The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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MARCH 2019 THE WOLVERINE 89 OLYMPIC SPORTS her, and most importantly, she did too," Dowling said. "What makes her a great player is at this level, being emotionally steady is pretty impor- tant. On the same side of that coin, she's also extremely competitive." Don't Miss: April 19-21 at the Big Ten Championships in Maineville, Ohio MEN'S LACROSSE First Event: Feb. 9 at Cleveland State (Won 10-8) Big Ten Predicted Finish: Top three NCAA Best-Case Scenario: Make NCAA Tournament Coach's Expectations: "I think the expectation is just to take an- other step in this program's devel- opment," head coach Kevin Conry said. "We've been growing for the past seven years. We're in year eight of our varsity play, and we've made so many strides and seen so much growth. We feel like we're ready to make the next step and compete in the Big Ten." Top Athlete: Senior midfielder Brent Noseworthy set a U-M single- season record with 41 goals last sea- son, leading the Big Ten and ranking fourth nationally in goals per game. He was the first Michigan player to be named a United States Intercolle- giate Lacrosse Association All-Amer- ican and was first-team All-Big Ten. "Brent has always been a scorer," Conry said. "He's always been able to put the ball in the back of the net. What has impressed me about Brent is his willingness to adapt and be a little more versatile." Athlete To Watch: Senior mid- fielder Decker Curran finished sec- ond on the team last season with 22 goals and led the conference with a .450 shooting percentage, which was the 22nd best in the country. "Decker is an explosive athlete," Conry said. "We have changed the way we play in order to incorporate a more up-tempo style, so you'll see Decker all over the field." Don't Miss: March 10 against Yale in Atlanta. Yale starts the season as the No. 1 team in the nation in the Warrior and New Balance 2019 Men's Coaches Division I Poll. WOMEN'S LACROSSE First Event: Feb. 8 at California (Won 15-10) Big Ten Predicted Finish: Top three NCAA Best-Case Scenario: Make NCAA Tournament Coach's Expectations: "We defi- nitely have high expectations," said head coach Hannah Nielsen. "Natu- rally when you bring back plenty of experience, you expect to do a little bit better than you did last year." Top Athlete: Senior attacker Adri- anna Pendino scored a team-high 33 goals last season and became the all- time season leader in free position goals, netting 15. "Adrianna has such a great competi- tive heart," Nielsen said. "She wants to be great. She has matured so much as an athlete and has conceptually picked up what we're doing. Her confidence in her game right now is huge for her." Athlete To Watch: Junior mid- fielder Chandler Kirby returns after scoring 22 goals, second best among returning players. She also tied for second all-time with 10 free position goals in a single season. "She had a great sophomore cam- paign, and she continued to bring that leadership this year," Nielsen said. "She's not the most explosive, loud player out there, but what she does in terms of controlling the tempo and relaxing the players around her sets her apart." Don't Miss: April 6 at Maryland. The Terrapins were a national semifi- nalist last season and as of Feb. 11 are No. 2 in the Inside Lacrosse Poll. SOFTBALL First Event: Feb. 8-10 at the USF Opening Weekend Invitational in Tampa, Fla. (Defeated NC State 4-3; lost to No. 7 Arizona 2-1; lost to No. 5 Florida; defeated USF 10-1; and de- feated Illinois State 11-4) Big Ten Predicted Finish: First NCAA Best-Case Scenario: Ad- vance to the College World Series Coach's Expectations: "I expect the same thing every year," head coach Carol Hutchins said. "We prepare in every aspect of our program. We are gearing towards being a World Series contender. That's the expectation of the program." Top Athlete: Sophomore left- handed pitcher Meghan Beaubien had a dominant freshman season, earning Big Ten Pitcher of the Year and the National Fastpitch Coaches Association first-team All-America honors after leading the nation with 33 wins. She was one of three finalists for the NFCA Freshman of the Year and one of 10 finalists for the USA Softball Collegiate Player of the Year. "Sometimes it's really hard to come back from a really great sea- son. I think that's Meghan's biggest challenge, putting last season be- hind her," Hutchins said. "In a lot of ways, you start over at square one. The challenge is everyone is going to prepare for her. Everybody prepares for the opponent's best pitcher." Athlete to Watch: Senior second baseman Faith Canfield returns for her final season as a Wolverine after earning third-team All-America hon- ors form the NFCA in 2017 and 2018. Last season, she started all 57 games and led the Wolverines with a .391 batting average and a career- best 77 hits. "She's been a great player since the day she walked in the door, and she's grown every year," Hutchins said. "After being the captain last year, she acknowledged it. It's a hard job." Don't Miss: March 1-3 at the Judi Garman Classic in Fullerton, Calif. In a big nonconference weekend, the Wolverines will face three teams — UCLA, Oregon and Washington — that made the 2018 NCAA Women's College World Series. ❑ Sophomore left-handed pitcher Meghan Beaubien was tabbed as a first-team All- American and the Big Ten Pitcher of the Year after leading the country with 33 victo- ries last season. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN PHOTOGRAPHY