The Wolverine

OLYMPIC SPORTS PROFILES Tyler Arnone Excels At The "Little Things" School in 2009, Tyler Arnone was an offensive force. He scored 18 goals and added another 10 assists on his way to AA-1 All-Conference Player Of The Year and Newsday All-Long Island Player Of The Year honors. He accepted a scholarship to St. John's As a senior at Hicksville (N.Y.) High after high school, with hopes of repli- cating his high-flying offensive num- bers at the next level. And after he red- shirted that season, he transferred to Michigan, still with visions of goal scor- ing dancing in his head. Since the beginning of the 2011 campaign, his redshirt freshman sea- son with the Wolverines, Arnone has started every game. The goals have not followed, though. He has scored just three goals — two in 2011 and one in 2012. But that's by design — and he wouldn't have it any other way. Before last season, former coach Steve Burns saw a gaping hole in the Wolver- ines' lineup. They didn't have a solid defensive midfielder. It might be the least glamorous posi- tion on the field, but like so many be- hind-the-scenes jobs, it is crucial to the team's success. Burns asked Arnone to make the switch, and the young player jumped at the opportunity. "I have always been an attacking guy. It was a tough adjustment, because I had always been used to creating op- portunities and being around goals," Arnone said. "It was a big adjustment, but it was something we were lacking last year. We were missing a few pieces of the puzzle. "I gave it a try, and I enjoyed it right from the beginning. It fit my skillset strongly, even though I sacrificed scor- ing goals. Arnone took to his new position immediately. He played at least 70 minutes in all 20 games and earned All-Big Ten Fresh- man Team honors. Although his biggest contributions " A goal scorer in high school, Arnone was moved to middle defensive midfielder at Michigan and has thrived at the position. PHOTO COURTESY MICHIGAN ATHLETIC MEDIA RELATIONS ing play, blocking shots, disrupting op- ponents' offenses. over before the 2012 season, he saw the same qualities in Arnone. "That's why he plays there for us, be- cause he has a lot of everything, When new coach Chaka Daley took " may not show up on an official box score, Arnone has learned to take pride in the myriad duties he has during any game. "You need to be willing to do the little things around the field," Arnone said. "You don't get any stats, but the posi- tion requires a lot of little things on the field that are big responsibilities, direct- said. "He is so versatile. He's one of our main men. He's good on both sides of the ball. He has great training habits. As he grows as a player, our program is going to grow as well. "He's a good personality. He has some " Daley creative juices to him. He has a great temperament and a work ethic. That's huge for us. whatever it takes to help the team," Ar- none added. "I like doing those little "For me, I have always wanted to do " things and working hard. I think it fits my personality. I'm willing to attack a man, run an extra 10 yards to intercept a pass — I want to do that. I would play anywhere for the team, but I am most valuable right here. And, spoken like a true defensive midfielder, Arnone has goals that have nothing to do with his individual play and everything to do with the team. "The overall mentality is to win a Big Ten championship," Arnone said. "And " we want to put ourselves in the best position to create a second season in the NCAA Tournament. We're doing what we can to get there. Anything can happen in one game once you reach the NCAAs. " — Andy Reid OCTOBER 2012 THE WOLVERINE 81

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