“Offense wins games, but defense wins championships.”

This adage in the sporting world can be applied to numerous championship teams and moments — title-winning interceptions, other-worldly chasedown blocks and clutch pitching performances, to name just a few.

But for the Michigan baseball team to achieve its Big Ten Championship dream, ever-more faint after getting swept by Ohio State, that cliché will have to be flipped.

With their season on the line in Omaha — on the heels of conjuring just 10 total runs against the Buckeyes  — the Wolverines’ hitters will need to raise their game to have any semblance of hope at clinching that automatic NCAA Tournament bid by Sunday afternoon.

And look no further than Michigan’s 2022 Big Ten Tournament Championship run to reinforce that necessity.

“Michigan last year was in a similar position, and clicked and fired on all cylinders at the right time,” Michigan coach Tracy Smith said May 13.

While the comparisons are far from identical between this and last season’s squads, they both faced their seasons hanging in the balance with elimination from the Big Ten Tournament.

Yet unlike this year, Michigan began building its momentum at the plate in its final Big Ten regular season series against Rutgers. The Wolverines won the series against the surging Scarlet Knights, scoring nine runs in each of their wins before losing 18-12 in a wild series finale.

They then carried that momentum in the batters’ box from the Atlantic Coast to the banks of the Missouri River.

Finishing the season with a combined 7.00 ERA, Michigan’s pitching staff was not in position to win games solely at the mound. So the gameplan was simple: outscore the opponent.

The Wolverines did just that, scoring at least seven runs in all four of their victories, with 10 runs in three of those games.

However, in their lone loss against Iowa, they mustered just three runs — showing the perils if the lineup could not produce with shaky pitchers behind them.

For this year’s squad to replicate the same celebration dogpile on Memorial Day Sunday, the recipe from a season ago will need to be followed to a tee.

The pitching staff, which maintains a 5.93 combined ERA, is down its second starter for the season in junior right-hander Chase Allen. And Michigan is still searching for multiple other arms deep in its bullpen to get important outs late in games.

“If and when we do damage in the Big Ten Tournament, (other bullpen arms are) going to have to be a big part of that,” Smith said. “Some guys are going to step up and surprise you that maybe haven’t pitched in a month.”

The problem is — none of those arms have proven capable of filling the void.

The search for production from the bullpen carried over into Tuesday’s midweek game against Xavier, which almost served as an audition for many of the Wolverines’ pitchers hoping to get more outings.

But the mass audition turned into a near-catastrophe: a 14-2 blowout loss. Seven of the eight arms that pitched gave up at least one earned run, with promising junior right-hander Ryan Zimmer getting tagged for six earned runs.

Not much went Michigan’s way in the center of the diamond against Ohio State either, as the Wolverines’ staff yielded at least five earned runs to the Buckeyes’ bats in each of the three games in Columbus.

With the instability and limited upside of Michigan’s pitchers to endure an entire tournament run — requiring between four and six games to win it all — the onus falls on the offense to take the burden.

Turning things around at the plate for the Wolverines lineup starts with competitive at-bats. That doesn’t necessarily require getting on base — working pitch counts up, advancing runners, or forcing the opposing defense to make a nice fielding play can also kickstart the offensive play.

Poor strikeouts do not fall under that umbrella. Michigan has been plagued by the strikeout bug at various points all year, striking out 47 more times than its opponents across the season. This phenomenon was magnified on Saturday, as the Wolverines struck out 17 times in the 7-2 loss.

“I was just disappointed with our approach and I think (Saturday), we struck out 17 times, which I can’t remember (the) last time something like that happened,” Smith said May 20. “So it’s unacceptable. It’s not characteristic of this group.”

While 17 strikeouts in a game is extreme, the performance is emblematic of Michigan’s hot-and-cold offense. To get hot again, the Wolverines will have to convert the opportunities that have evaded them with runners on base. They have left an average of 7.71 runners on base per game, correlating with the third-lowest slugging percentage in the Big Ten.

These statistics paint a grim picture of Michigan’s fate in Omaha. But it’s not too late. 

There is a chance for the Wolverines to correct it, if they’re able to stack strong plate appearances on top of each other to lead their potential charge at a Big Ten title.

After all, every team enters the Big Ten Tournament with a blank slate.

“It’s everybody’s new season,” Smith said. “Everybody’s 0-0. So it doesn’t really mean what happened the game before the series or even the entire season before because everybody’s rolling into that tournament 0-0.”

That “new season” provides Michigan its final chance to redeem itself, once and for all. And that starts from the top with its biggest hitters — who still have the memories of last year’s magical run fresh in their minds — bringing a contagious energy to the talented underclassmen.

The walls outside the Wolverines’ home locker room at Ray Fisher Stadium feature signage that reads, “You’ll never get hot if you don’t know the cold.”

The 2023 Michigan baseball team has seen nearly every degree imaginable: head-scratching losses, comeback victories, heartbreaking injuries and memorable career performances.

On the precipice of their season ending as early as Wednesday night in the double-elimination bracket, the Wolverines will have to emerge from the depths of their worst week of the season with by far their best — finally putting the puzzle pieces together to extract their winning formula.

And just like last year, that equation will rely on the bats getting hotter than ever before.

The post Joshua Brown: To make Big Ten title run, Michigan has to wake up ‘unacceptable’ hitting appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

In a tight Big Ten conference, the Michigan baseball team needed a big series to claim a prime position heading into the Big Ten Tournament. But when the Wolverines needed to come through most, they couldn’t muster the strength to make the difference.

In its final regular season series, Michigan (26-26 overall, 13-11 Big Ten) was swept by Ohio State (31-25, 9-15), losing by lopsided scores of 7-3, 9-5 and 7-2, respectively. And while blowing its opportunity to move up in the Big Ten standings, one phrase summarized the Wolverines’ weekend: What can go wrong will go wrong.

In Friday’s opener, Michigan was bludgeoned early and often. Usually with junior left-hander Connor O’Halloran on the mound, the Wolverines feel it can beat anybody in the nation. On Friday, however, O’Halloran’s uncharacteristic performance was a large reason why Michigan dropped its series opener to the Buckeyes.

Far from his usual self, O’Halloran only pitched 4.1 innings. And in those innings, he allowed five runs and seven hits. By the time he exited the ballgame, the Wolverines were dug into a 5-1 hole. And due yet another inconsistent offensive performance, the Wolverines could not climb back out of it.

“(We have to) pitch the baseball better and certainly throw strikes,” Michigan coach Tracy Smith said. “It all starts on the mound (and) we just haven’t done a good job of that.”

The lone bright spot of Friday’s game was senior designated hitter Jimmy Obertop. Obertop knocked in all three runs for the Wolverines via two home runs in the second and sixth innings, respectively.

But otherwise, the offensive production was disastrous, as Michigan left nine runners on base. Similar to the Xavier loss earlier in the week, the Wolverines proved unable to produce with runners in scoring position, yet again — even blowing a bases-loaded opportunity in the third inning. Once again, Michigan’s own offensive miscues shot itself in the foot.

“I was disappointed,” Smith said of the Wolverines’ offense. “I was just disappointed with our approach. It’s unacceptable (and) not characteristic of this group. … Our offensive approach has to be way better.”

And unfortunately for Michigan, its difficulties continued on Saturday en route to another dominant performance by Ohio State. This time, however, the offense improved, and the loss instead was attributed more to the pitching. Due to the loss of junior right-hander Chase Allen, the Wolverines once again employed senior right-hander Noah Rennard on the mound, forcing him to play out of his role as a reliever for another weekend.

In the loss, Rennard’s true role showed. Rennard lasted just four innings and, in a lackluster performance, Michigan quickly fell behind, 4-0, after just two innings of play. Although the Wolverines returned with two runs of their own off of a two-run home run from senior second baseman Ted Burton in the top of the third inning, they simply couldn’t keep the momentum rolling. 

Similar to Friday’s contest, Michigan’s offense couldn’t capitalize after holding the Buckeyes to scoreless innings. And eventually, the Wolverines paid for it in the form of home runs by center fielder Trey Lipsey and right fielder Mitchell Okuley to extend Ohio State’s lead to 6-2 in the fifth and sixth innings, respectively. A triple from Lipsey later in the sixth inning only put the game further out of reach for Michigan and, despite a small rally in the ninth inning, the Wolverines came up short once again.

Michigan came into this series controlling its own destiny. Leave Columbus with a sweep, and its prospects would have looked much better heading into postseason play starting next Tuesday.

But because the Wolverines failed to do what they hoped due to their own vices, they’re on the wrong side of a tough conference bracket.

The post Michigan’s inconsistencies lead to series loss against Ohio State appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

Throughout all of its success this season, the Michigan men’s lacrosse team rode on the backs of its calm and calculated offense. Yet, in the NCAA Tournament quarterfinals, that production was nowhere to be found. 

In their 15-8 loss to the Blue Devils on Saturday, the Wolverines’ offense put forth what many would call an uncharacteristic performance. For the majority of the season, Michigan had been able to put up double-digit points against almost all of its opponents.

Against Duke, however, that was not the case. 

Instead, the formerly third-ranked team in the nation for shooting floundered in the face of the Blue Devils’ aggressive defense. 

“They did a good job scouting; they did a good job of changing up what they were doing, at least defensively,” senior midfielder Jacob Jackson said. “So, they were pretty well prepared, and we could see that.”  

However, what the Wolverines didn’t see coming was junior attacker Michael Boehm’s performance — or rather, lack thereof. 

Having shattered records, been awarded Most Valuable Player of the Big Ten Tournament and recently named an honorable All-American, Boehm successfully created a name for himself in the lacrosse world — a name that the Blue Devils knew. 

And so, each time Boehm gained possession of the ball, Duke defenders swarmed him. 

Yet, despite the mass of defenders that Boehm battled each time, he managed to still rocket six shots at the cage. Unfortunately for Boehm, none of those would hit the back of the net, leaving him unable to score a single goal against the Blue Devils. 

With one of their star players neutralized, the Wolverines would have to fight even harder to come out on top. 

Michigan increased its effort, totaling 38 shots from a multitude of players throughout the game. However, rarely any of them resulted in a goal. 

With just under two minutes left in the match, senior midfielder Michael Cosgrove dodged through Duke’s defense to create an open lane to score. Pivoting and hurling the ball, the Wolverines’ sideline watched anxiously, looking defeated as the ball sailed wide and missed the net. 

It was shots like these that left Michigan’s hope of a comeback in shambles. 

“We were getting contested shots early, which our aim wasn’t right, or we didn’t get all our mustard on it,” Michigan coach Kevin Conry said. “I think you have to give a lot of credit to Duke’s defense for putting us in those situations. And their goaltender, he played really, really well. We just weren’t as crisp as we could have been, and a lot of that had to do with Duke’s pressure.”

Indeed, it was evident that the Wolverines allowed pressure from the Blue Devils to get to them. 

Out of their 22 shots on goal, 14 were saved by Duke’s goalkeeper. Yet, many of the remainder of Michigan’s shots were taken prematurely — an unexpected move by its typically steady and purposeful offense — culminating in many high and wide shots. 

And so, weighed down by the pressure of Duke’s powerful and aggressive defense — and missing the vital contributions of key players — the Wolverines’ offense ultimately crumbled. And with an already tired defense, they were unable to make a comeback, ending their season. 

Michigan’s mighty offense helped the team’s reputation soar, propelling the Wolverines through the best season the program has ever seen. 

But in Michigan’s case, the Wolverines could only fly so far before they fell — and when their offense fell, it brought the whole team with it.

The post Michigan offense crumbles in NCAA Tournament loss to Duke appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

The clock struck midnight on the Michigan men’s lacrosse team’s season in Albany on Saturday. 

During an uphill battle in the pouring rain, the Wolverines (10-7 overall) fought to sustain their season but ultimately came up short, losing 15-8 to the No. 1 overall seed Duke (15-2).

The Blue Devils, a team with three First-Team All Americans to Michigan’s none, seemed to be an insurmountable opponent, but the Wolverines had been upsetting top teams since March. Comfortable within its role as an underdog, Michigan fought valiantly, knotting the score up at two each as the first quarter ended. 

Although Duke’s First-Team All American and Tewaaraton Award favorite attacker Brennan O’Neill hit two quick goals to put Duke ahead early, the Wolverines responded, netting two goals of their own from junior midfielder Isaac Aronson and graduate attacker Bryce Clay, including one on penalty time.

“When you have a Tewaaraton finalist just playing at a high level, it doesn’t matter what you do Xs and Os,” Conry said. 

Going into the second quarter, Michigan was right where it wanted to be — on par with the No. 1 team in the country — but a three goal run by the Blue Devils in the first four minutes seemed to take some air out of the Wolverines. Duke would go on to score another two goals towards the end of the half, with O’Neill contributing an additional two goals.

“Sometimes you’ve got guys on the other team that are just that talented, just that good,” senior midfielder Jacob Jackson said. “(O’Neill) got the better of us.” 

On the other end of the field, the Blue Devils’ defense was aggressive and suffocating. While it would go on to earn Duke a whopping five minutes of penalty time, the Wolverines certainly felt the pressure, committing a number of turnovers. Senior attacker Josh Zawada capitalized off of one of the man-up opportunities, however, and Jackson contributed a goal as well to bring the score to 7-4 going into halftime. 

“We were getting our shots, but they were contested,” Michigan coach Kevin Conry said. “And (their) goaltender played great. … We thought we had great looks, and he ended up swallowing up on us.” 

The third quarter found the Wolverines digging themselves deeper into the hole. Although graduate defenseman Andrew Darby and the Michigan defense better contained O’Neill, the rest of the Blue Devils took advantage of the opportunities presented to them, slamming home another four goals. On the Wolverines’ offensive end, however, Michigan’s star attacker, junior Michael Boehm, didn’t attempt a single shot, leaving the Wolverines in dire straits. 

Early in the fourth quarter, though, Zawada was once again able to connect, bringing Duke’s lead back to four points. But the Blue Devils and O’Neill were not going away easily. O’Neill flipped a shot over his shoulder, while facing away from the goal, to send Duke on a four goal run that Michigan could not come up with an answer for. With no goals from two key pieces of the three-headed attack that the Wolverines had built their fantasy season on, Michigan surrendered to the Blue Devils.

“(Duke was) built to win a national championship right now,” Conry said. “And we aren’t yet. But we have established a really great framework.”

This NCAA Tournament run came off the backs of a team that shocked the country, beating Ohio State twice in one week, Maryland twice in the season, and emerging Big Ten Champions after going 0-5 in conference play just one year before. The first round knockout of No. 8 Cornell only reinforced what the Wolverines had been saying all season – “Why not us?”

“If you would have told me last year that this year we were going to lose in the quarterfinals to Duke, I would have been ecstatic,” Jackson said. “Especially after the year we had. But I don’t think there’s any going back from this season.”

“When you look at the season that we had, we almost became America’s team, the Cinderella story,” Conry agreed. “The problem with that in the future is that everybody knows who you are. We don’t sneak up on anybody.

“We’re not going to be Cinderella anymore. The ball is over.”  

Although the curfew on the Wolverines’ season may have come sooner than they would have liked, this season sets an unforeseen precedent in the history of Michigan lacrosse. Although they won’t be Cinderella anymore, Michigan has the opportunity to become something even better — a great program, not just a historic team.

The post ‘The ball is over’: Michigan falls to Duke, 15-8, in the NCAA quarterfinals appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

On Friday, a glimpse of hope shone through for the No. 7 Michigan men’s tennis team after it captured the doubles point. But all efforts were quickly dimmed by No. 2 TCU’s dominance on the singles courts. With three different courts going to tiebreaker rounds in the first set, and the Wolverines subsequently losing all of them, a comeback was an insurmountable task for Michigan to pull out the miraculous victory to continue in the NCAA Tournament. 

Not only does this loss mean the departure from the tournament, but, arguably worse for the Wolverines, the end of fifth-year Andrew Fenty, fifth-year Patrick Maloney and senior Ondrej Styler’s careers. All three were selected for the NCAA Individual Tournament, which gives a small insight into the production they gave to Michigan this year. With their departures comes the cost of irreplaceable skill and leadership.

“On paper we’re going to be lacking some talent,” sophomore Gavin Young said. “I think it’s really going to come down to how gritty of a team we are and how deep we dig down. This team next year is going to have the same amount of heart and the same amount of belief. And with that belief and grit we can really make a run.”

Transposing that belief and grit to the Wolverines is Young who is stepping into a leadership role in the youth-filled team — and for good reason. The 6-foot-4 Apple Valley, Minnesota, native has a very deep skill set that has developed over his last two years with Michigan. He’s the other half of the doubles duo with Fenty selected in the NCAA Individual Tournament and is an alternate for the singles. Boasting a 22-12 singles record and 27-8 doubles record this season, it’s clear that he is a great candidate to lead this program back to another NCAA tournament.

Along with established veterans of the program — junior Nino Ehrenschneider, sophomore Will Cooksey and junior Jacob Bickersteth — Young is ready to overcome the deficit left by the departing stars of the program. 

Even with the returning members of the team, there will be quite a challenge for the new generation of leaders. The combination of motivated youth along with leaders ready to take control is a great sign for the team, but isn’t going to come without hard work.

Young still has good reason to be excited about next year’s team. Freshman Bjorn Swenson, freshman Mert Oral and freshman Nicholas Steiglehner were all high school stars, and are ready to make a name for themselves on the big stage. With a couple more incoming recruits, Michigan is poised to make another deep run in both the Big Ten and NCAA Tournaments. 

“It’s going to be a great opportunity for some of the young guys to step up and show what they have,” Young said. “It’s going to be really cool to see what some of these younger guys can do. … We’ll be back for sure.”

With Young’s leadership and a willing and ready roster, the Wolverines have a very exciting future ahead of them. Whether it’s the older established leaders of the team or the newcomers with everything still to prove, Michigan has all the right tools to return to the high caliber of tennis it played this year. And, with the right combination of talent and hard work, the Wolverines could take another shot at it all.

The post ‘We’ll be back for sure’: How Gavin Young’s mindset is turning Michigan’s NCAA quarterfinal loss into motivation appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

After a hard-fought match against Southern California, the No. 7 Michigan men’s tennis team made its way to Lake Nona, Florida to continue its quest for a national title in the NCAA quarterfinals.

However, the Wolverines (27-5) season ended after falling to No. 2 TCU (26-2), 4-1. The Horned Frogs got the better of Michigan, as the latter failed to win meaningful points and capitalize on its early advantages.

The Wolverines started off strong in doubles, as senior Ondrej Styler and junior Jacob Bickersteth broke early en route to a 6-2 victory over TCU’s Lui Maxted and Sander Jong.

The remaining two doubles matches went to tiebreakers, where senior Patrick Maloney and junior Nino Ehrenschneider persevered against the Horned Frogs’ Sebastian Gorzny and Pedro Vives, 7-6 (5).

With this win, Michigan captured the doubles point, and took an early advantage. And similar to  the majority of the season, the Wolverines hoped to increase their lead.

“Doubles was great,” Michigan coach Adam Steinberg said. “We had great energy and we played well. I was so happy to see that in our doubles. We didn’t lose the doubles point in the NCAA tournament, (and) the guys deserve a lot of credit for that.”

However, singles turned the tide for the rest of the match. Many matches, though, were deadlocked early on.

One such match was between Jong and Ehrenschneider, which went to a first set tiebreaker. There, Jong got out to an early lead, and eventually won the set. And from there, he beamed through the second set, winning the match, 7-6 (4), 6-1.

Maloney was also stride for stride in a tough battle, as he and TCU’s Luc Fomba couldn’t break each other for the majority of the first set. Then, Fomba finally broke Maloney’s serve, winning the first set. Afterwards Fomba cruised, winning the second set and defeating Maloney, 7-5, 6-3.

Fifth-year Andrew Fenty faced similar challenges to Ehrenschneider, as he fell in a first-set tiebreaker. From there, his opponent made quick-work in the second set, winning the match, 7-6 (4), 6-1. 

“That first set was very tough,” Young said. “It would’ve been really nice to get that first set under my belt… (and) it could have gone either way. I think that if I was able to somehow pull out that first set it would’ve been a different outcome. Credit to those guys, they came out with a lot of heart and were ready to fight.” 

With Young’s defeat, the Horned Frogs picked up four straight singles match victories, taking care of a Wolverine team that couldn’t attain the most important points at the right moments.

In three separate singles matches, Michigan failed to claim a first-set tiebreak win, and lost momentum going forward. In the blazing Florida heat, TCU outworked the Wolverines as the latter struggled.

“Obviously, we’re extremely disappointed,” Steinberg said. “Our goals are to win a national championship but I also told the guys that there’s so much to be proud of.”

With the season over, Michigan now can look back at its efforts. Throughout the year, the Wolverines dominated their opponents and proved to be a threat for a National Championship. However, with an offseason to prepare ahead, their goal will remain unchanged as they chase the elusive title.

The post Michigan men’s tennis fails to convert early lead, bested by TCU to end season appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

Updated as of Monday, May 22 to reflect Glenn “Shemy” Schembechler’s statement regarding his resignation from the University of Michigan football program.

Three days after joining the Michigan football team as an Assistant Director of Football Recruiting, Glenn “Shemy” Schembechler resigned Saturday evening amid controversy surrounding his social media presence.

The son of former Michigan coach Glenn “Bo” Schembechler, Shemy previously interned at the University of Michigan from 1993-1995, working in the recruiting department. Bouncing around scouting positions in the NFL, Shemy’s short-lived return to Ann Arbor supposedly marked a homecoming for the youngest Schembechler.

However, social media users rapidly unearthed a variety of Twitter interactions that sparked concern. On a now-deactivated Twitter account, Shemy seemed to endorse a variety of posts that promoted racist and bigoted content via likes and retweets. Upon announcement of his resignation, Michigan Athletics released the following statement:

“Effective this afternoon, Shemy Schembechler has resigned his position with Michigan Football. We are aware of some comments and likes on social media that have caused concern and pain for individuals in our community. Michigan Athletics is fully committed to a place where our coaches, staff and student-athletes feel welcome and where we fully support the University’s and Athletic Department’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. 

Warde Manuel, Donald R. Shepherd Director of Athletics

Jim Harbaugh, J. Ira and Nicki Harris Family Head Football Coach”

Evidently, Shemy was aware of the stir his social media was causing even before his resignation and while already on Michigan’s staff. Some Twitter users pointed out that he was removing interactions off of his page, such as likes, appearing to erase potentially controversial and incendiary content.

The damage had already been done, though, as Shemy left the program not even 72 hours later.

On Monday of the following week, as fallout continued to swirl around the Michigan football program, Shemy released a statement regarding his resignation. Within his response, he issued an “unabashed and unequivocal apology to (his) hundreds of friends and fellow coaches in the Black community” for his actions on social media.

Nevertheless, these words may ring hollow for many as the Michigan athletic department scrambles to contain yet another public relations fiasco.

The post Glenn ‘Shemy’ Schembechler III resigns from Michigan football program appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

With the game tied at 1-1 heading into sudden death overtime, every possession was crucial for the Michigan women’s club hockey team at the ACHA National Tournament. But after 64 saves in two games combined throughout the postseason, one slipped away from Sandrine Ponnath, resulting in a heartbreaking end to the Wolverines’ season. 

While that final moment may be engraved in the minds of the viewers, it doesn’t take away from Michigan’s heights throughout the season — ones that resulted in its first appearance in the tournament since 2016. And much of the credit for paving the road to a successful season is attributed to the sophomore goaltender. 

As the only goaltender on the roster, the women’s club team has heavily depended on Ponnath to anchor its defense in every game — and she has embraced the pressure. With an astounding .950 save percentage and 1.46 goals allowed through 28 games, she has been a pillar of consistency. 

“She puts the team on her back every single game,” Michigan coach Jenna Trubiano told The Michigan Daily. “She just wants to compete, she wants to get better and she wants to win.” 

And that willingness to take on the challenge of competing — and excel in it — isn’t unfamiliar to Ponnath. That’s exactly what she’s been doing her whole life, as she has navigated her way through the peaks and valleys of her young hockey career. 

*** 

Growing up in Southern California, Ponnath was always around the rink. While hockey isn’t a dominant part of the regional sports scene, her older brother playing hockey quickly developed her interest in the game.

At just four years old, Ponnath began to learn how to skate before joining the Lady Ducks — an affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks Youth Hockey Program — the following year as a skater. That is, until one practice in her first season. The team needed a goaltender, and a six-year-old Ponnath — still learning the ropes of the game — rushed to volunteer. 

Ponnath was initially unfamiliar with the different level of concentration and set of reflexes required for the position. Eager to learn, though, she was ecstatic to undertake the task. Using spare gear at the facility that almost seemed too heavy for her, she stepped on the ice to play from the net for the first time. And after the practice, exiting the rink while gleaming in excitement, she made up her mind. 

“She ran to us and said ‘I’m going to be a goalie,’ ” Ponnath’s mom, Claudette Milan, told The Daily. “I thought that would be the last time she’d ever get that. Goalie is different than playing out. (But) she said I’m gonna be a goalie and that was it.” 

As Ponnath began to grasp the new skill sets, her eagerness to compete only grew. Just a year later, she was ready to take the next step. 

In a state with few opportunities for youth hockey — let alone girls’ hockey — the next step for Ponnath came in the form of switching to the Ducks’ boys’ program. Although the level of play and physical intensity shifted, Ponnath adjusted to fit into the team, relying on her strengths and training. But her main obstacle came off the ice. 

“The people either hate you or they love you,” Ponnath told The Daily. “When I was competing for spots … people’s parents would come up to me and be like ‘Oh, you’re a girl, sit on the bench’ (and) stuff like that. So it taught me a lot but I’m really grateful for it.” 

As one of the few female players every season on boys’ teams, Ponnath’s participation wasn’t always well received, often subjecting her to such commentaries. But she refused to let it serve as a barrier to the opportunity at hand. Instead, she changed her approach. 

“She gained respect based on her attitude, her skill (and) her commitment. She would go to practice when she wasn’t even feeling great,” Milan said. “She just kind of blocked out the negatives because it wasn’t productive.”

With the game at the forefront, Ponnath shifted her primary focus to improving herself every practice and following the passion for hockey that landed her on the team to begin with. That approach to the game extended even beyond the ice, onto the dry surface as Ponnath spent summers participating in roller hockey. And as she spent more time honing her skills, her competitive energy only grew. 

Even though the Ducks’ AAA U12 boys team offered a high level of competition, the presence of scouts at tournaments for male players occasionally limited Ponnath’s playing time. Missing out on the opportunity to face challenging opponents and showcase her abilities, Ponnath chose to test the waters on the East Coast. 

Unlike California, youth hockey is more popular in the Eastern states — creating stronger developmental programs and more competitive opportunities, especially for female players. Ponnath decided to travel to Stowe, Vermont, where she attended the North American Hockey Academy’s girls’ program. She tallied a shutout in each of the four games she played before transitioning into another short stint in Rochester, New York. 

After spending two years away contesting against talented players on the other side of the country, Ponnath returned to California. With new experiences, yet the same relentless drive, she ultimately joined the Capistrano United Coyotes — another affiliate of the Anaheim Ducks and another majority male-dominated program. And under the circumstances, her defensive prowess as a goaltender once again prevailed. 

“We enjoyed having her as goalie within the program,” Coyotes coach Jean Labbe told The Daily. “She provided a lot of confidence to our players because she was solid back there … I think that’s why the players wanted her or accepted her because she was really good.” 

As part of the Coyotes’ 2019 Division II team, Ponnath recorded a .931 save percentage, including a shutout, in her eight games. Replicating a similar caliber performance in the playoffs, she helped lead Capistrano to its second California Amateur Hockey Association Varsity Division 2A title. The win gave the Coyotes an automatic bid to compete at the USA Hockey Nationals — a chance for the team and Ponnath to showcase their talents at the highest level. However, the COVID-19 pandemic scraped it away. 

“My junior year was kind of a last ditch effort to try to go (to) an NCAA team,” Ponnath said. “I kind of lost love for (the game) because I had been doing it for so long, so intensely and the following year we had COVID year, so at that point, I was like, ‘Oh I’m just gonna rely on academics.’ ”

While Ponnath played softball and lacrosse growing up, hockey was always the limelight of her sports career. However, her drive to contend with the best — that propelled her from girls’ programs to boys’ programs and from Southern California to the East Coast — couldn’t eventually land her a spot on an NCAA Division I women’s hockey team. 

Instead of lamenting over the what-ifs, though, Ponnath concentrated on narrowing down her college choices. She was down to two options — the University of California, Santa Barbara and the University of Michigan — neither with a varsity women’s hockey program. But the two schools had one essential difference for Ponnath: a club women’s hockey team. 

“I found out (about) the club team … and that was kind of the tipping point,” Ponnath said. “Hockey has been part of my life for so long. I feel like life would not be the same without it.” 

For most athletes, after spending years training like Ponnath, a club team would almost sound like a disappointing outcome. But for Ponnath, it was just enough. Regardless of the level of play and change of pace, it has always been about competing and playing the game she had enjoyed growing up. And the women’s club hockey team provided just that opportunity. 

In her two seasons, Ponnath has maximized the opportunity. After posting a .952 save percentage her freshman year, she was named ACHA All-American Second Team and the list of merits has only lengthened in her second season. Earning conference accolades — ACHA All-Athletics Second Team and CCWHA All-Season First Team — this year, Ponnath has established herself as one of the best players on the roster. 

But more than the accolades and the statistics, it’s the intensity and competitive spirit that Ponnath brings to every game — something she has done her entire career — that resonates with her teammates. 

“She’s not the most vocal (but) her presence, I think it’s influencing people to do their best because they see it in her too,” sophomore defenseman Katie German told The Daily. “The high level hockey that she played and the high level hockey she aspires herself to play to help the team definitely drives everyone to do their best.” 

Ponnath’s attitude toward the game is the anchoring force behind the heights the Michigan club team has achieved this season. Although it came up short, with Ponnath as the goaltender next year, the expectations and confidence remain the same. 

After all, at the end of the day, Ponnath will compete like she always has.

The post ‘She just wants to compete’: Sandrine Ponnath’s road to Michigan women’s club hockey appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

As time went by with Georgia winning game after game, the Michigan women’s tennis team kept fighting. And after multiple set tiebreaker losses after another, the Wolverines attempted to make up lost ground. And for a second, there was a glimmer of hope.

However, on the way to making its comeback against the Bulldogs, the match was already over. 

For only the second time, No. 5 Michigan (25-4) traveled to compete in the NCAA Quarterfinals at the USTA National Campus in Lake Nona, Florida, tasked with competing against No. 3 Georgia (25-4), but ultimately fell, 4-0, ending its season. 

Despite conceding a shutout to the Bulldogs, the score alone doesn’t reveal the intricacies of each individual match and the competitiveness from both sides of the court that led to multiple set tiebreakers. 

The match started with doubles play, in which junior Jaedan Brown and senior Andrea Cerdan picked up the only win for the Wolverines, winning the set 6-4. Juniors Kari Miller and Merri Kelly fell to the Georgia double of Meg Kowalski and Lea Ma, who won 6-1. On court two, the consistent pair of sophomore Julia Fliegner and freshman Lily Jones dominated the opening of the match, 4-1, but lost their momentum, leading to a 6-6 tie and a 7-4 tiebreak loss. 

Despite a hard fought battle, the Bulldogs fought harder. 

“We lost a tough doubles point that we probably should’ve won,” Michigan coach Ronni Bernstein said. “We were up at two doubles and gave that away.” 

With Georgia clinching the doubles point, the Wolverines were forced to work harder to catch up in singles. Court by court, Michigan’s journey towards a win became increasingly difficult. Miller lost the first set 6-0, Cerdan lost 6-3, and Brown lost 7-5 due to Bulldog Dasha Vidmanova overcoming a 4-1 deficit. Despite Brown’s ability to control the court, she lost her momentum in the back half of the first set. 

On the additional three courts, the score of set one was determined by a tiebreaker game. 

And on all three courts, the Wolverines lost the tiebreaker. Georgia won all six first sets. 

“We haven’t lost (all six first sets) all year,” Bernstein said. “We had chances and we just couldn’t pull out any close sets. You lose the doubles point and six first sets and (the match) could be over pretty quickly.”

The match did not end quickly, though, as Michigan persisted until the Bulldog’s fourth and final point. 

Going back and forth in the second set, the Bulldogs found a crack in Michigan’s gameplay, emblematic of the entire match. Cerdan went into the set strong, winning four out of the first five games. But she cracked under the pressure,unable to win a single game while falling to Georgia’s Anastasiia Lopata, 6-4. 

Fleigner had a difficult second set, from being up 2-0 to ultimately losing 6-3. Bulldog Mell Reasco, stable and consistent on the court, forced Fliegner to run around and become worn out.

The final point for the Bulldogs came in Jones’ match, with a second set that almost mirrored Cerdan’s. From winning 4-1 to losing 7-5, Jones couldn’t close the set to force a third.

“(Jones) (got) up in the second set, and if she (could) turn that match, the whole match (would have been) different,” Bernstein said. “When you’re up like that, you have to keep doing what you’re doing, and we got a little tight and then it was close and (Georgia) pulled it out.”

Three matches were abandoned due to Georgia’s dominant win. However, the three singles had the strongest showings from the Wolverines. Despite a difficult first set, Miller came back to win the second set 7-5, overcoming a 4-2 deficit. Additionally, Brown came back strong in her second set, relinquishing only one game to Vidmanova. Finally, junior Gala Mesochoritou endured a back and forth match in its entirety. While it was looking as though she would clinch the second set, Jones’ lost, and the entire match was completed. 

“We played a very good Georgia team tough today,” Bernstein said. “Right now it hurts, but I think when we look back … a lot to be proud of.” 

Close sets were the downfall for Michigan in the Quarterfinals. Among multiple sets, the winner was determined by tiebreakers. Despite a blowout score, it is undeniable that the Wolverines have the talent to advance. They just need to focus on closing sets and getting a win in their pockets to ultimately make the difference in the future. 

The post Michigan fails to clinch close games, falling to Georgia in NCAA quarterfinals appeared first on The Michigan Daily.

A lack of pitching depth has plagued the Michigan baseball team all season. 

Without junior left-hander Connor O’Halloran — the Wolverines’ undisputed ace — on the mound, Michigan often struggles to keep conference games competitive. The Wolverines have been outscored 42-9 on Sundays during a recent abysmal month-long run. On Tuesday, that staff leanness was prominent again — on full display as the Xavier offense inundated the Wolverines with 14 runs. 

And with junior right-hander Chase Allen — Michigan’s Saturday starter — now likely done for the year due to an injury, that pervasive problem will only be exacerbated. 

“We’re probably going to be without the services of Chase the rest of the way,” Michigan coach Tracy Smith said May 12. “… Highly unlikely he’ll be pitching for us the rest of the year.”

Allen’s abrupt end to the season means his 2023 campaign concludes with 10 games started — his first in the Wolverines’ second contest of the year and last in a midweek matchup with Kent State on May 3. That unusual midweek start followed three consecutive suboptimal outings against Rutgers, Michigan State and Oklahoma State — all starts in which he gave up five or more runs in three or less innings. That three-game stretch ballooned his ERA above 7.00, the second-highest in the Big Ten. 

But while Allen has had his share of struggles — as every Michigan pitcher has, save O’Halloran — he has also enjoyed superior stretches and consumed a high share of innings, as one of only four Wolverines with over 50 innings thrown.  

His best performance was an eight inning, three-earned-run-allowed triumph over Cal State Fullerton on Feb. 26. He then started four consecutive games resulting in a Wolverines’ victory over a stretch in late March and early April. And Allen isn’t unacquainted with those types of successes, compiling a 7-2 record a season ago in 2022. 

“What I love about Chase … when I came out to get the ball he wanted to punch me in the face,” Smith said after Allen twirled 105 pitches en route to an eventual win over Penn State on March 25. “… I love the competitive nature. As badly as I know he wanted the baseball, we felt that he had done his job and did it very well today.”

Allen’s absence means expanded roles for other arms. Senior right-hander Noah Rennard — the past Friday closer — has assumed Allen’s position as the Saturday starter; junior right-hander Ahmad Harajli slides into the spot vacated by Rennard; senior left-hander Jacob Denner has seen more innings in series finales, resulting in his first two wins of the season and a Big Ten Pitcher of the Week award. 

But even with those pitchers thriving in newfound roles, the Wolverines will sorely miss Allen’s ‘competitive nature’ and experience — especially at the present moment. 

With one Big Ten series left, Michigan will look to sweep Ohio State to preserve its remote chance at a regular season conference title, which the Wolverines are somehow still mathematically in the running for. Then Michigan will attempt to rattle off a run in the Big Ten Tournament for a hope at the NCAA Tournament automatic bid — a daunting task with a thin pitching staff. 

To achieve either of those lofty goals, the Wolverines will now have to do it without one of their most seasoned pitchers.

The post With Chase Allen likely done for the season, Michigan pitching thins further appeared first on The Michigan Daily.