The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Wednesday, February 27, 2019 — 7A
Late run of goals displays Moyle’s ability to get to front of net
Until late December, Nolan
Moyle had just two points — and
neither were goals.
But on Dec. 30, the freshman
forward found twine for the
first time as a member of the
Michigan hockey team. The
switch didn’t flip immediately
— Moyle added another goal
two games later but it took him
eight more games to get his
third.
The next time Moyle lit the
lamp, it was the first multi-goal
game of his career with two
tallies against Michigan State
on Feb. 9.
Since
then,
he’s
added
another multi-goal outing and
has at least one goal in three of
the Wolverines’ last four games.
Not bad for a freshman who
didn’t have a goal until nearly
the second half of the season.
“I saw (Moyle) last year score
(in the USHL), and he has the
potential,” said Michigan coach
Mel Pearson on Saturday night.
“Sometimes it just takes a while
until you feel comfortable with
it. Good for him. We’re gonna
need that.”
On Friday night against No.
7 Ohio State, Moyle’s two goals
came at crucial times for his
team. One tied the game with 10
minutes left in the third period,
and the second was the game-
winner. But for Pearson, the
location of those goals was even
better than the timing.
Both goals came in what
Pearson calls the gritty area
of the ice — the space below
the faceoff circles and above
the crease, just in front of the
opposing
goaltender.
When
players get to that space, scoring
opportunities increase because
there’s
always
someone
in
position to clean up a rebound
and create extra chances.
“I think that’s a real good
reminder for our players to
watch that and see where Nolan
got his goals from,” Pearson
said Tuesday. “One was behind
him, but the other two was —
he’s going to the front of the net.
In this day and age, with teams
playing so well defensively and
having good goaltending, you’ve
gotta get there.”
Moyle did just that on his
first goal on Friday.
Freshman forward Garrett
Van Wyhe pushed the puck
up the right side of the ice and
wrapped around behind the net.
His shot bounced off goaltender
Sean Romeo’s pad which sent
the puck out to Moyle, who was
crashing down on the crease. It
didn’t take much for Moyle to
tap the puck home and tie the
game.
The puck once again came
from Van Wyhe on the game-
winning goal. This time, his
pass from the left side of the net
went across the crease to Moyle,
who was waiting to shoot the
puck into the open right side.
“Garrett made two really
good plays, really strong plays
to the net,” Moyle said Tuesday.
“I just happened to be in front
and get a stick on it. Garrett and
(sophomore
forward
Dakota
Raabe) used their speed really
well and did all the work and
got the puck in front of the net.”
But as much as Moyle wants
to deflect the credit, his goals
were still largely the result
of intelligent positioning and
working to get to that area in
front of the net.
After Friday’s win, Van Wyhe
said that Moyle getting to the
front of the net is something
they’ve worked hard on in
practice throughout the season.
The two goals from that area
on Friday cemented that their
work is paying off.
The myriad of drills Pearson
puts the Wolverines through
every day in practice largely
focus on getting to the top of the
crease. With four of his seven
goals on the season coming
from that area, Moyle is clearly
figuring out that the system
works.
“We have a number of drills
where the offense — and the
main priority is to get to the
net,” Pearson said. “We had to
remind a few guys today that
sort of get to an area and they
stop skating and they’re still a
long way (away from the net).
We’re trying to attack the net
more. A lot of different drills we
do, especially with our forwards
to get to a certain point on the
ice and in front of the net. … Just
a lot of different drills that are
structured to that point. To get
to the net and then hang around
the net and finish.”
This
weekend,
Michigan
goes to Wisconsin, where the
Badgers play on an Olympic-
sized ice sheet. The ice is 15
feet
wider
than
traditional
college or NHL rinks, which
makes getting to the net more
of a challenge. With so much
extra space, it’s easy to stray
away from the crease without
realizing it and then have to
work even harder to get back to
the front of the net.
That could make Moyle’s
knack to do so all the more
important.
The
Wolverines
are
one
win away from hosting the
first round of the Big Ten
Tournament. And with five
goals in the last four games,
Moyle’s scoring ability may be
what Michigan needs to get
home-ice advantage.
BAILEY JOHNSON
Daily Sports Writer
Talent of freshman class
apparent early in the season
As the ball crossed the middle
of the plate and the Louisiana
State pitcher, Shelbi Sunseri,
swung and missed, right-hander
Alex Storako’s changeup closed
out the inning without any
contact with the ball.
Watching the pitcher throw
four consecutive strikeouts last
Sunday, with all the confidence
of a veteran, you’d never guess
Storako is one of the youngest
players on the team.
From Storako to outfielder
Lexie Blair to infielder Morgan
Overaitis, the Michigan softball
team’s (6-8) No. 14 per FloSoftball
recruiting class features talent
all over the field. And not all of
the Wolverines’ freshmen have
gotten the opportunity to show
what they can do yet.
“We have a group of athletes,”
said
Michigan
coach
Carol
Hutchins on Feb. 5. “They’re all
very athletic. They’re all good
softball
players.
Lexie
Blair
just walking in the door and
is an outfielder and looks like
she’s been on that outfield for
her whole career. She makes
everything look easy. She’s a heck
of an athlete. You look at Morgan
Overaitis and (infielder) Gianna
Carosone: two good athletes who
have just gotten better and better
all year.”
Blair has not only proven
herself in the outfield, but also
as an asset in the batters’ box,
boasting a batting average of
.340, the second highest among
the team’s starters. Blair’s power
behind the plate has been a
standout for a team that has
struggled to get on base. Last
Friday, Blair was responsible
for three of six total hits for the
Wolverines and has scored seven
runs over the course of the season.
“Lexie has stepped up huge,”
said junior outfielder Madison
Uden on Feb. 5. “She doesn’t look
like a freshman to me. She looks
great in the outfield and hits the
ball well.”
Michigan
boasts
young
defensive standouts as well. One
year after left-hander Meghan
Beaubien burst onto the scene as
a freshman, Storako has emerged
as a strong pitcher. Storako made
her collegiate debut in the first
game of the season. Since then,
she has been vital to the rotation,
pitching as many innings as
Beaubien.
So far, the freshman has
outperformed her mentor, giving
up fewer runs and allowing fewer
runners on base. She currently
possesses an ERA of 2.50.
Despite
her
impressive
performance early on, Storako,
like everyone on the team, has
things to work on. For one, she
has yet to pitch a full game,
frequently being taken out after
giving up several walks.
“Storako’s done a great job,”
Hutchins said. “But we need her
to sustain during the game and
finish the game. You always do it
one inning at a time.”
With many of their games
being lost by one or two runs, the
Wolverines have rarely been in a
position to test out the fledgling
players, leaving many freshmen
with little-to-no time on the field.
Among these players is catcher
Hannah Carson, who has 10 at
bats and stepped in for senior
catcher Katie Alexander in two
games.
“Hannah is an amazing player
— she’s obviously been catching
for a long time, and I see myself
in her too,” Alexander said. “I’ve
watched videos of myself hitting
while she’s catching and I think,
‘Am I catching? Is that me?’ She
pays attention to detail, and I
think that she’s going to do really
well because she already has the
physical stuff. Now it’s about the
mental game and getting in there,
getting reps and knowing the
speed of the college game.”
The
transition
from
high
school to collegiate play can pose
a problem for some athletes with
stark increases in the levels of
pitching and the sheer pace of the
game.
The
upperclassmen
have
stepped up to ease this transition,
preparing the novice players to
take the reigns someday.
“They know they’re playing
behind a veteran group and
we’ve had some conversations,”
Hutchins said on Feb. 5. “I just
inspired them and you never
know when you’re going to get
your opportunity. You never
know when you’re one pitch
from being in the lineup to player
forward every day.”
ALEXANDRIA POMPEI/Daily
Freshman forward Nolan Moyle has scored in three of his last four games, providing a spark late in the year.
LANE KIZZIAH
Daily Sports Writer
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Michigan coach Carol Hutchins has provided major roles to some freshmen.
Weiss adjusting to life in spotlight
Freshman
right-hander
Willie Weiss was thrown into
the fray in the second inning on
Sunday against The Citadel. The
Michigan baseball team turned
to Weiss after the first inning
struggles of redshirt junior
pitcher Benjamin Keizer had put
it down 2-0.
Three batters, eight pitches
and three outs later, Weiss
walked off the mound with the
ship righted. The Wolverines
never looked back.
Weiss
calmly
struck
out
the first batter swinging. The
second struck out looking. The
third was retired after a pop-
up to first base on the opening
pitch.
The right hander was not
fazed throughout his 2.2 innings,
only his second regular season
appearance for the Wolverines.
Weiss got the first two batters
he faced out in the third inning
before he faced a mini-jam with
runners on second and first
after a single, wild pitch and a
walk. Weiss escaped the inning
unscathed after a line-drive out
by Bulldogs junior infielder Ben
Peden.
“When
you
have
some
hitters that are facing really
good pitchers and pitchers that
are facing really good hitters
on your own team, then the
learning curve can get sped up
a little bit,” said Michigan coach
Erik Bakich. “And be improved
once
you
get
into
outside
competition.”
Weiss has made a name for
himself as the only freshman to
have an early season impact for
the Wolverines.
He was named the Gatorade
Player of the Year for baseball in
the state of Oregon for the 2017-
18 high school season. Weiss
was one of the most sought-after
recruits in the nation and was
a highlight of Michigan’s 2018
recruiting class. He was ranked
the 22nd right-handed pitcher
by Perfect Game’s recruiting
service.
Bakich was high on Weiss
prior to the season.
“He’s a guy that — he’s a strong
physical specimen. 6-foot-3, 220
lbs., throws hard, has a good
slider, a good breaking ball. He’s
got a chance to be a starter or a
closer for us. He’s really had a
nice fall, a nice preseason, one
of those freshmen that had a
chance to make an impact no
matter where he went.”
So far this season, he’s made
that impact felt.
Weiss finished Sunday with
no hits, no earned runs and
four strikeouts after facing 10
batters. He also was awarded
the first win of his career.
Weiss showed resilience after
easing into his first start in which
he lasted a single inning against
Binghamton on Feb. 16th. Weiss
provided a steady hand on the
road when the Wolverines were
down a run, which allowed the
offense to kick into gear.
“Now, it’s a long season and
we got a long way to go, he’s got
a long way to go,” Bakich said.
“But, so far through the fall,
through the preseason in the
early goings of this season he
certainly seems to have adjusted
well and is pitching well. And
that’ll be the challenge, like
many of the freshmen before
him, is to be able to be consistent
and maintain that throughout
the course of the next four
months.”
AVI RAJENDRA-NICOLUCCI
Daily Sports Writer
KATELYN MULCAHY/Daily
Michigan coach Erik Bakich has led the Wolverines to an unbeaten 6-0 start in the early going this season.