Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, February 19, 2016 — 7
Wolverines to take on Ferris State
By JUSTIN MEYER
Daily Sports Writer
The No. 6 Michigan hockey
team takes a break from Big Ten
play to take on in-state rival
Ferris State on
Friday night at
Yost Ice Arena.
The unusual
disruption
in
conference play
will be a rare
opportunity
to watch the
Wolverines
play
a
stout
defensive
opponent.
The
Bulldogs
have posted a
respectable 2.5
goals-against
average
this
season — good enough for 20th
in the NCAA — but have been
especially impressive in the
second half. Since Jan. 1, they
have lowered that mark to 1.7.
In contrast, Michigan’s GAA of
3.0 ranks in the bottom half of
Division I hockey.
The game is a throwback to
the CCHA era for the Wolverines
in terms of opposition — Ferris
State was a fellow member —
and playing style. The Bulldogs
have given Michigan (9-2-3 Big
Ten, 18-4-5 overall) fits since
the dissolution of the conference
three years ago, compiling two
wins and a tie in three games.
“Ferris State has been good
about reaching out to Michigan,”
said
Michigan
coach
Red
Berenson. “When the Big Ten
formed three years ago, instead
of us having to schedule four
non-conference games, we have
to schedule 14. Why not play
some of the teams from the
CCHA that still want to play us?”
This year, Ferris State (12-8-4
WCHA, 14-10-6) has been held
together by standout freshman
goaltender Darren Smith. Since
assuming
the
starting
role,
Smith has provided a solid
foundation for a team that has
been
otherwise
tumultuous.
His .932 save percentage is the
second best among freshmen,
and the best when limiting that
group to netminders who logged
over 1000 minutes.
“They can skate and they can
play, but their DNA has been
their defense,” Berenson said.
Wolverine fans will also be
happy to see freshman forward
Cooper Marody return to the
ice after a prolonged absence
from illness. Berenson plans to
play Marody alongside senior
forward
Justin
Selman
and
freshman
forward
Brendan
Warren.
“(Cooper)
feels
good,”
Berenson said. “He wants to
play and he’s had a few practices
now. It’s going to take him a little
while to get caught up in terms
of quickness and conditioning,
but that’s why you have to play.”
Marody’s
return,
and
a
potential shakeup on defense,
will result in a lineup shuffle.
Sophomore
forward
Tony
Calderone
is
out,
while
sophomore
defender
Cutler
Martin took reps at forward
in practice. He would give
Michigan
a
bigger
physical
presence
on
offense
while
sophomore defender Sam Piazza
fills the void on defense.
As senior goaltender Steve
Racine’s play has improved,
much of the spotlight has been
focused on the shaky defensive
unit. Michigan’s coaching staff
has reiterated the emphasis on
bringing down the goals-against
average before the postseason,
but one stat supporting the
Wolverines’ case as contenders
is goal margin. Michigan’s goal
margin per game mark of 1.78 is
fourth in the nation.
When Ferris arrives with its
hard-nosed style Friday night,
it should offer the best chance
yet to evaluate just how far the
Wolverines have come on the
defensive end.
Ferris State
at Michigan
Matchup:
Ferris State
14-10-6;
Michigan
18-4-5
When: Friday
7:35 P.M.
Where: Yost
Ice Arena
TV/Radio:
MGoBlueTV
AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
Freshman forward Cooper Marody is expected to return to the Michigan lineup against Ferris State on Friday.
Michigan set for
Seminole faceoff
By AVI SHOLKOFF
Daily Sports Writer
On Feb. 21 of last year, fifth-
year senior right-handed pitcher
Sara Driesenga threw five solid
innings to lead the Michigan
softball team to a 13-1 victory over
Oklahoma.
It turned out to be her last
game of the season.
As the Wolverines chased their
second national championship in
Oklahoma City, Driesenga could
only help her teammates from the
dugout due to a rib injury.
Now, a healthy Driesenga has
No. 2 Michigan (4-1) in prime
position to make another deep
run in the Women’s College
World Series.
In four games — including
two starts — Driesenga leads the
Wolverines pitching staff with a
1.85 ERA and 11.1 innings pitched.
Needless to say, Driesenga
loves pitching in the circle again.
“We had our fall games and it
was good to get back out there,”
Driesenga said. “(But) to be out
there when it matters, to know
that everyone is still behind me no
matter what happens, it’s great.”
Driesenga and the Wolverines
will look to build on their
successful showing from their
first weekend in Tallahassee,
where they will take on Florida
State and Virginia Tech in the
ACC/Big Ten Challenge.
The
Wolverines
have
experience playing against the
Hokies, defeating them, 3-1, in
the final game of last week’s USF
Wilson-Demarini tournament.
Despite the previous result,
though, Michigan has chosen to
downplay the victory, instead
focusing on how it can improve.
The game was the only one that
lasted the full seven innings, and
the Wolverines scored just three
runs, their lowest total in their
four wins.
As a result, Michigan coach
Carol Hutchins believes her team
must play better both offensively
and defensively this time around,
as it may once again face Hokies
right-handed
pitcher
Maggie
Tyler, their innings-eater and No.
1 starter.
“We were definitely getting
behind and swinging at her
pitches,” Hutchins said. “When
a pitcher is ahead, and they’re
smart, they won’t give you
something good to hit. So I think
we can command the zone better
and force (Tyler) to bring it in,
that will be our strategy.”
Some
Wolverines,
though,
believe
the
rematch
against
Virginia
Tech
will
prove
beneficial in preparing for games
later in the season when the
team will compete in three-game
series.
“If we do see that pitcher
again, a lot of us will have a
game plan in mind,” said senior
outfielder Olivia Richvalsky. “We
will definitely be taking what we
learned from the first game to get
ready for Big Ten.”
In
Michigan’s
other
two
games, it will face the Seminoles,
who it defeated twice last season.
The Wolverines will pay close
attention to Florida State’s two
Jessicas: infielder Jessica Warren,
who hit 19 home runs last year
and has seven RBI thus far, and
redshirt junior pitcher Jessica
Burroughs, who has a 1.65 ERA
on the season.
In last weekend’s tournament,
Michigan drew 22 walks, a
testament to the team’s emphasis
on patience at the plate.
“We
definitely
emphasize
commanding the zone, (taking)
what they give you,” Hutchins
said. “If they give you a meatball,
smack it. If they give you a ball,
take it, because walks are as good
as hits. We emphasize being on
base, anything you can do to be on
base (because) walks are equally
effective.”
While Driesenga is back and
injury-free, junior right-hander
Megan Betsa is still ailing. She
was
considered
questionable
before last week’s slate of games
but managed to pitch 10 innings
and strike out 20.
Hutchins believes Betsa will
play, but how much remains
unclear.
“She’s improving. I expect
she’ll
pitch
some
innings,”
Hutchins said. “How many will
be dictated by how she’s feeling.”
But with a healthy Driesenga
and a strong, patient offense,
Michigan will have a good chance
regardless of its ace’s health.
SOFTBALL
‘M’ hosts Penn State on Senior Day
By TED JANES
Daily Sports Writer
Sitting at No. 9 in the Big
Ten standings, the Michigan
women’s basketball team is still
on pace to avoid
the four-team
play-in
series
that kicks off
the
Big
Ten
Tournament.
But
as
Michigan
coach
Kim
Barnes
Arico
has
said
countless times
this
season,
anything
can
happen on any
given day, so
all is still up for
grabs in this
final stretch.
The Wolverines (7-8 Big Ten,
15-11 overall) have three games
left to solidify a spot in the
Big Ten’s top 10, and it starts
Saturday when they host Penn
State.
Michigan played the Lady
Lions (5-10, 10-16) back on Jan.
17, escaping Happy Valley with
its first win there since 2001.
The 15-year drought ended
when
three
of
Michigan’s
guards — sophomore Katelynn
Flaherty,
freshman
Boogie
Brozoski and senior Madison
Ristovski — combined to go
13-for-14 from the free-throw
line in the last minute of play.
Penn State remained in the
game down the stretch, but
Michigan was able to seal it from
the charity stripe.
“Anytime you get a win (at
Penn State)… well, it’s not an
easy place to win,” Barnes Arico
said after the game. “To come
away with a win is satisfying. We
led most of the game and really
made great runs, but they made
big baskets.”
In that game, Flaherty scored
a team-high 23 points to lead the
Wolverines to a 91-87 victory.
The midseason
game
was
a
huge
confidence
boost for the
Wolverines,
who
were
coming off a
narrow loss to
Maryland.
Oddly
enough,
Michigan
has
a similar script written this
weekend.
Having lost to No. 6 Maryland
on Wednesday by 20 points,
despite
leading
at
halftime,
Michigan has yet another chance
to bounce back after the Terrapins
halted its three-game win streak.
A
flight
delay
scrambled
the Wolverines’ travel plans,
landing them in Maryland at 3
a.m., much later than scheduled.
Barnes Arico commented after
the game that the delay and lack
of rest may
have
been
part
of
the
reason
the
Wolverines
“were
exhausted
in the fourth
quarter.”
This
weekend,
though,
Michigan
stays home and there are no
excuses.
Saturday’s game at Crisler
Center also marks the last
scheduled
home
game
for
Michigan’s
three
seniors
—
guards Madison Ristovski and
fifth-year Halle Wangler and
forward Kelsey Mitchell.
Wangler
does
not
make
regular appearances, but both
Mitchell
and
Ristovski
have
taken on larger roles as starters
this season, and their additions
have supported the Wolverines
at crucial times. Ristovski (6.7
points per game, 3.4 assists, 2.6
rebounds) and Mitchell (7.2 points
per game, 4.8 rebounds) have both
been consistent in boosting an
underclassmen-heavy team.
While Michigan could return
to Crisler in the postseason for
the WNIT, the seniors have been
nostalgic about their last run
since early in the campaign.
“It’s very weird that I’m
already a senior,” Ristovski
said on the team’s media day
in October. “I feel like the last
three years have gone by so
quickly.”
Ristovski’s
career
has
seen many ups and downs,
highlighted
by
an
NCAA
Tournament
appearance
her
freshman year and a deep run to
the WNIT semifinals last year.
NCAA Tournament chances
are waning, and making a run
in Big Ten Tournament is the
team’s best hope.
Another win against Penn
State this weekend can put the
Wolverines in a position to do
just that.
Penn State
at Michigan
Matchup:
Penn State
10-16;
Michigan
15-11
When:
Saturday
12 P.M.
Where: Crisler
Center
TV/Radio:
BTN
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Senior forward Kelsey Mitchell could be playing her last game at Crisler Center against Penn State on Saturday.
“I feel like the
last three years
have gone by
so quickly.”