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Sports
Friday, March 30, 2018 — 7
Notebook: Porikos “fine” after big hit Sunday, Martin coming into his own
Twelve
minutes
into
the
NCAA Northeast Regional Final
on Sunday, Boston University
forward Nikolas Olsson lowered
his left shoulder and knocked
Michigan forward Niko Porikos
into the side-boards.
The senior’s head slammed
against the glass and he fell
to the ice, where he spent the
next 30 seconds kneeling before
getting up and making his way
towards the Wolverine bench
under his own power. Porikos
was on the bench for the rest
of the first period, and did not
return with the team after
intermission.
Porikos wanted to sit on the
bench for the rest of the game,
but after communicating with
trainer Rick Bancroft, Michigan
coach Mel Pearson decided
it would be better for him to
remain in the locker room.
“Anytime you have a hit to the
head like that you pretty much
pull him right out of the game,”
Pearson said. “There’s no wiggle
room there.”
While
the
immediate
aftermath of the hit hinted
at a scary situation, Porikos’
absence from the bench was
mostly precautionary. Following
further testing throughout the
night and the next day, Porikos
was cleared to return to practice
earlier this week and took part in
full-contact practice Thursday
afternoon, after which Pearson
called him “fine.”
“That’s concussion protocol
now, even if you don’t maybe
have symptoms or don’t feel
that bad any time you get hit
to the head,” Pearson said. “I
totally agree with it. ... There’s a
number of things, depending on
how they think the hit was, and
just more importantly, how the
student-athlete reacts and what
his symptoms are.”
In 21 games this season,
Porikos has scored one goal
and accrued five assists. After
alternating between a healthy
scratch and the active lineup
during the Wolverines’ first
26 games, he has carved out
a regular role, appearing in
nine of the last 13 games and
registering three helpers during
that span.
Reading between the lines
Porikos’
early
exit
isn’t
expected to impact his place
in
the
Wolverines’
lineup,
however. Against Northeastern
last Saturday and against the
Terriers, he joined sophomore
Adam Winborg and freshman
Dakota Raabe on Michigan’s
listed fourth line, a trio that
Pearson
believes
will
play
together next Thursday against
Notre Dame.
“It should be (the same),”
Pearson said Thursday. “We’re
always reevaluating our lineup.
We had a good series out there,
but there’s other guys that look
good in practice. There’s been
really good competition so far.”
As opposed to the mix-and-
match mentality of October,
November
and
December,
Pearson has sought stability
with
his
lines
during
the
season’s second half, especially
with all four lines being able to
contribute offensively. Against
Boston, for example, the third
line
of
freshmen
Michael
Pastujov and Jack Becker and
sophomore
Nick
Pastujov
combined for three assists, one
goal — Nick’s empty-netter that
sealed the victory — and a plus-
4 rating.
“They’ve got enough guys
who can put the
puck in the net
when given the
opportunity,”
Pearson said of
his bottom lines.
“They’re playing
well together as
groups, which is
important. And
they’re fulfilling
a role on our
team
that
we
need, and that’s
providing some energy and
hustle.”
Down the stretch in particular,
Pearson has constantly stated
that the ultimate focus is on
his own team, rather than
being overly concerned with
opponents’ strategy. As such,
while the third and fourth lines
are often employed as checking
lines in order to stop opposing
playmakers, that isn’t the case
for the Wolverines this year.
This is amplified by the fact
that the Fighting Irish are
the
higher-seeded
team,
so
Michigan
no
longer
is
the
designated home
team like it was
in both games
last
weekend.
The
driving
force
behind
the Wolverines’
win
over
Northeastern
on Saturday was
seniors
Tony
Calderone
and
Dexter Dancs and junior Cooper
Marody
—
who
persuaded
Pearson to let them go up
against Adam Gaudette, Dylan
Sikura
and
Nolan
Stevens
—
outdueling
the
Huskies’
explosive front line. Without
last change against Notre Dame,
though, specific matchups will
play less of a role.
“Sometimes you’re not as
concerned
with
matchups,”
Pearson said. “Even more so
now that we’re the visiting team
… We’re just going to roll some
guys out there and make Notre
Dame worry about who we’re
putting on the ice.”
And with the development of
the Pastujovs, Becker and others
as sources of offense, Pearson
believes he has the personnel to
make that possible.
Martin slims down to bulk
up Michigan’s defense
The past month has not been
kind to Luke Martin.
Against Arizona State on Feb.
23,
Martin’s
defensive-zone
turnover led to a Sun Devil goal
within the first minute. This
mistake seemed to set the tone
for the sophomore defenseman’s
recent rough patch, in which he
recorded a minus-three rating
over five games.
But the Martin that led the
Wolverines with a plus-17 rating
throughout the first 32 games
returned
for
the
Northeast
Regional, commanding the back
line with strength and authority.
Martin was a plus-three for the
weekend’s two games, even
adding an assist on Saturday.
Martin’s
known
for
his
physicality and size — he’s listed
at 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds — but
it was this size that hindered
him in part during his earlier
slump. A leaner Martin took the
ice last weekend, and he was
able to rediscover his prior form
as a result.
According
to
Pearson,
Martin’s
slimmer
figure
brought a boost of confidence as
well, which has led to a stronger
overall game.
“He’s dropped his weight
a little bit, which allows him
to be quicker,” Pearson said.
“He’s a big guy, and he’s a
pretty good skater for his size,
but I think he’s found a weight
that’s really helped him. ... I
thought he played tremendous
this weekend. I thought he was
outstanding, and part of that is
getting his confidence back.”
Martin, like junior Joseph
Cecconi and sophomore Griffin
Luce, is usually seen as a
“stay-at-home,”
defense-first
blueliner, at least in relation
to senior Sam Piazza, junior
Nicholas Boka or freshman
Quinn Hughes, who are willing
and capable of pushing the
puck hard up the ice. This has
allowed Michigan to optimize
its defensive pairings so that
they
will
complement
each
other’s skill sets.
Martin and Piazza have spent
the majority of the last two
months playing with each other,
and on Thursday, Pearson raved
about the rapport the two have
developed during that time.
“Him and Sam have done a
real nice job playing off of each
other,” Pearson said. “And I
think that’s the other thing. We
were changing pairs, and now
he knows who his partner is,
and you can see a real chemistry
between them.”
JACOB SHAMES
Daily Sports Writer
RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily
Senior forward Niko Porikos left Michigan’s game against Boston University in the NCAA Northeast Regional Final after a big hit.
“I thought
he played
tremendous
this weekend.”
Michigan hoping to stay
grounded against Purdue
One
wouldn’t
normally
associate
football
with
softball, but coaches from
both sports preach adherence
to the “ground game” as a
necessity to win.
On the gridiron that might
mean handing the ball off to a
running back and advancing
the ball inch by inch rather
than picking up a large chunk
of yardage through the air.
In the same vein, the No.
17 Michigan softball team
has seen first hand the value
of ground balls over the past
few games, and should look to
use it against Purdue in this
weekend’s upcoming series.
Against Iowa, the Wolverines
saw their 18-game winning
streak
fall
in
large
part
because Michigan swung its
bats towards the sky rather
than the field. Even though
the
Wolverines
mounted
a furious comeback in the
seventh inning, that ended
when sophomore outfielder
Haley Hoogenraad hit a fly
ball to left field to end the
game.
Against
Detroit
Mercy,
Michigan
quite
literally
stayed
grounded.
Junior
catcher Katie Alexander sent
a
hit
rolling
through
the
diamond
that
was
bobbled
by
a
Titans
fielder,
and
just like that
the
score
was
1-0
in
the
second
inning. Junior
outfielder
Natalie
Peters singled
through the left side and
the
scoreboard
read
3-0,
Wolverines.
Three more ground balls
later,
and
Michigan
got
the luxury of a two-inning
vacation and a 15-0 win in its
back pocket.
“The biggest thing that we
worked on in practice was just
trying to make adjustments
early,” said freshman first
baseman Lou Allan. “I think
that after the first inning, we
all came together and kinda
had a game plan of getting
behind the ball and trying to
get line drives and ground
balls out into the defense
and let it work. And I think
that kept us calm and making
adjustments quick in the game
really helped us.”
Detroit Mercy isn’t the best
team, but Iowa isn’t world-
beater either. Over the course
of a 50-plus game season, the
Wolverines have to stay true
to the game plan at hand, even
the mundane parts like hitting
ground balls over towering fly
balls or home runs.
A team like Purdue might
not be the most talented
team on Michigan’s schedule,
but the Wolverines’ last two
games offer a good example of
what can happen when a team
eschews the mundane for
the more exciting. Purdue is
just 8-24, 0-5 against ranked
teams and just gave up 24 runs
in two games.
Michigan
is
42-2
in
their
last 44 games
against
the
Boilermakers,
but
if
the
Wolverines
lose
focus,
any series can
become a little
too interesting.
In all aspects
of
softball,
it
would serve Michigan well to
remain one way and one way
only: grounded.
RIAN RATNAVALE
Daily Sports Writer
“... Making
adjustments quick
in the game really
helped us.”
In Final Four, focus will be on Moritz Wagner again
ON
A
MEGABUS
SOMEWHERE IN TEXAS —
The Michigan men’s basketball
team’s season began with Moritz
Wagner set to be the focal point of
the team.
The junior forward still is,
especially on offense, as his ability
to spread out opposing defenses
gives the rest of the Wolverines
room to operate.
But over the course of the year,
through the ups and downs of a
season that’s stretched far longer
than anyone could have expected,
Wagner has taken on both leading
and supporting roles. In part, it’s a
testament to Michigan’s offensive
depth.
“If you watch Wagner,” said
Wolverines coach John Beilein
in Thursday’s press conference,
“he’d have a monster of a game
and then somebody else does it.”
Now, though, in the Final
Four, on the biggest stage of any
Michigan player’s career, Wagner
will be more important than ever.
With any team the Wolverines
play, the big-man matchup draws
extra attention. If Michigan plays
a team with a bruising, post-up
five, people wonder whether
Wagner can hang defensively or
if the hulking opponent has the
stamina to stick with Wagner
when he’s on offense. If an
opponent has a smaller, finesse
big, the focus shifts to whether
Wagner’s post-up game is good
enough to capitalize on a rare size
advantage.
Enter
Loyola-Chicago’s
Cameron
Krutwig,
Wagner’s
matchup in Saturday’s game. The
6-foot-9, 250-pound freshman
who averages 10.3 points per game
— 8.8 in the NCAA Tournament —
presents an interesting matchup
for Wagner.
Krutwig is quite possibly the
least versatile defender on the
Ramblers, and though he is crafty
on the offensive end, he isn’t
exactly the most skillful player.
It seems like a matchup that
Wagner can take advantage of.
On paper, he’s quicker and more
skilled, but Krutwig has shown up
in matchups where he seemed to
have a disadvantage before.
Against Tennessee, in the
Round of 32, Krutwig held Grant
Williams, the co-SEC Player of
the Year, to just 12 points in 34
minutes. Williams is more of the
bruising type, but the point still
stands that Krutwig can and has
shown up in matchups when he
wasn’t supposed to. So it isn’t like
it’s going to be a cakewalk for
Wagner.
If the Wolverines do beat the
Ramblers to get into the title
game, Wagner’s role will be just
as pronounced whether they face
Kansas or Villanova.
The Jayhawks have Udoka
Azubuike at the five. He would
probably be the most athletic
matchup Wagner has seen all
season. So there, it would be
interesting to see if Wagner could
put up enough of a fight against
Azubuike to slow him down.
If Michigan were to get the
Wildcats on Monday, it would face
a team with very few weaknesses.
If there is one, it’s that Villanova
is a bit undersized. There again,
the question is if Wagner can
capitalize in the post to spur the
Wolverines’ offense.
None of this is new, as Wagner
has faced different matchups
from different teams all season.
Sometimes, like Beilein says,
he’s taken advantage and been a
dominant force. Sometimes he’s
taken a backseat.
Wagner has even felt pressure
before. Opposing teams gameplan
for him, and opposing crowds boo
him wherever he goes.
“They hate me everywhere,”
Wagner said the day before
Michigan’s first round matchup
with Montana. “I know that. It’s
fun. I’ve kind of embraced that
role. And I’ve got to be honest,
I’d hate myself, too. I just tell
myself, ‘They hate you because
I’m good.’ ”
But this is the Final Four.
The
attention
paid
towards
particular matchups grows, and
the blame placed on the loser of
that matchup is more intense.
If Wagner doesn’t play his
best, Michigan runs the risk of
having its trip to San Antonio
shortened. That could be said
about the whole tournament, but
with the grander stage and better
competition, it’s true now more
than ever.
For the Wolverines, it starts
Saturday against Loyola. For
Wagner, it starts with Krutwig.
SAM MOUSIGIAN/Daily
Moritz Wagner leads the team in points and rebounds per game and has another important matchup down low against Loyola’s Cameron Krutwig.
MIKE PERSAK
Managing Sports Editor