Sophomore Paul Juda took
a deep breath and broke into
a sprint for the vault. Juda,
the
fourth
in
Michigan’s
vault rotation, was following
three subpar vaults from the
Wolverines.
With
Illinois-
Chicago holding a 0.100 point
lead in the round, Juda knew his
opportunity to shift the round
in his team’s favor lay within
his grasp.
With all eyes on him, Juda
leaped over the vault and
stuck the landing, letting out
an emphatic roar while his
teammates
rushed
towards
him.
Juda earned a 14.650 for the
vault, the highest vault and
individual score up until that
point. Michigan went on to win
the round behind subsequent
strong finishes from senior
Nick Guy and sophomore Adam
Wooten, and the Wolverines
closed out UIC with resounding
victories in the last two rounds.
No.
3
Michigan
men’s
gymnastics (1-0) opened its
season with a 409.000-328.100
dual meet win against the
Flames (0-1) on Sunday, with
each team performing at its
respective training facilities.
Despite the unusual format
of virtual judging and the
absence of fans, the Wolverines
showcased their preparedness
from the very beginning.
“They seemed to keep the
energy
up,”
said
Michigan
coach Kurt Golder. “They did a
great job as the meet went on.
Enthusiasm didn’t slow down
or dwindle away or anything
like that.”
Wooten opened for Michigan
in round one, floor exercise,
and earned a score of 13.400,
immediately setting the tone for
the entire meet. The Wolverines
went on to win each of their
next five matchups and finished
with a steep 11.150 lead over
UIC.
Michigan further extended
its lead to 31.200 following
round
two,
pommel
horse.
Senior Anthony Tawfik opened
for Michigan, while senior
Cameron
Bock
earned
the
highest score of the round with
a 14.400. It looked as if the
Wolverines couldn’t be stopped.
The
next
round,
rings,
mirrored rounds one and two,
with
strong
performances
overall
from
Michigan’s
rotation.
Sophomore Casey Cummings
opened
round
four
(vault)
for Michigan. At this point,
with a 48.350 lead and all the
momentum in their favor, the
Wolverines looked to cap off
their
outstanding
routines
from the previous three rounds
and push their lead out of
reach. Desperate to keep their
hopes alive, the Flames strung
together an impressive first
three vaults and gained a lead
over Michigan. But just as UIC
began building confidence, Juda
stepped up to the challenge.
“I live for the clutch, I live
for the pressure,” Juda said. “A
quote that I resonate with is ‘it’s
a privilege to have pressure.’
I knew the guys really were
counting on me to do a good
routine right there, and I had to
do it.”
Michigan cruised through
parallel bars and high bar,
with Juda earning the highest
individual score of 14.700 in
parallel bars. He had the best
overall performance and led
the team in four events, with
Bock leading the team in the
remaining two.
Michigan’s first competition
ended
just
as
it
planned,
securing a commanding lead
from the get-go and winning
each round handily.
The Wolverines face No.
4 Nebraska next week, the
first
of
many
tough
Big
Ten
matchups.
Michigan’s
mentality is to do everything it
can to win, and the Wolverines
will need to show the same
dominance on the road as they
did on Sunday.
10 — Wednesday, January 20, 2021
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Wolverines ready to regroup after first loss
“When
the
street
fight
started, we didn’t answer it.”
Michigan men’s basketball
team’s assistant coach Phil
Martelli’s
words
perfectly
encapsulated the scene of the
Wolverines’ first defeat of the
season which came on the
road at the hands of then-No.
23 Minnesota on Saturday.
After
coming
into
the
contest averaging 80.2 points
per
game,
Michigan
only
managed to put up 57 points
in an 18-point loss and tied its
season-high 20 turnovers.
“You can practice it as
many times as you want, but if
you make a bad decision in the
game, that’s just the way it is
sometimes,” sophomore wing
Franz Wagner said.
While
the
whole
team
was
disappointed
in
its
performance, the Wolverines
believe that their first loss can
help them grow stronger.
“Obviously everyone picks
on what you did wrong, and
they try to exploit ‘why didn’t
you win,’ but there are good
things that come out of losses,”
graduate transfer guard Mike
Smith said. “The one thing
that I can take away from this
is that we always have to be
ready to go — 24/7 — and just
continue to compete at the
highest level because it’s not
going to get any easier.”
After scoring in double-
figures in the first 11 games
of
his
collegiate
career,
freshman
center
Hunter
Dickinson was notably held to
just nine points in 23 minutes.
Gophers’
head
coach
Richard
Pitino
instructed
his squad to double team
Dickinson in the post nearly
every time he touched the ball
which gave both Dickinson
and
Michigan
plenty
of
trouble.
“I didn’t think he was
overdoing it,” Martelli said. “I
think in a way he was not as
sharp. He’s been so sharp and
his IQ is so high. Rather than
getting things done in a beat,
it was taking him a beat and
a half to recognize what was
going on which was unusual.”
Alongside
Dickinson,
Smith struggled shooting the
basketball as well. Despite
having 10 assists, Smith failed
to score a point, shooting
0-of-6. He also turned the ball
over three times in 37 minutes
of action. It was a rare down
game for Smith, who has
averaged 8.4 points and 5.8
assists per game and has
served in a steady role as the
team’s primary point guard.
“I
did
a
poor
job
of
leading the team regardless
of scoring,” Smith said. “I
think I should’ve led more
and been more vocal. I take
accountability for that. Being
a point guard and being the
older guy on the team, I think
I fell short of doing that for
the team.”
After the loss, Michigan
held
film
sessions
to
understand
where
things
went wrong. The film session
helped to demonstrate to
the team that Minnesota’s
defense took it out of its
normal
offensive
flow,
forcing it to adjust its system
that had proven to be so
effective through 11 games
on the fly. After breaking
it
down,
though,
the
Wolverines think they may
have found solutions on how
to respond.
“I was surprised by the
things we saw (on film),
they’re pretty easy to fix
I think,” Wagner said. “So
that’s
kinda
my
mindset
going into the next game
is we gotta play with our
habits, what made us get
those first couple games and
then it doesn’t really matter
that much what other teams
throw at us.”
A loss, especially the first
one of the season, is always
a tough pill to swallow.
But Smith believes that the
loss will only strengthen
the bond that he and his
teammates have.
“A lot of teams, either that
I’ve been on or in general,
when you lose, people start
pointing fingers,” Smith said.
“But at the end of the day,
even when we were down
20 and the second team was
in, we were up clapping for
everybody.
“We wanted to see them
succeed because we know
how much time they put in
to be out there. This is going
to help us become closer and
want to win more and to fight
for each other.”
TEDDY GUTKIN
Daily Sports Writer
Michigan routs UIC, 409.000-328.100
ABBAS KAGAL
Daily Sports Writer
JULIA SCHACHINGER/Daily
Paul Juda’s dazzling performance in vault was critical to holding momentum in Michigan’s win.
JULIA SCHACHINGER/Daily
Michigan expects to bounce back against Maryland following its first loss
of the season.
Russell Becker trudged out to the
backyard, dragging the hose with
him. A kid waddled through the
snow, curtly behind him.
Boards. Check.
Lights. Check.
Goalposts. Check.
Russell ran down a mental list of
things he had to prepare. Luckily
for him, the kids were too young to
need the nets. It was that time of
year again — winter — an eagerly
anticipated time for the Becker kids.
As November approaches, so does
Minnesota’s cold, harsh winter. But
alongside the bitter winds that nip
at their noses comes the chilling
temperatures that let them host
their own personal ice rink at their
home.
Jack Becker followed his dad,
helping him carry the hose through
the basement doors leading from
the back of their house to the open
field where they had laid the rink
boards prior.
Jack and his brothers always
loved to help their father set the
stage, but when it came to most of
the heavy work, Russell did that by
himself, at least until Jack reached
the age where he could also do
heavy lifting.
Jack loved the backyard rink.
When his brothers could come out
to skate with him, they would play
games, pretending to be different
NHL players. It was the spot he
went to when he needed to practice.
It was the spot he went to when his
friends came over to play. It was the
spot that he never wanted to leave,
even when the ice became rough
and cut up.
He took to it as often as he could.
***
Play stopped and all heads
turned to Jack Becker, as the then-
11 year old was sprawled on the ice,
breath heavy.
It was hard to see his face
through his breath’s fog that
condensed against the cold, hard,
winter air of Duluth, Minn. But if
you looked closely enough, past the
mist and the clenched hand held
up to his nose, you could see blood
dripping down Jack’s face.
He was in his backyard, in the
homemade ice rink his family put
together — his personal kingdom,
his own sanctuary. And yet, out
there on his rink, he had taken a
hard hit and was trying to contain
his bloody nose.
It was around Christmas time
and his extended family had
gathered at their house to celebrate
the holidays. Aunts, uncles, cousins:
All came in to join the Beckers and,
naturally, most of them took to the
ice in the backyard. Hockey runs
deep within their family’s roots.
His cousins played at Division
I schools. His uncles had grown
up playing all their lives. And his
father, Russell Becker, played four
years at Michigan Tech and helped
coach Jack every step of his playing
career.
When Jack was old enough to
walk, Russell nudged him towards
the ice. When he was old enough to
play, Russell joined the bench as a
coach to most of his teams.
And that day, Russell wanted to
teach his son another lesson.
Russell was always a hard-nose,
physically imposing player. When
he played under then-Huskies
coach Mel Pearson, he had to earn
his stripes playing with hustle,
effort and passion. And even after
he stopped playing, he carried that
mentality everywhere he went —
including a festive backyard hockey
game among the family.
That day, son and father split
onto opposing teams. Neither side
wanted to lose.
The rink — one that Jack and
his dad had built together — was
smaller than an average rink, but
only by a bit. The tighter enclosure,
however, meant that it would be
more jam packed with action. And
it was.
Jack saw it first hand when he
went for the puck, blindsided by a
check from his dad. It came to the
surprise of none. Everyone there
knew Russell liked to play hard.
And that day, he made sure Jack
knew.
Play stopped as Jack laid on the
ground. Before anyone could go
over to help him, or before Jack
could patch up his wound, his dad
came to him and told him exactly
what he should do next: ‘Get up.’
Added Jack: “So I got up and just
continued playing.”
For Russell, it was routine. Get
hit, get up, hustle.
“(Russell)
was
obviously
a
big
stay-at-home,
hard-nosed
defenseman,” Pearson said about
his former player. “He was a strong
kid, tough kid, was just a simple, just
a simple player. You can see a lot of
similarities with Jack. The dad was
a solid no-nonsense, hardworking,
very polite, humble type person,
and that’s what you have in Jack.”
As soon as Jack picked up the
sticks and put on the skates when
he was three, Russell ran with it.
From mini mites to as far as he
could, Russell helped coach Jack,
sitting behind his bench mostly as
a defensive coach for the teams.
But being able to coach Jack was
enough.
“I look to my parents a lot for a
lot of things in my life,” Jack said. “I
think when on the ice he’s my coach,
and you know, you gotta respect
him, but he’s still your dad.”
In terms of playstyle, there’s
not much to pass down. Russell
specialized
in
hustle
defense,
Jack wanted to be a forward. Jack
quickly became a better skater,
as noted by Pearson, but Russell
passed on his effort and work ethic
and some defensive techniques.
“Sometimes, dads can be harder
on their own son than they might
be another player,” Pearson said.
“Just they don’t want to show any
favoritism. And I think you demand
more out of your son than somebody
else. You know, it’s always easier to
get after your own kid than maybe
to try to get after somebody else’s.”
Finding that balance between
dad and coach took some time for
Russell. Was he being too hard on
Jack because Jack was his son? Was
he letting him off the hook with
something for the same reason?
What would people think looking in
from outside?
“You didn’t want other parents
to think that you were being biased
towards your kid,” Russell said. “All
those types of things make it tough
to be a dad and be a coach.”
But once he found the healthy
median, it became a much simpler
task. Jack was an easy kid to coach.
“He’s just such a respectful kid,”
Russell said. “From that standpoint
… he was an easy kid to coach, he
was always the hardest working kid
on the team.”
It was an experience for Jack
that he remembers fondly. He
didn’t think about the intricacies
of his father being his coach. He
just treasured the moments where
he could play while his dad was on
the bench, helping him along the
way.
“After high school, you know
it’s never really going to happen
again,” Jack said. “And Dad
worked really hard to learn so
many things from the ADM or the
USA hockey development model
there. He worked so hard to help
us to have practice plans that were
good.
“I just thought it was such a
blessing. Really fun having him as
my coach.”
Even with all his father’s history
in the sport, playing hockey was
always a choice, never an obligation
for Jack growing up. But being
surrounded by hockey from a young
age — between his uncles, cousins
and, most importantly, his father
— his mind had always been made
from the get-go.
Jack loved hockey. He never
wanted to leave the rink, any rink,
whether he was playing or not. And
his dad helped make that possible.
For a portion of Jack’s youth,
Minnesota
was
without
a
professional hockey team after the
North Stars moved to Dallas in 1993.
However, after a small drought
of professional hockey, in 1997,
St. Paul, Minn. was awarded an
expansion team. That team would
become the Minnesota Wild, who
had their inaugural season in 2000.
The return of an NHL team in the
state would domino to Minnesota
hosting its first All Star Game in 32
years during the 2003-04 season.
Russell decided it was a can’t
miss event for him and his boys.
He wanted them to learn the
game, in part, by watching and
being around it, sure, but this was
an event that only came around
so often. He wanted them to just
be able to be there and enjoy the
moment.
Jack walked into the doors of
the Xcel Energy Center side by side
with his dad and one of his younger
brothers, Joe. The then-six-and-a-
half year old could barely hold back
his excitement. He had even thrown
on the jersey of one of his favorite
players, Marian Gaborik, for the
occasion.
The trio had come early, hoping
to catch the players warming up.
Together, they scaled the steps
of the arena until they stopped at
their seats, placed directly behind
the glass. Russell and Joe began to
sit down, but Jack had other plans.
He stayed standing, mesmerized
by the surroundings and hoping to
get a better glimpse at the players as
they came in.
His hands pressed against the
glass, Jack leaned in, eyes wide in
anticipation.
And then came the players, the
All Stars.
Bursting in from the tunnel,
they skated laps around the rink. In
awe, Jack threw his hands over his
mouth, a picture-perfect moment
for the occasion.
That’s exactly how St. Paul
Pioneer Press photographer passing
by saw it too. The photographer
snapped a picture of the moment
and the next day, had it plastered on
the front page — showing the world
what the Becker family already
knew.
“It’s a cool photo,” Russell said.
“And it just shows at a very young
age him gazing at these players and
how much he loved the game.”
Added Jack’s mother, Trisha:
“His face is priceless because he is
looking out the glass and you can see
his reflection in the glass. He is so
happy to be there and so consumed
by the whole scene that he just looks
like that’s exactly where he wants to
be, in the rink.”
***
Back home, when dusk came
around, the skating on the ice didn’t
stop even as the puck started to
blend in with the darkness that
surrounded it. Time didn’t deter
Jack, all he had to do was flick the
switch for the lights, and continue
to skate on his outdoor rink.
It was a joy for him to be out
there, no matter the hour.
“I always say that Jack has
always had a passion, and you can’t
really teach a passion,” Trisha said.
“He just really loves to be on the ice.
He just really has always loved to be
out there.”
Early in the morning, late at
night, nothing stopped him from
being in the rink. The nets came out
when he got older to make it easier
to catch flying pucks. The lights
came on when it got dark.
A bad practice didn’t discourage
him. Neither did a bad day in
general. When he could, he’d make
his way to the ice and shoot. It was
a way to outlet his thoughts and,
sometimes, his emotions.
“Whether it’s a stress relief or
he just enjoys the whole process of
being on the ice,it is a good stress
reliever for him.” Trisha said. “He’s
always pretty focused on it.”
For Jack, it is therapeutic.
Boards, lights and ice: the backyard rink that produced Michigan captain Jack Becker
TIEN LE
Daily Sports Contributer
COURTESY OF PIONEER PRESS
Six-year-old Jack Becker watches as his hockey heroes are introduced at the
start of the NHL All-Star Game on Sunday, Feb. 8, 2004 in St. Paul, Minn.