The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Wednesday, January 30, 2019 — 7A

Luce, Martin bring stability to inconsistent Michigan defense

To say the Michigan hockey 

team’s 
defense 
has 
been 

inconsistent this season is an 
understatement.

The Wolverines have given 

up the fourth-most goals in 
the Big Ten this season with 77 
goals against — 24 more than 
No. 4 Ohio State, which has 
allowed the fewest goals in the 
conference.

Those goals, though, have 

often come in bunches. Take 
this 
past 
weekend’s 
series 

against No. 15 Penn State, for 
example. 

Michigan 
allowed 
only 

one goal Thursday night and 
then got torched for five goals 
Saturday night. The Wolverines 
have allowed less than three 
goals in 12 of their 25 games 
this season. On the other end of 
the scale, they’ve given up five 
or more goals eight times.

But 
amid 
all 
that 

inconsistency, 
junior 

defensemen Luke Martin and 
Griffin Luce have backstopped 
an 
up-and-down 
group 
of 

blueliners.

“They’ve played well,” said 

Michigan coach Mel Pearson. 
“I think they complement each 
other. They might not be the 
most offensive, prolific guys, 
but this time of year, defense 
wins you hockey games. They 
did that last year, too. They 
played 
extremely 
well 
the 

second half, and they’ve taken 
up where they left off last year.”

On a team filled with two-

way defensemen like sophomore 
defenseman Quinn Hughes and 
freshman defenseman-turned-
forward 
Nick 
Blankenburg, 

Martin and Luce exemplify an 
older brand of blueliner — one 
that lets offense take a backseat 
to focus on defense first.

This season, the pair have 

combined for seven total points. 
Luce tallied his lone point when 
he scored a goal against Western 

Michigan on Oct. 19. Martin has 
chipped in six assists.

Pearson tends to combine 

two-way defensemen with guys 
like Luce and Martin when 
creating defensive pairings, but 
Luce and Martin have played 
together more than half the 
games this season. And once 
he saw how successful the duo 
is when they play together, 
losing some of the offensive 
production that comes with 
having a two-way defenseman 
on the ice didn’t cross Pearson’s 
mind again.

“We’ve discussed that in the 

past,” Pearson said. “We’ve 
talked about our defense — we 
talk almost every week about, 
‘Do we like the pairs, are we 
sure, do we need to change some 
things up?’ They’re playing so 
well that — and we like all our 

pairs. Why change them if you 
like them?”

One of the things that allows 

Luce and Martin to have such 
success together is how long 
they’ve known each other. In 
addition to their three years 
together with the Wolverines, 
they both played on the U-17 
and U-18 teams for the U.S. 
National Team Development 
Program.

And both players agree that 

their friendship is key to their 
success on the ice.

“We’ve been close,” Luce 

said. “We’ve been together here 
for going on five years now, 
so we know each other really 
well. I think when you’re able 
to go and play out with one of 
your best friends (it) definitely 
makes a difference. We have a 
good chemistry going and we 

know each other really well, so 
that makes it easier.”

Martin added: “I think it’s 

just really easy 
to communicate 
with 
(Luce) 

on 
the 
bench. 

There’s no — no 
one’s 
attacking 

anyone 
or 

talking 
about 

a 
play 
or 
a 

bad 
read 
or 

something. 
It’s 

just a lot of open 
communication 
and a lot of trust. We trust each 
other to give each other advice 
and it’s working out well.”

At Michigan, the best friends 

have grown into mirror images 
of each other. They both stand 
6-foot-3 and weigh in only one 
pound apart. Martin shoots 

right-handed and Luce shoots 
left-handed, making them ideal 
matches on a defensive pairing.

When 
you 

combine 
that 

with the pride 
they 
take 
in 

their 
roles 
as 

purely defensive 
defenseman, 
it 
creates 
a 

partnership that 
the 
Wolverines 

can 
count 
on 

in 
just 
about 

any situation — 

particularly on the penalty kill, 
a responsibility both players 
take seriously. In nearly every 
game, both blueliners can be 
found blocking numerous shots 
on the penalty kill and shutting 
down the threat from the 
opponent’s man advantage.

Against the Nittany Lions, 

the duo blocked a combined 
17 shots in the two games — 
including six for Martin and 
five for Luce in Thursday 
night’s win.

“They’ve taken some pride 

in penalty killing,” Pearson 
said. “They’re blocking shots. 
They’re doing all those little 
things you need to do to win 
and have success.

“(Blocking shots) especially 

on the power play (is) really 
important. 
It’s 
gonna 
be 

important 
this 
weekend. 

Minnesota has got a really 
good power play. In conference, 
they’re operating at about 30%, 
which is unheard of. They 
scored six power-play goals last 
weekend against Wisconsin, 
so you’re gonna have to get in 
shooting lanes and block shots.”

And 
speaking 
of 
the 

upcoming series against the 
Golden Gophers, the fact that 
Minnesota plays on an Olympic-
size ice sheet adds a layer of 
difficulty to Martin and Luce’s 
jobs this weekend. The ice is 15 
feet wider than the ice at Yost 
Ice Arena, leaving more space 
for the defensemen to cover.

But both are up for the task.
“They recruit to their ice, 

I’ve always thought, so they 
have really small, fast guys 
who are really good at playing 
in the corners on that ice,” 
Martin said. “It’s just staying 
in 
between 
the 
dots 
and 

recovering extra hard. (Luce) 
and I backing each other up will 
be key this weekend.”

This weekend’s series against 

the Golden Gophers is key for 
the Wolverines as they try to 
string together some wins to 
get into the NCAA Tournament 
conversation.

And 
with 
Martin 
and 

Luce 
adding 
much-needed 

consistency 
and 
calm 
to 

Michigan’s defense, a strong 
performance from the two of 
them may be the answer for the 
Wolverines.

BAILEY JOHNSON

Daily Sports Writer

KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily

Junior defensemen Luke Martin and Griffin Luce have provided stability to a defense and a penalty-kill unit that has otherwise been inconsistent this season.

Naz Hillmon thriving in role, 
ready for potential of more

It’s rare for a freshman to 

rank second on her team in 
scoring. Even more so when that 
freshman shoots over 68 percent 
from the field and comes off the 
bench.

Naz Hillmon — the forward 

who has become one of the 
Michigan women’s basketball 
team’s top contributors and one 
of the Big Ten’s biggest rising 
stars — has been a revelation 
for the Wolverines this season, 
currently ranking fifth in the 
nation in field goal percentage 
(68.5) while also putting up 12.6 
points per contest. Despite being 
a bench player, she has found 
ways to make an impact and 
make the most of her role.

“Coming off the bench, you 

can see everything a lot better 
than a starter would just because 
you can take from the sidelines 
and see how your opponent is 
scoring as well as how you’re 
scoring,” Hillmon said.

While she is currently playing 

a key role as the team’s sixth 

man, Hillmon could potentially 
find herself in the starting 
lineup for Thursday night’s 
home contest against Iowa after 
senior forward Nicole Munger 
suffered a devastating injury 
in Sunday’s 77-73 loss against 
Michigan State. Michigan will 
need someone to step up if its 
senior 
captain 
is 
sidelined. 

Luckily, it has Hillmon waiting 
in the wings.

Hillmon, who admitted that 

she doesn’t know anything about 
Munger’s status, says that she is 
prepared to make the jump to 
the starting five if needed.

“It’ll be a difference,” Hillmon 

said. “But I just know that I just 
have to be locked in and ready 
to go whenever my number is 
called.”

After Sunday’s tough loss, 

Michigan now sits at 3-6 in 
the Big Ten conference and 
12-9 overall. While most teams 
would be discouraged by a 
subpar record, the Wolverines 
believe they are close to a 
breakthrough and, after a series 
of tight conference losses, are 
doing what they can to right the 

ship. Rather than focusing on 
what could have happened had 
these nailbiters gone the other 
way, Hillmon says that the team 
is focusing on looking forward. 
On the court, Hillmon could be 
part of a solution.

“Right now we know that we 

have some work to do, but we 
also know what that is,” Hillmon 
said. “In practice, every day we 
wanna keep trying to work at it 
and get those close games to flip 
the other way.”

One thing Hillmon has been 

working on is developing a mid-
range shot. While she admitted 
that the shot has never been a 
major part of her arsenal, she 
said that she’s doing her best 
to extend her range in order 
to open up more space for her 
teammates. Though she made 
a free throw line jumper in 
Sunday’s 
contest, 
Hillmon 

cautioned that “it’s not there 
yet,” 
but 
added 
that 
she’s 

“getting 
more 
comfortable” 

from that range.

Could a 3-pointer be next?
“I’ll have to make some in 

practice first.”

TEDDY GUTKIN
Daily Sports Writer

‘M’ wins 4-1 at ITA Kick-Off

Coming off a disappointing 

4-3 loss to No. 22 Alabama, 
the No. 24 Michigan men’s 
tennis team had tremendous 
motivation 
to 
succeed 
on 

Saturday at the ITA Kick-Off 
against North Carolina State.

Besides wanting to notch 

their first win of the season, 
it was the first time that the 
Wolverines had hosted the 
event and they wanted to prove 
that they could compete with 
the other teams participating, 
since the winner would earn a 
spot in the ITA National Team 
Indoor Championship.

“It means a lot. I told the 

guys yesterday that it took 
a lot of work to get here,” 
said Michigan coach Adam 
Steinberg, “I told them we have 
to take advantage of it though. 
We can’t just be happy to be 
hosting. Our goals are way 
bigger.”

And take advantage they 

did. After dropping the first 
game, the duo of sophomore 
Mattias Siimar 
and 
freshman 

Andrew 
Fenty 

won six straight 
to 
win 
their 

match 
6-1. 

Freshman 
Patrick Maloney 
and 
senior 

Myles 
Schalet 

also took care of 
their Wolfpack 
opponents with 
relative ease, winning 6-2, 
and giving the Wolverines the 
doubles point.

“Doubles was unbelievable,” 

Steinberg said. “That’s the best 
I’ve seen us play doubles in a 
really long time. That was the 
biggest positive obviously.”

Michigan did not have much 

difficulty in the singles portion 
of the day either. While Siimar 
lost his match, giving NC State 
its only point, every other 
Wolverine player either won 
their match or had the lead 
when play ended.

Schalet 
capped 
off 
an 

impressive day with a win in 

straight sets, 6-3, 6-3. Senior 
Gabe 
Tishman, 
the 
only 

Michigan singles player to not 
participate in doubles, had 
possibly the most dominant 
singles win for the Wolverines, 
6-0, 6-4, while junior Connor 

Johnston 
won 

6-4, 7-5 to give 
Michigan 
the 

deciding 
point 

and a 4-1 win.

“Connor 
at 

four, and how 
he’s 
played 

the 
first 
two 

matches 
is 

a big lift for 
our 
team,” 

Steinberg said. 

“He didn’t really play singles 
his first two years and now he’s 
playing high and he’s doing 
great.”

Added Fenty: “To come out 

here and win, and the way we 
did, with that much intensity 
and that much passion, it’s kind 
of sick.”

After their win over the 

Wolfpack, 
the 
Wolverines 

looked to take the momentum 
from 
Saturday’s 
win 
into 

Sunday as they took on No. 
11 Baylor for a spot in the 
ITA National Team Indoor 
Championship in February.

“We’re just trying to use it 

and ride the wave,” Fenty said. 
“The way we’re playing right 
now we feel like we could beat 
anyone.”

Added 
Steinberg: 
“That’s 

what we practice for. That’s 
what these guys live for, to 
go to the National Indoors. It 
doesn’t get better than that. I 
know the guys are excited.”

Michigan would go on to 

lose a hard-fought match 4-1 on 
Sunday, with their only point 
coming in doubles.

While the weekend did not 

end as they would have liked, 
the Wolverines proved that 
they can play with anyone.

MILES MACKLIN/Daily

Freshman forward Naz Hillmon is the second-leading scorer on the team despite coming off the bench.

JACK KINGSLEY

For The Daily

MIKE ZLONKEVICZ/Daily

Coach Adam Steinberg was pleased with Saturday’s bounceback performance.

That’s the best 
I’ve seen us play 

doubles in a 

really long time.

At Michigan, 
the best friends 
have grown into 
mirror images.