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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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