8A — Wednesday, January 24,2018
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com

Best moments are still ahead for new lacrosse coach, Hannah Nielsen

It started with tennis and a 

t-shirt.

Hannah 
Nielsen 
grew 
up 

playing all sorts of sports in 
Adelaide, Australia. It wasn’t until 
she was 11 years old, though, that 
she even heard of lacrosse. 

“I actually played tennis with a 

girl who had a lacrosse t-shirt on, 
and I had no idea what the sport 
was,” Nielsen said. “She said I 
should come out and try it. I picked 
up a stick and never looked back.”

Nielsen quickly grew to love the 

toughness of the game. She loved 
playing in the heat of summer and 
in the dead of winter. She loved the 
running and the physicality. She 
loved playing in the mud.

By seventh grade, Nielsen was 

sold. Lacrosse would be her sport.

Today, Nielsen finds herself 

weeks way from her first game 
as the second-ever Michigan 
women’s lacrosse coach.

Joining the Brighton Lacrosse 

Club, Nielsen started her journey 
where other lacrosse greats began, 
including 
Loyola 
University 

Maryland women’s lacrosse coach 
Jen Adams.

Adams won the first ever 

Tewaaraton 
Award 
— 
the 

Heisman of collegiate lacrosse 
— in 2001 after her senior season 
at Maryland. There, Adams won 
four national championships and 
finished off her collegiate career 
with a perfect 23-0 season.

Nielsen wanted to follow suit.
“I 
remember 
at 
the 
time 

watching a highlight video of 
an Australian girl playing at 
Maryland and just thought, ‘That’s 
what I want to do,’ ” Nielsen said. 
“Pretty much from there through 
high school, I set my sights on 
getting to college.”

Five years later, Nielsen found 

herself at Northwestern. Though 
she always dreamed of becoming 
a Terrapin like Adams, Nielsen 
believed the Wildcats would be 
the team to beat.

Not only did Nielsen want to be 

a champion, but she wanted to be 
a champion in her own right. At 
Northwestern, she could pave her 
own path.

“Northwestern had just won 

its first national championship,” 
Nielsen said. “I could tell that 
the program was destined for 
great things, and had success in 
their future. It’s something that 
I felt I should be a part of, and at 
the end of the day I wanted to do 
something new. To do something 
that no other Australian had 
done.”

And that she did.
Nielsen 

graduated 
Northwestern 
with 
a 
perfect 

senior 
season 

like Adams. She 
bested 
Adams 

with not one, but 
two Tewaaraton 
Awards in both 
her 
junior 
and 

senior years.

She 
is 
the 

Wildcats’ 
all-time 
leader 
in 

points (398) and assists (224), and 
finished off her collegiate career 
with a 21-7 triumph over North 
Carolina for a fourth and final 
national championship. Nielsen 

remembers the win as her favorite 
on-field moment at Northwestern.

“It was icing on top of an 

incredible season,” she said.

Nielsen’s dominance on the 

lacrosse field didn’t stop there, 
though. In fact, it didn’t even begin 
there.

Before landing in Chicago, and 

before playing a single collegiate 
match, Nielsen was already a 

world champion.

Out 
of 
the 

10 
Women’s 

Lacrosse 
World 

Cups held since 
its 
inaugural 

year in 1982, the 
United 
States 

has 
won 
eight. 

In 2005, Nielsen 
and the rest of 
the 
Australian 

National 
Team 

beat out the Americans on their 
home turf in the gold-medal 
match, 14-7. She was just 17 years 
old.

This past summer, at 29, Nielsen 

competed in her fourth World 

Cup in England, and was selected 
to the 12 player All-World Team 
alongside four of her teammates, 
one being Adams.

“For 
me, 
there’s 
nothing 

better 
than 
playing 
for 
my 

country,” Nielsen said. “Getting to 
represent Australia — for anyone, 
representing your own country 
— I don’t think there’s anything 
better.”

Nielsen’s 

stellar 
career 

as a player has 
translated 
well 

into her quickly 
progressing 
coaching 
career. 

Before 
earning 

her first position 
as a head coach 
at Michigan this 
past 
summer, 

Nielsen 
was 

an assistant coach at her alma 
mater. Previously, she was on 
the coaching staff at Penn State 
and Towson, and helped start 
the women’s lacrosse program at 
Colorado in 2014 — the same year 

Michigan’s program began.

Ironically 
enough, 
the 

Wolverines open up their 2018 
season against the Buffaloes in 
Jacksonville, Fla. on February 9th.

“It’s going to be kind of a crazy 

experience,” Nielsen said. “I’ve 
fortunately coached against them 
before, so it won’t be my first time. 
They still hold a very special place 
in my heart.”

This 
meeting 

will be Michigan’s 
third 
encounter 

with the Buffalos. 
The 
Wolverines 

dropped their first 
battle in a 14-13 
double 
overtime 

thriller back in 
2015. 
Colorado 

widened the gap 
the 
following 

year, dominating 

in an 11-4 showing.

Four seasons in, the Buffalos 

boast a .640 win percentage while 
Michigan sits at .290. Perhaps 
it was Nielsen that influenced 
Colorado’s 
quick 
progression. 

Either way, the matchup is shaping 
up to be a good one. 

“The head coach is a very good 

friend of mine,” Nielsen said. “Both 
of us are very, very competitive, so 
we’re both going to want to win.”

And despite losing 14 seniors to 

graduation last season — most of 
whom were four-year starters — 
Nielsen thinks her team can win. 
She believe the Wolverines have 
athleticism on their side.

Michigan’s current coaching 

staff prides itself on being able to 
teach the game. If the players are 
athletic and have the will to win, 
Nielsen believes they will do just 
that.

“If I were to pick someone 

who’s got that killer instinct and 
athleticism over someone who’s 
got finesse and skill, I’m definitely 
going for that athleticism,” Nielsen 
said. “We like toughness. We like 
gritty players who aren’t afraid 
to do the dirty work that goes 
unnoticed.”

Luckily 
for 
Nielsen, 
the 

previous women’s lacrosse coach, 
Jennifer Ulehla, felt similarly. She 
recruited athletes and believed 
specific skills and lacrosse IQ 
could be taught.

So far, Nielsen says it s all 

coming together.

From day one back in September 

through the end of fall ball, 
Nielsen has seen improvements all 
over the field. The Wolverines are 
beginning to click.

“The best moment so far was our 

last practice of the fall,“ Nielsen 
said. “To sit back as a coaching 
staff and see where we’ve come 
from and where we were at that 
point was really satisfying.”

And where will Michigan be in 

May when the season wraps up?”

“Hopefully in a better place than 

where we started,“ Nielsen said. “I 
hope that we’ve progressed as a 
team and that we’ve got a strong 
belief in all of our values and our 
culture. Hopefully we’ve got some 
wins on the board, as well.”

Nielsen has had what one would 

call a storied career in the lacrosse 
world. 
Coming 
to 
Michigan, 

however, is not the end of the 
story. Coaching is simply her latest 
chapter.

“Honestly,” Nielsen said, “the 

best moments are still to come.”

MAX KUANG/Daily

The Michigan women’s lacrosse team will have a new coach this year in Hannah Nielsen, perhaps the best collegiate player of all time.

KATIE CONKLIN
Daily Sports Writer

“It was icing 
on top of an 
incredible 
season.”

“For me, there’s 
nothing better 
than playing for 

my country.”

CLAIRE MEINGAST/Daily

Senior guard Katelynn Flaherty was on fire in the first half and finished with 26 points in Michigan’s 26-point win.

‘M’ dominates in 74-48 win over MSU

The game tipped off at 7:00. It 

was over by 7:10.

It took just over five minutes of 

game time for the No. 16 Michigan 
women’s basketball team (7-2 
Big Ten, 18-4 overall) to build up 
an 18-4 first quarter lead over 
Michigan State (4-4, 14-7). The 
Spartans never came back, or came 
close to doing so, as the Wolverines 
cruised to a 74-48 win.

Ironically, 
things 
started 

tenuously, as junior guard Nicole 
Munger turned the ball over after 
Michigan State trapped a pick-and-
roll on the game’s first possession, 
leading to a transition layup. The 
next time down, when the Spartans 
pulled the same trick against 
senior guard Katelynn Flaherty, 
she nearly lost her dribble as well. 
But she found it, along with junior 
center Hallie Thome for a layup.

By the time the Spartans scored 

again, Flaherty had scored six 
points and notched a second assist. 
She rained fire early on, hitting two 
3-pointers off screens, then finding 
freshman forward Hailey Brown 
under the basket when the entire 
Michigan State defense gravitated 
to Flaherty in transition.

In the first half alone, Flaherty 

created 22 points — 12 of her own 
doing and 10 off assists. By the 
end of the game, that number was 

up to 41, through 26 points and 10 
assists, over half of the Wolverines’ 
74 points.

“She got away from us a couple 

times, but, I mean, she gets an open 
look, it’s down,” said Michigan 
State coach Suzy Merchant. “I don’t 
care if she’s playing Michigan State, 
Ohio State — it doesn’t matter. That 
kid is a great, great shooter.”

No 
matter 
the 
question, 

Flaherty was the answer. When 
the Spartans drew within 10 at the 
start of the second half — the only 
time all game in which a comeback 
seemed within reach — she hit a 
3-pointer, drew a foul in transition 
(hitting both free throws), assisted 
a Munger triple, then drained a 
running transition hook shot along 
with the ensuing free throw.

A 36-26 lead ballooned to 47-31. 

Whatever hope Michigan State had 
died. The rest of the contest was a 
mere formality.

“Going into this game, we knew 

that they send all of their players 
to the offensive glass,” Flaherty 
said. “So we knew we could run in 
transition. They’re a bigger team, 
a slower team compared to us, so I 
think we really took advantage of 
that.”

The win marked Michigan’s 

fifth in a row, a streak that now 
includes wins over both the 
Wolverines’ rivals. In a year that 
will be defined by whether or 
not Michigan continues on its 

current path to make the NCAA 
Tournament, the Wolverines are 
galvanized by the scars of being left 
out last season.

“We got robbed last year, not 

getting to the NCAA Tournament,” 
said Michigan coach Kim Barnes 
Arico. “And they have been on a 
mission since that announcement 
at March Madness. And we went on 
to win the WNIT Championship, 
but they didn’t even stop working 
after that win. They came back 
this year hungrier than ever...all 
of our returners have something 
to prove. They have a chip on their 
shoulder.

“...It doesn’t ever end. I think 

it’s a constant reminder, because 
the people that came before 
them never got to experience it. 
So (graduate assistant) Danielle 
Williams and Siera Thompson, 
who were seniors for us last year, 
they’ll never get that back. So it 
is a pain, like it’s a gut-wrenching 
pain that will never go away. And 
I think this year’s team is on a 
mission for all Michigan players, 
that this is for you.”

Tuesday was a rivalry victory, 

yes, and one against a program 
Michigan had gone 3-8 against 
during Barnes Arico’s tenure 
coming into tonight.

But it was also one step closer 

to avenge last season’s “robbing,” 
and that’s how the Wolverines will 
remember it.

ETHAN SEARS
Daily Sports Writer

Achilles heel no longer?

F

ebruary 5, 2015.

That 

was the last 
time 
the 

Michigan 
women’s 
basketball 
team 
defeated 
Michigan 
State. 
In 

four straight 
matchups, 
Kim Barnes Arico came up 
empty-handed 
against 
the 

Spartans.

That was the case until 

Tuesday, when the Wolverines 
routed Michigan State, 74 to 48.

“This win is important to our 

university,” Barnes Arico said. 
“It’s important to our players 
in our program. It’s important 
to our state. I mean, it’s just 
important.”

Part of the job description 

when coaching at Michigan is 
how you fair against Michigan 
State and Ohio State. Up until 
this season, those matchups were 
an Achilles heel for Barnes Arico.

And for the first time in her 

career, these rivalry matchups 
are going the right way for Barnes 
Arico. At least they appear to be, 
as the Wolverines have now won 
their last two matchups against 
the two schools.

Prior to Tuesday, the sixth 

year coach posted a 3-8 record 
against her rivals from East 
Lansing. And her record against 
the Buckeyes is only slightly 
better at 3-6, boasting a combined 
.300 
winning 
percentage. 

Despite being the program’s all-
time winningest coach, rivalry 
matchups are a glaring weakness 
for Barnes Arico, as 21 percent of 
her total career losses have come 
at the hands of the Spartans and 
Ohio State. Given the magnitude 
of these matchups, these loses 
must sting particularly bad.

“This is a game that is circled 

on the schedule. Every year,” 
Barnes Arico said. “My first year 
here, we had five seniors on that 

team. They taught me what it 
meant, what this rivalry truly 
meant. And how important it 
was to beat State. (The seniors) 
have been incredible continuing 
to teach our program what that 
really means.”

But 
when 
considering 
all 

factors, Barnes Arico’s previous 
lack of success against rival 
schools should only be taken into 
consideration in part.

Unfortunately 
for 
her, 

Michigan’s two biggest rivals 
have consistently been among 
the best teams in the country, 
notching seven combined NCAA 
Tournament 
appearances 
in 

the five seasons of Barnes Arico 
tenure. The two teams have also 
each been Big Ten champions in 
that timespan.

And while Barnes Arico’s 

numbers aren’t by any means 
good, 
compared 
to 
her 

predecessors, they aren’t bad. 
She has three of the Wolverines 
12 all-time wins against the 
Buckeyes. She also now possesses 
four of Michigan’s five wins over 
the Spartans since the 2003-04 
season.

While the past six seasons 

shouldn’t be forgotten, this is 
the year to start judging Barnes 
Arico against her rivals. Her 
team is currently ranked 16th in 
the country and has appeared 

in the rankings every week this 
season. This is the year Barnes 
Arico 
should 
challenge 
her 

rivals.

And she has.
This year, the Wolverines 

are 2-1 against the two schools, 
with their lone loss coming in 
overtime to then-No. 8 Ohio 
State on January 7th.

Some may say it’s a fluke and 

point to the 2014-15 season, 
where Michigan went 2-0 against 
the Spartans and 1-1 against the 
Buckeyes. They may then note 
that the Wolverines proceeded 
to go 1-4 against Michigan State 
in the following years. And they 
might also say that this is the 
worst Spartan team in years and 
had multiple injured players on 
Tuesday.

And they’re right – somewhat.
Yes, for Michigan to qualify 

for the NCAA Tournament and 
become a staple in the national 
rankings, it has to continue to 
beat quality teams like Michigan 
State and Ohio State. They can’t 
be satisfied with these victories. 
It has to perform well at the Big 
Ten Tournament and make its 
first NCAA tournament in five 
years. 

But Thursday showed Barnes 

Arico and the Wolverines are 
on the trajectory of figuring out 
their Achilles heel. 

CLAIRE MEINGAST/Daily

Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico has beaten both rivals this year.

HUNTER 
SHARF

