When the Michigan field hockey schedule
was created, it was assumed this past
weekend’s games against Northwestern and
Louisville would be competitive. Following
the release of the NFHCA coaches poll earlier
last week though, it was revealed how much of
a gauntlet it actually was; Northwestern just
outside of the top five, and Louisville at No.
3. With Michigan holding ground in the No. 2
slot, it was the kind of weekend you’d expect
from the NCAA tournament, not a series in
early October.
The Wolverines didn’t back down from the
challenge, however, and cemented their place
in the highest caliber of Division I with a 2-1
double overtime win over the No. 6 Wildcats
on Friday and a 2-1 win over the Cardinals on
Sunday to sweep the weekend.
Both games were close until the final
buzzer, in contrast to the blowouts Michigan
racked up in early season play. While the
double
overtime
nail-biter
against
the
Wildcats was the most visibly contested game,
the Wolverines were equally pushed by the
Cardinals, who erased an early 1-0 lead in the
third quarter and kept the game tied up into
late in the fourth, when a penalty corner shot
off the stick of redshirt senior midfielder Halle
O’Neill finally broke the stalemate.
“We were playing on heavy legs after
Friday,” Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz
said Sunday. “The girls played as hard as they
would with a week’s rest though. I’m super
proud of their grittiness.”
Entering the weekend, members of the
team confessed that nerves had been high.
After playing two highly ranked teams in
then-first-ranked North Carolina and then-
eleventh-ranked Wake Forest to start the
season, the majority of games since have been
played against unranked opponents, allowing
few opportunities to test their game-plan.
Coming home from a close brush with No.
18 Ohio State, Pankratz drilled the team on
maintaining pace and keeping a cool head
in high pressure situations, cognizant of the
threat to their undefeated record poised by
the aggressive offenses of Northwestern and
Louisville.
On Friday, the Wildcats gave Michigan the
scare the Wolverines had been preparing for.
For much of the game, Northwestern dictated
the pace and put Michigan on their heels,
becoming the first team this season to out-
shoot the Wolverines. As the second overtime
period headed to its end and a shootout
loomed, Michigan found another gear, ending
the game on a walk-off penalty corner shot by
sophomore midfielder Anouk Veen.
“We were definitely nervous going into the
game,” Veen said. “Being able to shake that off
and stand on our feet was huge.”
Building on the lessons learned against
Northwestern, Michigan was able to match
Louisville shot for shot, and ultimately finished
with 10 shots to the Cardinals’ seven. While
the game was hard fought, the Wolverines
were much more in control of the game from
buzzer to buzzer, pushing Louisville back at
almost every surge.
“We’ve been playing down to our opponents
lately,” O’Neill sa id on Sunday. “This week we
stepped up and played at the level we want to
be playing at”
For several members of the team, what
mattered most in the victories was the
ability to stay calm despite the nerves. It was
observable in the team’s play: from warm-
ups to the final buzzer, the team danced to
the music coming over the speakers, laughed
with each other and tried to keep the game
in perspective. Both game winners came off
corners given from lengthy video reviews, in
which the team was able to huddle together
and take a breath.
“The music is one of our inside jokes,”
senior goalkeeper Anna Spieker said Friday.
“It keeps up from freaking out and getting too
in our heads.”
Spieker provided both a brick wall in the net
for Michigan, finishing the weekend on a near
perfect 12-for-14 save record, as well as acting
as a source of spirit while on the field.
“When you see Anna dancing in the goal,
it’s hard not to smile to yourself,” senior
midfielder Kathryn Peterson said Sunday.
“If she’s not panicked, we can’t be panicked
either.”
Down two sets to one, Michigan
volleyball needed a win to keep the
match alive.
As
junior
outside
hitter
May
Pertofsky rose up to serve, the crowd
went silent. The Minnesota defense
responded, sending the ball back over
the net, requiring sophomore libero
Hannah Grant to do the splits to keep
the rally alive. Sophomore setter
Scottie
Johnson
set
the
ball,
and
sophomore
outside hitter Jess
Mruzik
walked
on air, delivering
a vicious spike.
The Gophers tried
to track the ball
down, but it hit off
of the chest of the
outside hitter, and
the ball trickled
to the score table.
Point Michigan.
The
Wolverines
took
this
momentum
and
knocked
out No. 8 ranked
Minnesota in five
sets, their first
match against a ranked opponent this
season, and their first win against a top
ten opponent since November of 2018.
After Michigan took a commanding
lead in the first set, the Gophers fought
back to make it 2-1 going into the fourth
set. The Wolverines knew they needed
to win the next set if they had any
chance of winning the match, so they
kicked it into gear.
“We got more kills. That was big,”
Michigan coach Mark Rosen said. “We
use the term ‘dig to kill.’ When we dig a
ball, we got to turn that ball into a kill
if we can. If we’re just putting the ball
back in play, at this level in the Big Ten,
they’re gonna get a kill, so you’ve got to
be able to dig to kill, and I thought we
did that really well.”
Michigan got a lot of help in the
fourth set from players who typically
aren’t relied upon to get kills. Junior
middleback Jess Robinson started the
set off with two block assists, including
a solo block. Freshman middleback
Jaque Boney followed Robinson up
with three solo blocks. Even sophomore
opposite hitter Kendall Murray got into
the mix with a kill of her own.
“Once we get those middles involved
and our setters, it’s almost impossible
for blockers to pick up on things and
defend us,” Mruzik said. “Our middles
did a great job today. That’s something
we’ve been working a lot on in practice
and throughout the preseason, and
the beginning of this season is getting
those middles involved and making
sure that their presence is known. Once
they start going, it opens our whole
offense.”
Although Mruzik heaped praise
on her teammates, she was the one
leading the charge in the fourth set that
ultimately won the match. With six
kills in the fourth set alone, including
the match point, Mruzik put the team
on her back and was the sparkplug for
the Wolverines.
Mruzik
was
dominant
as
she
attacked the backline and the sidelines.
But
with
Minnesota
focused
on
preventing
the
easy
kills
and
getting its blocks,
holes opened up
and Mruzik took
advantage.
“When
we
played
them
the first time, I
went
back
and
watched
what
happened in that
match,”
Mruzik
said.
“I
picked
out
some
spots
that they weren’t
necessarily
picking up on so
I really tried to
highlight that in
this match.”
Added
Rosen:
“They just kept plugging away. I
thought Jess Mruzik was great in that
situation. Scottie was great in that
situation, you know, just a lot of kids
stepping up. We’re seeing some really
good development with this team and
character.”
The momentum the Wolverines
gained in the fourth set was too much
for the Gophers to handle as Michigan
carried it over to the fifth set to win the
match.
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Sports
10 — Wednesday, October 13, 2021
BECCA MAHON/Daily
Michigan junior middleback Jess Robinson keyed its big fourth set.
As the first overall pick of the
2021 NHL draft, Owen Power faces
high expectations each night he
plays. In the No. 3 Michigan hockey
team’s sweep of Lake Superior State
last weekend, he delivered.
The
sophomore
defenseman
totaled one goal and four assists
in the two-game series, leaving
his mark in every facet of play and
proving too much for the Lakers to
handle all weekend long.
“He’s taken another step this
year obviously with his offense,”
Michigan coach Mel Pearson said.
“… He’s gained knowledge and some
wisdom and he’s smarter with the
puck.”
On
Friday’s
season
opener,
Power recorded the first four-point
performance of his collegiate career,
netting a goal and three assists.
From the blue line, he orchestrated
the
offensive
onslaught
that
drowned Lake Superior State early,
putting his talent on full display.
Power’s three assists set the tone
early to help the Wolverines bust
open a lead. The increased attention
he attracts from the defense
continually opened up scoring
opportunities.
That magnetic effect on opposing
defenders was evident in his third
assist of the night. As he controlled
the puck in front of the left faceoff
circle, all eyes were on him. After
zipping a pass across the ice to
sophomore
forward
Brendan
Brisson, the defense struggled to
recalibrate after placing such a
heavy emphasis on Power, leaving
sophomore forward Kent Johnson
with space in front of the crease.
Brisson fired the puck into the
middle of the ice, and Johnson
redirected it into the top-left corner
of the goal.
Later in the matchup, Power
flexed his shooting strength and
accuracy when he extended the
Wolverines’ lead to 6-1. After
receiving the puck from senior
forward Nolan Moyle near the
blue line, Power drifted to his right
before propelling a wrist shot at the
net. The wrist shot had the strength
of a slap shot, deflecting off the
goaltender’s blocker and floating
into the net for the goal.
“He’s really put in a lot of work
between last year and the start of
this year as far as driving the offense
and creating offense,” Pearson said.
“Not only from the offensive blue
line or in the offensive zone but
coming up the ice.”
Power’s single assist on Saturday
night barely scratched the surface
on the influence he had over
Michigan’s win.
When facing the same team on
back-to-back nights, it’s important
to give teams new looks. Power
did so early in the first period after
gaining possession of the puck at his
usual position near the blue line.
Instead of initiating a pass
sequence or firing at the net, Power
skated at the goal with a burst of
speed, shooting at goaltender Ethan
Langenegger from close range.
Caught off guard, Langenegger sold
out to stop the shot, leaving the net
wide open with the puck loose in
front. Michigan failed to cash in on
the opportunity, but Power’s antics
had the defense off balance early.
Later, six minutes into the game,
Lake Superior State pressured
on the Wolverines’ net. Power
responded with his striking speed,
dangling through the opposition
and bringing the puck deep into
the Michigan attack zone all by
himself — singlehandedly flipping
the game script from a Laker attack
to Wolverine offense.
“He’s
really
improved
his
skating,” Pearson said. “...Power’s
got more power.”
Power’s game awareness and
multi-dimensional skill set came
through when Michigan needed
it most in the third period. The
Wolverines had just clawed back
from a two goal deficit to tie the
game, and Lake Superior State
looked to take momentum back
with a key penalty kill. A Laker
skater interfered with Michigan’s
fine-tuned power play passing and
launched the puck for a clear.
Standing at the blue line, Power
said no.
He caught the puck out of the
air and dropped it onto his stick.
Instead of being forced to chase the
puck down and lose crucial power
play time, the Wolverines were
in position and back in business.
Shortly thereafter, Brisson launched
his signature power-play one-timer
into the net, giving Michigan a lead
it wouldn’t relinquish.
Power living up to his limitless
potential will be key for the
Wolverines
moving
forward.
If he maintains his high-level
performance, they’ll always be on
the Power play.
Power takes the reins and leads
Michigan to opening weekend sweep
After Saturday, the Wolverines’ refusal
to flinch is more than just a mantra
DAVID WOELKERS
Daily Sports Writer
BECCA MAHON/Daily
The Michigan football team has a new identity, one where it doesn’t flinch in the face of adversity.
PAUL NASR
Daily Sports Writer
LINCOLN
—
When
the
Michigan football team took a
double-digit lead into the fourth
quarter at Wisconsin last week,
the Wolverines’ sideline joined
the party for the Badgers’ famed
“Jump
Around”
tradition.
It
set the tone from an energy
standpoint, and Michigan cruised
to a 38-17 win thereafter.
Against Nebraska (3-4 overall,
1-2 Big Ten) on Saturday night,
the
ninth-ranked
Wolverines’
situation from a week ago was
flipped on its head. Rather than
winning big, they had just blown
a double-digit lead in the third
quarter.
This time, the momentum
wasn’t
on
Michigan’s
side.
Memorial Stadium knew it. But
as the stadium lights dimmed,
replaced by a red glow and
cell
phones
while
ACDC’s
“Thunderstruck”
blared,
the
Wolverines (6-0, 3-0) once again
partook in the dance party. Then
they went out and made the key
plays necessary to secure a crucial
32-29 comeback win.
“Keep the same energy when
you get punched in the mouth,”
junior
defensive
tackle
Mazi
Smith said. “Everybody’s got a
plan until you get punched in the
mouth. But when we get punched,
we’ve still got that plan. And
there’s still another quarter to
play.”
Over the last two weeks,
Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh
has lauded his team for not
flinching in the face of adversity.
It’s become a team mantra of
sorts. Players have picked up on
it, too, as junior quarterback Cade
McNamara, senior running back
Hassan Haskins and fifth-year
safety Brad Hawkins all alluded to
it after the game.
Hawkins, in particular, has
been around Michigan teams
that have flinched in past years.
But through the first five weeks
of his final season, this year’s
Wolverines had no reason to
unravel. By Saturday night, they
were the only Power Five team in
the country that hadn’t trailed yet
in 2021.
Until they weren’t.
After leading 13-0 at the half,
Michigan was outscored 22-6
during an underwhelming third
quarter. That didn’t stop the
Wolverines from dancing their
way into the fourth quarter the
same as last week, though.
“We didn’t flinch,” Hawkins
said.
“We
stayed
composed
throughout the whole game. We
knew adversity was going to hit.
It hit, and we didn’t flinch. I love
this team, I love this defense and
I love that we’re fighters. We went
out there, we fought today and we
didn’t flinch.”
Added
Harbaugh:
“Not
to
flinch, that’s what I’m talking
about — that kind of grit, that kind
of determination not to be denied.
Just staying after it until you make
one more better, sensational,
incredible play than they do.”
As Michigan’s defense struggled
to stop Nebraska’s option offense,
McNamara appeared especially
unfazed. A game that began as a
slugfest evolved into a shootout,
and the junior quarterback was
more than ready for it. He led a
10-play, 91-yard touchdown drive
to give the Wolverines’ another
possession of breathing room after
the Cornhuskers got on the board.
And when Michigan began
trailing, McNamara spearheaded
three consecutive scoring drives
— a touchdown and two field
goals — to help the Wolverines
escape victorious. Through the
bumpy second half, he overcame
his first career interception and
maintained the poise of a veteran
rather than a quarterback making
his second-ever start in front of
opposing fans.
All told, McNamara completed
22 of his 38 pass attempts for
255 yards. What won’t show up
in a box score, however, is the
leadership he brought to the table.
“The way he’s seeing the field,
just cold-blooded back there in
the pocket,” Harbaugh said. “You
know someone’s about to hit you
and you’re still throwing it to the
right spot. Not flinching, that says
a lot.”
McNamara wasn’t the only
Wolverine who didn’t flinch on
Saturday night. In the process,
Michigan showed it’s more than
just talk. For proof, look no further
than the sideline before the fourth
quarter.
“That was a huge scenario for
our team to be in,” McNamara
said. “We’re not going to blow
everyone out. This game showed
a lot.”
DANIEL DASH
Daily Sports Editor
Big fourth set powers victory over eighth-
ranked Minnesota in biggest win of season
MADELINE HINKLEY/Daily
Sophomore defensman Owen Power has added several skills to overpower opposing teams and contribute offensively.
‘M’ sweeps challenging weekend
JAKE SINGER
For The Daily