The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com Sports Wednesday, November 14, 2018 — 7A Pearson addressing faceoff struggles Some people get a thrill out of the chase — whatever that chase entails. That is, unless you’re Michigan hockey coach Mel Pearson and what you’re chasing is the puck. Despite having won 52 percent of its draws this season, the No. 16 Michigan hockey team (5-4-0 overall, 1-1 Big Ten) has lost the faceoff battle in each of its previous three games. And it’s no coincidence that the Wolverines’ two top faceoff winners, sophomore forward Josh Norris and junior forward Nick Pastujov, both struggled this past weekend against Notre Dame. Norris — who was nursing a minor hand injury last weekend — won just 13 of 39 faceoffs over the weekend, while Pastujov took seven of 22 puck drops in the circle. The two forwards have taken 54 percent of the draws thus far for Michigan, so in many senses, the team goes as they go. “When you’re not playing with the puck, you’re chasing,” Pearson said after Tuesday’s practice. “You have to try and get it back instead of having possession, so you’re chasing the puck a little bit. And part of that is intensity too. Just the preparation and being ready to play.” Pearson made it clear that the blame cannot always be placed solely on whoever is taking the faceoff. The team that retains possession after the draw is recorded with the faceoff win. So, in instances where there is a 50-50 puck, the team to gain control records the win. This is where the overall intensity that Pearson addressed comes into play — another issue that the Wolverines have struggled with early on this season. Perhaps overshadowed by the team’s recent faceoff woes is the performance of junior forward Adam Winborg. While Michigan has won 85 of 190 draws in its last three games, Winborg has quietly won 18 of 26 draws over that same stretch — the only games in which he has seen significant ice time this season. “It’s one of those things that will help keep him in the lineup when you’re winning faceoffs like that,” Pearson said. “It gives me a lot of confidence to play him against anybody — especially in draws in our zone because I know he has more than a 50 percent chance to win those faceoffs.” Winborg played in all but one regular season game last year, so his lack of ice time thus far may come as a bit of a surprise. But given his success in the faceoff circle, particularly in light of the Wolverines’ recent struggles, Winborg is a silver lining and figures to continue receiving ice time moving forward. Though Michigan has won two of its last three games, faceoffs are an area of play that need to see improvement. As a result, Pearson stated that one of their big focuses in practice recently has been the faceoff: taking more of them, addressing strategy on draws and ensuring that skaters “are dialed in and ready for the drop of the puck.” This is especially important with its upcoming matchup against No. 5 Penn State this weekend — which leads the Big Ten with a 62 percent faceoff- win percentage this season. Freshmen class ready to make impact for ‘M’ Coming into this season, the biggest questions for the Michigan women’s basketball team were how to replace the program’s all- time leading scorer, guard Katelynn Flaherty, and how to maintain the team’s recent success. The Wolverines’ answer is twofold: the improvement of returning players and the evolution of freshmen. Prior to this season, Michigan welcomed its highest-ranked recruiting class since the program’s creation. Highlighted by guard Amy Dilk and forward Naz Hillmon, coach Kim Barnes Arico’s freshman class consists of four former ESPNW 100 recruits, including forward Emily Kiser and guard Ariel Young, with guard Danielle Rauch rounding out the group. “They’re definitely a special group of freshmen,” said senior center Hallie Thome. “They’re going to make an everlasting impact on this program for sure.” For a team that has as many freshmen as it does upperclassmen, the younger players will play a pivotal role for the team going forward, with their collective successes telling of the Wolverines’ overall success. In order to get there, though, the freshmen will need the guidance of the older players to help them improve their skills and better adjust to college ball. “I think that if you’re on a team that’s just something that you expect,” said sophomore forward Hailey Brown on the older players’ mentorship role. “… This team is very unique because we can all learn from each other. It’s not necessarily that I’m someone’s mentor, it’s like, ‘What can I teach you, but what can you teach me as well?’ I think it’s a very cool role to have but it also works the other way, too.” Due in large part to the skill level of every player on the Michigan roster, the freshmen have already noticed a vast improvement in their game. For Hillmon specifically, the competition she faces in practice on a daily basis is far more competitive than what she faced in high school games, let alone in high school practices. “In my high school, I was the only big, so I didn’t really have anyone pushing me every day,” Hillmon said. “But … (now) I have a lot of people to push me in practice and make me want to be better. The competition day-in and day-out is very different from high school.” In addition to the change in basketball competition for the freshmen, they have also experienced the same transition to college life that every university student experiences at some point in their life. Going about that transition can be hard for anybody, so it has been especially helpful for Hillmon and the other freshmen to not only have each other, but also have the older players guide them. “It’s been awesome having someone to go along this journey with,” Hillmon said. “I would probably be terrified if I was the only freshmen, so (it’s nice) being able to talk to them and really vent when something isn’t going our way because it’s so different from high school. Having somebody there to encourage us — they know exactly what’s going on through my mind — so them being there to help me through it, just to talk to somebody or go and get food. “But the upperclassmen are very helpful in that way, too, because they’ve been through it and they try to grab our hands and take us there with them, so that’s been very helpful as well.” Barnes Arico has loved watching the bonds form between her older and younger players, and looks forward to watching the freshmen continue to grow as the season unfolds. “I think we all are so excited about (the freshmen) class,” Barnes Arico said after an 88-40 win over Mount St. Mary’s on Friday night. “They’re a special group, led by Amy Dilk, starting at the point guard position for us. … But the rest of the freshmen really stepped up and were outstanding tonight as well. They’re a great group and they’re just gonna continue to improve as the season goes on.” While this freshmen group may still be adjusting to the college life, once they are fully settled in and find their footing, they’ve got a chance at making a big impact in the Big Ten. In Villanova trip, Eli Brooks returns to his past The first thing to understand about Spring Grove, Penn. is that it’s a small town’s small town. According to the 2010 Census, it houses a population of 2,167. It’s known for a paper mill, and the smell wafting from it. Spring Grove Area High School graduates roughly 200-250 kids a year and exceedingly few go on to play any type of sport at a higher level. This is also the place that produced Eli Brooks. The sophomore guard stood in the Crisler Center media room last Friday, in the lead- up to the No. 18 Michigan men’s basketball team’s contest against Villanova, fielding the type of questions you’d expect for a homecoming. Jon Teske and Jordan Poole are giving up their allotted tickets for Brooks, but that’s still not enough. Brooks thinks eight people are getting tickets on their own in addition to the 12 or so he can get for friends and family. There’s also the matter of his recruitment — one that, at a time, seemed a lock for the Wildcats. Brooks was on-record calling Villanova his dream school and when Jay Wright extended an offer, it felt like a commitment was a formality. Wright himself said as much at the Final Four, the last time these two teams met. “They do have a freshman on the team right now that I thought we were going to get from Pennsylvania,” Wright said then. “And probably not allowed to say who I really felt we were getting and John beat us for him. And he’s going to be a really good player for them.” Reflecting on it last week, Brooks called it a “tough decision,” saying a visit to Michigan swayed him at the time. Two years removed from his commitment, it’s not too dissimilar from the language he used then. Brooks’ 2017-18 season was somewhat antithetical to the Wolverines’. He broke into the rotation early, and was the first freshman to earn a starting spot, unseating Zavier Simpson two weeks into the season. He kept that job until January. Then he didn’t. The rest of the way, Brooks averaged 4.3 minutes per game. Simpson lapped him, then Jaaron Simmons passed him in the depth chart. Brooks was, in all but name, out of the picture. “I think that it happens to the seniors, who come to college as freshmen,” said Michigan coach John Beilein. “They basically don’t have days where — they’ll have a day or two and then they get back to it. They don’t have Zavier Simpson guarding them every day in practice. Or sit on the bench, and then go in two minutes and do something good. So, you lose all your confidence.” This year, Brooks’ role is already more defined. He has played over 20 minutes in both of Michigan’s first two games, knocking down two 3-pointers in the opener to go with four assists. As the Wolverines look for ways to score, it’s Brooks who could reap rewards. But back to Spring Grove. The first inkling that Eli Brooks might have a future in basketball came when he was 11. His dad’s men’s league was down a player, so they asked Eli to step in. He dropped six points, holding his own against a bunch of bigger, better dudes. “They tried to block my last shot,” Brooks said, “then it went in. So it was pretty fun.” By the time Brooks was a junior in high school, he was the best player the town had seen, maybe ever. “I’ve never seen anyone who can create an atmosphere like Eli did,” said Greg Wagner, Spring Grove’s athletic director. “We would travel ... and people would come to see Eli. Not just the game, but to meet Eli. And after games, there would be mobs on the court of people who wanted to meet Eli, get a picture taken with Eli, have Eli sign their shirts and things like that.” The stories start to flow like beer from a tap. There was the time a guidance counselor from another school emailed Wagner, prompting an internal freakout, only to have it be a picture of Brooks in the stands with a youth basketball program. There were all the road games that Spring Grove’s fans drove to so they could get a glimpse. There was the first league championship since 1971, and then there were the crowds. In a town of 2,167, there would be crowds between 1,800-2,000 packed into Spring Grove’s gym, standing room only, the air thick with humidity. There’s one other athlete to come out of Spring Grove in recent years: Hali Flickinger, a 2016 Olympian who placed seventh in the 200-meter butterfly. When she competed in Rio, the town held viewing parties in the park. The thing about small towns — they’re proud of their exports. When Brooks eschewed Villanova, he became just that, an export. It’s games like Wednesday’s that will determine just how successful of one he’ll be. ETHAN SEARS Daily Sports Writer RYAN MCLOUGHLIN/Daily Junior forward Adam Winborg has been one of Michigan’s top players during the faceoff, winning 18 of 26 draws over the past three games for the Wolverines. MIKE ZLONKEVICZ/Daily Freshman forward Naz Hillmon is adjusting to collegiate-level basketball. ALEXIS RANKIN/Daily Sophomore guard Eli Brooks will return to his home state of Pennsylvania on Wednesday to face Villanova. JORGE CAZARES Daily Sports Writer “They’re definitely a special group of freshmen.” BENNETT BRAMSON Daily Sports Writer “... (now) I have a lot of people to push me in practice ...”