The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Thursday, October 31, 2019 — 5A
Stifling defense leads Michigan
past MSU, 2-0, to claim Big Bear
With about three minutes
left
to
play,
freshman
goalkeeper
Owen
Finnerty
dove out from
his
near
post
to
cut
off
a
low cross into
the
box.
The
crowd
roared.
The
radio
announcer’s
voice
grew
excited
as
he
finally
got
to
commend the keeper on his
first collegiate save.
In fact, Finnerty’s effort was
not a save at all.
The announcer’s misplaced
excitement indicated the flow
of Michigan men’s soccer’s 2-0
win against Michigan State on
Tuesday night, as the freshman
had zero save opportunities in
his collegiate debut.
Finnerty
certainly
performed
well,
as
he
demonstrated
good
kicking
ability and a keen awareness,
but he couldn’t have asked for
better support from his back
line.
The defensive quartet of
senior
Abdou
Samake
and
juniors Joel Harrison, Austin
Swiech and Jackson Ragen
played a stellar match, flowing
as one cohesive unit en route to
the Wolverines’ eighth clean
sheet in 16 matches.
Michigan
coach
Chaka
Daley was quick to praise his
defense, pointing out that the
team has only given up 12 goals
through 16 matches, and that
two of those goals were off
penalty kicks and four came in
the first match.
The
defense
matched
the standard it has set for
itself throughout the game.
Michigan
State
barely
mustered any offense in the
whole
match,
repeatedly
watching as any danger they
created was cleared the second
it materialized.
Such
solid
defensive play
sowed benefits
for the offense
as well. While
the Wolverines
sputtered
offensively
at
points
throughout
the match, the
strikeforce
benefitted
from the freedom its defense
permitted. Michigan enjoyed a
substantial lead in possession
because the defense forced
turnovers so quickly.
“They’re rocks back there,”
said graduate transfer Nebosja
Popovich.
“It
puts
other
teams under pressure (when
the defense plays very well).
Because we’re so solid in the
back we end up having more
chances in games.”
Popovich
and
senior
forward Jack Hallahan were
the primary beneficiaries of
the defense’s play. Each played
an important role in applying
the offensive pressure that
resulted in Michigan hoisting
the Big Bear Trophy after the
final whistle blew.
Popovich took advantage of
the few scoring chances that
came the Wolverines’ way,
netting the only two goals in
the game: a goal off a chaotic
corner in the ninth minute and
a low, curling shot from outside
the box 28 minutes later.
And although Hallahan was
ultimately left without a goal
or assist, the senior forward
repeatedly charged at Michigan
State’s wingbacks, creating a
large portion of Michigan’s
encouraging possessions with
quick dribbling moves and
timely crosses and leaving his
footprints all over Tuesday’s
match.
In
what
Daley
praised
as
a
“gritty
and
grindy”
performance
in
a
physical
slugfest of a game, it is only
fitting that the two offensive
standouts
immediately
credited the defense for their
success.
“We feel safe with them
back there,” Hallahan said.
“We know they can keep clean
sheets, which is a nice feeling.”
Daley said that he told the
offense at half that two goals
was not enough, but even one
gets the win when your the
goalkeeper doesn’t face a shot.
Wolverines triumph in rivalry bout
After a sluggish game, it was the
Michigan men’s soccer team that
awoke from hibernation to win
the Big Bear Trophy against rival
Michigan State, for the first time
since 2015.
A physical matchup ended up
with the Wolverines (8-4-4 overall,
3-1-3 Big Ten) defeating Michigan
State (3-10-3, 3-3-1), 2-0. The win
allowed Michigan to jump three
spots in the Big Ten standings,
leaping over the Spartans to third
in the conference.
“That’s a good, positive win
for a group,” said Michigan coach
Chaka Daley. “More importantly
for us, to get three points in the
league and not get distracted by
the magnitude of the moment. And
I think our guys did a great job at
settling in and grinding it out.”
Daley was right to characterize
it a grind-it-out type of game.
Just 10 minutes into the game,
Michigan
State
defender
Nick
Woodruff
illegally slid into
Michigan junior
midfielder Marc
Ybarra, knocking
him to the ground
and
earning
a
yellow
card.
The
Wolverines
and
Spartans
acquired
three
more yellow cards and totaled 25
fouls by the end of the game.
Michigan
senior
forward
Jack Hallahan could attest to
the physicality of the game. He
battled all game on the right
side of the field with Spartan
defenders.
In the 35th minute, Hallahan
caught up to a leading through
ball and dribbled
it up toward the
corner. Michigan
State midfielder
Alex Shterenberg
contested
Hallahan
the
whole
way,
pushing
and
shoving
him.
Hallahan
managed
to
create space and
get a good cross off.
“It’s a rivalry game,” Hallahan
said with a chuckle. “And I kind
of like it, honestly. If people are
fouling you, it probably means
you are doing something right.”
Hallahan
created
efficient
plays that set up his teammates,
which compensated for his lack
of scoring. And despite fighting
through an undisclosed injury,
he looked like he was near full
strength.
“Yeah, he was good in the first
45 minutes,” Daley said. “Over
the last 25 minutes, I think you
saw what he’s all about.”
Two
first-half
goals
by
Michigan
fifth-year
senior
Nebojsa Popovic helped ease
some of the pressure in this
sluggish
fight
of
a
game.
However,
the
contact
and
intensity continued throughout
the game.
“We stayed positive and keep
fighting to the end,” Daley said.
In the 48th minute, Michigan
junior
forward
Mohammed
Zakyi ran directly into Michigan
State goalkeeper Hunter Morse.
A through ball zoomed past
Zakyi, and he was unable to stop
his momentum, barrelling into
Morse. Zakyi knocked Morse
over with ease, got up and ran
away without looking back.
It was the kind of moment —
hardly pretty, but overpowering
nonetheless — that encapsulated
Michigan’s win.
JACOB COHEN
Daily Sports Writer
BRANDON TRACHTENBERG
Daily Sports Writer
In aftermath of loss to Western Michigan, ‘M’ focuses on intangibles
After losing the first road
game of the season against
then-No. 18 Western Michigan,
the Michigan hockey team was
quiet on the ride back from
Kalamazoo on Saturday night.
“When do you let it go?” said
Michigan coach Mel Pearson.
“When do you get over it? When
do you just say ‘OK, you know
what, we can’t bring it back,
we’re over and done with it?’”
Pearson believes the somber
mood was the result of multiple
factors — namely, the loss and
overall fatigue from playing
extremely physical games two
nights in a row with travel in
between.
“It’s not like you lost and
you’re throwing a party or
anything right after,” Pearson
said. “They were subdued about
it. They’re taking it serious, but
at the same time they know that
we have a good team.”
He also thinks highly of
this group and is quick to pick
out its strengths and areas for
improvement. The team effort
on the defensive end — as well
as solid goaltending — stand out
to him most, as these factors
can give a team the chance
to win any game. But on the
other hand, the offense needs a
spark to start capitalizing on its
opportunities.
Pearson’s
observations
extend
off
the
ice,
too.
Specifically, he’s taken note
of
leadership,
chemistry,
preparation
and
confidence.
Chemistry is important to any
team, as it can lead to a more
competitive,
cohesive
effort
on the big stage. Pearson likes
where
the
chemistry is at
right now but
sees room for
growth.
“The
chemistry
part of it takes
time,”
Pearson
said. “You just
can’t put it all
together.”
Much
of
the
responsibility
to
build
chemistry goes to the veterans,
and so far, Pearson is delighted
with the leadership he’s seen.
He
recognizes
the
unique
personalities
among
the
Wolverines and knows different
players prefer being treated
and reached out to in different
ways.
He views his leaders’ ability
to navigate this and effectively
manage the rest of the players
as a major asset. The veterans
know how to balance being
strict on players with letting
them cut back.
What impresses him the
most, though, is the leaders’
effort to create a positive
environment for all.
“They’re really good at that,”
Pearson said. “As far as just
being welcoming to all our
freshmen and then making
sure they know that they’re a
big part of this team, that we
don’t have cliques and things
like that, because it’s easy to
get in those groups. I mean,
the two Swedish
guys
can
just
sit in the corner
and talk Swedish
all the time if
they
wanted,
but we have to
pull
everybody
together,
and
that’s one of my
biggest
things,
is to make sure
that we’re in it
together and we lose together,
we win together.
“... It’s just how they’re able
to draw everybody and make
everybody feel welcome, and
that’s so important. Even some
returning guys who maybe
don’t have big roles or whatnot,
we try to stress the importance
of everybody on the team.
There’s a reason everybody is
here.”
But while the chemistry is
coming along, Pearson would
like to see better preparation —
specifically, mental preparation
in the moments before a game.
Pearson was displeased with
the group’s preparation leading
into Saturday’s loss. He notes
that it’s clear ahead of time
when a team is casual instead
of mentally focused. Freshman
forward Eric Ciccolini offered a
similar sentiment.
“Just coming off a win Friday
night I think that you got to be
more prepared, obviously, and
not take (the opponent) too
lightly,” Ciccolini said. “We
beat them 4-0 and then they
came back at us hard, which we
knew they were gonna, but we
didn’t react good enough to.”
To Pearson, a central part of
preparation is about balance.
He doesn’t want his players to
be too tight or scared to play,
but at the same time needs
them to be in the zone and
ready to go right away. Finding
that balance, or “sweet spot,” as
he calls it, can instill valuable
confidence
when
the
puck
drops.
“You can have all these things
and then you got to sprinkle in
some confidence, but you can’t
go to the corner store,” Pearson
said. “I can go to the corner
store and buy some eggs, and
some flour and whatever water
I gotta to start making the cake
and icing, but I can’t go and
sprinkle in confidence. You
can’t. You have to go out and
earn that and acquire that and
develop that.”
If Michigan can continue
its strides with the intangibles
then Pearson might get what
he’s looking for when the oven
sounds.
ALLISON ENGKVIST/Daily
The Michigan hockey team is moving on from its 4-1 defeat to WMU.
ROHAN KUMAR
Daily Sports Writer
MILES MACKLIN/Daily
Senior forward Jack Hallahan created scoring opportunities for his teammates in Michigan’s 2-0 win over MSU.
I think our guys
did a great job
at ... grinding it
out.
We know they
can keep clean
sheets, which is
a nice feeling.
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BIOCHEM 212
TUTOR WANTED
Text Judy
(312)-678-6736
By David Alfred Bywaters
©2019 Tribune Content Agency, LLC
10/31/19
Los Angeles Times Daily Crossword Puzzle
Edited by Rich Norris and Joyce Nichols Lewis
10/31/19
ANSWER TO PREVIOUS PUZZLE:
Release Date: Thursday, October 31, 2019
ACROSS
1 Spot for a salt
scrub
4 Aromatic
evergreen
10 Wind with nearly
a three-octave
range
14 Fresh from the
oven
15 Collection of
hives
16 Sullen look
17 Track
18 Halloween feeling
in a warren?
20 Buffalo lake
22 Like the vb. “go”
23 Belly laugh
syllable
24 Halloween feeling
near a water
supply?
27 Valleys
31 “Take Care”
Grammy winner
32 “We’ve waited
long enough”
34 Bebe’s “Frasier”
role
38 Overlook
39 Halloween feeling
in the office?
44 Enjoy privileged
status
45 Poise
46 It may get the ball
rolling
48 Trio in “To be, or
not to be”
53 “Borstal Boy”
author Brendan
54 Halloween feeling
in the yard?
58 Angel dust,
initially
60 “You wish,
laddie!”
61 Put out
62 Halloween feeling
in the loo?
67 Summer hrs. in
Denver
68 Stood
69 Paparazzo’s gear
70 Mature
71 Lumberjacks’
tools
72 Gave it more gas
73 Finch family
creator
DOWN
1 Astute
2 Bartender, often
3 Fifth-century
conqueror
4 Soap unit
5 Two (of)
6 Cuba __
7 Brand of
hummus and
guacamole
8 Actor Millen of
“Orphan Black”
9 Folk story
10 Wheeler-dealer
11 Feathery
neckwear
12 CSNY’s “__
House”
13 Many
“Guardians of
the Galaxy”
characters
19 Latest things
21 Rockies bugler
25 Sandwich source
26 “Same here”
28 Vehicle with a
partition
29 Mideast
potentate
30 Slowly sinks from
the sky
33 Those folks
35 Confident words
36 Suit part
sometimes
grabbed
37 Unhealthy
39 Nursery piece
40 Narrow way
41 Engrave
42 Backslides
43 Hitting stat
47 Advance slowly
49 Big club
50 Koala, for
example
51 Game based on
whist
52 Living room
piece
55 Japanese art
genre
56 Carried on
57 Big name in
Indian politics
59 Some GIs
62 Monk’s address
63 Cured salmon
64 Employ
65 31-Across
genre
66 Covert
information
source
HELP WANTED
When do you
let it go? When
do you get over
with it?