8A — Wednesday, October 26, 2016
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Barrage leads Wolverines past Oakland

In the final non-conference 

match of the season, Michigan’s 
offensive attack showed no 
mercy.

Following three consecutive 

scoreless 
outings, 
the 

Wolverines’ men’s soccer team 
(3-9-4) 
converted 
five 
times 

— its most 
since 2013 — against Oakland en 
route to a 5-1 victory Tuesday 
night at U-M soccer stadium.

The 
Wolverines’ 
goal 

bombardment 
was 
led 
by 

sophomore Francis Atuahene, 
who finished with two scores, 
including the game-winner: a 
conversion off of a deflected 
Marcello 
Borges 
shot 
that 

Atuahene keenly poked into the 
back of the net during the 47th 
minute. The second goal was a 
beauty, as the forward’s luminous 
yellow cleats launched a perfect 
blast from 20 yards that tucked 
just inside of the right post.

“When you’re a goal scorer, 

confidence is king,” said head 
coach Chaka Daley. “(Francis) 
scored one that was a little bit 
of a scrum, but the second was 
top-shelf.”

Atuahene 
added 
the 
10th 

and 11th goals of his sophomore 
campaign with the effort against 
Oakland — good for the team’s 
best in that category.

Senior 
forward 
Yamann 

Sahlool added two tallies of his 
own, the first of which came off 
of a penalty shot following a foul 
inside the box by an Oakland 
defender and the second via a 
header off of a set-piece from 
midfielder Tyler Anderson.

“We still want him to be a 

little bit more dangerous and in 
the box, and you noticed the two 
goals tonight were in the box,” 
Daley said. “And around the goal, 
he’s probably our best finisher.”

Michigan scored the game’s 

first goal thanks to a cross that 
evaded the Oakland defense 

and found its way to the foot 
of sophomore Robbie Mertz, 
who sent a ball passed the reach 
of Grizzlies’ goaltender Zach 
Walker for the Mertz’s third of 
the season. 

However, 

Oakland’s 
pressure 
eventually 
broke 
down 

the 
Wolverine 

defense, 
as 

a 
tilted 
shot 

total 
midway 

through 
the 

first half led to 
a 
score 
from 

Popovic Nebojsa 
in the 26th minute, knotting 
the game at one, the score with 
which the teams would enter the 
halftime locker room.

The flow of the game changed 

when a tongue-lashing by the 
Michigan coaches charged the 

team, according to Atuahene: 
“We had a lot of chances that 
we should’ve taken (in the first 
half). I get fired up when the 
coaches talk to us, scream at us — 
it pushes me up and gets the best 

out of me.”

This 

motivation 
allowed 
the 

Wolverines to 
score a total 
of four goals 
in the second 
half, turning 
a competitive 
match 
into 

a 
decisive 

victory. 

“In the second half, we didn’t 

keep the ball very well, but we 
were dangerous,” Daley said. 
“I rather have the second one, 
when we’re starving for goals 
and results. I think we showed 
Oakland a great deal of respect 

tonight. Certainly, the goals fell 
for us — we didn’t hit post, we 
didn’t miss our easy chances 
— we took our chances really 
well and scored two or three 
spectacular goals.”

Despite 
the 
success 
of 

Tuesday’s 
result 
and 
an 

upcoming 
game 
against 

Maryland 
this 
weekend, 

Michigan is locked into the 
eighth seed in the Big Ten 
Tournament 
and 
matchup 

against Rutgers for the right to 
play the top-ranked Terrapins 
the next day. But Daley remains 
optimistic in his team.

“We still believe in our group 

— very, very much.” Daley said. 
“We know it’s an uphill battle, 
but we still believe — based on the 
results and competitive nature 
of the guys, and the quality of 
their characters. We’re still 
going to be competitive until the 
end. It’s certainly not over.”

MARK CALCAGNO

For the Daily

CLAIRE MEINGAST/Daily

The Michigan men’s soccer team cruised to a 5-1 victory over Oakland on Tuesday at U-M Soccer Stadium.

“When you’re 
a goal scorer, 
confidence 

is king.”

The result of the game hardly 

mattered.

The Michigan men’s soccer 

team (3-9-4) had already sealed 
its spot in the play-in game 
for the Big Ten Tournament. 
No performance against non-
conference foe Oakland would 
change the heart-breaking results 
that have defined this season.

But Michigan coach Chaka 

Daley believes the Wolverines’ 
5-1 victory over the Grizzlies will 
serve as a building block. Possibly 
a building block for a potential 
cinderella run in the Big Ten 
Tournament, or maybe the first 
brick in a late-season offensive 
renaissance. Or perhaps it could 
serve at the start of a foundation 
for the future.

Between 
sophomore 

midfielder 
Robbie 
Mertz, 

sophomore 
forward 
Francis 

Atuahene, 
freshman 
forward 

Jack 
Hallahan 
and 
others, 

Michigan has largely been reliant 
on underclassmen to carry the 
offensive burden. All three have 
logged over 1,000 minutes on the 
season. And while that has led 
to growing pains throughout the 
fall — the Wolverines came into 
the match with just 11 goals in 15 
games — they may just be starting 
to reap the benefits of that young 
talent.

“We believe very much in 

Francis, Jack and Robbie,” Daley 
said. “Those guys are good, young 
players that are the future of 
Michigan soccer.”

Mertz looked dangerous all 

night, calmly weaving through 
defenders with crisp ball control, 
making pinpoint passes out wide 
and offering several chances on 
net. In the 20th minute, he found 
himself on the end of a cross into 
the box and deposited the ball 
through the keeper’s legs to open 

the scoring.

“I think we finally found a 

good spot for Robbie — in there 
centrally as a number 10 — and he 
does a great job for us connecting 
the game.”

Added Mertz, on his new role: 

“I played that all growing up, so I 
was hoping last year, and coming 
into this year, that would be 
something that I would get into in 
the future. They are starting to get 
more comfortable with me there, 
and I certainly like to play there. 
I have a lot of fun playing that 
position.”

Fellow 
underclassman 

Atuahene broke the 1-1 tie early in 
the second half, slotting home the 
goal after a shot deflected off the 
keeper. 

It was the combination of 

Mertz and Atuahene that led to 
the highlight of the night, as Mertz 
found Atuahene on the edge of the 
box. From there, Atuahene did the 
rest, whipping his leg through the 
ball and bending the strike over 
the keeper’s outstretched arms, 
and adding an exclamation point 
to the long-awaited offensive 
outbreak. 

“When you’re a goal-scorer, 

confidence is king,” Daley said. 
“(Francis) scored one, which 
was a little bit of a scrum, but the 
second goal is top-shelf. If we can 
get some confidence and get him 
going, get Jack going, get Robbie 
going, I don’t care who we play, to 
be honest.”

It’s that finishing talent that 

has been sorely lacking from the 
squad throughout the season. But 
the goal offered a glimpse into the 
team’s potential in the coming 
weeks and years. Young attacking 
talent abounds.

As the clocked ticked down 

Tuesday, 
the 
players 
joined 

together on the field, smiling ear 
to ear and exchanging handshakes 
and hugs. Try telling them the 
result didn’t matter.

MEN’S SOCCER
Michigan gets glimpse 
of the future in victory

MAX MARCOVITCH

Daily Sports Writer

OAKLAND
MICHIGAN 

1
5

Two weeks ago, it was Sam 

Piazza 
with 
four 
minutes 

left. Friday night, it was Will 
Lockwood with a minute to go. 
Saturday night, it was Cutler 
Martin taking advantage on the 
power play.

Those 
players 
stepped 
up 

when a battered and struggling 
Michigan hockey team needed 
their 
assistance. 
As 
the 

11th-ranked Wolverines head to 
the East Coast this weekend, they 
are hoping to avoid having the 
need for another lucky goal.

“(These goals are) luck,” said 

Michigan coach Red Berenson. 
“We’re not finishing games the 
way we need to finish.

“Getting a good start has been 

part of our history at Michigan. 
We’ve had the lead going into 
most of third periods (this 
season), maybe just about every 
one.”

In their first game of the 

season, the Wolverines blew a 
3-2 lead late in the third period 
and allowed Union to walk away 
with a come-from-behind victory, 
setting the tone for a recent 
stretch in which many games 
have been decided by one goal.

Junior forward Dexter Dancs 

notices the intensity shift in the 
arena atmosphere from the first 
to the third period. For him and 
his fellow Wolverines, though, 
they strive for the same approach 
throughout all three periods. 
Dancs 
will 
only 
occasionally 

look up at the scoreboard during 
games, but when he does, he seems 
to ignore it. He has a game to win, 
a backcheck to induce and a puck 
to control.

“You’re just playing and then 

they’re times when you’re in a 
tight game and it’s 15 minutes left 
in the game, and then you look up, 
and there’s three minutes left in 
the game and it’s still tight,” Dancs 
said.

“If it comes down to crunch 

time with five minutes left in the 
game … then yeah, it starts to get 
intense and really fun.”

For 
freshman 
goaltender 

Hayden Lavigne, who allowed 
a game-tying goal Friday night 

before Lockwood bailed him out 
with a minute left, these late-third-
period scores alter his approach. 
Rather than thinking of the final 
outcome for these few minutes, 
Lavigne assesses the opponent’s 
opportunities shot by shot. And in 
a season in which the Wolverines 
have struggled to clear the puck 
out of their own zone, Lavigne has 
faced his share of chances.

To prepare himself for these 

intense moments, Lavigne has 
developed techniques to relax 
himself in heightened moments 
when a single mishap could lead 
to a loss.

“You have to shake it off right 

away, because then the last three 
minutes of the game become that 
more important,” Lavigne said. 
“Instead of it being a tying goal, 
it becomes a losing goal. My key 
thing is just breathing deep. (It) 
calms down my whole body and 
my mind at the same time.”

Lavigne takes advantage of 

late-game stoppages to speak to 
his blueliners. They speak about 
strategy in their own zone and 
share tips on how to combat the 
opposition’s top scorers. These 

conversations are pivotal, because 
the Wolverines have had to adapt a 
more defensive-minded approach 
after the departure of nearly two-
thirds of its goals to graduation 
or the NHL. Even Berenson 
acknowledged his team lacks 
depth in certain areas this season.

While the goaltending has kept 

Michigan close late in games, 
Berenson believes the Wolverines 
must improve their shots against.

“We’ve been outshot in every 

game, particularly in the third 
period when we’ve had the lead,” 
Berenson said. “And the third 
period was one of our best periods 
last year.”

This weekend, Michigan plays 

Vermont, 
the 
seventh-ranked 

scoring team that averages four 
goals per game. Its most prolific 
period: the third, in which it has 
netted eight goals.

Should the Catamounts score 

a goal in the third period, Dancs 
might even enjoy the intense 
atmosphere, and Lavigne might 
resort to his breathing exercises.

Maybe, the Wolverines will 

need a late goal. They’ve shown 
they can get one.

‘M’ thriving in crunch time

AVI SHOLKOFF
Daily Sports Writer

CLAIRE ABDO/Daily

The Michigan hockey team has found a way to emerge from close games.

Five Things We Learned: Practice

Fans got their first glimpse of 

the 2016-17 Michigan basketball 
squad Tuesday at the team’s 
annual open practice and “selfie” 
night. 

Michigan coach John Beilein 

led several drills with his 16-man 
squad before holding a 20-minute 
5-on-5 
scrimmage. 
With 
the 

Wolverines’ exhibition against 
Armstrong State just over a week 
away, The Daily looks at five things 
we learned from Michigan’s open 
practice.

1. Everyone’s healthy
The Wolverines may be the 

healthiest they’ve been in recent 
years heading into a season. 
Injuries 
have 
hampered 
the 

Wolverines’ preseason progress in 
previous years, including last year 
when senior guard Zak Irvin and 
now-Purdue guard Spike Albrecht 
were both still recovering from off 

season surgeries.

Beilein coached all 16 of his 

players all night, with no one 
apparently limited by injuries. 
Maintaining that level of health 
will be essential as Michigan 
faces a difficult non-conference 
schedule.

2. Wagner a deep threat?
Sophomore 
forward 
Moritz 

Wagner’s decision to spend his 
summer in Ann Arbor developing 
his game looks like it will pay big 
dividends for the Wolverines. 
Wagner showed off to the Crisler 
faithful 
his 
much-improved 

perimeter shot from the start of 
practice. In Michigan’s first drill, 
a 3-on-2 fast break simulation, 
Wagner made himself open in the 
corner, and drained his first two 
3-point attempts. Wagner carried 
his shooting confidence into the 
scrimmage, where he made a 
couple outside shots as well. 

Expect Wagner to quickly 

surpass the mere 12 3-point 

attempts he took last year and force 
defenders into tough situations if 
he can carry his accuracy into the 
regular season.

3. Freshmen adapting
Freshman 
guard 
Xavier 

Simpson is expected to log big 
minutes for Michigan from the 
start, and he showed he has all 
the ability to live up to those 
expectations. 
Simpson 
wasn’t 

afraid to take on his taller, bulkier 
teammates at the practice, putting 
together a couple of strong drives 
to the hoop in the 20-minute 
scrimmage. 

Also impressive was freshman 

guard Ibi Watson. Like Simpson, 
Watson showed his aggression to 
get to the hoop and put together a 
couple fine plays doing so. Watson 
won’t feature in Beilein’s plans as 
prominently as Simspon, but from 
what he showed on Tuesday, he 
could offer the Wolverines more 
depth coming off the bench.

4. Robinson vs. Flaherty
Beilein kept labeling senior 

guard 
Duncan 
Robinson 
as 

“the best shooter in America” 
throughout Tuesday’s practice.

But he wasn’t even the best in 

Crisler Center that evening.

Robinson faced off with junior 

guard Katelynn Flaherty from the 
women’s team in a 3-point contest 
at the end of practice. Flaherty 
put massive pressure on her male 
counterpart 
after 
going 
first 

and putting on a nearly flawless 
performance, draining 21-of-25 
shots. After a couple early misses 
from the right elbow, Robinson 
came 
back 
and 
sank 
nine 

consecutive 3’s to give him the 
chance to tie Flaherty on the final 
shot. With his teammates ready to 
mob him, Robinson released his 
last shot from the left corner, only 
to watch it bounce off the rim.

5. BOLD PREDICTION: 

Wagner and Mark Donnal will 
start a game together

Wagner seems to have grown 

more than any other player over 
the summer, and the addition of 
a perimeter game will make him 
a much more versatile player. 
If Wagner can find consistency 
in his 3-point shot, he could 
challenge Irvin as an option at 
the ‘4.’ 

MEN’S BASKETBALL

BRANDON CARNEY

Daily Sports Writer

