The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Thursday, January 12, 2017 — 5A

Classifieds

Call: #734-418-4115
Email: dailydisplay@gmail.com

ACROSS
1 Buccaneers’
home
6 Silly bird
11 Revolting word?
14 Plane read
15 Large grouping
16 Pen user
17 Miss America
runner-up?
19 Part of a royal
flush
20 Anastasia __,
“Fifty Shades of
Grey” character
21 Emergency
signal
22 Frosted flakes
23 Called up
25 “Unsafe at Any
Speed” author
27 Put in order
30 Fab alternative
32 Special Forces
trademarks
35 Legendary horse
tale setting
36 Passage for the
birds?
38 Gold, in Granada
39 “My bad”
41 Wartime prez
42 Little Jack
Horner’s dream?
44 Proofreading
mark
45 Overwhelm
46 Biological
building block
48 Flight-related
prefix
49 Emerged
51 Carrier that
doesn’t fly on the
Sabbath
53 Order with
tzatziki sauce
55 Some Samsung
TVs
57 “Yay, me!”
61 Fishing __
62 Emulating the
writing style of
“The Quiet
American”?
64 Weaken,
perhaps
65 Jack’s links rival
66 Start a correction
process
67 Secret
competitor
68 Bounded
69 Ice cream
purchases

DOWN
1 Hardy heroine
2 Minimally
3 Lawn disruption
4 “The parent of
revolution and
crime”: Aristotle
5 Cub Scout leader
6 Yak
7 Miner matters
8 DuPont acrylic
9 Mexican buffet
feature
10 Contact’s spot
11 “Tell me about it”
12 Nickname for
late-night host
O’Brien
13 Didn’t just think
18 Russo of “The
Intern”
22 Feudal grunt
24 Comprehend
26 Shoot down
27 Ripped off
28 Longtime Utah
senator Hatch
29 Area for urban
growth
31 Get around
33 Potato, e.g.
34 Look after
37 Goddess of
peace
39 Red cup brand

40 Like some oil
rigs
43 Mark’s successor
44 “Amadeus”
narrator
47 Eccentric Sacha
Baron Cohen
persona
50 Twin Cities
suburb that
hosted the 2008
U.S. Women’s
Open

52 Madison Ave.
agent
53 Snatch
54 Discipline with
poses
56 Cut
58 Big man on
campus
59 Caltech, e.g.: Abbr.
60 Golf tournament
souvenirs
62 Country miss
63 Comprehend

By C.C. Burnikel
©2017 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
01/12/17

01/12/17

ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:

RELEASE DATE– Thursday, January 12, 2017

Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle

Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis

xwordeditor@aol.com

1 BEDROOM APTS Near N. Campus
Fall 2017‑18 ‑ $900/m + $25/m Utilities

Each unit has one parking space.
909 & 915 Wall St.
Deinco Properties 734‑996‑1991

2 BEDROOM + Study Fall 2017
2 Parking Spaces Washer/Dryer
Max occupancy is 4
935 S. Division ‑ $2250 + Utilities
Cappo Mgmt 734‑996‑1991

2017‑2018 LEASING
Apartments Going Fast!
Prime Student Housing
761‑8000. www.primesh.com
Efficiencies:
344 S. Division $855
610 S. Forest $870 ‑ 1 Left
1 Bedrooms:
511 Hoover $1045/$1065
508 Division $945
*Varies by location: Full Furnished, 
Parking Included, Free Ethernet

4 BEDROOM HOUSE Fall 2017
3 Parking Spaces Washer/Dryer
827 Brookwood ‑ $2900 + Utilities
Deinco Properties 734‑996‑1991

5 BEDROOM APT Fall 2017
Washer Dryer, 3 Parking Spaces
1014 Vaughn #1 ‑ $2900 + Utilities
Deinco Properties 734‑996‑1991

EFF, 1 & 2 Bdrm Apts Fall 2017‑18
Many locations near campus

Rents from $850 (eff) ‑ $1415 (2 bdrm)

Most include Heat and Water
www.cappomanagement.com
734‑996‑1991

FALL 2017‑18 Apts @ 1015 Packard
2 Bedroom ‑ $1370 ‑ 2nd floor
3 Bedroom ‑ $1380 ‑ basement

1 parking space avail for $50/m per unit

Deinco 734‑996‑1991

WORK ON MACKINAC Island 

This Summer – Make lifelong friends. 
The Island House Hotel and Ryba’s 
Fudge Shops are seeking help in all areas: 
Front Desk, Bell Staff, Wait Staff, Sales 
Clerks, 
Kitchen, 
Baristas. 
Dorm 
Housing, 

bonus, and discounted meals.
(906) 847‑7196. 
www.theislandhouse.com

FOR RENT

SUMMER EMPLOYMENT

Want to cover Michigan athletics?

Join the 
Daily’s 

sports staff!

Mass meetings

Jan. 19, 23, 26 and 30 

7 p.m. at 420 Maynard St.

or

contact our editors at: 

sportseditors@michigandaily.com

ICE HOCKEY
Cecconi makes return 
to ‘M’ defensive unit

Joseph 
Cecconi 
doesn’t 

remember 
much 
of 
what 

happened after the final goal. 
What the sophomore defenseman 
does remember is skating from 
his team’s bench to its goal faster 
than he ever has before.

After Cecconi and the rest 

of the United States national 
junior team notched a 5-4 
shootout victory over Canada 
in the 2017 IIHF World Junior 
Championship, the post-game 
celebration could have been 
best described as raucous, and 
rightfully so — four long years 
had passed since the Americans 
last captured gold.

“(United States) hockey is 

getting better,” Cecconi said. 
“It’s always been good, but I 
think there’s more and more 
players who are getting better 
in this country and want to 
represent (the country).”

For Cecconi, the opportunity 

was the realization of a long-
time dream. He had made it his 
personal goal to play for the team 
since learning about it a few 
years ago.

The process of making the 

team was a long one. Cecconi 
first attended a camp with nearly 
40 other players last summer, 
before he was invited back 
before the tournament. Then, he 
made it past a final round of cuts 
to join the team.

Cecconi called the overall 

experience “fantastic”, and also 
said that the tournament gave 
him a chance to enter the second 
half of the season with some 
momentum.

In Canada, he also had the 

opportunity to play with some of 
the United States’ most talented 
players, such as Luke Kunin, 
Kieffer Bellows and Charlie 
McAvoy. After playing alongside 
so many elite players, Cecconi 
learned 
lessons 
from 
their 

different playing styles. The 
higher level of talent helped him 
improve his hockey IQ as well, 
among other aspects of his game.

“I think coming into the 

second half, I have a lot more 
confidence than I did in the 

first,” Cecconi said. “I did have 
confidence the first half of the 
season, but after playing in this, 
I feel like I’ll be an even better 
player for the team.”

Cecconi 
wouldn’t 
be 
the 

first Michigan player to heat 
up after returning from the 
tournament. Dylan Larkin and 
Zach Werenski each finished the 
season on a tear after playing for 
the United States in 2015 and 
2016, respectively.

Larkin had just three goals 

and 16 points before leaving for 
the World Juniors. After the 
tournament, he erupted for 12 
goals and 31 points — perhaps 
one of the reasons why his career 
at Michigan lasted only one 
season.

“(Larkin) was okay in the 

first half,” said Michigan coach 
Red Berenson. “Second half, he 
came back from that tournament 
and he played really well. He 
just took off. Put him right in 
Detroit.”

Werenski’s sabbatical from 

the Wolverines had a similar 
effect. The former defenseman 
wasn’t having the impact that 
Michigan had expected of him 
entering the season, but turned 
things around upon his return. 
After tallying just four goals and 
12 points before the tournament, 
Werenski posted seven goals and 
24 points after the break.

While Cecconi may not have 

the offensive ability of Werenski 
— he has posted just eight 
points in 54 career games — 
defensemen don’t need to put up 
points to be difference-makers, 
and Berenson believes Cecconi 
will still make an impact in his 
return to the team.

“When you play on a gold-

medal winning team and you 
realize what it’s like to sit in that 
locker room with guys that win 
and what it takes — and not that 
our team is far off the mark — 
but I think he’ll come back with 
an added confidence,” Berenson 
said. “Confidence in himself, 
confidence in how to play, and 
so on. And maybe he can add 
that to our defense corps — pride 
in defense, and how important 
it is to play good on defense. 
I’m hoping he’ll add that to our 
team.” 

Winning tight games essential
to Michigan’s postseason hopes

Last 
year, 
the 
Michigan 

women’s basketball team had 
ambitions of securing a berth 
in the NCAA Tournament. But 
in large part due to their six 
losses by ten or fewer points, the 
Wolverines fell short and were 
forced to settle for their third 
consecutive NIT appearance.

In one of them — a 77-69 

overtime defeat at the hands 
of Indiana last January — the 
Wolverines held a nine-point 
lead with four minutes to go in 
regulation yet were unable to 
sustain their lead in the most 
important moments.

On Tuesday, Michigan faced 

Indiana for the first time since 
that heartbreaker. Once again, 
the Wolverines held a nine-point 
advantage late in the fourth 
quarter. 

But 
this 
time, 
Michigan 

successfully found a way to 
close out the game. Senior guard 
Siera 
Thompson 
made 
four 

critical free throws in the final 
15 seconds to solidify a 78-74 
victory over the Hoosiers.

“That was a game we really 

talked about a lot last year,” 
said 
Michigan 
coach 
Kim 

Barnes Arico on 
WTKA 
radio. 

“Moving 
into 

this 
year 
and 

how we wanted 
to 
grow 
and 

how we wanted 
to improve, we 
knew 
closing 

out games like 
this was going 
to 
be 
really 

important. 
We 

found a way to 
inbound the basketball, which is 
something we struggled with in 
last year’s game.”

Thanks to the performance 

of sophomore center Hallie 
Thome, who notched her third 
double-double of the year with 
21 points and 11 rebounds, the 
Wolverines managed to secure 
the victory. 

More 
importantly 
for 

Michigan, 
she 
committed 

only one foul in the first half, 
which allowed her to play for 
36 minutes. In the Wolverines’ 
prior game — a 96-87 loss at 
No. 11 Ohio State — Thome was 
called for two fouls early in the 
second quarter, which forced 
her off the floor and allowed the 
Buckeyes to win the rebounding 

battle, 47-34.

With 

games 
against 

Minnesota, 
which 
sits 
in 

the top 30 in 
the 
Ratings 

Percentage 
Index, and No. 3 
Maryland on the 
horizon, keeping 
Thome 
out 
of 

foul trouble will 
be of the utmost 

importance for the Wolverines.

“That was the difference in 

the game,” Barnes Arico said on 
WTKA about the game against 
Ohio State. “At the end of the 
first quarter we were up 12-6 
in rebounding. We were really 
getting 
the 
second-chance 

opportunities. 
We’ve 
been 

working the past several days on 
becoming a better rebounding 
team, even when Hallie gets into 

foul trouble.”

Another 
key 
factor 
that 

Michigan will need to monitor 
as conference play progresses 
is the amount of playing time 
its reserves see. On Tuesday, all 
five of the Wolverines’ starters 
played at least 35 minutes.

While 
that 
arrangement 

worked 
for 

Michigan 
against 
Indiana, Barnes 
Arico 
knows 

that 
it 
is 
an 

unsustainable 
formula 
and 

promised more 
reserve 
action 

against 
the 

Golden Gophers 
on Sunday.

“I 
definitely 

think (the rotation) will be 
expanded again,” Barnes Arico 
said. “I think it depends a lot 
on matchups. We knew that 
Indiana would be a difficult 
matchup 
for 
some 
of 
our 

younger 
kids. 
They’re 
an 

experienced team that makes 
you pay for your little mistakes. 
I foresee as the conference 
schedule goes on, we’re going 
to have some more people that 

will get into the rotation and 
impact our team.”

One wild card the Wolverines 

have up their sleeve is the 
addition of senior center — and 
former volleyball player — Abby 
Cole, who Barnes Arico hinted 
may see the court in the near 
future. Cole, in addition to 

Thome, 
would 

give 
Michigan 

a 
favorable 

size 
advantage, 

especially 
on 

defense.

“We 
think 

(Cole) 
will 
be 

ready 
to 
go, 

hopefully within 
the next week,” 
Barnes 
Arico 

said. 
“She’s 

just resting her 

legs and resting her shins after 
coming off of the last year of 
playing volleyball.”

Regardless of whether or not 

Cole plays anytime soon, the 
Wolverines will need to find ways 
to replicate their performance 
from Tuesday night in tight 
contests if they plan to reach 
the NCAA Tournament for the 
second time in Barnes Arico’s 
five-year tenure.

ERIN KIRKLAND/Daily

Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico has been emphasizing rebounding in the Wolverines’ practices as of late.

NATHANIEL CLARK

Daily Sports Writer

That was a 

game we really 
talked about a 

lot last year

We were really 

getting the 

second chance 
opportunites

ORION SANG 

Daily Sports Editor

