The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Friday, January 12, 2018 — 7
With stingy defense, Michigan looking for more goals against Minnesota
Michigan coach Mel Pearson
described his hockey team’s
last two games against then-
No. 2 Notre Dame as two of its
best.
With a renewed energy on
defense and a highly-effective
—
and
newly-appointed
—
starting
goaltender
in
sophomore Hayden Lavigne,
the Wolverines (3-7-2-1 Big Ten,
8-10-2 overall) look to leverage
these strengths the remainder
of the season and catapult into
the NCAA Tournament hunt.
Last weekend in its home-
and-home series against the
Fighting Irish, Michigan — its
team offense currently ranked
second in the Big Ten and 13th
in the country — peppered the
nation’s third-best defense with
70 total shots. Unfortunately
for the Wolverines, only two of
those shots found the back of
the net, leading to a pair of 2-1
losses.
Just as some facets are
starting to click, a major — and
vitally important — piece to the
equation has slowly declined:
goal-scoring.
Despite
success
in
some
areas, Michigan is focused
on reviving its offense and
picking
up
much-needed
conference wins
this weekend at
Minnesota (4-7-
1-1, 13-10-1).
To get back
in
the
win
column — with
only
one
win
in the last five
contests — goal-
scoring and the
effectiveness of
special
teams
will be keys to
victory, according to Pearson.
“We have to compete, first
and foremost,” Pearson said.
“We have to play smart and
execute
our
game
plan.
I
thought we did that against
Notre Dame, but we didn’t
score. One area we also have
to get better at is our special
teams.
“But we’re doing a lot of
really
good
things, too. We
have
to
make
sure
that
we
continue to do
the things we’re
doing well and
continue to get
better at those.
But
there
are
one or two areas
of our game that
we have to clean
up
and
that’ll
help us. That’ll take us from
being in a tight game and losing
to being in a tight game and
winning.”
Pearson
described
senior
forward
Tony
Calderone,
junior forward Cooper Marody
and freshman forward Josh
Norris as “natural scorers.” But
he noted other players don’t
possess that innate ability.
Instead, they need to be molded
into scorers — from secondary
contributors to score sheet
stuffers.
The coaching staff stressed
scoring
techniques
during
practice,
working
with
individual skaters on releasing
the puck faster and changing
the puck’s angle when shooting.
Fine-tuning these skills will
help
combat
a
Minnesota
defense that allows a stingy
2.38 goals per game, third-
lowest in the conference.
Michigan’s
special
teams
are also struggling, with both
the power play and penalty kill
units falling flat against the
Fighting Irish.
The
Wolverines
mustered
just five shots and no goals
on four power plays and gave
up two quality Notre Dame
shorthanded
chances.
The
penalty kill also sputtered,
allowing both goals Friday and
the game-winner Sunday.
Thus, special team drills and
breakouts from the defensive
zone were emphasized during
Wednesday’s practice at the
Ann
Arbor
Ice
Cube,
the
Olympic-size rink used this
week to match the dimensions
of Minnesota’s rink.
When the two teams squared
off in November in Ann Arbor,
the
Wolverines
won
the
weekend series over the then-
fourth-ranked Golden Gophers
in dramatic, come-from-behind
fashion. After trailing by three
and four goals in successive
games, they rallied to a 5-4
overtime victory and a 6-6 tie
the next night.
While Michigan reflects on
its
accomplishments
during
the first series between the
teams, it’s also
conscious
of
the
different
circumstances
this
time
around.
Both
teams
have
evolved
into
different
identities more
than
halfway
through
the
season,
and
Minnesota now
has the home-ice advantage.
“I expect different games,”
Pearson said. “I don’t think
they’ll be as high-scoring as we
saw earlier in the year. I think
both teams have gotten much
better defensively and have
much better goaltending.
“We have a road mentality
now. You have to make sure
you play disciplined, you take
advantage of the chances you
get, you don’t give them many
chances. … I think if we can do
those things, we’ll have success
over the weekend.”
The
positives
of
late
—
including
limiting
turnovers
in
the
neutral
zone,
squashing
opponent’s
scoring
opportunities
and
elite netminding — helped the
Wolverines play high-caliber
hockey against one of the
nation’s best in the Fighting
Irish.
But to get over what Pearson
referred to as “the hump” and
win upcoming games against
formidable Big Ten opponents,
the scoring and special teams
will
need
to
be
improved
— starting this weekend in
Minneapolis.
And
the
players
are
optimistic they can do just that.
“We need to keep doing
what we’re doing,” Norris said.
“I know we’ve fallen short a
couple times, but Coach always
says it’s not about the results but
about the process, so I think as
long as we listen to what they’re
saying
and
implementing
what they want us to do, we’ll
be fine. We have to bring our
character
and
our work ethic
to Minnesota.”
Added
freshman
defenseman
Quinn
Hughes:
“The
Big
Ten
is
obviously
a
really
good
league and that
anyone can beat
anyone on any
given
night.
We’re very confident in our
game right now, so we know
that any night when we play our
‘A’ game, we can beat anyone.
“Two
big
games
at
Minnesota, hopefully we can
sweep.”
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Michigan coach Mel Pearson thought his team played smart and executed its game plan against Notre Dame, even if it didn’t score enough goals.
BENJAMIN KATZ
Daily Sports Writer
The Wolverines have struggled to convert shots into goals over the past five games, a stretch that has seen them go 1-4
“We have to
play smart and
execute our
game plan.”
“We need to
keep doing
what we’re
doing.”
Coon, ‘M’ set for tough
task against Penn State
This Friday, the Michigan
wrestling team will seek to
dethrone one of the greatest
programs in collegiate wrestling
and the nation’s top-ranked
team: Penn State (1-0 Big Ten, 5-0
overall).
Emotions will be high in what
is sure to be a packed Crisler
Center as the eighth-ranked
Wolverines (2-0, 5-2) attempt
to cement themselves as a title
contender.
After a shaky start to the
season with a 27-9 loss to Lehigh,
Michigan has righted the ship,
racking up one impressive win
after another. Two of those wins
were complete shutouts, as the
Wolverines blanked Oregon State
and Indiana in back-to-back
matches.
These statement wins only
add to the excitement that comes
with facing a top program.
Michigan has proven it has the
chops to dominate lesser teams,
but can it come up big against
elite competition?
Friday night’s event against
the Nittany Lions will surely
answer that question, with a
slew
of
big-ticket
matchups
set to unfold. Highly-ranked
wrestlers in nearly every weight
class will face off, as matches in
the 157, 165, 174, 184, 197-pound
and heavyweight weight classes
will feature a ranked wrestler
from either team — including five
matches between All-Americans.
This will undoubtedly be the
toughest lineup Michigan has
seen thus far, as Penn State has
five returning NCAA champions.
This season, these wrestlers all
remain ranked in the top-two in
their respective weight class.
“We’re just gonna have to
wrestle tough,” said fifth-year
senior Adam Coon. “There’s
gonna be a lot of hard-nosed
matches out there, so we just
have to go out there and put
everything on the mat. It’s gonna
be a fun dual.”
To add to the big-match feel,
this will be the first time that any
of these wrestlers will compete in
the Crisler Center.
“I’m excited,” Coon said. “I
know a lot of the guys are excited
because it’s the first time — in at
least five years because in five
years, we’ve never wrestled in
Crisler.”
Something
else
these
Wolverines have not seen is a win
against Penn State. Michigan has
come up short the last six times
it has faced the Nittany Lions.
Its last win against Penn State
came before any of the current
wrestlers were on the roster.
In preparation for this titanic
showdown, the Wolverines have
been hard at work and are now
finishing up a week-long taper to
assure the wrestlers are fresh for
the event.
“We
are
always
making
adjustments as we go along,” said
Michigan coach Joe McFarland.
“We are constantly evaluating
team aspects, individuals and
what the individual guys need
— now we’re cutting back and
making sure our guys go out
there with a lot of zip.”
Michigan will need all the
energy and effort it can get as
Friday’s
match
will
feature
the
highest-ranked
wrestling
matchup on the Ann Arbor
campus since 2010.
“For all the guys, it’s gonna
be seven minutes with nothing
but a great effort,” McFarland
said. “You’ll see a lot of action,
hopefully you’ll see a lot points
getting put up on the board
from both teams which makes
for exciting individual matches.
Give it a try, if you’ve never seen
a collegiate wrestling match
before, we’re gonna have a great
crowd.”
WRESTLING
JACOB KOPNICK
Daily Sports Writer
Offensive analyst departing for NFL job
In the latest — and certainly not
last — rotation of the Michigan
football coaching carousel, Scott
Turner has accepted a job as
the quarterbacks coach for the
Carolina
Panthers,
according
to an ESPN
report.
Turner,
formerly the
Wolverines’
senior
offensive
analyst, leaves Harbaugh’s staff
less than a year after he was
hired. Word of Turner’s hiring
comes just hours after his father
and long-time NFL coach, Norv,
was named Carolina’s offensive
coordinator.
Turner will leave the staff after
a turbulent season offensively
for Michigan. The Wolverines
ranked 86th nationally in points
per game, their lowest such
ranking
since
the
2008-09
season. The trio of quarterbacks
—
redshirt
junior
Wilton
Speight, fifth-year senior John
O’Korn and redshirt freshman
Brandon Peters — combined to
throw for more interceptions
(10) than touchdowns (9), while
completing just 53 percent of
their passes.
Turner,
who
started
his
career with the Panthers in
2011, will head back to Carolina
already having a plethora of NFL
experience under his belt. Before
coming to Michigan, he spent
three
seasons
working
with
Teddy Bridgewater in Minnesota.
Turner also spent a season
working as a wide receivers coach
with the Cleveland Browns.
While his position title of
“senior offensive analyst” may
not
require
a
“like-for-like”
replacement, Turner’s departure
only adds to the list of coaching
vacancies Harbaugh will likely
fill in the coming weeks.
Coaching contracts finalized
While Turner and others leave,
the incoming staff is starting to
formally take shape.
Nearly
a
month
after
moving on from strength and
conditioning
coach
Kevin
Tolbert, Michigan finalized an
agreement with former Arkansas
coach Ben Herbert to the same
position. Herbert spent the last
five seasons on staff with the
Razorbacks, and previously spent
11 seasons with Wisconsin.
The move comes just weeks
after
Harbaugh
called
for
Michigan to “get stronger” going
into next season.
“We
need
to
do
that,”
Harbaugh said after his team’s
bowl loss to South Carolina. “We
need improvement. We need to
get stronger. Need to get better.”
Harbaugh’s
emphasis
on
strength
and
conditioning
possibly stems from the fact
that the Wolverines scored zero
points in the fourth quarter of
their final three games, all losses.
On the defensive side, Al
Washington finalized a two-
year deal to become Michigan’s
linebackers and special teams
coach. Washington will come
to Ann Arbor from Cincinnati,
where he served as a defensive
line coach for one season.
And offensively, Dan Enos —
hired last week without offering
a specific title — will coach the
wide receivers, according to a
report in the Detroit Free Press.
Enos will make $150,000 his
first year on staff, with a $50,000
increase each year after that, the
report says.
Michigan did not have a coach
on staff delegated as the “wide
receivers coach” last season,
though Pep Hamilton largely
assumed that role under his title
of “passing game coordinator.”
Hamilton — according to a tweet
from Bruce Feldman of Fox Sports
— may be under consideration for
a position in Jon Gruden’s staff
with the Oakland Raiders.
That
enough
rumors
and
semantics for you?
Because of the Wolverines’
disappointing 8-5 finish — and
the nature of their struggles —
this is an offseason fraught with
staff turnover and widespread
change.
Buckle up. It’s only January.
Vegas
odds
and
early
rankings released
In an annual tradition of
turning attention to the next
season immediately after the
previous, Las Vegas released its
odds to win the 2018-19 national
championship. Perhaps to the
surprise of some who watched
Michigan scuffle to an 8-5 record,
the Wolverines opened as 10-1
odds to win the title.
Michigan trails just reigning
national
champion,
Alabama
(3-1), runner-up, Georgia (9-2),
Clemson (6-1) and Ohio State
(8-1). Those four teams combined
for a 50-7 record this season.
The
heaping
expectations
for next season are largely
contingient upon the eligibility
of transfer quarterback Shea
Patterson, who was the top-
ranked quarterback in the 2016
recruiting class.
AthalonSports.com
ranked
the Wolverines seventh in their
“Way-too-early top 25,” citing
an intriguing returning defense
and the potential growth of the
receiving corps.
“After a rebuilding year in
2017, the Wolverines are poised
for a rebound back into the top
10 in 2018,” Athlon writes. “Don
Brown’s defense should rank
among the best in the nation
once again. This unit is slated to
return nearly intact, but tackle
Maurice Hurst and linebacker
Mike McCray depart to the NFL.
Linebacker Devin Bush and end
Rashan Gary should push for All-
American honors, with Khaleke
Hudson (LB) and cornerback
Lavert Hill returning as key
contributors.”
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh will need to look for a new offensive analyst in the near future.
MAX MARCOVITCH
Daily Sports Editor
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