The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com Sports Tuesday, February 19, 2019 — 7 ‘M’ tops Dartmouth, 11-10, in 3OT As time ran down in the first overtime period, Molly Garrett took an open shot in front and missed wide. She immediately went down with an injury. Less than 5 minutes later, the junior midfielder was back on the field. Forty-eight seconds into the second overtime period, she had the same opportunity, but this time she converted for her fourth goal of the season, breaking the tie and giving the Michigan women’s lacrosse team (4-0) an 11-10 win over Dartmouth (0-2). “I was kind of just putting my head down saying ‘This one’s mine, this one’s for the team,’ ” Garrett said. While Garrett’s heroics decided the game, the Wolverines seemed to pull away with 15 minutes left in the second half. They came out of halftime strong, scoring five goals in the first 15 minutes of the second half to take a 10-7 lead. Sophomore attacker Caitlin Muir was a big reason for this, scoring one goal and assisting on two early in the half thanks to her stellar play behind the Dartmouth goal. Additionally, Michigan’s play in the draw circle greatly improved in the second half. After controlling just four of 11 draws in the first half, the Wolverines controlled the first five of the second half, and only lost one in the first 15 minutes. When they were winning draws, they were at their best. “Draw controls were huge,” said Michigan coach Hannah Nielsen. “The Dartmouth draw girl is extremely talented and we won the battle 15-10 there.” After a strong start to the half, Michigan let Dartmouth back into the game but could have put them away with better offensive play down the stretch. The Wolverines led by three with less than nine minutes to play in regulation when a turnover by senior defenseman Gabby Burns and a foul by junior defenseman Quinn Melidona led to a Dartmouth goal on the advantage, cutting the lead to 10-8. Michigan’s defense recovered after the goal, but its offense never did. In the final eight minutes of regulation, the Wolverines turned the ball over three times, committed four fouls, and earned two yellow cards. Senior goalkeeper Mira Shane and the defense bailed them out, making big saves and forcing Dartmouth turnovers, but eventually, the sloppy play caught up with them. The Big Green scored on two free position shots in the final 1:47, tying the game at 10-10 and forcing overtime. “I think it was just youth and inexperience in close games from our offense,” Nielsen said. “We had times where our defense was getting us back the ball and we were taking the first option or just taking less than 90-plus percent opportunities.” Even though Dartmouth came back, the Wolverines showed resiliency in overtime. They continued to play hard so they wouldn’t lose a game that they seemed to have control of late in the second half, culminating in Garrett’s game-winner. Now 4-0 after two wins this weekend, Michigan is off to its best start in the history of the program. While there are still improvements to be made, winning close games like this will be extremely beneficial as the season progresses. “I think it shows how mature we are and how we’ve grown as a program and how we’re able to handle that and have those people out there to keep each other calm, cool, collected,” Garrett said. “We can handle it.” JACK KINGSLEY Daily Sports Writer ASHA LEWIS/Daily Junior midfielder Molly Garrett scored the double-overtime goal to give Michigan an 11-10 victory over Dartmouth. Connection between Zavier Simpson and Jon Teske fuels Wolverines Zavier Simpson bided his time, wrapping behind the basket before splitting two defenders with a no-look bounce pass. Just as the pass reached its apex, Jon Teske came streaking into the lane, collected the ball and emphatically slammed it home, giving Michigan a double-digit lead it would never relinquish. That scene came late in the second half of the Wolverines’ 65-52 win over Maryland on Saturday, but it’s emblematic of a larger trend that has come to define their offense over the past three months. Simpson — Michigan’s offensive conductor — leads all Big Ten point guards in assist-to- turnover rate, while Teske has flourished as its interior linchpin, averaging 10.7 points and 6.9 rebounds in conference play. “A little bit under-recruited guys that came in with a little edge about them,” said Michigan coach John Beilein. “A lot of people doubted whether they maybe could play at Michigan, either one of them. And I love the way they work together. They really have a great feel for each other.” Early last year, the chemistry between the two would have appeared completely foreign. Teske played just 12 minutes a game, while Simpson was still finding his foothold in a three-headed point guard rotation. This summer, that all changed. Simpson had already emerged as the exemplification of the Wolverines’ hard- nosed identity, but Teske’s offseason was filled with questions of whether he could replace the departed Moritz Wagner. In October, when Beilein expressed his confidence in Teske to replace Wagner’s 3-point production, it was met with a justified skepticism — Teske had attempted just two threes in his first two seasons in Ann Arbor and missed both. But those within the program knew better. “Aw man, they were doing that at pickup,” said sophomore forward Isaiah Livers, referring to the unofficial scrimmages players hold over the summer to keep up their conditioning before official practices start in October. Ask Teske himself and you’ll get an answer that goes even further back. “I’d say (it developed) as soon as we got on campus,” Teske said after he and Simpson combined for 41 points in a win over Northwestern last month. “We came in as freshmen together, so we’ve been through a lot of ups and a lot of downs.” No matter what answer you get, the consensus is a distinct lack of surprise. And with the rest of Michigan’s starting five finding their share of offensive travails over the past few months, the pair’s consistency has been among the Wolverines’ defining strengths. “The ‘5’ man and point guard have to have a really good connection on the court as well,” said sophomore guard Jordan Poole. “Cause everything kinda runs through them. And being able to have a big man who controls everything how he does in the middle and being able to have (Simpson) lead how he does from the point guard position is huge.” On the rare occasions that Teske and Simpson don’t shine, the results are obvious. When Maryland cut a 15-point deficit to three midway through the second half Saturday, Teske’s offense was a major culprit, as he made just 1-of-10 shots over the opening 35 minutes. Then, Simpson, as he so often does, sprung his center open for consecutive baskets, part of a two-minute stretch in which Teske singlehandedly outscored the Terrapins, 7-2, extending Michigan’s lead from six to eleven and effectively icing the game. It’s not just that Maryland game, either. The pair’s bond has shone through in all of the Wolverines’ most impressive wins — Simpson last failed to assist Teske in a game on Jan. 22 against Minnesota. “It allows him to play — pop, roll, slip, do anything he can do,” Simpson said. “And it opens up not just for himself but also for others so that’s always good.” Just like on the court, Teske’s answer is on the same page. “He always knows where I am on the court and I know he’ll make the right decision and the right pass for me to go finish,” Teske said. “And he has the confidence in me to go finish around the rim or pick and pop and shoot the three.” So when Teske streaks to the basket off a feed from his point guard, it can be easy to forget the questions that surrounded him just four months ago. But then he’ll set a screen for Simpson at the top of the arc and, when his defender cheats off him, pop out beyond the 3-point line to nail a three. And each time, it will elicit some sort of surprise from the uninitiated, reminding Michigan fans of the doubt they used to carry. Teske and his teammates, though? They knew this was coming all the way. For Lambert, a vision falls into place When Denver’s Brett Stapley finessed the puck past two defenders and the goaltender for the overtime goal to beat North Dakota on Feb. 2, Michigan freshman forward Jimmy Lambert tweeted a compliment for his former teammate. The two played together on the same line for three years in the British Columbia Hockey League. And for all the skill and talent Stapley exhibited, the show never got old for Lambert, who had “front-row seats.” Lambert, however, put on a show of his own, scoring 142 points through his three-year stay with the Vernon Vipers — the team for which the two played. Lambert was born in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. His grandfather started taking Lambert ice skating at the age of two. Going to public ice sessions offered at his local rink, his grandfather taught him how to skate, bit by bit, until Lambert reached four when he was given his first mini-hockey stick. Then, Lambert took off and sought to perfect his craft through the junior league. He moved to British Columbia and joined the Vipers after three years in Saskatoon’s midget league. There, under Vernon’s coach Mark Ferner, Lambert developed into a better player in all aspects. “The program there was awesome,” Lambert said. “Mark Ferner, our coach, he really helped me develop as a player, on both sides of the puck. He’s very understandings of how players play the game and really wants them to get to the next level. “That’s the goal of junior hockey, that’s to help players get scholarships and he’s done that for many years with his job in Vernon. He’s sent multiple players to (the) NCAA, and he’s very good at developing players.” Ferner, a two-time BCHL coach of the year, had a keen understanding of not only the game but his roster as well. Lambert’s game is built on speed, puck control and, most importantly, vision. Pitting him with a skill-based player like Stapley complemented his style and the two led the team to two division finals and a semifinal. From there, Lambert reached junior hockey. He moved up to the NCAA. When Michigan came calling, he didn’t hesitate to accept. “I definitely can say, if you’re going to school in Canada, you’re not going to be getting the same things we’re getting here for sure,” Lambert joked. But the collegiate level proved to be a taller task than initially expected. With only four games left in the regular season, Michigan coach Mel Pearson noted that despite the strides he’s made so far, Lambert has a long way to go. “He’s just learning what it takes to be a good player,” Pearson said. “Just an average player at this level.” Through 25 games, Lambert has just totaled eight points, starkly contrasting the prior year, when he had 61 points in 55 games in the BCHL and was top-20 in point totals of the entire league. “He’s got to play stronger on the puck, he’s got to play faster on the puck, he’s got to handle the puck better, he’s got to release it quicker,” Pearson said. “I think that reflects in his numbers a little bit. He’s on the power play, and he gets a little good shake on a regular line, but his numbers don’t blow you away. But it’s an adjustment. And I don’t know if he was totally prepared for the adjustment that it takes.” Pearson has implored Lambert to take things more seriously, through preparation for games or practices. There are many different routines or styles of hockey — different ways to play, practice or prepare. As Pearson puts it, Lambert’s yet to find his own. But he has started to put things together. “I’m working on making sure I’m a little better in the defensive zone,” Lambert said. “And I like to think I have some offensive upside, definitely need to start putting the puck in the net a little bit more.” It’s clear what Lambert’s strengths are. Despite his numbers on the stat sheets being limited, the ones on there have been created by his speed and vision. Knowing not only where his teammates are, but his opponents as well, he likes to keep tabs on all the players on the ice at all times. Marked, unmarked, open or contested, he’ll know and make the play with the puck to get the best shot available. “He’s got a good knowledge of the game, good hockey sense,” Pearson said. “Gets up and down pretty good, and he’s got some of the intangibles you look for in a player. I think he’s a good team guy, I know he’s a good team guy.” Even if Lambert hasn’t yet put it all together, he has the vision that will allow it soon. TIEN LE Daily Sports Writer ALEXANDRIA POMPEI/Daily Freshman forward Jimmy Lambert has displayed speed and vision this season. ALEXANDRIA POMPEI/Daily Junior center Jon Teske has developed a strong connection playing alongside Zavier Simpson, as the two scored nine and 12 points, respectively, on Saturday. THEO MACKIE Daily Sports Writer People doubted whether they could ... play at Michigan. We’ve been through a lot of ups and a lot of downs. Being able to have (Simpson) lead how he does ... is huge.