Wednesday, August 3, 2022 — 7
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
For Seamus Casey, the defensive process is key
JOHN TONDORA
Daily Sports Writer
PLYMOUTH, Mich. — Seamus
Casey’s
offensive
prowess
and
untapped upside are undeniable.
The focal points of his game,
Casey’s use of those abilities during
his journey through the National
Team Development Program was
nothing short of exceptional. Yet as
scouts analyzed his aptitude, one
shortcoming remained — defensive
deficiencies.
But before he joins the Michigan
hockey team, Casey wants to address
those struggles right away.
“(My defense) is something that
I always need to improve on,” Casey
said at USA Hockey’s National
Junior Evaluation Camp on Tuesday.
“Especially going into Michigan this
year. I want to keep making strides
there.”
Before he takes the ice for
Michigan though, Casey has already
begun honing a defensive ability that
will be crucial for jump to the NCAA
level.
Although Seamus finished with
a plus-32 rating in his final year
with the U.S. National Team this
past season, questions abound thus
far surrounding his defense. With
33 points (10 goals, 23 assists) in
48 games, Casey’s offensive ability
stands out, yet he often struggles
with over-aggression leading to
defensive lapses.
However, throughout evaluation
camp this week, 2023 Team USA
coach
Rand
Pecknold
and
his
coaching staff have made an outsized
effort to influence his play.
“It’s an unusual thing,” Pecknold
said on Tuesday. “These kids are all
thrown in and it’s a trial (to make the
team), but at the same time, we’re
trying to put in some structure so that
we’re organized.”
Structure will be key for Casey
as Pecknold, the head coach for
the Quinnipiac men’s hockey team,
provides an early glimpse at what
NCAA coaching looks like. As both
player and coach are well aware,
making the jump from the NTDP to
the NCAA is a tricky process. The
game will be faster, the players will be
stronger and the competition will be
Michigan readies for ‘normal’ season
CHICAGO — As players and
coaches sat in front of microphones
speaking to reporters, the inaugural
Big Ten Volleyball Media Days felt
like a far cry from the pandemic-
induced restrictions of just a few
short months ago.
And as the Michigan volleyball
team nears the start of the season,
that change is a welcome relief.
“This group, honestly, hasn’t seen
a normal year yet,” Michigan coach
Mark Rosen said. “That’s what I’m
super excited about. … I was thinking
about it on the way here today. This
is the first year for these guys to
know we’re just going in ready to play
volleyball.”
That
excitement
could
prove
vital for the Wolverines’ elevated
goals after Michigan lost to MAC-
champion Ball State in last season’s
NCAA Tournament. In a season
mired in uncertainty against a
stacked Big Ten field, the Wolverines
still managed to find their way into
the tournament.
If Michigan could find its way into
the postseason during an uncertain
era, the removal of looming doubts
— that players will be available,
that games will be played, that
COVID-19 won’t shut down society
at any moment — could make the
difference for a team determined
to make a deeper run in the NCAA
Tournament.
“It’s nice just to be focused on
volleyball and being able to get after
it, and I think this group’s really
ready,” Rosen said. “For these guys
I’m excited for them to see what it’s
like to not have to worry about all
the other stuff that we’ve had to deal
with.”
But those environmental stressors
disappeared for other schools too.
The Wolverines should enjoy a season
returned to normalcy, but Wisconsin,
Nebraska and Minnesota — all teams
they need to beat if they want a
chance at a Big Ten title — will reap
the same benefits of a normal season.
And although the Big Ten is
stacked, contending for a conference
title is well within their reach. Spring
game performances built on their
optimism as they faced off against
skilled opponents to prepare for
the upcoming season — including
tournament teams in Ohio State and
NCAA Tournament semifinalist Pitt.
“I would definitely say that last
year’s freshmen have made a huge
improvement,” junior outside hitter
Jess Mruzik said. “It’s incredible to
see how they’ve matured over the
course of one year. I’m really excited
for this year’s sophomores.”
As those sophomores come in
with a season under their belts on a
veteran team compared to the last
few seasons, Michigan hopes it can
compound a return to normalcy
with the lessons it learned during
its last chaotic season. With more
control over their own season, the
Wolverines hope to push deeper into
the NCAA Tournament.
“I think everyone knows the
seriousness of it, we all know what
it takes,” senior middle blocker Jess
Robinson said. “We all know how
much we have to give, how much we
have to put in every single day for the
next four or five months, and I think
we’re all ready for that and we’re
definitely all old enough that we’ve
been through it once.
“And this year especially with it
being my last year, we’re not going
down without a fight.”
After fighting external battles last
season, Michigan can now focus on
battling its opponents.
ICE HOCKEY
VOLLEYBALL
CONNOR EAREGOOD
Summer Managing Sports Editor
SARAH BOEKE/Daily
tougher — making growth a necessity
for Casey.
And at the start of camp, Casey’s
rough edges began to show. During
practice drills for transition play,
Casey’s nose for the puck periodically
came
on
too
strong,
allowing
forwards to puncture past the
defensive blue line for what would
have been prime scoring chances.
Though these mistakes end in a
whistle during practice, in the NCAA,
they end in costly goals.
Yet Casey never shies from these
lapses. He listens to coaches during
the drills and actively seeks out
lessons from assistants once practice
concludes. It is a level of maturity that
garnered both understanding and
praise from the staff.
“We’re trying to put something
new in the neutral zone that he’s
never done before,” Pecknold said
on Tuesday. “I want him to hold the
blue line. He knows that he’ll do it. He
just made a few mistakes and (hasn’t
had) enough reps yet. We’re only in
the fourth practice. He’s been really
good.”
And
as
camp
progressed,
Pecknold’s influence began to show.
“There was a couple things on the
rush,” Casey said. “Pretty technical
stuff, like hand placement, which
is something I’ve heard from (Nick
Fohr) my coach at NTDP. But, I was
getting it back from different coaches
too.”
For good reason too, as the rush is
one situation where Casey can truly
shine. His ability to harness lateral
movement — already excellent for the
NCAA level — flashed as he grew to
control the blue line through superior
skating. After minor tweaks over the
course of the week, where forwards
originally saw daylight, they found
dusk as Casey shifted back and forth
across his defensive positioning.
Though there is much more work
to do, this week of practice provides
a hopeful glimpse into Casey’s
development
process
that
will
continue at Michigan. Regardless
of where his game currently stands,
his maturity, and commitment to the
process will take him far.
For now though, Casey and
Pecknold understand that building
on a defensive skill set takes time.
And with each passing practice, skills
compound and lessons evolve into
habit.
Casey has yet to reach the finish
line, but with Pecknold’s help, he has
continued making strides.
JULIANNE YOON/Daily
The Michigan hockey team’s incoming freshman defenseman Seamus Casey got a chance to
hone his defense at USA Hockey’s National Junior Evaluation Camp.