The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
SportsMonday
October 24, 2016 — 3B

‘M’ falls to Buckeyes in 2OT

After 109 scoreless minutes 

marred 
by 
physicality 
from 

the onset, the Michigan men’s 
soccer team 
strived for 
a 
miracle 

goal 
or 

at least a draw against visiting 
Ohio State (3-3-1 Big Ten, 5-10-1 
overall) Friday night.

But with just 23 seconds left 

in the second overtime, Buckeye 
midfielder Ben Fitzpatrick tapped 
the ball from the top of the box to 
forward Nate Kohl on the right 
flank, whose right bender evaded 
the outstretched arms of diving 
Wolverines goalie Evan Louro. 
The ball finished in the lower-left 
corner of the net for the only goal 
of the game, ending Michigan’s 
bid to escape with a tie and one 
point in the process.

“We fought really hard from 

minute one, and it was just super 
unlucky at the end to concede a 
late goal after pushing numbers 
forward,” said senior center back 
Lars Eckenrode. “We had to get 
something out of the game, and 
unfortunately we got caught on 
the break late, but I thought the 
guys gave everything they could, 
and that’s all we can ask.

“It’s a really tough pill to 

swallow. We needed to win this 
game — we didn’t come out with 
any sort of points — so this is 
really a tough one, one of the 
toughest losses I’ve had to deal 
with in my four years here.”

Though a 1-0 result for a 

Wolverines team (1-5-1, 2-9-4) 
desperate for a win to rise in 
the conference standings was 
unfavorable, another chapter of 
the rivalry dramatically closed.

The chippy game featured 

counterattacks by both offenses, 
flying bodies on seemingly every 
attack and a combined 34 fouls. 

The officials issued four yellow 
cards – one in the first half to Ohio 
State defender Tyler Kidwell and 
three in the first sudden-death 
period. 
Michigan 
midfielders 

Tyler Anderson and Ivo Cerda 
each drew one, as did Buckeye 
midfielder Abdi Mohamed.

The pushing, shoving and 

other “extracurricular activity” 
from the opening kickoff was 
expectedly 
intensified 
for 
a 

typical 
Michigan-Ohio 
State 

showdown.

“It’s always going to be a 

physical 
game 
against 
Ohio 

State,” Eckenrode said. “There’s 
a little bit of tension between 
the two of us, that goes without 
saying. The Big Ten is a very 
physical conference … but today 
was a little bit more than normal. 
… I think it just adds to the 
excitement 
and 

to some of the fire 
that comes into 
this rivalry.”

Both 
teams 

tried to outmatch 
each 
other 

with 
speed, 

attempting long 
balls down the 
flanks 
which 

were 
easily 

swallowed up by 
the impenetrable defenses. After 
45 minutes, each collected four 
shots, none on goal.

In the 60th minute, the action 

picked up quickly on both sides 
of the field and continued as such 
for the remainder of the game. 
The Wolverines had two scoring 
chances in a one-minute span: a 
pass from senior defender Rylee 
Woods found freshman forward 
Jack Hallahan in the box only 
to finish high of the goal, and 
a ball placed into the box by 
junior defenseman Billy Stevens 
was headed wide left by Woods. 
The missteps led to a Buckeye 
opportunity on the counterattack, 

but 
Louro’s 
impressive 
stop 

preserved the stalemate.

Sophomore forward Francis 

Atuahene and Hallahan, noted 
for their speed and agility, 
were subdued by two or three 
swarming defenders each time 
they touched the ball. The 
attacking duo pieced together a 
combined nine shots yet totaled 
only one on goal.

However, Michigan pressed 

on, but were unable to capitalize, 
specifically inside the box. The 
biggest threat came with 2:30 
left in the second overtime 
when Hallahan stepped over the 
ball, spun around an Ohio State 
defender and shot the ball right 
over the crossbar from close 
range.

“We certainly went for it in 

the second overtime to try to 

find a way,” said 
Michigan coach 
Chaka 
Daley. 

“Unfortunately, 
we didn’t find 
it. We had our 
chances without 
question, 
a 

number 
of 

quality chances, 
a 
number 
of 

opportunities in 
and around the 

18, (that were) drastically in our 
favor and we didn’t take them.”

Daley 
characterized 
the 

result 
as 
“an 
unfortunately 

broken record” — another game 
that saw the Wolverines play 
hard throughout but come up 
short. Though they will be no 
consolation for the devastating 
loss, the final two regular-season 
games, both at home, serve as 
additional tests for the team to 
bounce back.

“It’s certainly unfortunate,” 

Daley said. “But we, as a group, 
have to continue to fight and 
compete and see how things go 
the rest of the way.”

Michigan no longer unbeaten at home

It was senior night, the last 

home game of the regular season 
for the Michigan women’s soccer 
team, 
and 

just 
90 

minutes 
against 
fierce rival Ohio State separated 
it from finishing the season 
undefeated 
at 
U-M 
Soccer 

Stadium. But by the time the final 
whistle blew, the Wolverines 
either lay on the turf devastated 
or held their hands to their heads 
in disbelief as the Buckeyes 
celebrated a 2-1 win courtesy of a 
stellar performance from forward 
Nichelle Prince.

“Anyone watching the game 

would’ve said Michigan were 
the better team,” said Michigan 
coach Greg Ryan. “They only 
had one chance in the first half, 
and one in the second that they 
put away.”

Despite missing star senior 

forward Nicky Waldeck, The 
Wolverines (5-3-2 Big Ten, 9-4-3 
overall) did in fact play some 
of their finest soccer all year. 
Playing a 4-1-4-1 formation, they 
stifled the Buckeyes’ midfield and 
played most of the game in Ohio 
State’s half.

Michigan 
created 
many 

chances, ending the game with 15 
shots. But for all their creativity, 
the 
Wolverine 
attacks 
were 

continually thwarted by Buckeyes 
keeper Devon Kerr, who ended 
the game with five saves.

“You gotta give their keeper 

credit,” Ryan said. “She made 
some fantastic saves, came off her 
line well and had a great night.”

For all the chances Michigan 

created, it managed to beat Kerr 
only once. Thirty-one minutes 
into the game, Martin, who 
was playing as a lone forward in 
Waldeck’s absence, turned and 
lost her defender just outside of 
the box to give herself time and 
space to shoot. Kerr was forced 

into a diving save but spilled 
the ball into the box, where 
sophomore 
midfielder 
Abby 

Kastroll pounced on the loose ball 
to tap it in and tie the game at one 
goal apiece.

For 
all 
the 
Wolverines’ 

dominance on the ball, Ohio State 
was content to counterattack 
and boot the ball up-field to the 
only player on the turf who had a 
better night than Kerr: Prince.

With every touch of the ball, 

every drop of the shoulder 
and every shot, Prince caused 
problems for the Michigan 
backline.

Charged with leading the 

defense against the Buckeyes’ 
counterattacks, senior defender 
Anna Soccorsi knew firsthand 
just how tough it was to stop 
Prince.

“(Prince) is just a great player 

overall,” Soccorsi said. “She made 
us work hard all night just to keep 
up with her.”

Prince marked herself as the 

player to watch just five minutes 
into the game in what was Ohio 
State’s first attack of the night. 
After neatly controlling a long 
ball, she kept the ball away from 
three Wolverine defenders and 
waited for support from her team.

With players making runs 

on her left and right to stretch 
the Michigan backline, Prince 
ran at Soccorsi and freshman 
defender Jada Dayne. Getting 
to the edge of the box, she took 
a shot that, though blocked by 
the two center backs, fell on the 
right side of the box in the path of 
forward Sammy Edwards who, 
unguarded, rifled a shot across 
goal into the side netting.

The Wolverines dominated 

what was left of the first half and 
were able to equalize courtesy of 
Kastroll’s goal.

With 
all 
the 
momentum, 

Michigan looked as though it was 
going to take over the game. But 
in what seemed like deja vu, Ohio 
State scored another early goal to 
start the second half, leaving the 

Wolverines trailing once again.

Prince grabbed a goal for 

herself just seven minutes into 
the half. After getting down the 
right wing, she sent a teasing 
low cross into the Michigan box. 
Soccorsi managed to get it out, 
but only as far as Prince, who 
sent a left-footed curler from 
the right side of the box toward 
goal. Goalkeeper Sarah Jackson 
managed to get a hand to it, but 
the power in the shot saw it end 
up in the top left corner of the net.

“(Prince) is a handful for 

everyone,” Ryan said. “She’s a 
fantastic striker, she’s even on 
Canada’s national teams. She’s 
been a handful for four years, and 
tonight she showed the quality 
she has.”

The Wolverines spent the rest 

of the half trying to find their 
way through a stubborn Buckeye 
defense that looked content to 
sit back, soak up pressure and 
play long balls to Prince, hitting 
Michigan on the counter.

Then, with just seven minutes 

left in the game, Prince found 
herself with space outside the 
box, roughly 25 yards from goal. 
She pulled the trigger, attempting 
to curl the ball over and around 
the keeper. Jackson remained 
static and looked to have been 
beaten as the ball sailed over her 
and crashed against the crossbar.

By that point the Wolverines 

had run of ideas, and whatever 
momentum they had seemed 
to have been lost as Ohio State 
comfortably saw out the rest of 
the game.

With two players on top of 

their game at either end of the 
field, the Buckeyes stole three 
points from under the noses of a 
Michigan team that visibly played 
its heart out on senior night.

“You can’t fault the intensity of 

the girls out there tonight,” Ryan 
said. “I thought it was some of the 
best soccer we played all year in 
terms of passing and connecting 
between the girls and playing 
through Ohio State.”

BEN KATZ
For the Daily

OHIO STATE
MICHIGAN 

1
0

“We fought 
really hard 
from minute 

one.”

Ohio State scores with 23 seconds left to top Wolverines 

MEN’S SOCCER
WOMEN’S SOCCER

FAHD AHSAN
Daily Sports Writer

OHIO STATE
MICHIGAN 

 2

1

Wolverines tie Michigan Tech, win shootout

It was more of the same for 

the 
Michigan 
hockey 
team 

on Saturday. After losing the 
possession 
battle 
and 
being 

outshot 45-18, the Wolverines 
came roaring back on Michigan 
Tech, but ultimately had to settle 
for a tie, 3-3.

In 
the 
resulting 
shootout 

that will not count toward 
their record, though, Michigan 
prevailed, 2-1.

The deciding shootout goal 

came from freshman forward 
Jake Slaker, who fired a low 
shot to beat Huskies goalie 
Matt Wintjes on Wintjes’ glove 
side. On the ensuing Michigan 
Tech try, Michigan freshman 
goaltender Jack LaFontaine came 
up clutch with a kick save to send 
the Huskies packing. But the 
shootout win didn’t mean that 
Michigan doesn’t have plenty of 
places to improve.

“Michigan Tech was better 

than us on the game,” said 
Michigan coach Red Berenson. 

“I thought they were better with 
the puck, better without the puck, 
and I thought Jack LaFontaine 
kept us in the game. And then, a 
couple of good individual efforts 
salvaged the tie.”

After trailing late in the game, 

the Wolverines were able to even 
the score with 4:10 remaining. 
Junior forward Tony Calderone 
brought the puck up the left 
side into Michigan Tech’s zone. 
Calderone then left the puck out 
front of the net for freshman 
forward Nick Pastujov, whose 
shot was blocked. Junior Cutler 
Martin promptly finished off 
the loose puck, though, tying the 
game at three.

The game would eventually 

go to overtime, where there 
were multiple close calls, but 
LaFontaine stood tall in net, 
fighting 
off 
the 
onslaught 

of shots from the Huskies’ 
attackers.

“My number one thing is just 

to compete,” LaFontaine said. 
“Being in a situation like that, 
you’re tired — your legs are just a 
little bit heavier than they were 

in the first (period). So you’ve 
got to keep on competing. Good 
things 
happen 
when 
you’re 

working hard, and I think that 
showed today.”

Michigan’s first goal came 

in an area in which it struggled 
Friday: the power play. After 
freshman 
forward 
Will 

Lockwood drew an interference 
penalty from a Michigan Tech 
defender with a slick deke, the 
Wolverines found themselves 
with their first-man-advantage 
opportunity of the night.

Junior 
defenseman 
Sam 

Piazza fired a shot from the point 
that rebounded off Wintjes. 
Freshman forward Jake Slaker 
found the puck in traffic and 
dished it to Lockwood on the 
backhand, 
and 
Lockwood 

deposited it in the back of the 
net, putting Michigan up, 1-0.

Then, after Michigan Tech 

tied the game at one, senior 
forward Alex Kile got on the 
scoreboard. After winning a 
loose puck in the corner, Kile 
eluded a Huskies defenseman, 
fell to his knees and still 

managed to slide the puck into 
the net on the backhand.

The Wolverines held a 2-1 

lead entering the third period, 
but once again, they couldn’t 
keep the lead, giving up two 
goals in the final period before 
ultimately answering back.

“We’ve been leading into the 

third period three or four times 
this year, and we’ve blown it 
every time,” Kile said. “So we 
need to crack down defensively 
and make sure that doesn’t 
happen anymore.”

Michigan will now travel to 

the East Coast next weekend, 
where it will face Vermont and 
Dartmouth. But the Wolverines 
will start having to play better if 
they want to keep up their early-
season success.

“We have to get better,” 

Berenson said. “It’s not just 
because we’re young. We’re a 
different team than we were 
last year. I like the fact that our 
goalies are playing well. I like 
the fact that our young players 
are getting experience, but our 
team has to be better.”

Michigan relies on 
goaltending early

Saturday, the 11th-ranked 

Michigan hockey team was 
outshot, 
45-18. 
The 
night 

before, it was outshot, 34-27. 
In fact, the Wolverines have 
been outshot in every game this 
season.

And yet, they’ve only lost one 

of five games this year.

This 
weekend, 
Michigan 

(3-1-1) managed to scrounge 
up a tie against Michigan Tech 
after Saturday’s game despite 
holding 
the 
lead 
heading 

into the third 
period. 
The 

Wolverines 
were 
consistently 
outplayed and 
outshot, 
and 

they had barely 
scraped by the 
Huskies 
on 

Friday 
night 

for a 4-3 win. 
But their luck 
appeared to run out as they lost 
their lead in Saturday’s game, 
settling for a tie.

“I just feel we have to play 

better,” said Michigan coach 
Red Berenson. “I know it was 
a busy weekend and there was 
a lot going on, but nevertheless 
our team has to be a better 
team. I like the fact that our 
goalies are playing well. I like 
the fact that our young guys 
are getting experience, but our 
team has to be better.”

With 
a 
tendency 
to 
be 

outshot — and sometimes by a 
lot — Michigan’s goaltenders 
have had to keep the team 
afloat.

Freshman goaltender Jack 

LaFontaine was in front of the 
net during the second match 
up against Michigan Tech and 
racked up 42 saves. And after 
a 28-save game in his debut 
last weekend against Ferris 
State, where the Wolverines 

registered a 2-1 win over the 
Bulldogs, 
LaFontaine 
has 

proved he can be reliable in 
front of the net.

Friday 
night, 
freshman 

goaltender 
Hayden 
Lavigne 

showed that he was capable of 
a solid performance as well, 
recording his second win of the 
season and tallying 31 saves. 
His first win was a 29-shot save 
shutout against Union, and 
despite giving up three goals in 
Friday’s win, he continued to 
play well.

Even senior goaltender Zach 

Nagelvoort, who shouldered 

the team’s only 
loss (4-3 at the 
hands of Union) 
looked solid in 
front of the net. 
Regardless 
of 

the loss, he came 
away 
with 
36 

saves out of 40 
shots.

It’s clear that 

the goaltenders 
are capable of 

fending 
off 
large 
numbers 

of 
shots, 
but 
the 
27-shot 

deficit Michigan racked up 
on Saturday night still isn’t 
promising. 
Being 
outshot 

has become a trend for the 
Wolverines, and it’s one that 
the goaltenders are seeing a 
lot of. And while Michigan’s 
goaltenders 
have 
played 

well thus far, allowing the 
opposition to have 40 plus shots 
on goal usually isn’t a recipe for 
prolonged success.

And the Wolverines know 

that.

“There’s going to be games 

where a goalie will steal you the 
game,” Berenson said. “Maybe 
(LaFontaine) stole us a game 
at Ferris and so on, and maybe 
(Lavigne) stole us a game last 
night, when we were outshot, 
outplayed and out chanced. We 
have some talent in our locker 
room, but I don’t think we’re 
playing up to our talent yet.”

LANEY BYLER
Daily Sports Writer

“I don’t think 
we’re playing 

up to our 
talent yet.”

ICE HOCKEY

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

The Michigan hockey team tied Michigan Tech, 3-3, on Saturday. Though the Wolverines won the shootout, the result is officially a tie game.

MIKE PERSAK
Daily Sports Writer

