The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Thursday, November 21, 2019 — 7
Lockwood making impact while hurt
Four rows from the ice at Munn
Ice Arena, Will Lockwood laid
back in his chair, forced to watch
the game, once again, through the
glass and from the stands.
To his immediate left and
right sat other teammates, extra
players who weren’t dressing.
But being grouped with fellow
teammates who couldn’t make an
impact wasn’t where Lockwood
wanted to be.
Where he really wanted to be
was a section over — where the
visitor’s bench was filled with
the remaining Michigan hockey
players as they prepared for the
Michigan State matchup.
He watched his teammates
warmed up without him for the
third straight game. He watched
alternate captain Luke Martin
skate over to the referees and
shake hands — a role normally
reserved for Lockwood.
And as he watched the puck
drop and the battle between the
two teams begin, that’s when it
hit him.
He’d
lived
this
before,
watching his teammates take the
ice while he looked on from the
sidelines. Lockwood missed the
second half of his sophomore year
due to a shoulder injury that kept
him from his team’s run to the
Frozen Four.
Back then, he felt resentment,
unsatisfied by the defined success
he was not a part of. But now, as
senior captain, the emotions of
being sidelined hit harder.
“I hate it,” Lockwood said.
“I absolutely hate it, I go to the
games and it’s really hard to
watch especially when the team’s
not doing well. I feel like I could
be out there making an impact for
my teammates.”
Unlike two years ago, Michigan
needs his impact. Through six
Big Ten games, the Wolverines
have managed to earn only one
conference point and sit 14 points
behind first-place Penn State.
The
struggles
have
been
capped by a lack of offense,
which, as a natural goal scorer, is
where Lockwood’s impact would
lie. Last year, Lockwood lead the
team in scoring with 16 goals.
This year, he’s tied for the lead
with three despite missing the
last three games.
“It’s
hard
on
Will,”
said
Michigan coach Mel Pearson.
“He’s really disappointed that he’s
not in the battle with his friends
and his teammates. I know it’d be
nice to have our leading returning
goal scorer in. But you can’t use
that as an excuse. We have to find
ways to win hockey games, but I
know it’s tough on Will.”
Last
Saturday’s
loss
was
particularly hard for Lockwood
to watch. Sitting in the stands, he
couldn’t do anything but watch as
his team surrendered a goal in the
opening two minutes of the first
period. He slid a little deeper into
his chair.
And being in Munn Ice Arena
presented a unique challenge for
him. Before the game, a throng of
familiar faces came to greet him
before settling down and sitting
in adjacent seats. In addition,
friends and family not only of his
own but his teammates’ as well
began to surround his seat. The
noise and distractions naturally
followed. But Lockwood wanted
his full attention to be on the
Wolverines on the ice.
So,
when
he
disappeared
from sight after a period, it was
apparent where he was going. He
found a different point of view to
watch from.
“Well, I was sitting in the
stands,” Lockwood said. “And
I couldn’t really focus on the
game. I actually went over to the
zamboni doors and watched for a
little bit. Then I watched the third
(period) from the bench to have
the best view of the game and as
little distraction as possible.”
His dedication to the team
didn’t end with him playing
pseudo-equipment
manager
behind the bench for a period.
During
the
intermission,
he
followed the team into the locker
room and addressed them.
“I just told the team we have to
be a hard team to play against,”
Lockwood said. “It’s a rivalry
game. I thought a lot of guys
worked really hard. I don’t think
that’s exactly our issue. I think
when you’re playing in a game like
that, you’ve kind of got to have a
chip on your shoulder. And play
towards that rivalry. But have a
bit of a chip on our shoulder and
a bit of an ego during the game.”
This weekend, he’ll return to
the lineup and skate alongside
his linemates, freshman forward
Johnny Beecher and sophomore
forward Jimmy Lambert. Having
Lockwood back is no instant fix
for Michigan’s offensive woes,
but his presence can only help.
The Wolverines need Lockwood.
Shifting from the stands
to the zamboni doors to the
tunnel leading to the bench,
Lockwood,
inch
by
inch,
worked his way back to his
team.
As his health followed the
same
gradual
progression,
the team couldn’t be more
ready for him to be back. And
Lockwood’s ready to prove
that he returned for a reason.
Michigan ready for Notre Dame test
After reaching the second round
of the NCAA Tournament each of
the past two seasons, the Michigan
women’s basketball team has
high expectations for the 2019-20
season, highlighted by a program
goal of making it to the Sweet
Sixteen.
The
Wolverines
will
have
the chance to notch their first
high-profile victory on Saturday
against Notre Dame after opening
the season with four games
against
mid-major
opponents.
The Fighting Irish aren’t the
powerhouse that made seven of the
last nine Final Fours — they have
opened the season 3-2, with home
losses to No. 15 Michigan State and
No. 23 Tennessee — but Michigan
isn’t taking last year’s NCAA
Tournament runner-up lightly.
“That’s a game for us that we
circle on our schedule regardless
of how great their start was this
year,” said Michigan coach Kim
Barnes Arico. “I know right now,
their record is not what they want
it to be, but their schedule has
been incredibly difficult and they
graduated everyone that really
contributed on that Final Four
team last year.”
Despite losing all five starters
from a season ago — and its top five
scorers — Notre Dame’s roster is
far from barren. Its starting lineup
consists of three top-25 recruits
from the past two seasons in
forward Sam Brunelle and guards
Katlyn Gilbert and Anaya Peoples,
and two graduate transfers —
Marta Sniezek from Stanford
and Destinee Walker from North
Carolina. These five could cause
trouble for the Wolverines because
of the mismatches they create
— four are guards, and the only
forward, Brunelle, has attempted
40 3-pointers this season.
“It’s gonna be a tough matchup
because their ‘4’ and ‘5’ are really
guards, and they’re gonna face-
up, they’re gonna try to take you
off the bounce,” Barnes Arico said.
“We gotta constantly be moving
… because we’re gonna have our
posts match up with guards, and
that’s gonna be difficult at times.”
While these mismatches could
create trouble on the defensive
end, Notre Dame’s lack of size
plays right into Michigan’s biggest
strength
offensively:
interior
scoring.
“As tough as it’s gonna be for
us to defend them because they
don’t really have any true posts,
it’s gonna be a challenge for
them to defend us,” Barnes Arico
said. “I think Naz (Hillmon) is
playing exceptionally well inside.
I think Izabel Varejão gives them
something that they don’t have, a
6-foot-5 post. How are they gonna
defend that? How are they gonna
defend Naz’s strength inside? So I
think they’re gonna have matchup
problems with us as well.”
The
Wolverines
will
also
need to clean up their offensive
play in order to limit fast-break
opportunities for the Fighting
Irish. Michigan got away with
turning the ball over 61 times over
four games and giving up double-
digit points off turnovers in each of
its last two games.
Barnes
Arico
identified
transition defense as an area
needing
improvement.
The
Fighting Irish have scored double-
digit points off turnovers in
each of their five games despite
shooting under 50 percent in all of
them. Allowing them to get out in
transition often could spell trouble
for the Wolverines.
Michigan can alleviate some
of
Notre
Dame’s
transition
offense with strong play on the
offensive glass. The Wolverines are
averaging more than 10 offensive
rebounds per game, and their
clear size advantage should give
them many second-chance scoring
opportunities.
Michigan has a relatively young
team, but the majority of its players
were there last season, when the
Wolverines played three games
against two top-10 teams — two
against Maryland and one against
Louisville.
In particular, their two young
stars
clearly
showed
growth
between their first and second
matchups against the Terrapins.
Hillmon’s scoring total greatly
improved, and sophomore guard
Amy Dilk tallied 11 assists and
shot more efficiently as Michigan
lost by one, giving the Wolverines
optimism that their best players
will step up in their biggest game
so far this season.
May Day!
EAST LANSING — On Jam
the Jenison (Fieldhouse) night,
Sparty, the ear-wrenching Spartan
marching band and screaming
Spartan fans united to make
Wednesday’s game as hard as they
could for the Michigan volleyball
team. But amid the noise and five
sets later, the Wolverines prevailed
in
a
contested
rivalry battle in
East Lansing.
“Their
crowd
is
huge
and
their
band
is
excruciatingly
loud,
but
it’s
amazing
—
it’s
so
much
fun
for
them,”
said
freshman outside
hitter
May
Pertofsky.
The No. 23 Wolverines (19-8
overall, 12-5 Big Ten) fended off
the Spartans (14-13 overall, 5-12
Big Ten) in five sets. Michigan
won its fourth game against all
its rivals this season, and added a
fifth consecutive win against the
Spartans.
The match started off slow
as Michigan found themselves
down
2-1
after
three
sets.
Sloppy defensive play and a
lack of communication hurt the
Wolverines in the second and
third sets. An increased pressure
in serves for Michigan State
added to Michigan’s struggles.
In a rivalry game, the pressure
only builds on the opposing team,
especially if they are away, like the
Wolverines were.
“Going down 2-1, it becomes
go-time,”
said
senior
setter
MacKenzi Welsh. “If you don’t
play your best in that moment,
you’re going to lose the match.
… Taking that negative pressure
and just using that to play to the
best of your ability, and know
that the game is on the line in that
moment.”
After hitting .276 in the first
three sets, the Wolverines came
back to hit .351 in the final two
sets. Michigan calmed down and
played a sound game that drove
them to a narrow victory.
“We looked nervous. We looked
emotional,” said Michigan coach
Mark Rosen. “We were just a
little frantic … and we just needed
to relax and settle into our own
game. I can’t blame them. It’s a big
environment. It’s a rivalry game.”
The win itself was impressive
and certainly one to remember,
but two key players had great
milestones. First, Welsh hit the
5,000-assist
mark.
“It feels pretty
cool, and I know
it’s
a
really
cool
lifetime
achievement,”
Welsh
said.
“I
know
I
wouldn’t be able
to without all
my hitters and
everyone on my
team and I’m really thankful that I
have the support system that I do.”
Pertofsky notched a career-
high 18 kills in a single match,
but when asked about the record,
she had no knowledge of it, and
selflessly deferred credit to her
teammates.
“Throughout the game, we just
kind of all looked at each other
and held each other accountable,”
Pertofsky said. “We were like
‘Hey guys, we need to calm each
other down and we need to play
for each other and play as a team
and love each other.’ It’s a family.
We can’t be against each other
now, so we always started playing
together and it came together very
beautifully.”
Michigan
played
far
from
perfect, but came together and
won a difficult game in a tough
environment.
“Really proud of how they
fought when they weren’t playing
their best,” Rosen said. “Tiger
Woods used to always use the
thing that you have to be able to
win with your B and C game … you
can’t always have your A-game.
We’d like it but doesn’t always
happen.”
EAST
LANSING
—
Sophomore
outside
hitter
Paige Jones and senior setter
MacKenzi Welsh both stood
frozen as the ball dropped
between them. A last-second
reaction
by
Welsh
wasn’t
enough to save the ball and
prevent the Spartans from
tying up the set. The entire
band
played
the
Michigan
State fight song, drowning out
any other sound that wanted to
be heard inside the fieldhouse.
The event known in East
Lansing
as
“Jam
Jenison”
fostered communication issues
for No. 23 Michigan (19-8
overall, 12-5 Big Ten), which it
ultimately overcame to defeat
the rival Spartans (14-13, 5-12)
in five sets Wednesday night.
The Wolverines came out
after just one day of practice
this week into a rival’s home
court, with the seats filled and
decibels raised.
“Everyone felt kind of shaky,”
said freshman outside hitter
May Pertofsky. “Obviously
their crowd is huge and their
band is excruciatingly loud. ...
I think it just kind of threw us
for a loop for a second because
we’ve only been in the gym
once before this game”
And
this
was
visible.
Michigan was making errors
on both sides
of
the
ball,
hesitating
on
who
would
take
the
second hits and
even
sending
sets
above
teammates’
heads.
It
stemmed from
one main issue
— communication.
“It
is
a
little
hard
to
communicate,” said Michigan
coach
Mark
Rosen.
“So
there’s
going
to
be
some
communication issues because
you can’t hear. … We can’t
really be visual with our
communication because you’re
watching the ball, so you can’t
really take your eye off the ball
and look at them, so it got a
little bit crazy that way.”
And to Rosen, it was obvious
where at least some of the
issues started. The whole pep
band was there
and
the
noise
reverberated
throughout
the
arena.
“The
band
makes
a
big
difference,”
Rosen said.
After
falling
into a 2-1 set
deficit following
repeated errors,
the
Wolverines
regained
control of the match.
“I feel like going down, 2-1, it
becomes go-time,” Welsh said.
“And if you don’t play your best
in that moment you’re going to
lose the match.”
Despite
the
desperation,
Michigan was visibly more
calm and in control of their
play in the fourth and fifth
sets.
“We would come into the
time out and they’d look at us
and (the coaches) wouldn’t
be upset or anything like
that,” Pertofsky said. “They
would just be like, ‘Guys,
you need to calm down and
you need to unify.’ After that
we came out with a lot more
fire and just talked more and
communicated.”
The Wolverines were able to
close out the last two sets, 25-15
and 17-15, respectively, despite
the crowd growing louder than
before. With the tight, 3-2,
victory over Michigan State,
Michigan finishes its regular
season with a 4-0 record over
rivals Michigan State and Ohio
State.
“With our backs against the
wall, in a place like this, I was
really proud of how our team
responded,” Rosen said.
JACK KINGSLEY
Daily Sports Writer
ALEC COHEN/Daily
Michigan coach Kim Barnes Arico thinks that the size differential will make a large impact in Saturday’s game.
MOLLY SHEA
Daily Sports Writer
ALEXANDRIA POMPEI/Daily
Senior forward Will Lockwood has stayed involved while out with an injury.
ALLISON ENGKVIST/Daily
Freshman outside hitter May Pertofsky had the game-winning kill over Michigan State on Wednesday night, giving Michigan its 19th win of the season.
May Pertofsky notches game-winning kill in fifth set as Michigan tops Michigan State in East Lansing
NICHOLAS STOLL
Daily Sports Writer
They would just
be like, ‘Guys,
you need to
calm down.’
BRANDON TRACHTENBERG
Daily Sports Writer
We just kind
of all ... held
each other
accountable.