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Sports
Friday, January 20, 2017 — 7
Wolverines drop first
dual meet since 2010
The last time the Michigan
men’s swimming and diving team
lost a dual meet, Rich Rodriguez
was still the coach of the Michigan
football team, Tik Tok by Ke$ha
was the No. 1 song in America,
Snapchat had not been created yet
and the unemployment rate was at
9.8 percent.
But with their 167-133 loss at
No. 4 Indiana on Friday, so too
vanished the Wolverines’ streak
of 55 straight dual meet victories,
dating back to November of 2010.
“Obviously
it’s
very
disappointing
to lose a meet,”
said
junior
PJ
Ransford.
“We’ve had a
streak of wins
going back to
before
I
got
to
Michigan,
and
it’s
disappointing to
be the team that
lets that streak
end.”
No. 13 Michigan — now
80-5-1 in dual meets since 2007
— was nearly able to squeak
out the victory on the road in
Bloomington,
with
narrow
margins at the top of the
scoreboard determining many of
the races. Ransford even called
the meet the Wolverines’ “best
performance of the year.” Eight
of the 16 races were decided by
less than half a second, three of
which were determined by less
than a tenth of a second.
The Wolverines also placed
2-3-4 in three events and 2-3-
4-5 in two events. It was that
first-place finish, though, that
proved elusive in too many races
to overcome.
Despite
victories
from
Ransford
in
the
1,000-yard
freestyle, junior Tristan Sanders
in the 200-yard backstroke
and freshman Felix Auböck
in
the
500-yard
freestyle,
the Hoosiers won 13 of the 16
races, enough to hold off the
Wolverines’ depth.
But
with
the
Big
Ten
Tournament
looming,
the
team thinks this loss could be
a blessing in disguise. For the
first time in years, Michigan
will not head into the conference
tournament as the prohibitive
favorite, and Ransford does not
seem to mind.
“While we always go into (the
Big Ten Championship) wanting
to win, I think losing to these
guys once this year just adds a
little
bit
more
motivation,”
he
said. “We have
never really been
in an underdog
role
in
recent
years,
and
I
think we have to
embrace that as
a team over the
next two months.
Big Tens is going
to be a battle, and
every extra bit of motivation we
can get will help”
Added
Bottom:
“I
think
(motivation) depends on how
much pain they feel and how
much they don’t want to feel
that pain again. They know what
it’s like now to have a streak
as glorious as the one we had
broken. They feel the pain, and I
hope they feel the loss. The word
is ‘Hey, if you don’t want to have
this happen again then we need
to get better.’ ”
The Big Ten Tournament
starts in just over a month, with
dual meets against Ohio State
and Michigan State in between.
And if the Wolverines are able
to take down Indiana — along
with plenty of other formidable
Big Ten opposition — to win the
title, they might just look back
on this meet as the wake-up call
they needed.
MEN’S SWIMMING AND DIVING
MAX MARCOVITCH
Daily Sports Writer
We have never
really been in
an underdog
role
WOMEN’S TENNIS
Wolverines open with
Michigan Invitational
As junior Mira Ruder-Hook
watched her opponent’s ball land
out, it was almost anticlimactic.
She had battled through the match
composed of highs and lows,
which forced her to continuously
make comebacks, and the final
point seemed too easy.
As the ball landed out, Ruder-
Hook’s teammates cheered not
only for her, but also in celebration
of their successful weekend.
The Michigan women’s tennis
team competed in the Michigan
Invitational
against
Arizona
State, DePaul and Tennessee, and
though there was no team scoring,
it was a perfect warm-up for the
impending spring
season.
Ruder-Hook
got off to a rough
start, falling into
a 0-4 hole. But
once she switched
to more offensive
play, she won five
straight
games
to gain the lead.
Tennessee’s
Gabby
Schuck
made her fight
for it, though, and tied it at five
games apiece. But it was Ruder-
Hook who took the first set after
she drove a forehand deep into the
corner of the court.
Schuck’s aggressive style of
play appeared to be too much for
Ruder-Hook, who was down 4-1
in the second set. But after the line
judge overturned one of Schuck’s
calls, Ruder-Hook argued that
it was Schuck’s third time being
overturned. If it had been, Ruder-
Hook would be awarded a game.
But after a dispute between
Ruder-Hook, the umpire and the
Volunteers’ coach, Ruder-Hook
wasn’t awarded the game.
That game might have made
a big difference in the match’s
outcome, because while Ruder-
Hook battled back to tie the game
at five, Schuck ended up taking the
set, 7-5.
Both
players
were
evenly
matched in the third set, but it was
Ruder-Hook’s mental toughness
that secured her the match, a
point of emphasis for the junior.
“I think mental toughness is
something you always have to
work on,” Ruder-Hook said. “For
me, I just try to present myself
like I’m really confident and so in
the moment at least it looks that
way. And then it transitions to me
and I start to feel more confident.
I just told myself, ‘One point at a
time.’ ”
Sophomore Kate Fahey and
junior Alex Najarian continued
their momentum from the fall
season. The pair won the doubles
title, winning every match of the
weekend.
The
fourth-ranked
duo’s most notable win came
on
Monday
against the team
of
Savannah
Slaysman
and
Kelley Anderson
– the top pair for
the Sun Devils.
Fahey closed out
the match, 6-3,
with an ace up
the middle.
Former
partners,
sophomore
Brienne Minor and Ruder-Hook
both played with a freshman
this weekend, and though there
are signs of a bright future
ahead, there is surely room for
improvement.
“I think there are a lot of things
we need to work on, especially the
doubles,” said Michigan coach
Ronni Bernstein. “The goal is to
go match by match and peak in
May.”
While this invitational was a
good opportunity to get the team
together again and to play real
matches, it only makes the women
even more excited for their real
season to start.
“What’s
so
unique
about
college tennis and what makes it
so much more fun is that you get to
play with your team, so when the
season starts we’re all so eager,”
Ruder-Hook said. “I definitely
prefer the (spring) season.”
PAIGE VOEFFRAY
Daily Sports Writer
‘M’ to face Spartans in home-and-home series
It’s his final year on the
Michigan hockey team, and
senior
forward
Evan
Allen
relishes
his
few remaining
opportunities
to play against
rival Michigan
State — with
good
reason.
Throughout
Allen’s
first
three
years,
the Michigan
hockey
team
has
earned
10
wins
in
15
games
and
notched
another
late
victory
last
month.
“It’s
the
biggest weekend of the year for
Michigan hockey,” Allen said
on Wednesday. “We just gotta
come together and take pride
in our defense, because goals
are precious. We just gotta bear
down and get going against
Michigan State.”
Defense will be crucial to the
Wolverines’ success against the
Spartans this weekend because
goals are a luxury for them this
season — Michigan averages just
2.6 per game. The Wolverines
also struggle to find shots,
which Michigan coach Red
Berenson attributes to a lack of
opportunities with the puck in
the opposition’s zone.
Last weekend in Minneapolis,
the Wolverines showed some
signs of offensive potential. They
jumped out to an early lead Friday
night and scored two late goals in
the third period Saturday.
In practice this week, while
showing his team game film
from the weekend, Berenson
pointed out certain defensive
mistakes to his players.
“Our defense wasn’t gapping
up on their forwards,” Berenson
said. “They were giving their
forwards too much room. We
showed them a couple of clips
where we did gap up on Saturday
and then we had a good shift, we
took over the play in their zone.
When we didn’t gap up, we gave
them our zone, and then we’re
chasing them in our zone.”
It wasn’t solely defensive
mistakes, however. Berenson
explained that the Wolverines
must improve their performance
on special teams, an aspect
of their game notably absent
against No. 5 Minnesota. During
that weekend’s series, Michigan
earned just six power play
chances — two on Friday and
four on Saturday — and failed
to score once. Defensively, the
Wolverines’ penalty kill allowed
two
goals
on
11
attempts,
including a penalty shot.
Michigan
State,
though,
contains significantly less star
talent on its roster than the
Gophers do. The Spartans sit
last in the Big Ten standings,
the only team behind Michigan.
Michigan
State
nearly
beat
the Wolverines in the Great
Lakes Invitational, overcoming
a
4-1
third-period
deficit,
before ultimately losing 5-4 in
overtime.
The
Spartans
have
some
impressive victories on their
resume,
defeating
then-No.
5
North
Dakota
at
Ralph
Engelstad Arena on November
25th. That series alone gives
Berenson cause for concern,
even if Michigan State has yet to
defeat a conference opponent.
“(Michigan State) is capable
of beating anyone on a given
night,” Berenson said. “They get
it going, and we saw it against
us. We had them down and they
came back in the third period,
and they easily could’ve won the
game.
“It’s
not
about
Michigan
State. I know it’s a rivalry and
both teams are going to play
hard, but records don’t mean
anything. I think their team’s
better than their record and I
think our team can be better
than our record, but we gotta
prove it.”
Sophomore forward Mason
Appleton leads the Spartans
offensively with nine goals and
19 points. His seven power play
goals rank sixth nationally and
second in the Big Ten. Appleton’s
linemate, forward Joe Cox, will
face off against the Wolverines
for the fourth straight year. He
is one of five players Allen has
grown accustomed to seeing
each time the two sides play.
“It’s our fourth year playing
against
them,”
Allen
said.
“Right now, I’m on a line with
(senior forward Alex) Kile and
(senior forward Max) Shuart.
Hopefully, we can take that
into consideration against their
young team. We can use us
veterans, take it to them, because
we know how Michigan State
plays. We don’t like Michigan
State and obviously, they don’t
like us.”
Michigan has yet to win a
conference game on the road
this season, losing to then-No. 6
Penn State and Minnesota twice.
Saturday night provides another
road test for the Wolverines as
they will travel to Munn Arena
for the series finale.
For now, though, Berenson is
focused on the first game Friday
night
because
those
nights
have proven to be a challenge
for Michigan this season. The
Wolverines’ last series-opening
victory
occurred
back
in
November when the Wolverines
shut out then-No. 4 Boston
University.
“Let’s worry about Friday’s
game,” Berenson said. “It’s on
the schedule, and we’re playing
it here. Let’s get excited about
it. … We’ve gotta be better on
Fridays.”
If Michigan can keep the
puck out of its zone, gap up on
defense and take advantage of
its shooting chances, it certainly
will.
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Michigan coach Red Berenson will lead his team into a tense rivalry matchup.
Michigan falters in fourth quarter,
falls on the road to No. 3 Maryland
Before
Thursday’s
contest
against No. 3 Maryland, Michigan
women’s basketball coach Kim
Barnes Arico told her team, “We
need to win five minutes at a time.”
With
38
seconds
left
in
the third quarter, it appeared
that the strategy was paying off,
as the Wolverines held a 61-60
advantage.
But then junior guard Katelynn
Flaherty was called for a foul,
sending Terrapins guard Iesha
Small to the free-throw line,
where she made one of two
shots to tie the game. Forward
Kiah Gillespie then made a
buzzer-beating 3-pointer to give
Maryland the lead.
The
Wolverines
unraveled
from there, as they were outscored
19-9 in the fourth quarter en route
to an 83-70 defeat. The Terrapins
dominated on the glass as well as
in the paint, winning the second-
chance points battle, 23-5, and the
points-in-the-paint battle, 54-26.
“I thought it was a great
basketball game,” Barnes Arico
said. “The final score didn’t really
indicate how close of a game it was.
Maryland is an outstanding team,
and we knew that we were going
to have a tough contest tonight. I
was really proud of how our team
responded for three quarters.
I think Maryland’s depth and
ability to force turnovers really
helped them down the stretch.”
Michigan (4-2 Big Ten, 15-5
overall) came out hot in the first
quarter, racing out to a 17-10
lead with 1:57 left. Flaherty and
sophomore center Hallie Thome
combined for 12 points and two
rebounds in the frame. At the
same time, Michigan capitalized
on
five
Maryland
turnovers,
turning them into six points.
But then Thome picked up two
fouls in the next three minutes,
forcing her to the bench. Her
absence was felt, as the Terrapins
(6-0, 18-1) were able to string
together a 16-2 run into the early
minutes of the second quarter.
Although Thome still played
for just over two minutes in the
second frame, her mobility was
limited due to her hesitance
to pick up a third foul. But her
cautious approach didn’t stop
her from picking up an offensive
foul with 3:08 remaining before
halftime, and Maryland took
advantage, acquiring a 39-26 edge
with 2:08 left in the frame.
“I think for big kids, their
biggest
strength
in
their
development is to figure out the
referees,” Barnes Arico said.
But then Terrapins center
Brionna Jones was called for her
second personal foul, sending her
to the sideline. Michigan seized
the opportunity and went on a 9-0
run to end the half.
“She’s tough,” Barnes Arico
said about Jones. “She’s tough
to double, she finishes, she’s got
quick moves. But she’s really,
really, really consistent.”
The Wolverines’ good fortune
was spearheaded by Flaherty, who
scored the five final points of the
half. Junior guard Maria Backman
contributed off the bench during
the run with two free throws and
six rebounds in the final stretch of
the second quarter.
Flaherty continued to put her
team on her back in the third
quarter. She scored ten points
and nabbed a steal in the first
three minutes of the frame,
which allowed Michigan to attain
a
47-46
advantage.
Flaherty
finished Thursday’s contest with
30 points.
“My teammates put me in great
positions,” Flaherty said. “(Senior
guard Siera Thompson) is a great
point guard. The rest of the team,
they played to our strengths. They
kept hitting me, and I think that
helps. A lot of my points were in
transition, and I like playing open
court.”
Michigan
proceeded
to
commit three turnovers, setting
up four Maryland points. Even
though freshman guard Kysre
Gondrezick made two 3-pointers
and Flaherty sank three free
throws, propelling the Wolverines
to a 61-60 lead, it would be their
last of the game.
“We feel like we have great
pieces that can score, that can
score in transition,” Barnes Arico
said. “We just got to be able to
go for longer stretches like a
team like Maryland does. And
hopefully as the season goes on,
we will continue to improve on
that, and our younger kids will
continue to get better and be able
to provide some more minutes.”
With the loss, Michigan has
now lost all four games it has
played against teams currently
ranked in the Associated Press
Top 25, though none were ranked
below 16th.
Luckily for the Wolverines,
there are no contests against
ranked opponents left on their
regular-season
schedule.
Michigan’s toughest remaining
adversary on paper is Michigan
State, who is currently 47th in
the Ratings Percentage Index,
fourteen
spots
below
the
Wolverines.
JEREMY MITNICK/Daily
Junior guard Katelynn Flaherty finished Thursday’s contest with 30 points, but it wasn’t enough against the Terrapins.
NATHANIEL CLARK
Daily Sports Writer
MICHIGAN
MARYLAND
70
83
AVI SHOLKOFF
Daily Sports Writer
Michigan
State at
Michigan
Matchup:
Michigan State
0-6 Big Ten,
4-15-1 overall;
Michigan
1-5, 8-11-1
When: Friday
6:30 P.M.
Where: Yost
Ice Arena
TV/Radio:
BTN
The goal is to
go match by
match and peak
in May