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

Third period inconsistencies
holding ‘M’ back from sweeps

Following a dramatic, come-

from-behind win against Vermont 
on Oct. 21, Michigan hockey coach 
Mel Pearson said his skaters had 
started to establish themselves as 
a “third-period team.”

The next Friday at No. 19 Penn 

State, the Wolverines (5-3-0) 
had two one-goal leads in the 
final period, only to allow two 
Nittany Lion equalizers to force 
overtime and eventually secure 
a 5-4 Penn State victory. But the 
subsequent night was a different 
story, as Michigan scored two 
goals within 74 seconds early in 
the third, winning the game 5-2 
and splitting the series.

Last Thursday, the Wolverines 

reverted 
to 
their 
new, 
self-

proclaimed 
identity 
against 

Ferris State. What initially looked 
like a nail-biter over the first 40 
minutes — with the Bulldogs one 
breakaway from tying or leading 
the game — quickly turned into 
target practice for Michigan come 
the third period.

After sloppy play on both sides 

of the puck — including being 
outshot 11 to nine in the second 
period — and a 1-1 stalemate after 
two 
periods, 
the 
Wolverines 

finally broke loose early and often 
in the final stanza. Michigan 
controlled possession time within 
the offensive zone, put 26 shots on 
net and scored four unanswered 
goals, sealing a 7-2 routing.

However, 
the 
next 
night 

again 
showcased 
late-game 

inconsistency. With a chance for 
its second straight home sweep, 
the 
Wolverines 
outshot 
the 

Bulldogs 12 to five and scored 
on a power play in the same 
frame. Nevertheless, Ferris State 
responded with the tying goal 
and eventually left Ann Arbor 
with a 3-2 overtime triumph and 
shocking series split.

Through 
eight 
games, 
13 

of Michigan’s 28 goals have 
come in the third period. But 
the 
squandered 
late 
scoring 

opportunities have slowly started 
to equal those capped off by goal 
flurries.

Despite the similar feel of yet 

another third period dominated 
by the Wolverines, the results 
were starkly different in the 
stunning loss to the Bulldogs. 
Pearson faults an inability to 
capitalize on quality chances in 
the third period as a major reason 
for a disappointing end to the 
series.

“When you look at the shots 

and shots attempted, I think we 
did a pretty good job taking the 
play to them,” Pearson said after 
Friday’s loss. “I think the shots 
were 22 to 12 and the ‘grade-A’s’ 
would be maybe six or seven to 
one, so I liked our third period.

“We were a little soft in our 

zone on their second goal, the 
tying goal, defensively. We have 
to engage a little bit harder, a little 
bit more aggressive, but we didn’t. 
And then they got a quick pass and 
a goal. But I liked our third period 
— I can’t tell you we had a poor 
third period — but we just have to 
finish. We had great chances and 
it’s going to bother me watching 
the game back and watching the 
missed opportunities.”

Though the team failed to 

execute Friday, Pearson holds 
confidence his team will continue 
to play with high energy down 
the stretch. He cites the presence 
of experienced upperclassmen as 
a catalyst for a recent, locked-in 
focus in the final period.

“I think our leadership is really 

good,” Pearson said last Thursday. 
“They’re doing a good job of 
keeping the team in the moment. 
We can as coaches ask them to do 
that, but we’ve got some real good 
leaders and (that) extends to our 
coaches in the locker room. Just 
calm everything down, there’s 
a certain way we need to play to 
have success in the third period 
and we document that. Short 
shifts, manage the puck, play with 
discipline, a lot of things and if we 
can do that, we’re going to have 
success in the third period.

“We’ve got enough guys who 

can score. If you play on the right 
side of the puck, check the other 
team, you’re going to get your 
opportunities, especially when 
they have to start pressing. For the 
most part we did a good job, but 
we still have to get better. I know 
we’re only seven games in and I 
expect this to be in midseason 
form, but lots of really good things 
going on.”

Junior 
defenseman 
Luke 

Martin 
agrees 
with 
Pearson 

about the importance of veteran 
leadership, but doesn’t see his 
approach and composure change 
from period to period.

“I’m a solid steady presence 

back there,” Martin said. “I think 
I just continue to bring that in the 
third and hopefully be a little bit 
of calming influence on some of 
the younger guys. We just keep 
going forward and playing every 
shift like it’s going to make or 
break the game. And I think that’s 
just an important mentality in the 
third.”

Closing out games in dominant 

fashion starts and ends with 
prevailing on defense, an area 
that still needs to be improved, 
Pearson and players concur — 
especially with No. 4 Minnesota 
(7-3-0) 
and 
its 
high-octane 

offense traveling to Ann Arbor 
this weekend.

The Wolverines allowed just 

five goals in the third period 
this season, but all came at 
precious times and some off 
avoidable 
defensive 
miscues. 

They ultimately cost Michigan 
two straight sweeps against Penn 
State and Ferris State.

Even with the hot Golden 

Gophers in town, the Wolverines 
expect to post impressive third 
period showings, stemming from 
a re-energized spark Pearson 
believes his team possesses late 
in contests. But it’s a matter of 
exploiting scoring chances that 
will be the difference between a 
sweep for either team and a split 
against one of the Big Ten’s — and 
NCAA’s — best.

BENJAMIN KATZ

Daily Sports Writer

ICE HOCKEY

FOOTBALL
Glasgow key for ‘M’
special teams unit

Like many Wolverines before 

him, redshirt sophomore Jordan 
Glasgow is making the move from 
special teams standout to defensive 
contributor. In the words of Chase 
Winovich, “Jordan’s a beast.” 

Glasgow, who plays defensive 

back when he’s not defending kick 
returns, walked out as the special 
teams captain last weekend against 
Minnesota, a testament to his 
performance the week prior versus 
Rutgers.

He made one solo tackle while 

playing safety against the Scarlet 
Knights and followed that up with 
a career-high three tackles that day 
against the Golden Gophers. His 
success has helped boost a special 
teams unit that is one of the best in 
the nation.

Michigan (4-2 Big Ten, 7-2 overall) 

hasn’t allowed a single kick return to 
go for a touchdown this season and 
allows an average of just 14.59 yards 
per return — the No. 3 best kick 
return defense in the country.

“We have good game setups, 

we have good plans every game 
and we have people that want to go 
down there and make a play, and 
I think that’s the most important 
thing,” Glasgow said. “If people 
run down there, think it’s going 
to be a touchback and slow down, 
it just gives the return team an 
opportunity.”

That’s not an issue for Michigan, 

though, 
because 
according 
to 

Glasgow, 
everyone 
sprinting 

downfield on kickoffs wants to make 
the big hit.

Many of those players aspire to 

play more consistently on offense 
and defense, so when they line up 
on special teams, that’s their time to 
stand out.

Redshirt junior linebacker Noah 

Furbush and Winovich, a redshirt 
junior defensive end, both spent 
most of their earlier years on special 

teams, but now play on defense full-
time.

Winovich starts at his position, 

and Furbush rotates along with 
the other linebackers, but when 
they were sophomores, they were 
basically kickoff specialists.

“I knew every single thing those 

kick returners did,” Winovich said. 
“The way they set up. The way they 
turned. I learned a lot about scouting 
people from that year. It was kind of 
just doing everything perfect, doing 
your assignment and trying to make 
big plays.

“Going down there and putting 

somebody on their butt, being 
consistent, playing hard — showing 
that you’re an animal.”

Added 
Furbush: 
“Everybody 

has got a role on the team, and 
everybody’s got to do that role to the 
best of their abilities.”

Glasgow is doing just that. 

After leading the Wolverines with 
12 special teams tackles in 2016, 
he focused this offseason on the 
improvements that would make him 
a better candidate at defensive back.

For a safety, Glasgow admits that 

he’s a bit slow. He made a conscious 
effort to become faster before this 
season started, focusing on all the 
workouts that the strength and 
conditioning coaches plan for the 
team.

“As long as you go through those, 

you give your entire effort and you 
give everything you have, you’re 
going to get better no matter what,” 
Glasgow said. “I just put all the effort 
I could into the plan that the coaches 
put together for me, and that helped 
develop me as a safety and defensive 
player.”

Now, Glasgow is in the room with 

the safeties. He’s starting to put stats 
in the pass break up column, and he’s 
continuing to add to his tackles total.

“Jordan does it every game,” 

Winovich said. “He’s been doing it. 
It’s one of those things, you do it for 
a while, and finally other people start 
to catch on. That’s Jordan.”

Robbins setting high expectations for himself

Brad Robbins’ dad got a call two 

weeks before signing day. 

On the other end? None other 

than Jim Harbaugh.

“My dad goes, ‘Oh hey, Jim!’ 

His voice cracked,” Robbins said 
Tuesday night. “It was priceless. Me 
and my brother were sitting in the 
other room just making fun of him.”

Now Michigan’s starting punter 

as a freshman, Robbins still recalled 
the conversation fondly almost one 
year later. How could he not? After 
all, he admitted he was “pretty 
shocked” the Wolverines even came 
calling.

But Harbaugh did. Then Chris 

Partridge and Jay Harbaugh visited 
his school. And on Feb. 1, Robbins 
faxed his national letter of intent 
to Ann Arbor — a tidy ending to a 
whirlwind recruitment.

“It all happened so fast,” he said. 

“It was unbelievable. I’m just happy 
I’m here.”

Originally, Robbins had picked 

Nevada after attending the team’s 
kicking camp before his senior 

season. But the Wolfpack finished 
5-7 last year. The day after their 
season ended, head coach Brian 
Polian was let go along with the rest 
of his staff.

Robbins promptly decommitted 

— and began the recruitment 
process all over again.

Coaches weren’t able to reach out 

in the immediate aftermath because 
it was a dead period. So he took the 
initiative, attending more camps to 
gain exposure and hopefully a late 
offer.

It was a stressful time. His future 

was uncertain. But Robbins said he 
tried to stay level-headed.

“My parents gave me good 

advice,” 
Robbins 
said. 
“They 

reassured 
me 
that 
something 

would happen. I could walk-on 
somewhere, something was going to 
happen.”

Around January, a couple Big 

Ten schools reached out. Robbins 
spent nearly an entire month 
on the road, visiting unfamiliar 
campuses. Meanwhile, a couple 
kicking coaches he knew talked to 
Michigan’s staff and recommended 
his name. Then came the call from 

Harbaugh, and everything fell into 
place.

It didn’t take long for Robbins to 

make an impact for his new team, 
either. By the Purdue game, he had 
earned the starting job. For a team 
with an offense that has sputtered at 
times, Robbins takes part in crucial 
battles for field position. On the 
season, he’s punted 37 times with an 
average of 40.8 yards.

Robbins 
feels 
like 
he 
has 

played “decent.” But he has higher 
expectations for himself.

“I want to average like 60 yards, if 

I can,” Robbins said. “Over the past 
few games, I feel alright. But I don’t 
feel satisfied. I want to become more 
consistent. I want to help the defense 
out as much as I can. I want to put 
them in a really good position.”

Robbins’ numbers may not leap 

off the stat sheet. But what he has 
done is somewhat remarkable 
considering the transition he faced 
going to college. For one, Westerville 
South 
High 
School, 
situated 

northeast of Columbus, never had a 
special teams coordinator.

“I showed my coach in high 

school, I was like, ‘Look, I can do 

a pooch punt, I can go directional 
(punting),’ ” Robbins recalled, 
laughing. “ ‘No, just kick the crap out 
the ball.’ That was my high school 
advice.

“It changed when I got here. 

Expectations were way up here — 
especially with Kenny Allen leaving 
and him being as good as he was.”

Expectations from his fellow 

special teams members are higher, 
too. Robbins has developed a 
friendly 
rivalry 
with 
redshirt 

freshman kicker Quinn Nordin.

“We constantly chip at each 

other,” Robbins said. “We go back 
and forth. … I told him I’m going 
to kick field goals. He told me he’s 
going to take my job. It’s all good 
fun. He has a boot. He has a big leg, 
too.”

Nordin and his fellow kickers 

can dream of knocking in game-
winning field goals. Robbins? He has 
other aspirations: placing a “perfect 
pooch punt” at the one-yard line, 
laying out a returner on the sideline 
and running for a touchdown after a 
bad snap.

Of course, that last scenario might 

give Michigan fans some pause.

TED JANES

Daily Sports Writer

ORION SANG

Daily Sports Editor

AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily

Freshman punter Brad Robbins originally was committed to Nevada, but a whirlwind process landed him in Ann Arbor, where he is now Michigan’s starter.

