The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Wednesday, March 8, 2017 — 7A

Berenson mulls retirement, leaves future open

Red Berenson sat in his chair 

and leaned forward. After another 
practice 
skating 
around 
and 

offering instructions, Berenson 
untied his skates and placed his 
stick on the floor next to him. 
Even at the age of 77 with 33 
years at the helm of the Michigan 
hockey team, Berenson still skates 
on the ice nearly every day. 

Monday, Berenson pondered 

his 
future 
in 
Ann 
Arbor, 

something he said he thinks about 
constantly.

He intended to retire last 

year, which he planned at the 
beginning of that season. But with 
a new athletic director in Warde 
Manuel, Berenson opted to stay to 
aid Manuel’s transition.

“He didn’t wanna go through 

hiring a coach — he hadn’t 
even moved into his house yet,” 
Berenson said. “And our team 
played well and I thought they 
were responding well, so the 
reasons to stay were those things.

“We’ll revisit all this at the end 

of the year, but I’m trying not to 
worry about it right now. It’s just a 
matter of when — whether it’s this 
year or next year.

Physically, the 77-year-old is 

content.

Mentally, though, things are a 

bit more complicated.

Berenson constantly thinks 

about the consequences of his 
decision and its implication for 
the Wolverines of the present and 
the future. As Michigan begins 
recruiting with athletes as young 
as sophomores in high school, the 
uncertainty of a program’s head 
coach could impact a recruit’s 
decision.

“There’s always the question of 

‘Who’s gonna be the coach when 
I get there,’ ” Berenson said. “I 
tell all these kids I probably am 
not gonna be your coach — and 
I probably won’t. Kids get down 
between two different schools 
and there’s always the question 
of who’s gonna be the coach at 
Michigan. … But we’ll re-visit all 

of that.”

Still, it’s a question that looms 

ever 
larger 
now, 
especially 

with the Wolverines facing a 
tumultuous end of the season. 
Michigan’s final home series 
is slated against a difficult 
11th-ranked Nittany Lion team 
that outscored the Wolverines 
11-2 in State College. After the 
Penn State series, Michigan 
begins play in the Big Ten 
Tournament, where it would 
need to win out in order to reach 
the NCAA Tournament.

It is a stark contrast from 

last season. At this point, the 
Wolverines dominated conference 
play and led the nation in scoring. 
Now, the Wolverines will try to 
play the role of spoiler, something 
that motivates Berenson in a 
season when a postseason bid is 
unlikely.

“It’s gotta be a must win series 

for Michigan, just to get our 
game where we think it can be,” 
Berenson said. “We’ve seen bits 
and pieces of it, but we haven’t 
seen enough of it. I don’t think 
our fans have seen us sweep a 
team maybe once all year, and 
obviously the Friday game is the 
game. That’s the game that gets 
you going or puts your back up 
against the wall.

“We’re 
trying 
to 
get 
to 

Joe Louis Arena with some 
momentum. … So we gotta get 
a little more confidence, a little 
more momentum, and a little 
more of everything.”

Thinking in the big-picture — 

should this season be his last — 
Berenson emphasized his desires 
for his players to succeed in every 
area of their lives, should a career 
in hockey not pan out. During 
his professional career, Berenson 
took classes in the summer at 
Michigan and eventually earned 
his Master’s Degree in Business 
Administration in 1966.

It is a testament to the emphasis 

Berenson places on education for 
all his players and the reason he 
admires all of those who leave 
Ann Arbor — even the players 
who end up in other non-hockey 

pursuits.

“They all got the same message, 

and they all know I cared about 
them,” Berenson said. “I cared 
about the fact that they went 
to school and they would have 
something to fall back on. I’m 
proud of the guys who went to the 
NHL, but I’m just as proud of the 
guys that aren’t.

“We get neurosurgeons and 

lawyers and doctors, you name it. 
… All kinds of guys who were good 
players and became really good 
citizens too.”

Nearly 33 years ago, Michigan 

athletic director Don Canham 
introduced Berenson, hoping to 
return the Wolverines to their 
successful run of the 1950’s. 
Three decades later, Berenson 
remains in Ann Arbor with two 
NCAA 
championships, 
which 

shocks him to this day.

“I had no idea I’d be here 33 

years,” Berenson said. “You get 
caught up in the kids and the 

recruiting more kids, and pretty 
soon it’s like a big family and you 
feel responsible. So I’ve never 
really looked for a job since I got to 
Michigan. I’ve had opportunities 
but I’ve never wanted to leave. So 
it’s been good, and I hope it’s been 
good for Michigan.”

And while it may be tempting 

to consider when Berenson will 
come to an ultimate decision 
about his future, it’s not his 
primary concern. This weekend, 
Berenson will focus on honoring 
his seniors in their last games 
at Yost. And next week, the 
Wolverines will travel to the Joe 
Louis Arena in hopes of earning 
a long-shot bid to the NCAA 
tournament.

“We’ll see about the outcome or 

when this is over,” Berenson said. 
“Right now, our team doesn’t have 
a lot to play for except pride and 
trying to get some momentum for 
the Big Ten Tournament. That’s 
our focus right now.” 

Seniors leave impact

Jack LaFontaine remembers 

his most challenging morning of 
the season. It had been a sleepless 
night on the plane for the freshman 
goaltender, as he struggled to 
get over his performance in the 
Michigan hockey team’s loss to 
Dartmouth on Oct. 29.

He woke up that Sunday 

morning to a text message from 
a player who urged him to move 
past that experience. The message 
came from fellow netminder Zach 
Nagelvoort, who, in his fourth year 
on the Wolverines, has asserted a 
more active role for Michigan.

“He texted me, ‘Hey come over, 

let’s get some air, let’s walk, to get 
your mind off it,’ ” LaFontaine said. 
“I’ll never forget that, that’s what 
really stands out to me about the 
type of person he is.

“He’ll share one little thing 

of wisdom with me and then I’ll 
go home and I’ll write it down 
because I want to remember it for 
tomorrow. Not only that, but how 
to handle myself off the ice, and 
how to overcome challenges and 
adversity.”

Heading into the Wolverines’ 

final home series, emotions seem 
to run high for LaFontaine and his 
fellow freshman. The seniors who 
motivated them and encouraged 
them for the past months will be 
departing soon.

Nagelvoort certainly isn’t the 

only senior who makes the effort 
to guide his young teammates. 
Seniors from the front three like 
forward Alex Kile to defensemen 
Nolan de Jong and Kevin Lohan 
have 
helped 
the 
newcomers 

overcome their initial uneasiness 
in Ann Arbor.

For the first few months of the 

season, freshman Will Lockwood 
played alongside Kile, his family 
friend growing up. He credits 
part of his early season success to 
starting games with the senior as 
his linemate.

Kile’s duties as a leader extended 

beyond those on his line. With the 
assistance of the other forwards, 

Kile welcomed the new players 
into the fold and taught them the 
“Michigan tradition.”

“We like to see ourselves as a 

family on the ice and off the the 
ice, and team chemistry is really 
important,” 
Lockwood 
said. 

“Getting along with everyone is 
a huge factor in how the games 
go. They really taught me how to 
respect my teammates, to be the 
person you want to be here in Ann 
Arbor.”

Behind the front three, de Jong 

and Lohan man the blue line and 
do their part to motivate and offer 
assistance to the young group of 
Wolverines defensemen.

Freshman 
Luke 
Martin 

explained that the two constantly 
offer advice and small post-
practice reminders from working 
on improving skate speed to 
cleaning skates and putting away 
equipment.

Like 
LaFontaine 
did 
from 

Nagelvoort, Martin learned some 
specific lessons not easily seen 
on the ice during games from De 
Jong — Michigan’s captain — and 
Lohan, the alternate.

“Something I’ve learned from 

Kevin is take care of your body as 
much as you can because it’ll pay 
off in the long run,” Martin said. 
“(He) is always the last guy in the 
weight room, whether rolling out 
and stretching or icing his back 
down in the cold tub.

“Nolan is always in there 

warming up early, getting ready to 
go for practice and games. … He’s 
very calm, nothing seems to really 
rattle him. He’s never too high on 
his highs and never too low on his 
lows.”

Saturday night, Michigan will 

honor its seniors at center ice. The 
younger Wolverines will reflect 
on lessons learned at practices, 
during pre-game skates, in the 
games and on the bench. Some, like 
LaFontaine nearly did Tuesday 
after practice, may see their 
emotions get the best of them.

But most of all, they’ll thank 

the seniors for their efforts to 
mentor them over the course of a 
challenging season. 

Wolverines must refocus before 
possible NCAA Tournament run

The 
Michigan 
women’s 

basketball team still has a chance 
to become the best team in 
program history. Currently, the 
Wolverines sit at 22 wins — tied for 
the most ever. But with the NCAA 
tournament looming around the 
corner, they have an opportunity 
to win the elusive 23rd game. 

While Michigan lost four of 

its last five matchups, it is still 
very likely to be selected for the 
NCAA 
Tournament. 
Selection 

Monday will be on Mar. 13, and 
the Wolverines will be in line for 
an at-large bid. With 32 schools 
gaining automatic entry into the 
tournament, there are 32 more 
teams chosen by a committee to 
compete with, and Michigan’s 
three weeks in the Associated 
Press Top 25 rankings may be an 
essential factor in the selection 
process.

Despite the positive NCAA 

tournament 
outlook, 
the 

Wolverines’ Big Ten Tournament 
loss to Michigan State was a 
crushing blow that illuminated 
their key weaknesses. In order for 

Michigan to accomplish its 23-win 
goal, it will have to correct some of 
its shortcomings.

The Wolverines had already 

played the Spartans on Feb. 19, 
falling, 86-68 — their worst loss 
aside from a 20-point defeat to No. 
9 UCLA on Dec. 11. In the rivals’ 
Big Ten Tournament rematch last 
Friday, the Spartans won by just 10 
points.

“Our kids really bought into 

the game plan,” said Michigan 
assistant coach Melanie Moore on 
WTKA. “And we did an excellent 
job of guarding (Michigan State 
guard Tori Jankoska) who, the 
first time we played them, I think 
scored 28 points on us. The kids 
were really locked in and we 
threw different defenders on 
them from (junior forward Jillian 
Dunston) to (senior guard Siera 
Thompson). But unfortunately, 
they had some other kids that 
stepped up and made shots, and 
it was just hard for us to get back 
after that.”

Even though the Wolverines 

were able to slow down certain 
members of the Spartan offense, 
they could not account for the 
scoring contributions of eight 

different 
players. 
Michigan, 

meanwhile, had just five players 
tally points, and just seven of 
those points didn’t come from 
the team’s three leading scorers: 
junior guard Katelynn Flaherty, 
sophomore center Hallie Thome 
and 
freshman 
guard 
Kysre 

Gondrezick. 
The 
Wolverines 

did not display Michigan State’s 
depth, and relying on their core 
scorers simply wasn’t enough.

Free throws were another 

deciding factor in the game. 
The Spartans made 10 more 
free throws — and 11 more 
opportunities — than Michigan, 
which also equaled the game’s 
margin of victory.

“We were trying,” Moore said. 

“We got people on our hips, and 
we were trying to be aggressive 
and attacking. We just weren’t 
getting the foul. So we were trying 
then to move the ball, go inside to 
Hallie. It just wasn’t happening. 
So we were telling the kids, ‘Crash, 
crash hard, try to get a second or 
third opportunity.’

“Unfortunately, we just didn’t 

go to the line as much as Michigan 
State, and that was probably the 
difference when you look at the 
box score.”

Not getting to the foul line is 

one thing, but the Wolverines also 
got themselves into foul trouble, 
which forced some of their talent 
off the court in crucial parts of the 
game.

“Unfortunately for us, we had 

almost every starter with two 
fouls early in the first half,” Moore 
said. “When Hallie picked up her 
second early in the second quarter, 
we had to sit her, and that allowed 
Michigan State to go on a run.”

While the loss was a tough 

pill for Michigan to swallow, it 
will have ample time to refocus 
before the NCAA Tournament. If 
the Wolverines earn an at-large 
bid, they will start playing the 
weekend of Mar. 17.

And they certainly haven’t 

given up.

“They’re excited,” Moore said. 

“They can’t wait to get back in the 
gym, and they feel like they have 
unfinished business.”

MAGGIE KOLCON

Daily Sports Writer

CLAIRE MEINGAST/Daily

Sophomore center Hallie Thome faced foul trouble against the Spartans.

Michigan finishes 2-1 during trip

In just the sixth year of varsity 

men’s lacrosse at Michigan, it 
took just seven games for Coach 
John Paul’s group to eclipse the 
program’s record for wins in a 
season. 

The Wolverines (6-1 overall) 

got their record-setting sixth 
victory Saturday at Furman, 
aided by sophomore midfielder PJ 
Bogle’s first career hat trick in a 
7-5 triumph.

“It helps to have a breakout 

game where I can get the ball out 
of my stick a lot and have it end 
up in the back of the net,” Boyle 
said. “It reinforced that I can 
trust my teammates to get me the 
ball inside and that I can trust 
the offense that (assistant) coach 
(Conor) Ford has us running. 
Having a game like that certainly 
will help me going forward.”

Boyle credited Michigan’s first 

possession — which lasted nearly 
four minutes — and trust in the 
offensive game plan with giving 
him the confidence to pepper the 
net with 10 shots on the afternoon. 
The Wolverines’ eighth-leading 
scorer was the most active player 
offensively on a day in which the 
usual suspects didn’t markup the 
scoring column.

Sophomore 
Tommy 
Heidt, 

who won a preseason four-
way battle to be the starting 
goaltender, made seven key saves 
in the fourth quarter to hold off 
the Paladins.

“He did a big part in bailing us 

out late in the game today when 
Furman was in desperation time,” 
Paul said. “They got some good 
looks, and he made some pretty 
spectacular saves. It’s comforting 
to have a guy back there that 
isn’t only making the saves he’s 
supposed to make but also robs 
the other team throughout the 
game. That’s what Tommy’s 
doing.”

Added Heidt: “Our defense 

bared down (in the fourth) and 
tried to force the opposition to 
take shots that I like and we like.”

Michigan’s defense of a perfect 

record looked possible against 
No. 5 Notre Dame on Feb. 26, as 
the team trailed by just three 

goals at halftime. But the Fighting 
Irish used a 51-24 shot advantage 
to score nine goals in the second 
frame and win in lopsided 
fashion, 16-5.

Eighteen turnovers plagued 

the Wolverines and overwhelmed 
the defense, as Heidt’s 17 saves — 
good for the fourth-most all-time 
by a Wolverine in a single game — 
weren’t enough to stall an Irish 
team that dominated possession. 
The contest demonstrated that, 
while Michigan players have 
been able to see the fruits of 
Ford’s game plan, the offense 
hasn’t 
found 
the 
necessary 

cohesion in order to defeat elite 
teams.

“We didn’t have a lot of smart 

possessions and weren’t running 
what we wanted to,” Paul said. 
“We want smarter and better 
offense and make better choices 
with the ball.”

Though the offense showed 

signs 
of 
diversification 
with 

Boyle’s hat trick, senior attacker 
Ian King continues to hit the back 
of the net and amass assists. He 
moved to the top of the program’s 
all-time points list with a helper 
to sophomore attacker Brent 
Noseworthy 
in 
the 
second 

quarter against Notre Dame.

“(King) has been a steady 

presence for us when he’s in.” 
Paul said. “He and Kyle Jackson 
have really been the first two elite 
offensive players for us.”

Despite enduring a similar 

shot deficit and lackluster second 
half against Mercer on Thursday, 
three consecutive conversions 
on extra-man opportunity in the 
second quarter boosted Michigan 
to a 11-6 victory. 

Noseworthy earned his fourth 

hat trick of the season, as King, 
sophomore 
midfielder 
Decker 

Curran 
and 
junior 
attacker 

Patrick Tracy each notched two 
goals.

Just a month into the season, 

Michigan 
has 
progressed 
in 

replacing the contributions of 
Major League Lacrosse draft 
selection 
Kyle 
Jackson 
and 

three-year starting goalie Gerald 
Logan, who transferred to Johns 
Hopkins.

“We’re showing a ton of 

growth,” Paul said. “At the 
beginning 
of 
the 
year, 
we 

established 
ourselves 
against 

the programs that are usually 
competitive with us and win going 
away. We played a good Furman 
team that was well rested and 
better prepared than us. We’re 
getting more confident — that’s 
really the biggest difference.”

AARON BAKER/Daily

Sophomore goaltender Tommy Heidt made key saves late against Furman.

MARK CALCAGNO

Daily Sports Writer

ICE HOCKEY

AVI SHOLKOFF
Daily Sports Writer

FILE PHOTO/Daily

Michigan coach Red Berenson said he thinks about his future regularly.

AVI SHOLKOFF
Daily Sports Writer

