Wolverines fueled by youth movement

After losing top goal 
scorers from 2015, 
‘M’ enjoying early-

season success

By ORION SANG 

Daily Sports Writer

At 
first 
glance, 
the 

10th-ranked team in the nation 
beating the first-ranked team 
doesn’t seem like much of an 
upset.

But when you consider just 

who the Michigan field hockey 
lost to graduation, its 1-0 victory 
over then-No. 1 North Carolina 
is much more impressive.

Michigan (4-1), now ranked 

eighth in the nation, graduated 
not only both of last season’s 
leading goal scorers in All-
American center back Lauren 
Thomas and forward Shannon 
Scavelli, but also its entire 
backfield — a trio that had 
played together through the 
seasons 
and 
represented 
a 

wealth of experience.

“It’s always hard losing your 

seniors,” said Michigan coach 
Marcia Pankratz. “We had a 
first team All-American that 
we lost. The biggest thing was 
our backfield had three players 
that played together all the 
time and were 
a really solid 
unit, and we 
lost all of them 
at 
the 
same 

time. So there 
were a lot of 
shoes to fill in 
the 
backfield 

experience-
wise.”

Despite 

the 
shortage 

of returning players, though, 
Michigan has clearly coped 
well: In addition to the win over 
the Tar Heels, the Wolverines 

tallied a 2-1 victory over then-
No. 11 Stanford, as well.

Just how has Michigan gotten 

off 
to 
such 

a 
scorching 

start?

The answer 

lies 
in 
the 

development 
of 
the 

freshman 
class. 
It’s 

cliche, but it’s 
hard to argue. 
And there may 
be no better 

example than Bree Bednarski.

The freshman forward has 

serious speed — the type that 
allows her to reach balls even 

her teammates think are headed 
out of bounds.

But to Pankratz, Bednarski’s 

ability to transition quickly to 
the collegiate level has been an 
equally impressive aspect of her 
game.

It’s a trait that — perhaps 

unlike Bednarski’s speed — is 
shared by all six freshmen on 
the team.

“We did throw (the freshmen) 

in the deep end of the pool 
pretty quickly but so far, so 
good,” Pankratz said. “They’re 
really rising to the challenge, 
training super hard and learning 
every day, so we’ve been really 
pleased.”

Added junior midfielder Katie 

Trombetta: “When we get on the 
field, (the underclassmen) are 
really performing and coming 
into their own, 
so you forget 
that 
they’re 

freshmen 
or 

sophomores. 
I 
rely 
on 

someone 
like 

Bree, 
who’s 

a 
freshman, 

just as much 
as I rely on 
(redshirt 
junior 
forward) Carly (Bennett).”

There’s a clear lack of a 

“class division” with this year’s 
team, which Trombetta says is 

evidence of an evolution in team 
culture over the past couple 
years.

“Where we 

are now (from) 
my freshman 
year, 
the 

dynamics have 
changed 
and 

that’s 
why 

we’ve done so 
much 
better 

since 
then,” 

Trombetta 
said. 
“Just 

the 
level 
of 

community 
and 
equalness, 

not separating by class, really 
being a real team that just 
plays together and works hard 

together.”

With this year’s team, the 

upperclassmen say they don’t 
think 
of 
the 
freshmen 
or 

sophomores in terms of on-field 
experience — they’re simply 
“younger friends,” as Trombetta 
puts it, who are eager to learn 
the ropes.

It may sound idealized, but 

the Wolverines say everyone 
simply gets along, and that’s 
what has allowed Michigan’s 
freshmen to adapt so quickly 
and successfully.

With the Wolverines meshed 

together as a more cohesive unit, 
they’re able to compete with the 
nation’s best despite their youth.

“A couple of our teammates 

from 
last 
year 
have 
come 

back and watched (us play),” 
Trombetta said. “The biggest 
thing they say is that there’s no 
one superstar, and we really do 
play as one big team that passes. 
Everyone is getting subbed in, 
everyone’s getting cycled in, 
everyone knows what their job 
is. It’s very much one big team 
that plays together the entire 
time.”

RYAN MCLAUGHLIN/Daily

The Michigan field hockey team has had surprising success in replacing nearly half its scoring from a year ago and is off to a 4-1 start to the season.

BY THE NUMBERS
No. 8 Michigan field hockey team

46.43%

Percentage of goals scored last season by 

players no longer on the roster.

10

Number of departed players from 2015

7

Number of goals scored by underclassmen 

this season in five games

17

Number of seasons coached by Michigan 

coach Marcia Pankratz

“The biggest 

thing they say is 
that there’s no 
one superstar.”

“There were 
a lot of shoes 
to fill in the 
backfield.” 

8A — Wednesday, September 14, 2016
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Bunting, Wanglers try hands at apparel

Former QB enlists 
current players to 
work on “Valiant”

By MAX BULTMAN 

Managing Sports Editor

Normally, when a Michigan 

football player walks around 
Ann Arbor, it’s other students 
doing double takes.

But a couple weeks ago, red-

shirt sophomore tight end Ian 
Bunting was the one playing 
paparazzi when he saw another 
student walking around in a hat 
he recognized.

“I kind of snuck behind 

them,” Bunting said, “and took 
a picture of it and sent it to Mr. 
Wangler.”

Since this past summer, Bun-

ting has been working with 

John, Jared and Jack Wangler 
on a new apparel line called 
“Valiant.” Bunting said the elder 
Wangler — of Wangler-to-Cart-
er fame — brought the idea to 
his sons and Bunting. Together, 
they started up 
a side enter-
prise.

Now, 
the 

fruits of that 
labor are for 
sale in the M 
Den. 
Valiant 

hats, 
visors 

and shirts sell 
in 
the 
same 

store as Michi-
gan’s 
“Jump-

man” apparel.

And according to the M Den’s 

Rose Balzer, the Valiant gear is 
selling better than you might 
think.

“People are absolutely eating 

it up,” Balzer said. “They love 

it almost as much as the Nike 
stuff.”

The differences are subtle. 

Balzer 
noted 
the 
women’s 

apparel having three-quarter-
length sleeved shirts, V-cut 

necklines 
and 
hoods, 

and while the 
Nike apparel 
is sleek and 
clearly 
well-

liked, 
Bal-

zer says the 
Valiant 
gear 

offers 
slight 

variations 
that go a long 
way.

“A little different niche, just 

a little bit,” Bunting said of the 
Valiant apparel. “We love the 
Jordan stuff, too, though.

“It’s just sort of like a little bit 

of a different target audience.”

For Bunting, even the meet-

ings have been fun. Tuesday, 
he recalled flying out to New 
Jersey for a meeting with a part 
owner that was supposed to be 
quick — 45 minutes to an hour.

Instead, “We ended up being 

in there for like five hours, just 
bouncing ideas off each other,” 
Bunting said. “It was sweet. 
Really got the ball rolling.”

Bunting said the players went 

through the school’s compliance 
department and received clear-
ance to work with the company 
— “It took a little while, but we 
got it figured out,” he said — and 
that Mr. Wangler had secured 
the licensing to use the block ‘M’ 
on its apparel.

For now, Valiant’s identity is 

tied inseparably to the Michigan 
brand. Its name comes from the 
Wolverines’ fight song, and Bun-
ting and the Wanglers are all 
Wolverines. But soon, the com-
pany could take on an identity 

of its own. Bunting is interested 
in the prospect of selling street 
fashion, too, as well as the other 
design and business aspects he 
presently enjoys.

And for now, he has a measure 

of exclusivity. Wearing a Valiant 
hat after practice Tuesday, a 

reporter asked him how much it 
retailed for. He responded that 
the particular hat, with a wide, 
maize block “V,” wasn’t for sale 
yet.

Moments later, though, Bun-

ting reassured: “I’m sure even-
tually we’ll sell this one.”

GRANT HARDY/Daily

Redshirt sophomore tight end Ian Bunting (right) is involved in a new apparel company called “Valiant,” along with John, Jared and Jack Wangler.

MAX BULTMAN/Daily

The M Den sells Valiant apparel at its State Street location.

“They love it 

almost as much 

as the Nike 

stuff.”

