Women's Swimming vs. Eastern Michigan Friday, 7 p.m. Matt Mann Pool SPORTS Men's Swimming vs. Ohio State Saturday, 3 p.m. Matt Mann Pool The Michigan Daily Wednesday, February 13, 1985 Page9 3 The Neffer: Daily Photo by STU WEIDENBACH Michigan defenseman Mile Neff stickhandles past Illinois-Chicago's Mike Rucinski last weekend at Yost Ice Arena. Neff's leadership and solid play have made him one of the Wolverines' most reliable contributors this season. By MIKE REDSTONE Every time Mike Neff has skated onto the ice since he started playing hockey at the age of seven, he has concentrated on a single aspect of the game - defen- se. And now, after 15 years of playing organized hockey, including four as a Michigan defenseman, Neff still plays with one over-whelming theme in mind -- give 100 percent on defense every day. "I HAVE ALWAYS basically been a defensive defenseman," said Neff. "I just try to give a consistent 110 percent all the time. I never really worried about getting points." In fact, while the senior has scored only 12 goals while wearing a Michigan uniform, he has been a starter on the defensive unit since being recruited by former head coach John Giordano in 1981. AND THIS season under first-year coach Red Berenson, the West Bloom- field native has established himself as the leader on a defensive unit on which he is the only senior. In less than a year as Michigan coach, Berenson has devised his own opinion of Neff's determined playing style. "Mike has patterned himself as a 'lunchpail defenseman'. He comes to work every day and he comes to play every day." Although Neff may not pack his lunch every day before practice, he still con- centrates on picking up new tricks of his trade and on teaching the younger defenseman what he has learned in his years at Michigan. "I LIKE TO think of myself as a leader on the ice," said Neff, who shares the alternate captain duties for the Maize and Blue with Paul Kobylarz. "I also want us to have a sense of pride in our defensive unit." Neff's linemate on defense, Gary Lorden, feels "the Neffer" is a strengthening force on a defensive unit which has often been inconsistent this season. "He is definitely a leader on defen- se," said Lorden, a freshman from Warwick, R.I. "He tells me what to do and I try to listen to him. He's been here four years and he knows what's going on a lot better than I do. "ME AND MIKE are pretty close. I look up to him and he helps me out a lot. We sometimes stay after practice and work together." Because Neff does not inspire his teammates by scoring a lot of goals, he hopes his physical style of play can help fire up the team when it is down during a game. This year alone, the 6-0, 202-pounder has leveled Michigan State's Craig Simpson, the CCHA's leading scorer, with a vicious right hook because "he cross-checked me from behind. IN ACTION last week against Illinois- Chicago at Yost Arena, Neff charged the Flames' bench after a UIC player Senior defenseman 1s leader on the ice job is to keep the other team off the mer NHL player and coach h scoreboard." him become a better hockey Against Illinois-Chicago, Berenson his last year of organized hoc handed Neff and Lorden one of the "n toughest jobs available - keeping the "e oachid change has nation's top-scoring line of Ray me tons," said the economi Staszak, Colin Chin, and Mike Rucinski me play my game. He has co off the scoreboard. The senior/freshman duo came through as meadta oiecshw they allowed the high-scoring line only improved play. one goal in the series. "I loved playing against their top With only four regular seas line," said Neff. "If we shut their best left on the Michigan schedu line down that has to be good for our final goal is to make the CCH team." for only the second time in DESPITE playing under Berenson years at Michigan. for only one year, Neff thinks the for- EVEN IF THE Wolverin make .the playoffs, Neff. second-guess his decision Michigan. I like to think of myself as a leader on the ice. I try to stir things up by hitting - by leading by example.' - Mike Neff "I think it's a great school and in, a couple of years will have a great hockey program" said Neff, who also had 'a scholarship offer at Notre Dame. "I decided to play close to home so my parents could see me play as often as possible." While Neff leaves his home of the last four years to pursue a job with Proctor and Gamble, his leadership and deter- mination will most likely be implanted in an improved, but still young, defen- sive unit. 4l d has helped player in key. benefited ics major?! ence to let nfidence in s up in my son games ule, Neff's A playoffs n his four .es do not does not to attend MICHIGAN BASKETBALL STATISTICS G-S FG-FGA Pct FT-FTA Pct REB-AVG Tarpley ........................... Joubert ........................... Grant ............................. Relford ........................... Wade .............................. Rockymore ........................ Henderson ........................ Thompson ....................... Stoyko .................... ..... Gibas ...................... ...... DeGlopper ........................ 21-21 20-20 21-21 21-21 21-21 19-0 20-0 21-1 16-0 7-0 4-0 158-291 119-244 125-221 89-157 64-128 46-86 39-90 36-72 4-10 1-6 0-1 .543 .488 .566 .567 .500 .535 .433 .500 .400 .167 .000 91-120 55-77 41-49 56-71 28-52 27-37 22-33 23-31 6-10 0-0 0-0 .758 .714 .837 .789 .538 .730 .667 .742 .600 .000 .000 207-9.9 64-3.2 65-3.1 85-4.0 162-7.7 32-1.7 79-4.0 30-1.4 10-0.6 1-0.1 0.0.0 A Pts Avg 40 407 19.4 114 29314.7 102 29113.9 4 23411.1 14 156 7.4 27 119 6.3 11 100 5.0 46 95 4.5 2 14 0.9 1 2 0.3 0 0 0.0 on the bench grabbed at Doug May's uniform. The result - a near-bench clearing brawl and six penalties. After that third-period donnybrook, however, the Wolverines scored two goals and beat the Flames,4-3. "I try to stir things up by hitting - by leading by example," said Neff, who rushed for 987 yards on the Brother Rice football team which won the Class A state championship in 1980. "I don't usually start things but I'm not going to take anything either. I think I'm at my best when I'm playing physical." Despite mixing it up on more than one occasion this season, Neff has earned the respect of his coach and his team- mates. "HE'S MADE UP for lack of talent with determination," said Berenson. "He's not an offensive defenseman. His MICHIGAN ....................... 21 .681-1306 .521 349-480 .727 792-37.7 361171181.5 OPPONENTS .................... 21 615-1242 .495 249-341 .730 611-29.1 293 147970.4 "'tNp Miohigras BAT L'sOF Hr-' rne ! t3Q LS O T, Bup fear oal club~ BATTLOF V .RsreC r id More' r LE OF TH Dbtp5 gdates accstdessor~ F 13pIDS oat uC cL Von~s atbe n ~chi Q 0p _ ,,ilk e ept at 163' V !o :pN jj nUFbraY1 BIG TEN STATISTICS Scoring Leaders Vincent, MSU ............. Stokes, Iowa. .......... Skiles, MSU............. Blab, Ind .................. TARPLEY, MICH ......... Alford,Ind...........,.. Roth, Wis.................. Davis, Minn ............... Olson, Wis ................. JOUBERT, MICH........ Shasky, Minn .............. G FG 11 91 10 84 11 92 11 89 11 77 10 -74 11 80 10 77 11 77 11 73 10 58 FT Pts Avg 57 239 21.7 35 203 20.3 36 220 20.0 35 213 19.4 54 208 18.9 41 189 18.9 46 206 18.7 26 180 18.0 21 175 15.9 23 169 15.4 38 154 15.4 eb Avg 6 9.6 0 9.1 8 8.9 9 8.9 4 8.2 WADE, MICH ......... Wright, Iowa .......... Weber, Wis.......... Bullock, Pur........ Montgomery, IIll... 11 10 11 11 9 83 71 77 77 62 7.5 7.1 7.0 7.0 6.9 Field Goal Percentage G FG Blab, Ind .............. 11 89 Shasky, Minn ..........10 58 Bullock, Pur ........... 11 64 Skiles, MsU ........... 11 92 Roth, Wis .............. 11 80 I Johnson, OSU Sellers, OSU. TARPLEY, M Stokes, Iowa. Payne, Iowa Rebounding Leaders G Re U ......... 10 9 11 10 WICH ..... 11 9f ........... 10 8 ........... 9 7 FGA 142 102 117 169 147 FTA 42 38 67 32 47 Alford, Ind Stokes, OSU Vincent, MS Davis, Minn Shasky, Min Pct .627 .569 .563 .544 .544 Pct .953 .868 .851 .813 .809 Free Throw Percentage G FT 1 ............ 10 41 i........... 11 33 SU ......... 11 57 ........... 10 26 n.......... 10 38 " t G 1 More people have survived cancer than now live in the City of Los Angeles. We are winning.