The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
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