Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Friday, October 21, 2016 — 7A
Wolverines face in-state rival Michigan Tech
It’s time for Tech week for
the No. 11 Michigan hockey
team, and not the theater kind.
This weekend is the Wolverines’
yearly matchup against Michigan
Tech, which they beat 4-2 last
season at Joe Louis Arena in
the Great Lakes Invitational
Championship.
For
Michigan
coach
Red
Berenson, these games have
become a reunion with longtime
friend Mel Pearson, who coaches
the Huskies. Pearson worked as
an assistant for Berenson from
1988 — Berenson’s fifth season
— until 2011 before taking over
for the Huskies. Once Pearson
left the Wolverines, Berenson
has kept a close eye on his
former assistant.
“Mel
is
nearly
one
of
my
sons,”
Berenson
said.
“Obviously I expected he would
turn
that
program
around
… I think he’s trying to build
another Michigan.”
Since his arrival in Houghton,
Pearson has earned two WCHA
Coach of the Year awards, and
last season, he led Michigan Tech
to its first WCHA regular-season
championship since 1975. It was
no small feat, as Pearson took a
team that won just four games
and finished 12th in conference
play the year before he arrived,
to the conference championship.
Now with Pearson in his
sixth season, the Huskies have
struggled in their first few games,
sporting a 1-4-1 record. Michigan
Tech’s offense is anchored by
two seniors: defenseman Shane
Hanna and forward Reid Sturos.
Both Hanna and Sturos have
netted two goals this season
and Hanna ranks third in the
country in blocked shots with
14. Michigan Tech’s power play,
though, needs improvement, as
the Huskies have converted just
six of their 34 opportunities.
For Michigan (2-1), it’s a
completely
different
story.
Through two games, it mounted
only one power-play goal in six
attempts. Then, in Saturday
night’s
2-1
victory
against
Ferris State, the Wolverines
scored on two of their five
chances. Freshman center Jake
Slaker netted one of the two
goals — the first of his career.
Through three games, Slaker
has found his place on the first
line, growing more and more
comfortable with the puck as
he leads the Wolverines in shots
with 11. Slaker’s performance
in last week’s game earned
him First Star
recognition from
the Big Ten.
“He played an
extra year in the
(United
States
Hockey League)
and I think he’s
a
little
more
mature
than
a player who’s
coming in as a
true freshman,”
Berenson said. “He’s got a leg up
in that area. “He’s a good two-
way player, and right now, he’s
off to a pretty good start.”
Added Slaker: “Of course we
want to play on the offensive
side of the puck,
but we have to
take care of the
defensive
zone
first,
because
that’s the most
important
zone
and that’s where
you
start
to
create offense.”
Success
on
the power play
certainly helped
the Wolverines, but they also
received
invaluable
support
from
freshman
goaltender
Jack LaFontaine in the crease.
LaFontaine saved 28 shots and
allowed only one goal, while Ferris
State was on the power play.
“It gives us a lot of confidence,”
Slaker said. “If it wasn’t for him,
we maybe wouldn’t have the
same outcome in that game.
When
you
have
the
goalie
making saves, it makes your job
a lot easier up front.”
It is currently a mystery who
Michigan will be starting in
the net this weekend, though
LaFontaine
demonstrated
he is more than capable. The
Wolverines
could
also
start
freshman Hayden Lavigne —
who earned his first career
shutout against Union — or
senior Zach Nagelvoort, who,
despite allowing four goals two
weeks ago, notched 36 saves.
Senior Max Shuart is another
center who has played well this
season, dishing out a team-high
three assists and holding a +2 plus/
minus, which ranks second on the
team. After playing on a line with
freshman forward James Sanchez
and fellow senior forward Evan
Allen for the Wolverines’ first
three games, Shuart practiced
with Allen and junior left wing
Dexter Dancs this week — his
grouping from last season.
“It’s nice to play with guys
you’ve had some chemistry with
previously,” Shuart said. “Dexter,
Evan and I work pretty well
together, so hopefully we’ll pick
up tomorrow right where we left
off and have a good weekend.
“It’s nice to know where
they’re going to be on the ice. If
we know each other’s games, we
can work well together off that.”
Though
the
CCHA
no
longer exists, the yearly games
between
Michigan
and
the
Huskies still have meaning for
the two in-state rivals. This
upcoming weekend will be the
222nd and 223rd times the two
have faced off. The last time the
two squads played at Yost Ice
Arena, the Wolverines came out
with a 2-1 victory.
And for the first time in three
years, the teams return once again
to Ann Arbor, on homecoming
weekend nonetheless.
“We know the atmosphere
is going to be there, and we
definitely have to start with
Friday night and hope to get the
big ‘W,’ ” Slaker said. “We’re very
excited about it. Us freshmen are
super excited to have our first
(home) game against an intra-
state squad.”
Old friends Red Berenson, Mel Pearson reunite as Huskies visit Yost Ice Arena for two-game series starting Friday night
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Freshman forward Jake Slaker has settled onto the first line for Michigan alongside senior forward Alex Kile and freshman forward Will Lockwood.
AVI SHOLKOFF
Daily Sports Writer
“Mel is
nearly one of
my sons.”
Michigan Ultras remain supportive
It’s a cold Wednesday night
at
U-M
Soccer
Stadium.
A
steady rain streams down and
will continue to do so all night.
It’s the kind of night that leads
most students to huddle in their
dorms or in the library. But from
the stands in the middle of the
field streams the distinctly loud
beating of a drum.
The drum, perhaps more aptly
identifiable as a glorified paint
bucket, serves as a rallying cry
for the nearly 100 voices that
will continue to drown out any
ill effects that the raw weather
might bring. The bucket would
later crack — hardly out of the
ordinary — only to be used until
the tattered remnants cease to
produce the coveted noise.
“We love you, we love you,
we love you,” chants the group
in unison. “Where you go we’ll
follow, we’ll follow, we’ll follow,
because we support the victors,
the victors, the victors, and that’s
the way we like it.”
And follow they do.
They’re not just here for
this game against Detroit —
Michigan’s first victory of the
season. They will be back for the
women’s game against Rutgers
the next day. And for the men’s
game against Penn State just
days later. And for each game
after, cheering with the same
unbridled passion as ever.
The
group
of
supporters,
known as the Michigan Ultras,
was started in 2010 with the
intention of unifying students
at
Michigan
who
love
the
Wolverines’ soccer program. The
now 1,000-plus students who are
members of the group have sets
of cheers, rituals and traditions
with the goal of supporting both
Michigan soccer teams, and
occasionally antagonizing their
opponents.
“Really it’s just a group of
people who love soccer and love
Michigan, and love to bring the
best environment to the games
as possible,” said junior Jack
Googasion, the president of the
Ultras, on Oct. 8. “It’s really clear
to see that when we bring our best,
the team responds equitably.”
They may not get the fame of
the football student section or
have the name recognition of the
Maize Rage, but the Michigan
Ultras
believe
they
have
as
much passion as
anyone.
“It’s a more
intimate
group
of
people,
but
its a passionate
group of people
who just want to
see the team do
well,” Googasian
said.
It’s
that
passion that leads to making a
sign with a baby picture of one of
the opposing players, only to be
coupled with a chant of, “This is
a face only a mother could love.”
The same passion compels
them to create a sign depicting
senior midfielder James Murphy
as LeBron “King” James.
And it’s that passion that
leads
even
the
most
even-
keeled members to spend hours
researching the opposing teams
as if preparing
for
an
exam,
looking for any
minute
detail
that can be used
as
ammunition,
often toeing the
fine line between
rowdiness
and
vulgarity.
“Our favorite
thing to do is look
up their Twitter
information
if
it’s not private, or —” Googasian
said, suddenly glowing with
excitement, “what’s really funny
is if we can get their Tinder
profiles.”
And when the Ultras invariably
cross that line, they know event
staff will remind them “that
there are little children around”
and they need to tone it down.
Throughout the men’s soccer
season
largely
marred
by
frustration, as the Wolverines
are now 2-8-4, the support has
remained steadfast.
After a recent loss to No. 2
Notre Dame that sent Michigan
to 2-7-1, the entire team walked
over to the Ultras and sang “The
Victors” together as a show of
appreciation.
“We’re having quite a difficult
season so far,” said senior
captain Lars Eckenrode. “But
to see them sticking it out 10
minutes after the game was
over, those are the little things
you need to pick you up after
you’re crushed about a defeat.
These guys care so much. (Their
support) is massive.”
Student section’s fandom, chants stay strong despite rough season for men’s team
MAX MARCOVITCH
For the Daily
“When we bring
our best, the
team responds
equitably.”
WOMEN’S BASKETBALL
Wolverines’ first commit
faces high expectations
It takes a special talent to
be recognized by a Division
I program as a freshman in
high school. For that freshman
to make a commitment to an
NCAA tournament team is
even more impressive.
More than three long years
after she first pledged her
allegiance to the Wolverines,
freshman
guard
Akienreh
Johnson from Toledo, Ohio, is
finally starting her first season
for
the
Michigan
women’s
basketball team.
“I just want to help the team
out,” Johnson said. “I’ve been
committed here for a while and
each year I just (couldn’t) wait
to come out on the floor and
help the team out.”
While
finalizing
her
decision to come to Michigan
was a relief for Johnson, she
didn’t ease up at all on the
court. She made the All-City
first team three times (2013-15)
and flourished her junior year
as the Ohio Division II Player
of the Year (2015), but it took
some extra effort.
“Being
committed
before
my sophomore year made me a
target,” Johnson said. “So I was
a target for three years in high
school. And it’s hard because
most kids are mean. They try
and take you out. They try to
do whatever they can just to
beat you. ‘Oh she’s going to
Michigan? I have to go at her.’
That’s a harder target than just,
‘Oh she has 15 offers, she’s not
committed yet.’ ”
The increased adversity that
Johnson faced didn’t make her
determination to be a Wolverine
falter, though. In fact, she was
enthusiastic about convincing
other recruits to join her on a
future Michigan roster.
“It was kind of weird talking
to other recruits,” Johnson
said. “Because I’m like, ‘Well
you should come here! I came
here, I got it, you should get
it.’ … I’ve been committed here
longer than most of the juniors
here, so it just shows how much
I believe in this program.”
During the state playoffs
of her junior year, Johnson
averaged 14.5 points and 7.0
rebounds before suffering a
knee injury. She wasn’t able
to play a full season as a high
school
senior,
so
her
full
potential has yet to be realized.
This season will be a transition
for her — more so than the other
freshmen — because of the
overlap between her recovery
period and her senior season.
“Sometimes with some of
the younger kids, when you
change the speed and you
change the strength it takes
a little bit of time to adjust to
that,” said Michigan coach
Kim Barnes Arico. “So (for)
our freshmen, it takes time
to adjust to the speed and the
strength of the practices at
this level.”
Johnson’s early commitment
and the subsequent intensified
pressure
from
opponents
may
turn
into
her
secret
weapon. It proves that she’s
able to handle adversity and
adapt accordingly, which — if
the Wolverines are lucky —
will translate into an easier
adjustment to the faster-paced
collegiate level. If nothing else,
Johnson has had adequate time
to mentally prepare to play
for Michigan. And so far, her
excitement for the upcoming
season has not wavered.
“We all talk about our dreams
and our goal of winning,”
Johnson said. “This will be the
first year I’m not in the stands.
I’m actually playing. Playing
rather than watching is just 10
times better.”
Three-plus years after commitment,
Akienrieh Johnson finally ready to play
MAGGIE KOLCON
Daily Sports Writer
AMANDA ALLEN/Daily
The Michigan Ultras have delivered unwavering support of the Michigan soccer teams since 2010.