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