The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Tuesday, February 21, 2017 — 7

Michigan completes 
shutout over Baylor

Junior 
Mira 
Ruder-Hook 

drove her shot deep into the 
court, catching her opponent 
off guard and forcing her to 
hit it wide. Though the match 
had been 
clinched 
for 
a 

while, 
Ruder-Hook’s win meant the 
Wolverines had swept their 
dual match against Baylor, 7-0.

While 
Michigan 
was 
in 

control during the singles, 
earning the doubles point did 
not 
come 
as 

easily. The No. 
3 doubles duo 
was the first off 
the court with a 
quick 6-2 win. 
Then the battle 
was on to see 
who could give 
the Wolverines 
an 
advantage 

going 
into 

singles play.

Ultimately, the No. 2 doubles 

pair of sophomore Brienne 
Minor and Ruder-Hook won 
their match, 6-4, clinching 
the doubles point for the 
Wolverines. Minor returned a 
serve with a sharp backhand 
down the line, forcing her 
opponent to hit the ball into 
the net for the match-deciding 
point.

“We got a little bit of a slow 

start in the doubles, but we got 
it going,” said Michigan coach 
Ronni 
Bernstein. 
“Singles 

was really good, I feel like we 
competed really hard.”

Michigan 
rode 
its 

momentum straight into the 
singles matches. Sophomore 
Kate Fahey was the first off the 
court with a 6-0, 6-0 win at the 
No. 1 spot.

The score may not reflect 

it, 
but 
the 
match 
wasn’t 

easy for Fahey. She made 
many unforced errors in an 
attempt to stay aggressive, but 
fortunately for the Wolverines, 
it didn’t matter. 

Minor had the chance to 

take the first set in her match 
6-0, but couldn’t close it out. 
She allowed Baylor’s Theresa 
Van Zyl to get two late games, 
but eventually took the first 
set, 6-2.

She cruised through the 

second set and took advantage 
of Van Zyl being out of position 
after a wide serve. She crushed 
a backhand down the line and 

celebrated 
before the ball 
even 
hit 
the 

line.

“I just came 

out there and 
was 
like 
‘I’m 

gonna win this 
match,’ ” Minor 
said. 
“I 
just 

wanted to go for 
my shots and 
get to the net 

and play my game.”

Even 
Michigan’s 
newest 

players were able to earn 
victories on Sunday. Freshmen 
Valeria 
Patiuk 
and 
Chiara 

Lommer 
both 
took 
their 

matches in two sets, winning 
6-2, 
6-1, 
and 
6-4, 
6-3, 

respectively.

The Wolverines were excited 

about their victory, but are still 
hungry for more. The score 
may be deceiving because it 
wasn’t a complete dominant 
performance, and Michigan 
knows it needs to make some 
changes going into the rest of 
the season.

“We just have to go match by 

match,” Bernstein said. “We’re 
not going to win them all and 
we’ll have to be able to bounce 
back. Overall, I’m happy with 
how we played today.”

WOMEN’S TENNIS

WOMEN’S TENNIS
Ruder-Hook adjusts 
mental focus in win

Looking 
to 
bounce 
back 

from a recent blemish at No. 5 
Ohio State, the No. 10 Michigan 
women’s tennis team (7-2) hosted 
Baylor (6-1) on Sunday. Despite 
the Wolverines’ recent loss, 
the atmosphere in the Varsity 
Tennis Center was spirited from 
the start of doubles play.

Sandwiched 
between 
the 

number one and number three 
doubles 
teams, 
junior 
Mira 

Ruder-Hook 
and 
sophomore 

Brienne Minor have been rock-
solid for Michigan this season. 
Coming off an 
undefeated 
weekend at the 
ITA 
National 

Team 
Indoor 

Championship, 
they 
did 
not 

disappoint 
Sunday in the 
Wolverines’ 7-0 
victory.

After 

breaking 
their 

opponents’ serve, the duo was 
up 3-1, but squandered three 
straight games to go down 4-3. 
With the eighth game going to 
deuce and essentially deciding 
the match, Ruder-Hook took 
matters into her own hands, 
chased down a defensive lob 
from the Bears and forced 
Baylor to attempt another shot.

The shot died into the net.
With the pair up 5-4, the 10th 

game came down to another 
nerve-wracking deuce point. 
Minor 
drilled 
a 
backhand 

shot directly at one of the 
opponents, which was too hot 
to handle, causing the crowd 
to erupt in elation. The tandem 
went on to win the match, 6-4, 
and solidify the doubles point 
for Michigan. 

Ruder-Hook 
believes 
the 

key to capitalizing on these 
situations is more of a mental 
task.

“I honestly think it’s not 

thinking 
about 
it,” 
Ruder-

Hook said. “Just acting like it’s 
a love-all point. I love playing 
with (Minor) so it’s more just 
playing our game right, (to) 
move forward and try to get 
forehands.”

Securing the doubles point for 

the team was important going 
into singles play, something 
the Wolverines failed to do in 
Columbus on Friday.

Ruder-Hook’s singles match 

seemed to follow a similar 
storyline to her doubles bout, 
as she started out hot in the 
first set, taking a 5-2 lead. But 
Baylor’s Angelina Shakhraichuk 
won two straight games to 

close the gap. 
Here, 
Ruder-

Hook 
showed 

growth 
from 

her experience 
against 
Ohio 

State. 
Instead 

of focusing on 
her 
struggles, 

she 
powered 

through to win 
the first set and 
eventually 
the 

match, 6-4, 6-3.

“I definitely feel like I’m 

more focused on my mental 
game,” Ruder-Hook said. “I 
feel like playing Ohio State was 
really great because we got to 
see what we needed to work 
on and what to improve on. I 
focused on my serve and getting 
up to the ball and coming to the 
net because that’s what I didn’t 
do against the Buckeyes.”

Although 
Ruder-Hook 

changed some tactical aspects of 
her game, she was very pleased 
with how her mental game was 
improving.

“It was more just like mentally 

being a little bit more precise 
on what I’m doing, intentional 
about what I’m doing,” Ruder-
Hook said.

With 
her 
mental 
game 

becoming more reliable, Ruder-
Hook is ready to lead her team, 
as they head into their spring 
break trip to California, where 
they will play USC on March 3. 

Michigan players reflect on their first goals

When 
Joseph 
Cecconi 

received the puck off a faceoff, 
there was nobody between 
him and Wisconsin goaltender 
Matt Jurusik.

In the midst of a 3-2 game 

between 
the 
Badgers 
and 

the Michigan hockey team 
on 
Saturday, 

the 
sophomore 

defenseman 
didn’t hesitate to 
pull the trigger. 
He shot the puck, 
and despite the 
lack of traffic in 
front of Jurusik, 
it found the back 
of the net.

It was the first 

goal of Cecconi’s 
career, and all of the other 
Wolverines on the ice swarmed 
him as he threw both hands 
in the air. All except senior 
defenseman Nolan De Jong, 
that is. He skated toward the 
referee with his bare hand 
outstretched, asking for the 
puck so he could give it to 
Cecconi to keep.

This is the usual routine for 

when players score their first 
collegiate goal.

“I think it’s more of an 

instinctual thing when you’re 
a senior,” said senior forward 
Alex Kile. “I feel like every time 
someone’s scored this year, if 
it’s their first goal, someone 
made sure they grabbed (the 
puck) right away, and make the 
guy happy.”

Kile has seen both sides of 

this tradition for himself. On 
Dec. 15, he assisted freshman 
forward Jake Slaker for his first 
career goal, and on Dec. 29, 
he did the same for freshman 
forward Adam Winborg.

Both times he was the one 

asking the referee for the puck 
to give to a first-time scorer.

On Nov. 22 in the 2013-14 

season, Kile scored his first 
career goal against Niagara.

“I just kind of played it off,” 

Kile said. “On the replay, I just 
kind of throw my hands up in 
the air — no big celebration or 

anything. I was just kind of 
more frustrated that it took me 
nine games to score.”

That type of celebration is 

standard across the players’ 
varied 
experiences, 
too. 

Cecconi said after his goal that 
he wasn’t “going to go down 
and do the nice celebration like 
some of the forwards do.”

Yet, for some, their first 

career 
goal 

isn’t 
always 

a 
happy 

occasion — as 
was the case 
for 
freshman 

defenseman 
Griffin 
Luce. 

On 
Feb. 
11, 

with 
just 
10 

seconds 
left 

in the game, 
he 
scored 

against Michigan State, but the 
Wolverines were already losing 
by four goals.

For Luce, the experience 

was a mix of emotions.

“Obviously I was excited for 

myself,” Luce said. “… But at 
the same time, in a game like 
that, with (10) seconds left, I 
mean it doesn’t really make a 
difference in the game. Later 
on, actually, I saw that it was 
their goalie’s first win, so I was 
kind of happy that I spoiled his 
shutout.”

Because of the situation, 

though, 
Luce’s 
goal 
didn’t 

warrant as much 
of a celebration. 
In 
fact, 

nobody 
went 

and 
grabbed 

the 
puck 
for 

him. 
Instead, 

equipment 
manager 
Ian 

Hume found the 
puck 
for 
him 

afterward.

That is the 

main thing all of the players 
have in common. No matter 
where their first goal was 
scored, or in what situation, 
all of them have kept the puck 
or given it to a close family 

member. Kile’s resides in his 
house in Troy, Mich., Luce 
keeps his in his dorm room, 
and Cecconi mentioned that 
he wanted to give his to his 
father or grandfather once he 
got home.

“It’s good to get that weight 

off your shoulders,” Kile said. 
“I know, at times, people don’t 
score after a certain amount of 

time, and they 
kind of just have 
that weight on 
their 
shoulder, 

so 
I’m 
glad 

when they just 
get it out of the 
way.”

There 
is 

still 
more 

opportunity for 
first goals this 
season, as three 

Michigan players still haven’t 
scored. And if they do manage 
to find the back of the net, one 
thing is certain: the puck and 
the memory will be with them 
forever. 

FILE PHOTO/Daily

Senior forward Alex Kile retrieved the puck from the referee for Cecconi’s first career goal against Wisconsin.

MIKE PERSAK
Daily Sports Editor

“I just kind 
of throw my 

hands up in the 

air”

“I was kind 
of happy that 
I spoiled his 

shutout”

PAIGE VOEFFRAY

Daily Sports Writer

ALAN SELZER

For the Daily

“I definitely feel 

like I’m more 
focused on my 
mental game”

Three-point shooting, defense haunt ‘M’ 

One week ago, the Michigan 

women’s basketball team was 
ranked No. 20 in the Associated 
Press poll, riding a six-game win 
streak and boasting a 10-2 Big 
Ten record — the best start to 
conference play in school history. 

Since then, things have taken 

a turn for the worse for the 
twenty-fifth ranked Wolverines 
(10-4 Big Ten, 21-7 overall). 
After a 72-61 loss at Indiana 
last Thursday, a game in which 
the Wolverines trailed by as 
many as 23 in the second half, 
Michigan was routed at Crisler 
Center 
on 
Sunday 
by 
rival 

Michigan State, 86-68. Given the 
season’s previous successes, the 
current slump has caught many 
onlookers by surprise.

“Michigan State and Indiana 

right now are fighting for their lives 
to make the NCAA Tournament,” 
said Michigan coach Kim Barnes 
Arico following Sunday’s defeat. 
“They (both) came out and played 
incredibly tough, incredibly hard 
and were able to make a lot of 
shots. That made it difficult for us 
to come back.”

A close examination of the 

numbers, though, reveals a clear 
picture as to why the Wolverines 
dropped their past two contests.

The most glaring figure is 

the percentage of 3-point shots 
Michigan is making. Prior to 
the loss to the Hoosiers, the 
Wolverines were shooting 40.8 
percent from behind the arc 
— which was the best in the 
country.

Against 
Indiana, 
Michigan 

made just 27.3 percent of its 
threes, including an abysmal 
1-for-8 stretch in the first half. 
The 
Wolverines’ 
long-range 

woes were even worse against 
the Spartans, as they shot 17.6 
percent from beyond the arc and 
failed to make a single 3-pointer 
in the second half. Michigan 
now ranks fourth in the country 
in 3-point percentage, averaging 
39.6 percent from long range.

“We’re accustomed to making 

(threes) so much that it’s almost 
one pass and a fire, instead of let’s 
move it, move it, move it,” Barnes 
Arico said, “and maybe get the 
best shot instead of the first shot. 
What’s happening is that we’re 
taking the quick shot and the 
other team is coming down and 

scoring. Then we’re taking a quick 
shot and not making them defend 
and the lead is growing instead of 
getting smaller.”

The 
Wolverines’ 
shooting 

troubles have had much to do 
with normally reliable scorers 
going through uncharacteristic 
slumps. Junior guard Katelynn 
Flaherty, who has made 38.9 
percent of her threes during her 
career, failed to sink a single 
3-pointer in 10 tries over the last 
two games. Freshman guard 
Kysre Gondrezick, herself a 47.3 
percent 3-point shooter, went a 
combined 2-for-14 from behind 
the arc in the last two games.

Flaherty was able to make up 

for her inaccuracy from distance 
on Thursday, as she sank eight of 
her 18 shots from the floor and 
tallied 23 points. But on Sunday, 
she went just 2-for-12 from 
2-point range and mustered just 
four points, her lowest total in 
two years.

“I don’t think Flaherty had 

an easy look at all today, she had 
to work for everything,” Barnes 
Arico said on Sunday. “We have 
to, as a program and as coaches, 
try to get her some easier looks 
— try to run some things where 

maybe she’s going to get an open 
look.”

Defense was also an issue for 

Michigan, particularly against 
Michigan State. The Wolverines 
allowed the Spartans to make 58.3 
percent of their field goals and 50 
percent of their 3-pointers. Guard 
Tori Jankoska abused Michigan’s 
defense the most, making 10 of 
her 16 shots en route to a 28-point 
outing.

The Wolverines did not have 

nearly the same defensive woes 
against Indiana, as the Hoosiers 
sank 46.4 percent of their field 
goals and shot 36.8 percent from 
3-point range. Michigan even 
managed to hold Indiana to one 
3-pointer in eight tries in the 
second half of the game.

Yet forward Amanda Cahill 

and guard Tyra Buss still had 
their way with the Wolverines’ 
defense. Cahill notched a double-
double against Michigan, totaling 
15 points and 12 rebounds, while 
Buss recorded 21 points.

The 
good 
news 
for 
the 

Wolverines is that their next two 
opponents — Nebraska (2-12, 
6-20) and Penn State (8-6, 18-8) 
— are both ranked outside of the 
top 50 in the Ratings Percentage 
Index. Even better for Michigan 
is the fact that the Cornhuskers 
boast the worst scoring defense 
in the Big Ten, allowing 75.9 
points per game. It would appear 
that Nebraska presents a golden 
opportunity for the Wolverines to 
get their 3-point shooting back on 
track.

But 
Barnes 
Arico 
quickly 

brushed aside any notion that 
she views the Cornhuskers as an 
easy opponent, especially given 
the fact that they defeated the 
Hoosiers, 67-64, on Sunday.

“We always tell our kids, ‘Play 

for the team on the front of our 
jersey, and not the opponent,’ 
” 
Barnes 
Arico 
said. 
“(The 

Cornhuskers) have no pressure 
on them. They’re loose, they’re 
carefree. They’re going to come 
in here and say, ‘Hey let’s upset 
Michigan.’ That would make their 
season.”

BAYLOR
MICHIGAN 

0
7

“Overall, I’m 
happy with 

how we played 

today”

CLAIRE MENGAST/Daily

Junior guard Katelynn Flaherty failed to sink a single 3-pointer in 10 attempts over the past two games.

NATHANIEL CLARK

Daily Sports Writer

