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.