The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
November 16, 2015 — 3B

FIELD HOCKEY
‘M’ season ends 
in quarterfinals

Wolverines upset 
Wake Forest, then 

fall to UNC in 

NCAA Tournament

By AVI SHOLKOFF

Daily Sports Writer

For the No. 1 North Carolina 

field hockey team, the situation 
felt familiar.

Not 
only 
was 
the 
team 

playing on its home turf — it was 
also with a lineup consisting 
of 
six 
upperclassmen 
and 

two sophomores with NCAA 
Tournament experience. On the 
other hand, No. 10 Michigan had 
a lineup consisting of just three 
players from the Wolverines’ 
last tournament appearance.

After a 2-1 upset victory over 

No. 7 Wake Forest, Michigan 
(7-1 Big Ten, 18-5 overall) faced 
the experienced Tar Heels on 
Sunday, but came up short in a 
1-0 loss.

“The fact that we played them 

in preseason really helped,” said 
freshman forward Emma Way. 
“We knew we could’ve beaten 
them.”

North Carolina (4-2 ACC, 

20-2 overall), took control of the 
game from the start. The Tar 
Heels outshot the Wolverines, 
11-2 in the first half and 4-0 in 
the second. North Carolina also 
earned four corners compared 
to only one for Michigan.

In Saturday’s game, led by 

redshirt 
sophomore 
forward 

Carly Bennett, the Wolverines 
outshot the Demon Deacons 8-2 
in the first half and netted two 
goals.

In the second half, Michigan 

halted Wake Forest’s 11 shots, 
anchored by first-team All-Big 
Ten goalie Sam Swenson. 

Against 
the 
Tar 
Heels, 

Swenson again stepped up to 
the challenge, saving six shots, 
in the first half, including two 
in a row in the 25th and 26th 
minutes.

“She’s one of the best goalies 

in the nation,” said Michigan 
coach Marcia Pankratz. “Our 
team 
feels 
very 
confident 

playing in front of her. She helps 
us become more aggressive in 
our tactics.”

Though the Wolverines lost 

in the quarterfinals, Pankratz 
remained optimistic about the 
future of Michigan’s young 
team.

“(The tournament) teaches 

them 
to 
have 
experience,” 

Pankratz said of the Wolverines’ 
younger players. “The seniors 
brought this program back into 
elite status in the nation, and the 
younger players will gain that 
tradition.”

Michigan made its first NCAA 

Tournament appearance in three 
years, though Pankratz believed 
her squad’s No. 9 ranking last 
year made it deserving of a spot 
in the Sweet 16.

The 
Wolverines’ 
youth 

was on display in Sunday’s 
game, as Pankratz included 
six sophomores in the starting 
lineup.

“For a team where 90 percent 

of the players have never played 
in the tournament yet in their 
lives,” Pankratz said, “they 
played with poise, confidence 
and maturity. I couldn’t be more 
proud of them.”

Though this season ended 

on a low note, Michigan has 
much to look forward to in 
coming years. Next season, 
Way, Bennett and Swenson will 
be juniors and with a taste of 
NCAA Tournament experience 
behind them, the Wolverines 
will be the experienced team.

Wolverines roll in opener

By SIMON KAUFMAN

Daily Sports Editor

On 
Friday 
night, 
Aubrey 

Dawkins put an exclamation 
point on 100 years of Michigan 
men’s 
basketball.

With 

seven 
minutes left in the first half 
against 
Northern 
Michigan, 

the sophomore guard elevated, 
stretched out his left hand and 
threw down a put-back dunk off 
a missed 3-pointer from redshirt 
sophomore Duncan Robinson.

It was a highlight in a night 

meant to celebrate a century 
of Michigan men’s basketball 
seasons. But Friday showed that 
Team 100 is far from 100 percent 
of the way to where it wants to 
be, even as it rolled past the 
Wildcats, 70-44.

The 25th-ranked Wolverines 

(1-0) looked sluggish early in the 
first half.

Four turnovers in a span of 

just over two minutes kept the 
Wildcats in the game deep into 
the first frame, and they trailed 
by just four points with eight 
minutes remaining in the half.

“(It’s) just a little rust — first 

game,” 
Dawkins 
said. 
“(We 

were) rushing a little bit trying to 
make a really good play instead 
of making the right play.”

Early in the half, senior guard 

Caris LeVert tried to dish to a 
teammate at the low post. But a 
miscommunication resulted in 
no one being on the receiving 
end of his pass, and Northern 
Michigan took over possession. 
Later, after grabbing a defensive 
board, Robinson drove to the 
rim but couldn’t decide between 
whether 
to 
shoot 
or 
pass. 

Instead, he jumped, hesitated 
and a Wildcat player got a hand 
on the ball, forcing a jump ball 
that stayed with the Wildcats. 
Less than two minutes later, 
sophomore guard Muhammad-
Ali Abdur-Rahkman tried to 

pirouette and pass to an open 
D.J. Wilson, but the redshirt 
freshman forward wasn’t ready 
for it, and the ball went off 
Wilson’s hand out of bounds.

But 
then, 
Dawkins 
took 

flight, and Michigan took off. 
Following his electrifying dunk, 
the Wolverines couldn’t miss.

A 
minute 

after, 
LeVert 

took 
two 

dribbles 
and 

two 
strong 

strides to take 
him from the 
perimeter 
to 

the hoop for a 
layup. On the 
next possession, junior guard 
Derrick Walton Jr. stole the ball 
and finished with a strong layup 
of his own.

Michigan 
had 
found 
its 

rhythm. Better late than never.

On the Wolverines’ next trip 

down the court, Wilson backed 
down his defender and hit a 
six-foot 
turnaround 
jumper. 

Sophomore forward Kameron 
Chatman got in on the action 
next with a layup, and Dawkins 

— who started the streak — 
ended 
it 
with 
a 
3-pointer, 

before Michigan missed its next 
attempt. Six straight buckets 
swung the pendulum in the 
Wolverines’ direction to give 
them a 10-point lead going into 
half.

In the second half, Michigan 

wasted 
little 

time 
getting 

back 
into 

its 
groove. 

Dawkins 
dunked again 
and hit a three 
in the opening 
three minutes 
as 
Michigan 

coasted.

Both Michigan coach John 

Beilein 
and 
LeVert 
called 

Dawkins’ performance efficient.

The sophomore took just 

seven shots — only missing a 
single 3-point attempt — to tally 
15 points total. He also grabbed 
six boards.

“That’s what we expect from 

Aubrey every night,” LeVert 
said. “He was on the offensive 
glass, played great defense and 

knocked down a couple shots.”

Dawkins was only bested 

by LeVert, who shot 7-for-12 
from the field and knocked 
down two 3’s for a game-high 
18 points. It was LeVert’s first 
regular-season game since Jan. 
17 when he got injured against 
Northwestern.

Down low, junior forward 

Mark Donnal started at the ‘5,’ 
but played just 10 minutes in 
total. Beilein rotated sophomore 
forward Ricky Doyle and Wilson 
into that role, and 6-foot-10 
freshman Moritz Wagner even 
entered to play the ‘5’ late in 
the second half, burning his 
redshirt. 

Donnal 
started 
in 
the 

exhibition, too, but that likely 
won’t be the case all season. 

“He knows just enough of 

what we’re doing and is just solid 
enough right now,” Beilein said. 
“I would expect that would be a 
competitive spot all year long.”

Michigan’s start was slow, 

but when the rust came off and 
the wheels started turning, the 
Wolverines rolled into another 
century of Michigan basketball.

ALLISON FARRAND/Daily

Caris LeVert led Michigan with 18 points on 7-for-12 shooting in the Wolverines’ season opener. 

N. MICH.
MICHIGAN 

44
70

“(It’s) just a 
little rust — 
first game.”

WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Thome scores 21 
to lead Michigan

By TED JANES

Daily Sports Writer

DETROIT 
— 
Opponents 

haven’t found an answer yet for 
the Michigan women’s basketball 
team’s 
newest 
center, and 
6-foot-5 
freshman Hallie Thome hopes to 
keep it that way.

Thome and Michigan (2-0) 

fought for their 88-61 win at 
Detroit on Sunday, but it came 
far tougher than first game of 
the weekend. Sophomore guard 
Katelynn Flaherty shouldered 
a four-foul burden most of the 
second half, but Michigan spread 
the wealth, turning to Thome 
down in the paint.

Because Thome towered above 

her shorter opponents — she was 
listed as at least five inches taller 
than every Titan — it was easy for 
the Wolverine guards to feed her 
over the top, where she swiveled 
and finished for six points by the 
end of the opening quarter, and 
10 by halftime.

“Different 
than 
yesterday, 

right?” Michigan coach Kim 
Barnes Arico said. “Our guards 
dominated yesterday (against 
Binghamton). It was nice to see 
our bigs get some touches and 
establish an inside presence 
early. It was nice to see (Thome) 
have a great game.”

Added senior guard Madison 

Ristovski: “(Thome) is making 
a positive impact already to the 
defense. She’s got great hands, 
and she can finish really well 
around the rim. She’s someone I 
can throw the ball to and know 
will catch and finish.”

Detroit battled to hold the 

Wolverines’ lead to just three 
through the first quarter, but 
Michigan came out of the huddle 
in the same full-court press that 
shut down Binghamton the day 
before. The Wolverines swung an 
eight-point run in the first three 
minutes to build an 11-point lead, 
and they never looked back.

In that span, four turnovers 

from 
Detroit 
(0-2) 
doomed 

the Titans, who went on to 
give up 30 to Michigan in the 
second quarter. But despite the 
gritty, physical play from guard 
Rosanna Reynolds (19 points, 4 
rebounds, 3 assists) Detroit never 
looked capable of settling in.

Reynolds carried her side, but 

she faced foul trouble as well 
after she accidentally whacked 
Michigan 
freshman 
guard 

Nicole Munger across the mouth 
in the second quarter, giving the 
Wolverines a free basket from 
the line after the dead-ball foul.

The 
freshmen, 
Thome 

included, continued to shine 
as they had in the prior game. 
Late in the first half, guard 
Boogie Brozoski notched two of 
her six assists after the Titans 
continued to turn the ball over 
against the press.

Brozoski and Thome linked 

up much like they did in the 
preseason exhibition when the 
point guard tossed a lob halfway 
down the court out of every 
Titan’s reach to Thome, who laid 
in the basket. Sunday, Thome 
went 9-for-11 shooting with 
21 points, adding three blocks 
and six rebounds to lead the 
Wolverines.

The matchup was also a family 

affair, as Ristovski dueled it 
out against her younger sisters, 
Detroit’s 
Haleigh 
and 
Lola 

Ristovski. Lola, the youngest of 
them all, finished the game with 
nine points, and Haleigh had five 
compared to Madison’s seven.

“I’m very happy Lola played 

well, but I also hit a 3 in her 
face, so I’ll remind her of that 
when she tells me she had 
more points than me,” Madison 
Ristovski said.

Carrying at least a 20-point 

lead most of the second half, 
Michigan 
walked 
out 
of 

Calihan Hall with its second 
consecutive 
win, 
but 
more 

importantly, it obtained even 
more evidence that Thome can 
be as good as advertised.

DETROIT
MICHIGAN 

61
88

Niagara falls to Wolverines 

Fast start paces 
Michigan; road 
trip to Boston 

University up next

By MINH DOAN

Daily Sports Editor

The Michigan hockey team’s 

previous outing was a rough one, 
a 4-0 loss to Robert Morris at 
Yost Ice Arena on Oct. 31.

Two 

weeks 
passed 
before 
the 

12th-ranked Wolverines (5-1-1) 
finally got the chance to hit the 
ice again to face Niagara.

Motivated to push past its 

first loss of the season, Michigan 
walked away from Yost Ice 
Arena with an emphatic 7-3 
victory over the Purple Eagles 
(0-1-1 Atlantic Hockey League, 
0-5-2 overall).

“It was good to get back into 

a game,” said Michigan coach 
Red Berenson. “You try to create 
a game condition and a game 
intensity in practice. Some days 
we’re good, and some days we’re 
not so good. But I thought we 
executed a lot better tonight.

“You’d like to be able to get 

back out there the next week. 
We practiced all week like we 
weren’t playing, and we had to 
ramp it up again this week.”

Within 10 seconds of the 

opening faceoff, junior forward 
JT Compher found himself on a 
breakaway after a nifty faceoff 
play. But Niagara goaltender 
Joe O’Brien was up to the task, 
getting a blocker on Compher’s 
shot and denying Michigan the 
chance to grab the early lead.

“There’s 
more 
and 
more 

faceoff plays in hockey now,” 
Berenson said. “Whether it’s the 
center ice faceoff or an offensive 
zone faceoff, we’re just trying to 
make things happen.”

Niagara 
wasn’t 
so 
lucky 

seven 
minutes 
later 
when 

freshman forward Kyle Connor 
found himself wide open just 
outside the right faceoff circle. 
Connor collected the feed from 

sophomore 
defenseman 
Sam 

Piazza and fired the puck home, 
past O’Brien’s glove to give 
Michigan the 1-0 lead.

From there, the Wolverines 

took it to O’Brien, scoring twice 
in one minute. Senior forward 
Justin Selman redirected a shot, 
and Connor notched his second 
of the game. Connor’s second 
goal was the 
last 
straw, 

and 
O’Brien 

was pulled as 
Michigan went 
into the first 
intermission 
up 3-0.

Even 
with 

a new Niagara 
goaltender 
in net for the second period, 
Michigan didn’t let up.

With just 1:45 gone in the 

second stanza, Michigan’s third 
line got on the board when 
freshman 
forward 
Cooper 

Marody put the Wolverines up 
by four by redirecting a shot to 
beat new goaltender Guillaume 
Therien.

“One of our strengths is that 

we have four lines that can all 
score,” Marody said.

It didn’t get much better 

for Therien in the second as 
Michigan peppered the Niagara 
netminder with shots, breaking 
through again on the power 
play 
when 
junior 
forward 

Tyler Motte tipped a shot from 
Compher for his fifth goal of the 
season.

Niagara got on the board with 

1:49 left in the second period 
with a goal by Tanner Lomsnes, 
but by then, it was a moot point.

In the third period, Michigan 

got 
goals 
from 
sophomore 

forward Tony Calderone and 
sophomore 
defense, 
while 

Niagara 
defenseman 
Niko 

Kovachis and forward Stanislav 
Dzakhov tallied for the Purple 
Eagles.

“We’re fortunate to be able to 

recruit players like Werenski, 
Connor, (senior forward Boo 
Nieves) and Compher,” Berenson 
said. “These guys are all top 
recruits, and they can score. I 
know we can be top offensively. 

We just have to play them with 
the right people and in the right 
role.”

In the Michigan net, senior 

goaltender Steve Racine earned 
the start and excelled, stopping 
21 shots and flashing the leather 
multiple 
times 
throughout 

the game before giving way to 
freshman Chad Catt with 9:52 

left 
in 
the 

game.

“I 
thought 

(Racine) 
played 
well,” 

Werenski said. 
“He made big 
saves for us. 
It’s also good 
to 
start 
3-0 

there in the 

first period to give him some 
confidence.”

With a trip to No. 11 Boston 

University looming in a week, 
it would’ve been easy for the 
Wolverines to look past their 
game against a winless Niagara 
team.

But 
instead, 
Michigan 

buckled down and will head 
to Boston off arguably its best 
game of the season thus far. 

“It’s a one-game weekend, 

there’s nothing to save it for,” 
Berenson said. “We know we 
have a tough opponent next 
week, and we have to get our 
game up to another level. I 
thought we took a step towards 
that tonight.”

AMANDA ALLEN/Daily

Kyle Connor’s goal jumpstarted the Michigan offense against Niagara.

NIAGARA
MICHIGAN 

3
7

For more game coverage
Check the hockey page on 
MichiganDaily.com

“It was good to 
get back into a 

game.”

