as well.”

Before Rudock’s injury, and far 

before the final drive, the Wolver-
ines looked to be in trouble, espe-
cially after they let a 14-3 lead slip 
away at the half.

Minnesota (1-3, 4-4) opened 

the scoring with a field goal 4:47 
into the game, but Peppers turned 
two returns into great field posi-
tion for the Wolverines. Michigan 
capitalized on both, as Rudock 
found Chesson for one touch-
down, and Peppers ran in another 
out of the wildcat formation, put-
ting Michigan up by 11 early in the 
second quarter.

Peppers was indispensable for 

the Wolverines, turning in 100 
all-purpose yards and his first 
career touchdown.

“I tried to do what I am coached 

to do and get us in the best posi-
tion possible,” Peppers said. “That 
definitely worked well tonight.”

But Leidner brought Minne-

sota back, throwing a 52-yard 
touchdown to Rashad Still and 
leading two field goal drives to 
give the Golden Gophers a 16-14 
lead at the half. Leidner finished 
with 317 yards passing, but even 
that wasn’t enough to earn the 
win.

If he had thrown for 318, it may 

have been.

MICHIGAN
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