8A — Wednesday, November 16, 2016
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Martin gains confidence 
as penalty-kill specialist

With his team on the penalty 

kill and the score level in 
the third period of Saturday 
night’s game against No. 4 
Boston University, Michigan 
hockey coach Red Berenson 
put defenseman Luke Martin 
on the ice. Martin, known for 
his physical blocking style, was 
tasked with maintaining the 1-1 
score for two minutes while the 
18th-ranked Wolverines played 
with a one-man disadvantage.

Once the power play began, 

two Boston University players 
took shots that went just wide 
before forward Kieffer Bellows 
recovered the puck for one more 
opportunity. Bellows slapped a 
shot hoping for a go-ahead goal, 
but Martin’s 6-foot-3 frame 
deflected it and the puck sailed 
away. Bellows had another 
chance, but Michigan freshman 
goaltender 
Jack 
LaFontaine 

saved it.

It was Martin’s fifth block of 

the game and his 25th on the 
season, both team highs.

“I think it’s something he’s 

learned before he got here, 
and 
now 
he 
realizes 
how 

important it is here, too, to be 
able to block shots,” Berenson 
said Monday. “He’s got a smart 
stick. He reaches with his stick 
defensively. He’s good and is 
learning how to play physical at 
this level. He uses his strength 
and his size, and it’s all part of 
development.”

Added Martin: “(There’s) not 

that much technique. It’s about 
having the will to get in front of 
it. I think at the end of the day, I 
(block shots) so when I get back 
to the bench everyone’s going to 
give me a pat on the back.”

As the youngest player on 

a youthful Michigan team, 
Martin 
experienced 
some 

nervousness 
early 
in 
the 

season. Berenson believes that 
Martin’s experience with the 
United States National Team 
Development Program last year 
gives the freshman momentum 
and confidence to play in rowdy 
college arenas all over the 
country, just as he did last year.

To help ease this transition, 

on all road trips, freshmen 
room 
with 
upperclassmen. 

For the team’s trips to the 
East Coast and Arizona State, 
Martin has stayed with junior 
defenseman Sam Piazza, whom 
he credits with easing his 
early-season jitters.

“(Piazza’s) a very calming 

influence,” 
Martin 
said. 

“Especially for our first couple 
away games I was getting a 
little nervous, and I think he 
could tell. He was very good at 
calming me down. He reminded 
me to trust myself and trust my 
game. Obviously, he’s a very 
calm player so that carried over, 
and it was a huge help.”

Added Berenson: “A veteran 

player can help the young 
player, he can just remind him 
of whether it’s our systems, 
or what we do in this case, or 
what we do in that case, or in 
that situation. It’s just so (the 
freshmen) 
have 
somebody 

experienced with them, to show 
them that they’re playing the 
right way. If you get two young 
guys together, and especially if 
one of them gets rattled, they 
don’t have an older player to 
settle them down and give them 
some leadership.”

While many of Michigan’s 

wingers 
from 
last 
season 

graduated or left for the NHL, 
many of its defensive mainstays 
remain in Ann Arbor. As a 

result, 
Berenson 
pairs 
his 

younger players with veterans 
on the ice, especially early in 
the season. Through his first 10 
games, Martin has played with 
Piazza, senior Nolan De Jong 
and senior Kevin Lohan. Martin 
calls it “a treat” to play with 
these veterans and believes 
each of them bring different 
aspects to assist Martin as he 
grows as a player.

Last 
Friday 
night, 
the 

Wolverines scored two power-
play goals within one minute. 
The second was aided by Martin, 
who 
Berenson 
terms 
“the 

quarterback” of the power play.

“When I’m up top, I keep it 

simple,” Martin said. “I don’t 
really try to overcomplicate 
things. I’m good at getting 
shots through to the net, which 
generates offense. The guys on 
my flanks and in the middle, 
they complement me and they 
cover me when I make mistakes 
real well.”

Martin is the only freshman 

defenseman to have played in 
every game thus far, a testament 
to the confidence that Berenson 
has in him. Martin looks to 
improve as the season marches 
forward, displaying strength in 
shot blocking and for having the 
knack of being at the right place 
at the right time — he leads the 
Wolverines in plus/minus with 
a whopping plus-eight.

“I 
think 
he’s 
making 

progress,” 
Berenson 
said. 

“I think he’s getting more 
confidence, getting experience. I 
think he’s learning what it takes 
to play well at this level. I think 
(defenseman) is the hardest 
position to come in and play as a 
freshman because you’re playing 
against really good forwards on 
other teams and I think he’s 
holding his own so far.”

Donnal puts name back in 
discussion at starting ‘5’

In the week leading up to 

the Michigan men’s basketball 
team’s exhibition opener against 
Armstrong State, Moritz Wagner 
could sense that his role on the 
team was changing.

Coach John Beilein began to 

have the sophomore forward join 
the first unit during practice, but 
Wagner still didn’t know if he 
would crack the starting five. It 
wasn’t until the day before the 
game that Wagner found out for 
certain when Beilein told him. 

With 15 points on 7-for-9 

shooting — tied with senior 
forward Zak Irvin for the 
highest output of the night — 
Wagner stole the show. In 25 
minutes on the floor, fewer than 
only Irvin and senior guard 
Derrick Walton Jr., he justified 
Beilein’s decision to start him 
over 
redshirt 
junior 
Mark 

Donnal, one of the breakout 
players from a season ago.

“You see the way he runs 

the floor. You saw his skill 
level a couple of times, too. His 
development is huge,” Beilein 
said. “… His defense is much 
better, and he stayed out of foul 
trouble. The big thing is we think 
he can take a lot of guys his size 
off the bounce.”

The 
competition 
for 
the 

‘5’ spot in the starting lineup 
between the two big men, which 
has been brewing throughout 
the summer and fall, looked all 
but settled. Wagner emerged 
with the edge over his more 
experienced counterpart, and 
the discussion seemed to be over.

Until last weekend, that is.
Against Howard and IUPUI in 

the first two games of the regular 
season, Donnal showed up in 
a big way for the Wolverines. 
Providing a spark off the bench 

that Michigan sorely needed 
at certain sluggish moments, 
Donnal proved that he could still 
be a difference-maker, rather 
than an afterthought.

In Friday’s matchup versus 

the Bison, Donnal played nearly 
10 more minutes than Wagner — 
despite being his backup — and 
made the most of the increased 
floor time. He finished with 12 
points and six rebounds, the 
team’s second-highest total in 
each category on the night. Walton 
beat him out with 20 points, and 
redshirt junior DJ Wilson topped 
him with eight boards.

The bench duo of Donnal and 

Wilson combined for 21 points 
and 14 rebounds and helped 
the Wolverines snap out of an 
early funk, in which they simply 
couldn’t score for the first five 
minutes of the game. As the 
sixth and seventh men in the 
lineup, the pair gave Michigan 
the boost it needed to secure a 
76-58 win.

“That’s our job, to be energy 

guys off the bench,” Donnal 
said. “What we’re trying to bring 
every game is energy (to) pick 
up the guys on the starting five 
and not have a drop-off when the 
bench comes on the floor.”

In Sunday’s game against 

the Jaguars, Donnal’s numbers 
on offense fell to eight points 
and 
three 
boards, 
but 
his 

contributions mattered most on 
the defensive side of the ball.

IUPUI 
put 
up 
a 
strong 

challenge in the first half, 
maintaining 
a 
considerable 

lead 
while 
the 
Wolverines 

attempted to whittle away at 
the deficit. Though Michigan 
finally took the lead with seven 
minutes left, it gave it right 
back and the Jaguars held onto 
a 32-30 advantage with four 
minutes 
remaining. 
That’s 

when Beilein decided to put 

Donnal in the game. 

The move worked wonders, 

as Donnal’s presence shored 
up the defense and helped the 
Wolverines hold their own in 
the face of the offensive barrage 
of the Jaguars. Michigan held 
IUPUI scoreless to close the 
opening half, launching a 13-0 
run to enter halftime with a 
43-32 advantage that it wouldn’t 
relinquish.

“When 
Mark 
went 
into 

the game, it changed things 
defensively. He can plug gaps,” 
Beilein said. “(Wagner) is still 
trying to learn where he should 
be sometimes. He’s guessing 
sometimes, and the game needs 
to slow down for him in ball 
screen coverage. … When they 
see a center trying to figure 
things out, they just attack the 
big guy. Mark plugged that up, 
and that was a big difference.”

Just like that, the competition 

is back on.

Beilein may not have officially 

reopened it, and he kept Wagner 
as the starter so far, but he also 
seems to have an open mind 
about the topic. He may stick 
with his decision, but after two 
standout performances, Donnal 
might have changed his mind.

“That’s what we have to sort 

out is what’s the best lineup 
really for every game,” Beilein 
said. 
“There’s 
some 
hard-

charging teams in the Big Ten. … 
Mark can plug and do some great 
things — not going to jump out 
of the gym. He just needs to be 
there and be strong going after 
the ball. I’m proud of the way 
he’s played so far; it’s two good 
games back to back.”

While Beilein’s choice may 

change on a nightly basis, what 
won’t is that if Donnal can 
maintain the level of production 
he has exhibited off the bench 
thus far, he will find the floor.

Flaherty, Gondrezick star in wins, 
earn weekly conference accolades

The 
Michigan 
women’s 

basketball team sits in the shadow 
of Big Ten foes, No. 6 Maryland and 
No. 7 Ohio State, but it is making 
a case for more recognition in 
the conference. The Wolverines 
trounced Oakland, 101-63, on 
Friday night, and followed that 
impressive 
performance 
with 

a 107-35 blowout over Niagara 
on Sunday afternoon in the first 
weekend of regular-season play.

Two 
Michigan 
players, 

junior guard Katelynn Flaherty 
and 
freshman 
guard 
Kysre 

Gondrezick, were honored by the 
Big Ten after their performances 
over the weekend.

Flaherty earned her spot on 

the Big Ten Player of the Week 
honor roll through consistent goal 
scoring, leading the team in both 
games. She racked up 23 points 
against the Golden Grizzlies, and 
she tallied 14 more against the 
Purple Eagles in just 17 minutes of 
action to become the 10th player 
in Michigan history to score 1,300 
career points.

“I think our whole team 

came out with a little butterflies 
(against Oakland),” said Michigan 
coach Kim Barnes Arico. “And in 
the first half, we didn’t shoot the 
ball exceptionally well. But then 
Katelynn got hot in the second 
half, and for her, the difference 
is she’s facing every team’s best 
defender from the start.”

When the rest of the Wolverines 

— especially Gondrezick, who 
was playing in her first collegiate 
game — got rid of their first-game 
butterflies, they provided enough 
of a distraction that Flaherty was 
left with plenty of time to get her 
shots off. Gondrezick, who was 
named the Big Ten Freshman of 
the Week, came off the bench and 
scored 19 points in just 18 minutes 
against 
Oakland, 
effectively 

drawing some of the Golden 
Grizzlies’ defenders off of Flaherty.

The week before, Gondrezick 

was the only freshman to get 
significant playing time in the 
Wolverines’ 
exhibition 
game 

against Wayne State, but she 
was not able to land any of her 
attempts to score her first points.

“I’m glad I got (the exhibition 

game) 
underneath 
my 
belt,” 

Gondrezick said. “Just being in 
front of the Michigan crowd for 
the first time and playing on that 
floor was so surreal for me. I think 
I approached the game too fast. I 
didn’t let it come to me.”

Gondrezick 
proved 
her 

exhibition debut to be a fluke 
when it counted, though. Over the 
weekend, she quickly became the 
Wolverines’ second-leading scorer 
behind Flaherty with 31 points over 
two games. She has also contributed 
a team-high nine assists.

Her solid play paved the way 

for the rest of the freshman class 
to get off the bench. Freshmen 
guard Kayla Robbins, forward 
KeAsja Peace, and guard Akienreh 
Johnson all contributed their first 
collegiate points on Sunday, with 
12, four and eight, respectively.

“(Gondrezick’s) a basketball 

player,” Barnes Arico said. “She 
really has a great understanding 
of the game. She led our team 
in assists the other day. She can 
score the ball, she can rebound 
the basketball, but she’s gotta 
continue to get better. She’s going 
to have some bumps in the road, 
but she’s got a chance to be a 
special player for us.”

Added Gondrezick: “Scoring-

wise, I just have a knack for putting 
the ball in the basket, but my focus 
right now is impacting the team 
through other facets of my game, 
whether that’s dropping dimes, or 
rebounding, or collapsing on the 
defensive end and getting steals.”

With Flaherty to look up to, 

there’s no reason to believe that 
Gondrezick will not have an 
impactful presence for Michigan. 
If both players can manage to 
remain 
consistent, 
opposing 

teams will have a quite a pair to 
defend against.

AVI SHOLKOFF
Daily Sports Writer

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Freshman defenseman Luke Martin has saved a spot for himself on the ice with his success on the penalty kill.

CLAIRE MEINGAST/Daily

Kysre Gondrezick made a statement with 31 points in two games this weekend.

MAGGIE KOLCON

Daily Sports Writer

BETELHEM ASHAME

Daily Sports Editor

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