The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
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18 THE WOLVERINE MAY 2017 INSIDE MICHIGAN ATHLETICS For seniors on the Michigan women's lacrosse team, choosing to become a Wolverine meant to become a trailblazer for the brand-new program. There would be no one to guide them along, no class ahead of them. For some play- ers, however, that opportunity to lay the groundwork for a program was exactly what drew them to the school. "Throughout the recruiting process I visited a lot of different schools, and once I got to Michigan it just seemed like a pretty unique experience" senior attacker Sophie duPhily said. "I remem- ber sitting down with Coach [Jennifer Ulelhla] and her just explaining the op- portunity to start a new program at a school like this where it was clear the athletic department valued all their teams and valued tradition. "It seemed like a really cool opportu- nity that you couldn't turn down." The process was not an entirely smooth one for duPhily and the Wol- verines. It took the Chadds Ford, Pa., na- tive until her senior season to be a part of a win in conference play. Michigan defeated Ohio State on the road in over- time 12-11 earlier this season. On the field, duPhily has found some personal success, notching 16 goals and nine assists so far in her career. It is her legacy as a leader on the team that is most important to her, however. As a senior, she has been there to lead three classes through the process of adjust- ing to the college game, something she didn't have as a freshman. " There were a lot of challenges," duPhily said. "Just having no one to show you the ropes. A big thing for us was discovering how hard practice is. Ev- eryone was coming out of high school, and we realize now new freshmen come in and you have to get them to another level." Off the field, duPhily found a major that fit her interests perfectly. She is set to graduate with a degree in sport man- agement, and has always had a desire to have some kind of job in the event management field. "I did an internship with NBC this sum- mer," duPhily said. "I'm really looking to get into TV production, or any kind of marketing and event management lo- gistics based job in the entertainment industry." Though duPhily is in the job search phase of her career path, she has shown with her role in the Michigan lacrosse program that she doesn't mind blazing her own trail. — Leland Mitchinson FIVE YEARS AGO, 2012: Michigan football came off a strong 2011 season hungry for more success. After knocking off Ohio State in the regular-season finale and Virginia Tech in the Sugar Bowl, the Wolverines figured to build toward the future. Veteran offensive tackle Taylor Lewan declared he was ready to help lead in that success. Entering his third year as Michigan's left tackle, he let everyone know it was time to get serious. "I'm no longer looking to be the funny guy," Lewan assured as spring football closed. "I know what Michigan is about, what this team wants, what these coaches want. I know there are expectations for me, and I want to exceed every expectation." Lewan was coming off second-team All-Big Ten honors, and he sounded dead serious about the task ahead. "I'm not going to stop being funny for the rest of my life," he said. "I haven't given up on that. But there's a time and a place. When I was younger, I was hyper and all over the place. … Now I know what I'm supposed to do here. I'm here for football and to be a student. "To be a leader, you have to do it in every part of your life — on the field, off the field, school. I've grown up as a player, as a person. I'm here to play football, not joke around." 10 YEARS AGO, 2007: John Beilein geared up for his first season as U-M's basketball coach by issuing a note of caution. Big success wouldn't happen overnight — but it would happen. "We've had several rebuilding projects in my career," he said. "This one has similar bits and pieces of every one of them. I just think people have to be very patient, and I have to be patient. "It's going to take some time, especially with the schedule that was handed to us. We're going to do it right. You do it one step at a time. It's not going to be one of those things where, all of a sudden, you wave a magic wand and you're in the NCAA Tournament. It's just not going to happen. "It will happen, if we just take the process and work hard every day toward getting back in the NCAA Tournament." 25 YEARS AGO, 1992: Head coach Steve Fisher reflected on a basketball season that brought U-M to the brink of a sec- ond NCAA title in four years, falling in the title game to Duke. Fisher welcomed all of his starters back for the following year, with Chris Webber, Juwan Howard, Jalen Rose, Jimmy King and Ray Jackson in place as rising sophomores. Michigan shocked many by charging through the NCAA Tournament to the title game with five freshmen leading the way, but not the coach. "I don't know if shocked is the right word," Fisher told The Wolverine after the run. "Pleasantly surprised, I was. To do what we did, you not only have to be good, you have to be lucky. We were a little bit of both. We were a team that got steadily better." The Wolverines started 9-6 in the Big Ten, not scaring too many foes. But they kept on improving and became a force. "I give Coach Fisher a lot of credit for allowing us to play over our mistakes. … A lot of freshmen would be looking over their shoulders, expecting to get pulled out after a mistake," Rose said. "He let us work through them, and that's why we went as far as we did." — John Borton THIS MONTH IN MICHIGAN ATHLETICS HISTORY Student Athlete Of The Month Lacrosse Senior Sophie duPhily Through April 18 this season, duPhily — who is set to graduate with a degree in sport man- agement — had compiled 16 goals and nine assists during her U-M career. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS