The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
Wednesday, October 6, 2021 — 9

Fliegner highlights 

Michigan performance 

in Wolverine 
Invitational

Increased speed evident in Michigan’s first game

For years, Eddie Elinburg was the 

go-to guy. 

“If you called me at three in the 

morning, I’d be there to change your 
tire,” Elinburg said. “People counted 
on me.”

But since losing both of his legs 

in a hit-and-run vehicle accident in 
2011, things have been different for 
Elinburg. 

“Now, I have to go to others for 

help,” Elinburg said. “I just wasn’t 
used to that. There were some pretty 
hard times.”

Through 
sports, 
however, 

Elinburg was able to begin restoring 
balance to his life. Individual sports 
like pool, darts and horseshoes came 
first. Once he had mastered those, 
Elinburg began to seek out other 
adaptive sports, hoping to challenge 
himself and boost his fitness. 

Unfortunately, these opportunities 

were few and far between. Despite 
his motivation, Elinburg struggled 
to find any adaptive sports programs 
in Canton, Mich., where he lives. At 
one point, Elinburg frequently took 
days off work and to make the hour-
long trip to Lansing, just to take part 
in a few hours of adaptive sports 
programming at Michigan State. 

This summer, Michigan’s Adaptive 

Sports and Fitness (ASAF) program 
began hosting biweekly wheelchair 
basketball and tennis drop-in sessions 
open to Michigan staff, faculty, and 
students, as well as all members 
of the community. Through this 
programming, a full 10 years after 
his injury, Elinburg finally gained the 
reliable, local access to competitive 
adaptive sports programming he had 

so desired. 

“When (they) reached out, my 

head lit up like a Christmas tree,” 
Elinburg said. “I don’t know who sent 
the email, but I want to thank them 
for that, because that’s what’s keeping 
me happy.”

Elinburg 
attended 
wheelchair 

basketball 
practices 

consistently throughout the 
summer, improving markedly 
as a player with the help of 
veteran player-coaches Alex 
Saleh and Spencer Heslop. In 
fact, despite only having begun 
playing wheelchair basketball 
recently, Elinburg will suit up 
for Michigan this fall as part of 
the program’s first ever NWBA 
team. 

While Elinburg’s story is 

rounded out by a happy ending, 
his struggle to find adaptive 
sports and fitness opportunities 
is 
unfortunately 
common 

among 
individuals 
with 

disabilities. 

“I was injured just over five 

years ago and I’ve been trying 
to scope out adaptive sports 
programs ever since,” said 
Laura Stark, a fellow Canton 
resident and Elinburg’s soon-
to-be NWBA teammate. “I feel 
like they’re there, but they’re 
not advertised well.”

Stark, like Elinburg, was a 

frequent drop-in attendee this 
summer and has taken quickly to 
wheelchair basketball. While she’s 
always been active, she longed for the 
opportunity to play as part of a team.

“Wheelchair 
basketball 
is 
a 

community,” Stark said. “A lot of other 
adaptive sports I’ve played in the past 
are single player, where it’s only up 
to you. But when I play team sports, 

that’s where I feel the most value 
comes.”

For Michigan ASAF Assistant 

Director Erik Robeznieks, experiences 
like Elinburg’s and Stark’s are precisely 
why 
hosting 
consistent 
drop-in 

programming has been such an 
important goal for the program. 

“By hosting these sessions, we’re 

trying to leverage our status as part 
of a great sporting and academic 
institution like the University of 
Michigan to address the gap that 
exists in the community for people 
with physical disabilities to engage 
in recreation, leisure and competitive 
adaptive sport,” Robeznieks said. 

While providing a space for 

individuals to participate in adaptive 
sport is an important step toward 
Robeznieks’s goal, it’s not enough 
on its own to ensure that individuals 
who want to play can do so. 

For example, sport wheelchairs 

are 
shockingly 
expensive. 
This 

cost, combined with the fact that 
individuals with disabilities are 
employed at approximately one-tenth 
the rate of those without, creates an 
insurmountable financial barrier for 
many. 

To address this, with donor 

support, the ASAF program offers 
their programming completely free 

of charge while also providing sport 
wheelchairs and other equipment to 
all who need it. 

“Even if it was free to play but you 

had to bring your own equipment, 
I think the numbers would drop 
significantly,” Stark said. “I couldn’t 
play. I don’t own a sports chair. Even 

for those in the disability 
community who do have jobs, 
you have to spend so much of 
your money on medical care 
and things like that — it makes a 
world of difference to be able to 
play for free.”

Echoed Elinburg: “Right 

now, if this wasn’t free, the 
activity I’d be doing is probably 
nothing.”

The obstacles to providing 

equitable access to sports and 
fitness don’t stop with finances. 
Many without disabilities simply 
lack an understanding of why 
providing adaptive sports is such 
a vital part of any community, 
leading to a lack of motivation 
among 
organizations 
and 

institutions to really do anything 
about the problem. To that end, 
the program stresses that the 
programming is open to all, 
regardless of disability status. 

“Through drop-ins, we can 

bring adaptive sports to life 
in a sense,” Robeznieks said. 
“We can actually get people 
involved and allow them to 

form a personal connection with 
adaptive sports. That will allow them 
to … change whatever preexisting bias 
they may have, and it will allow them 
to appreciate adaptive sports for the 
sake of its skill and the athletic ability 
that is required to participate.”

Added Stark: “Bringing in people 

outside of the disability community 

is great because it shows that the 
sport is just as difficult this way as it 
is when played by able-bodied people. 
I hope that people will start to see 
that a wheelchair isn’t just a piece of 
medical equipment — anyone who 
wants to play wheelchair basketball 
needs a wheelchair. I think that will 
do a lot for awareness.”

While Robeznieks stresses that 

the most important goal of the 
drop-in programming is to provide 
equitable access to sports and fitness, 
he also hopes that by opening the 
program’s doors to all members of 
the community, they can accelerate 
the development of an elite-level 
wheelchair basketball team. 

“We’re only going to be able to 

form 
competitive 
intercollegiate 

teams if we’re able to recruit athletes,” 
Robeznieks said. “But a common 
problem that we’ve had in trying to 
recruit athletes is them telling us to 
come back when we have a team.”

By participating in the NWBA’s 

adult division, the program will be 
able to field a team of both Michigan 
students 
and 
local 
community 

members. This way, the program 
can market itself to prospective 
athletes as having an established 
squad. Eventually, after the program 
can field a team in the intercollegiate 
division, this more recreational adult-
division level team can continue 
to serve as a competitive outlet for 
community members like Elinburg 
and Stark. 

After 
the 
success 
of 
drop-

in 
programming 
this 
summer, 

Michigan ASAF plans to continue 
offering 
wheelchair 
basketball, 

wheelchair tennis and adaptive track 
and field sessions indefinitely — still 
free and still open to all, with or 
without disabilities.

Through drop-in adaptive sports, UM ASAF bridges gap in community

GRAYSON BUNING
Daily Sports Writer

After 
two 
shortened 

seasons, 
the 
Michigan 

women’s tennis team was 
finally able to make their 
long awaited return to a full 
slate of matches this fall with 
the Wolverine Invitational as 
their third event of the year.

The Wolverines hosted 

Michigan State, Ohio State, 
Notre Dame, Arizona State 
and Western Michigan at 
the three-day meet this past 
weekend. The Wolverines 
had a positive overall record 

for the event with a total of 
17 wins and nine losses. The 
event didn’t count for team 
points but remains important 
to see how each of the players 
stand before the ITA All-
American 
Championships 

next week. Potential doubles 
teams had an opportunity 
to build chemistry in a 
competitive 
environment 

and the players received one 
of their first big tests.

The team started with a 

strong first day, going 5-1 in 
doubles and 4-1 in singles. 

“We brought competitive 

teams in here and I feel like 
we got a high level of play,” 
Michigan 
coach 
Ronni 

Bernstein 
said. 
“They’ve 

been practicing hard, and it 
showed that first day”.

Michigan’s 
biggest 

bright spot was undefeated 
freshman Julia Fliegner who 
finished the weekend with a 
4-0 singles and 3-0 doubles 
record.

“She had an unbelievable 

weekend,” Bernstein said. 
“It was a great match 

against Notre Dame against 
a girl who’s going to play 
high for them. We didn’t 
see her much last year 
because of COVID, but she 
was very impressive. Really 
everybody was, I was proud 
of the whole group and how 
they competed.”

Fliegner would finish 7-0, 

but her final match was the 
most difficult of the weekend. 
Notre Dame’s Page Freeman 
jumped out to a two game 
lead to start the match, 
including a break in the first 
game. Fliegner broke back to 
make it 3-3, but later had her 
back against the wall with 

Freeman 
serving 

with a 5-4 lead. 
After 
a 
crucial 

break 
and 
hold 

from 
Fliegner, 

Freeman 
was 

down 6-5 and had 
to win her serve 
to force a seven 
point set tiebreak. 
However, at 30-40, 
she double-faulted 
to lose the set 7-5. 
The second set was 
also back and forth, 
but Fliegner never 
gave up the lead 
and cleaned up the 

match to win, 7-5, 6-3.

The 
invitational 
was 

capped off with a gritty three 
set win from junior Nicole 
Hammond against Arizona 
State’s Cali Jankowski. After 
a 6-1 first set loss, Hammond 
commanded the rest of the 
match and never again gave 
up the lead in either of the 
final two sets. The 1-6, 6-2, 
6-3, Wolverine win ended 
the event with a statement 
comeback.

Although the Wolverine 

Invitational 
was 
non-

scoring, Michigan now has 
momentum that it will look 
to carry forward into the 
rest of the season. Five of 
the Wolverine’s top players 
will travel to South Carolina 
next week and compete in 
the Michigan’s first scoring 
event of the season.

“I’m going to use this 

event as a confidence point,” 
Fliegner said. “When I’m in 
tough points in next week’s 
tournament I’m definitely 
going to think back to here 
and how I played.”

Legendary hockey coach Herb 

Brooks used to yell “legs feed the wolf” 
at his 1980 Olympic team.

In 2020, the Michigan hockey 

team’s roster featured skill on both 
ends of the ice. But still, its legs couldn’t 
deliver a feast every night against faster 
opponents like Minnesota 
and Wisconsin.

If last Saturday’s 7-1 

exhibition 
win 
over 

Bowling Green is any 
indication, though, the 
Wolverines could be a few 
strides ahead this season.

From the early minutes 

of 
the 
game, 
speed 

dominated 
Michigan’s 

game 
plan. 
When 

sophomore 
forward 

Matty 
Beniers 
found 

sophomore forward Kent 
Johnson alone at center 
ice, Johnson used his legs 
to widen the gap between 
himself and the Falcons 
defenders. 
That 
gave 

him plenty of time to fool 
Bowling Green goaltender 
Zach Rose as a quick flick 
of his stick deposited the 
first goal of the season.

The 
same 
legwork 

that led to the goal also 
extended many of the 
Wolverines’ scoring threats. As hard 
shots ricocheted off Rose, the puck 
skittered toward the boards where the 
Falcons’ defensemen had a chance to 
dump it out. Michigan’s speed often 
won out in the ensuing footraces 
and, combined with their physical 
presence, it generated plenty of shots. 

“Every team is going to be pre-

scouting our skill,” sophomore forward 
Brendan Brisson said on Friday after 
the game. “But it’s about playing hard 
in the hard areas, getting pucks deep 
when we have to and getting pucks 
back quicker so we can use our skill in 
the right moments.”

On 
Saturday, 
the 
Wolverines 

executed 
those 
offensive 
moves 

faster than they did last season. In a 

split second during the first period, 
Michigan set up a 1-3-1 power play. 
Bowling Green couldn’t account for 
the ensuing flurry of quick passes, and 
Brisson skated away with a goal.

The Wolverines’ transition game 

relied on its speed advantage. Quick 
strides down the wings opened up 

clean odd-man rushes and lagging 
defenders couldn’t break up the zone 
entries that led to long offensive 
setups. Michigan controlled the pace 
of play all game by using that speed, 
unlike last season.

Freshman 
defenseman 
Luke 

Hughes played a prominent role 
in that, lurking closer to the top of 
the faceoff circle even when the 
Falcons threatened a breakout. Many 

defensemen playing that far up would 
get burned. But Hughes’s confidence 
in his skating ability proved effective 
as he chased down anyone that 
slipped by him with ease. That kind of 
confidence — a trait Michigan coach 
Mel Pearson said reminded him of 
his brother Quinn Hughes — allows 

Hughes to make the most of his ice 
time.

The same rang true for senior 

forward Jimmy Lambert, whose 
speed looked deadly in the bottom six. 
Lambert, Hughes and junior forward 
Eric Ciccolini swarmed Rose as the 
first period waned. With a little over 
50 seconds on the clock, all three 
crashed the net as Bowling Green’s 
defenders could only watch. Before 

they could even poke 
their sticks at the loose 
puck, the red light cast a 
glowing aura on the goal. 
The Wolverines’ speed 
won again.

Speed in the bottom 

six could be an X-factor 
against tough opponents. 
As Michigan’s stars draw 
the undivided attention 
of opposing defensemen, 
speed 
like 
Lambert’s 

can bring advantages 
against 
worn-out 

players. That difference 
could lead to secondary 
scoring in close contests, 
something that didn’t 
often happen in intense 
games last year.

While 
there’s 
no 

guarantee that this speed 
will stack up against 
teams like Duluth or 
Minnesota — teams full 
of talent and conditioned 
to a T — the increase in 

speed could bode well for forcing the 
pace of play down the line. With as 
much talent as this roster boasts, the 
Wolverines can turn that speed into 
additional goals.

If Michigan can keep up its speed, 

the wolf will be eating more often than 
not.

COURTESY OF GRAYSON BUNING 

The UM ASAF program offers free drop-in adaptive sports programming open to students and Ann 
Arbor community members.

GRACE BEAL/Daily 

In their final non-scoring tune-up, the Michigan 
women’s tennis team won the Michigan Invita-
tional.

ALLISON ENGVIST/Daily 

Jimmy Lambert added speed to Michigan’s roster this weekend in it’s exhibition matchup against Bowling Green. 

JOSEPH ZAIN RODGER

For The Daily

CONNOR EAREGOOD

Daily Sports Writer

The game was in a deadlock, 

neither 
team 
converting 
their 

chances. That is, until 21 minutes 
into the second half, when Michigan 
men’s soccer team junior defender 
Brennan Callow got called for a 
tripping foul, setting up an Indiana 
penalty 
kick. 
Forward 
Victor 

Bezerra buried the shot to make it a 
1-0 game. 

The Wolverines (5-4-1 overall, 

2-1-0 Big Ten) played the Hoosiers 
(5-3-1, 2-2-0) in Bloomington, Ind., 
on Friday night. Looking for their 
second straight Big Ten victory, 
they found themselves trailing late 
in the second half. But following a 
game-saving goal in the 81st minute, 
Michigan forced it into overtime, 
where senior forward Derick Broche 

would score to win the game, 2-1.

The first half of the game was 

controlled 
by 
Indiana, 
which 

connected on deep passes to set up 
scoring opportunities and allowed 
its forwards to create traffic in front 
of the Wolverines’ net. 

“They 
kind 
of 
worked 
our 

goalkeepers and we did not do that 
from our standpoint,” Michigan 
head coach Chaka Daley said.

Despite 
their 
abundance 
of 

chances, 
the 
Hoosiers 
couldn’t 

capitalize 
on 
any 
of 
them. 

Wolverines freshman goaltender 
Hayden Evans was up to the 
challenge, making three first-half 
saves.

With almost a minute left in the 

first half, Indiana defender Daniel 
Munie worked his way to the front 
of the net for a clean shot. Evans, 
however, made a huge stop in front 
of the net to keep the game scoreless 

heading into halftime. 

Michigan wished to have more 

scoring chances in the first half. 
Instead, it was rewarded with 
stellar play from their goaltender. 
Every time the Hoosiers made a shot 
on net, Evans came up with the save, 
finishing the game with seven total 
saves.

Nine minutes into the second 

half, Indiana moved the ball down 
the field to find forward Maouloune 
Goumballe wide open for an almost 
certain goal on the right side of the 
net. But at the last second, Evans 
deflected the ball out of bounds 
with the fingertips of his gloves. 

“Evans was strong and solid,” 

Daley said. “He gave us a chance 
when it was 0-0.”

Following 
Callow’s 
goal, 
it 

appeared as if the Hoosiers were 
going to walk away victorious. The 
momentum was heavily on their 

side, with the home crowd also 
providing energy. But Michigan 
did not fold. After booting the ball 
deep into Indiana’s defensive third, 
junior forward Evan Rasmussen 
scored a critical goal to tie the game. 

“We 
caused 
them 
some 

problems,” Daley said. “It was not 
a comfortable afternoon for their 
guys in the back.” 

The momentum carried into 

overtime as the Wolverines were 
able to get the ball into the Hoosiers’ 
zone. Rasmussen sent a corner kick 
into the box, which found the head 
of senior defender Declan Gaffney. 
Gaffney sent the ball to Broche, who 
knocked in the overtime winner, 
their first shot of overtime.

“We asked a lot of questions, we 

asked more questions than they 
could answer,” Daley said. “That 
was ultimately the difference in the 
end.”

Michigan men’s soccer completes comeback for 2-1 OT victory

MARK PATRICK

Daily Sports Writer

