Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, January 22, 2016 — 7
‘M’ wins exhibition
Star freshman
Connor injured
late, Kile ejected for
charging penalty
By JASON RUBINSTEIN
Daily Sports Writer
It seemed odd that the No.
6 Michigan hockey team had a
scheduled exhibition game in
January —
normally,
exhibition
games take
place before the regular season.
They allow teams to knock off
any lingering rust from the
offseason, and they enable a
coaching staff to evaluate their
players in a game setting.
It
seemed
especially
odd
because
the
opponent
was
the immensely talented U-18
United States National Team
Development Program.
However, the game couldn’t
have been timelier. It allowed
Michigan to rest some of its
players — freshman forward
Cooper
Marody,
senior
netminder Steve Racine and
sophomore defenseman Zach
Werenski all got the night off.
It also allowed the Wolverines
to see what their lineup would
look like without sophomore
defenseman Cutler Martin and
sophomore
forward
Dexter
Dancs,
who
are
suspended
for
three
and
two
games,
respectively, following an after-
game brawl against Ohio State
last Sunday.
And while the Wolverines got
off to a lackadaisical start, they
finished in control, beating the
USNTDP, 5-2, in a chippy game.
“Historically, it can be (a
chippy game),” said Michigan
coach Red Berenson. “I can’t tell
you why. I don’t think the players
that have played in that program
try and play chippy against the
program kids. Sometimes the
program kids are maybe mad
that Michigan didn’t recruit
them, and the kids we recruit
want to put on a good showing.
You never know what direction
it is going to go.”
For a game in which only
pride is on the line, a good
outcome is one where you leave
the game healthy and without
suspensions. For Michigan, that
might not hold true.
Late in the game, freshman
sensation Kyle Connor took a
spill into the boards and stayed
down on the ice for a couple
minutes before skating off under
his power. Berenson said after
the game that there will be an
update on Connor’s condition
Friday — the only outcome that
matters from Thursday’s game.
Earlier, midway through the
second period, junior forward
Alex
Kile
was
ejected
for
charging at Harvard commit
Adam Fox. The NCAA will likely
review the hit and determine
any
further
consequences.
Kile’s game misconduct was his
second in as many games after
he left the bench during the
Ohio State fight.
The
Americans
showed
the same fire, with Michigan
defenseman
commit
Griffin
Luce earning a game misconduct
for a vicious hit on freshman
Brendan Warren.
“Judging
from
last
year,
frustration sets in and it’s hard
to get motivated for a game like
this, but we responded well to
it,” said sophomore forward
Tony Calderone. “I think a
couple guys got out of hand, but
we did well.”
To open the game, NTDP
coach
Danton
Cole
started
all five Michigan commits —
forwards James Sanchez, Will
Lockwood and Nick Pastujov
as well as Luce and fellow
defenseman Luke Martin. Next
fall, those five will join the
six NTDP alumni currently
playing at Michigan, barring any
unforeseen changes.
When
the
puck
dropped,
the game’s start was anything
but similar to last weekend’s
series against Ohio State. The
Wolverines
—
averaging
an
astounding 4.86 goals per game
— were largely held in check,
mustering just seven shots in
the first frame. And also unlike
the previous weekend, Michigan
held the NTDP scoreless until,
just three minutes into the
second frame, Pastujov threw
a pass from the slot to Western
Michigan
commit
Keenan
Suthers, who sniped the puck
past junior goaltender Zach
Nagelvoort.
And the Wolverine offense
finally awoke when it had its five-
minute power play chance. Thirty
seconds into the man advantage,
junior
defenseman
Michael
Downing rifled a shot from the
point that junior forward Tyler
Motte banged home. Later, in
the third period, Calderone beat
Boston University commit Jake
Oettinger on his glove side to give
the Wolverines their first lead of
the game. And less than a minute
later, Motte extended the lead
to two on a one-timer chance.
Junior forward Max Shuart and
Calderone’s second tally rounded
out the team’s scoring.
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Freshman forward Kyle Connor suffered an injury late in Thursday’s exhibition.
USNTDP
MICHIGAN
2
5
ICE HOCKEY
Michigan recruits
savor taste of Yost
By MINH DOAN
Daily Sports Editor
With
the
Michigan
band
playing in the background and the
Children of Yost being their usual
rowdy selves, the United States
National
Team
Development
Program trotted out five of the
nation’s best upcoming talent.
Except this time, it was a little
different. Instead of starting the
usual line of Boston University
commits Kiefer Bellows and
Clayton Keller and Minnesota-
Duluth commit Joey Anderson,
USNDTP coach Danton Cole
trotted out five future Michigan
hockey players.
These
players
—
forwards
James Sanchez, Will Lockwood
and Nick Pastujov and defensemen
Luke Martin and Griffin Luce
— represent five of the seven
announced commits that will be
playing in Ann Arbor next season.
“It was nice. They all play
different positions, so all five could
start,” Cole said. “It’s a big day for
them, and they were excited. They
played well, played strong.
“We have a lot of committed
guys, and the guys are excited to
play. It’s their first taste of playing
in Yost and a college atmosphere.
It’s always fun for them.”
For those five players, the game
represents the first and probably
last time they will be on the
opposite side of the Children of
Yost’s jeers. And for each player,
the atmosphere is what brought
many of them to Michigan.
“It’s a little insane, like the
band is really overwhelming,”
Pastujov said. “They’re really,
really loud. That was one of the
best college atmospheres we’ve
played at this year, if not the best,
and it was tough when the crowd
gets into it to bounce back to try to
find a way back.”
All five players found their way
to a maize and blue jersey in a
different way. But for Lockwood
and Pastujov, it was the family
connections that sealed the deal
for them.
Lockwood’s father, Joe, played
for Michigan coach Red Berenson’s
first recruiting class from 1984
to 1988. Lockwood, a Bloomfield
Hills, Mich., native, also grew up
a Wolverine fan his whole life.
Knowing Joe played at Michigan
made his son want to play for
Michigan from an early age.
Pastujov,
who
is
from
Bradenton, Fla., has been playing
junior hockey in Michigan for five
years, and playing in Ann Arbor
was something that naturally
piqued his interest. But he also
has a family connection to the
Wolverines — his grandfather
attended Michigan.
But even for an exhibition
game, the game itself was chippy,
something the USNTDP expected.
For
some
of
the
future
Wolverines
especially,
they
gave their future teammates a
nice, physical introduction of
themselves.
Luce was ejected from the
game for a high hit, and Pastujov
was sent to the box early in the
game for getting into a scuffle
with junior forward Evan Allen.
“I wasn’t making any friends
out there, but I think that’s all
right,” Pastujov said. “They know
it’s a game.”
With the annual game against
the USNTDP now out of the way,
the future Wolverines are already
looking toward next year’s game.
For now, the USNTDP players
will go back to finishing off their
exhibition schedules, donning the
navy blue USA jerseys.
But next year, they’ll trade in
those jerseys for the maize and
blue.
Michigan looks to reload
with top freshman class
Team must replace
Bektas, Dodge,
Lee to win eighth
straight Big Ten title
By ORION SANG
Daily Sports Writer
It would be understandable
for a team that graduated the
two winningest singles players in
school history to take a step back
the following year.
But the No. 14 Michigan
women’s tennis team doesn’t
have any plans to rebuild, and
coach Ronni Bernstein believes
the
seven-time
reigning
Big
Ten champion Wolverines will
remain highly competitive.
“You would like to reload
instead of rebuild,” Bernstein
said. “I knew we had a lot to
replace, and I think we did that.”
Part of the replacement of
departing players comes from
the development of incumbent
players, as well as an incoming
freshman
class
of
Brienne
Minor, Kate Fahey and Teona
Velehorschi that will play a big
role in determining Michigan’s
season fate.
“I’m
excited
about
our
freshman class,” Bernstein said.
“I think, tennis-wise and as
people, that we did a really good
job there. Hopefully, they can
help us up high in the lineup, and
their work ethic is really good.”
Minor and Fahey, in particular,
will have to play well in the
singles lineup for the Wolverines
to be able to defend their Big Ten
title. The two freshmen arrived on
campus with a great deal of hype
— they were ranked No. 9 and No.
12 in the nation, respectively, by
tennisrecruiting.net.
Both have lived up to the
billing so far, sporting impressive
records in both singles and
doubles
from
fall
season
competition.
Minor,
who
is
ranked No. 19 in the country in
singles, is 16-3 in singles and 11-2
in doubles, while Fahey is 10-5
and 8-4, respectively.
Senior captain Ronit Yurovsky
was also complimentary of the
freshmen.
“I think they’re a really good
class,” Yurovsky said. “They
practice so hard and care so
much about the team. They play
a big role on the team, and they’re
going to have a big impact.”
While Michigan has reloaded
with its freshman class, the
Wolverines will have to combat
their youth.
Yurovsky herself will have to
play a larger role on the team as
its most experienced returnee.
She is the only senior on the team,
and after ending last season
ranked No. 25, she has climbed
to No. 17 as the winter season
begins.
Yurovsky,
who
has
played mostly
in Michigan’s
No. 2 singles
spot, will now
presumably
move to the
first
spot
vacated
by
four-time All-
Big Ten player
Emina Bektas.
Though Bektas’s shoes may
seem big to fill, Yurovsky believes
she’s up to the task.
“Nothing’s really changed,”
Yurovsky
said.
“I’ve
pretty
much prepared the same as if I
would every other year, but I’m
starting to focus on playing with
more confidence. I think that’s
key especially if you’re playing
higher up.”
In addition to playing at a higher
spot in the lineup, Yurovsky will
also need to be a leader for what
is an exceptionally young team
— the sole upperclassmen on the
roster are Yurovsky and junior
Sara Remynse.
Yurovsky credits last year’s
captains with teaching her how
to be an effective leader.
“(They) did a good job of
showing you the ropes of what you
do,” Yurovsky said. “I’ve definitely
taken in what they’ve done, and
it’s helped me for this year.”
As Michigan prepares for the
upcoming
dual-meet
season,
it will both try to find the
best lineup and continue to be
aggressive on the court.
During the fall season, the
Wolverines were without many
of their players due to injuries
and illness, which has meant a
fairly unsettled lineup.
“(The lineup) is going to work
itself out,” Bernstein said. “Some
of the kids that have played more
are more match-tough right
now. I’m excited that everyone is
healthy again.”
Meanwhile, the Wolverines
have been working on shortening
points and being aggressive by
doing
drills
that
involve
hitting
approach shots
and
coming
up to the net,
which should
help
for
the
indoor portion
of the season.
“What
we
preach is that
you’ve
gotta
win the point,” Bernstein said.
“(We’re) not going to stay back and
grind and wait for them to miss.
We’re going to come forward and
put pressure (on them).”
Though Michigan is a young
team in need of improvement,
Yurovsky
remains
optimistic
about the season.
“I think that once we get
together as a group it will click,”
Yurovsky said. “I think that we
could do really well (once that
happens).”
While still early, if Wolverines
can gel as a team the way their
captain wants while staying as
aggressive as Bernstein desires,
they’ll have a shot to make
some noise when the NCAA
Tournament rolls around.
WOMEN’S TENNIS
“I knew we had
a lot to replace,
and I think we
did that.”
Special teams takes leap
from up-and-down 2014
By ZACH SHAW
Daily Sports Editor
Editor’s Note: With the Michigan
football team’s 2015 regular season
in the books, the Daily looks back
at the performance of each unit this
year and looks ahead to the future in
2016. In this edition: special teams.
You can credit now-departed
special teams coordinator John
Baxter, you can credit Michigan
coach Jim Harbaugh, you can
credit graduate transfers and
rising upperclassmen — there’s
plenty of deserved credit to go
around. There are few units in
the country that improved from
2014 to 2015 as much as the No.
12 Michigan football team’s
special teams unit.
In
the
Wolverines’
2014
campaign that resulted in a
disappointing 5-7 record, special
teams were a sore spot. Kicking,
returning, punting, holding onto
the football and even putting 11
players on the field proved difficult
for Michigan. In ESPN’s special
teams efficiency, the Wolverines
were 96th out of 128 teams.
This year, Michigan finished
the season tied for 12th in the same
category, and, despite a sluggish
finish, the special teams unit had
plenty more to hang its hat on.
Thanks to a group of kick and
punt returners led by redshirt
freshman Jabrill Peppers, the
return game received a much-
needed
boost,
finishing
the
season third in kickoff return
average and fourth in average
field position.
Redshirt junior kicker Kenny
Allen converted 15 of 16 field goals
from inside 40 yards (18-for-22
overall) and made all 48 of his
extra point attempts.
Fifth-year
senior
graduate
transfer Blake O’Neill blasted nine
punts over 50 yards and pinned
23 inside the 20-yard line. He also
had the longest punt of the season
in college football at 80 yards.
As a whole, the special teams
unit
looked
vastly
improved
in 2015, and with one notable
exception, it paid off.
HIGH
POINT:
Michigan’s
special
teams
had
its
best
games
against
Northwestern,
Minnesota and Maryland, but the
Wolverines’ 38-0 win over the
13th-ranked Wildcats on Oct. 10
was the best of the bunch.
Redshirt junior wide receiver
Jehu Chesson took his third career
kickoff return 96 yards to the
house for Michigan’s first kickoff
return touchdown since 2009 and
first to open the game since 1992.
From there, Allen hit a career-
long 47-yard field goal, while
O’Neill pinned three punts inside
the 20, including a 59-yarder, in
the blowout win.
LOW POINT: Though O’Neill
boomed an 80-yard punt, the
return game amassed 156 yards
and Kenny Allen hit three field
goals, Michigan’s special teams
will forever take the blame for the
team’s loss to Michigan State on
Oct. 17.
When O’Neill fumbled the
snap on a punt with 10 seconds
to go and Michigan State’s
Jalen Watts-Jackson returned
the fumble for a game-winning
touchdown as time expired, all of
Michigan’s special teams success
was forgotten, as was its chance at
a Big Ten title.
THE
FUTURE:
Despite
some uncertainty with special
teams moving forward, the unit
appears to be in good shape
overall. Though Baxter has left
to take on the same position at
Southern California and O’Neill is
graduating, everyone else should
be back.
In good news, Allen showed
potential to replace O’Neill in
the Citrus Bowl with a 57-yard
punt. Like the rest of the team,
Michigan’s special teams return
and bring in more talent than
it loses, and next year, it has a
chance to be, well, special.
ALLISON FARRAND/Daily
Kenny Allen finished 15-for-16 on field goals from inside 40 yards in 2015.