Page8- The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, January 21, 1986

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Blue Lines
By ADAM OCHLIS
The music was blaring at the dangerous level. Pan-
demonium had broken loose in the locker room. Even
Red Berenson had a smile on his face.
Michigan's 11-10 overtime victory over RPI, last
year's national champion, was not just another hockey
game. Not the most artistic of athletic encounters, it
was indeed collegiate hockey's answer to last year's
Miami-Boston College football game.
THE WOLVERINES still lie in seventh place in the
CCHA, but they proved this weekend that they possess
a certain quality not found in any scoresheet. If nothing
else, Michigan makes its contests interesting game-in
and game-out by playing a wide open brand of hockey
that keeps both teams in the game.
Saturday night was no different. After falling behind
4-0 in the first period, Michigan found itself only a goal
closer after two. Then, as they have done all season
long, the Wolverines mounted a furious comeback to
tie the score at seven after only 4:33 of the third period
had elapsed. Six more goals were scored in the period
causing the extra stanza.
"It was college hockey at its best," said RPI coach
Mike Addessa. "The kind of hockey that gives the
Berenson's and Addessa's nightmares, but it was a
great fans game, a great kids game. Both teams ought
to be awfully proud of the enthusiasm and effort they
put into the game."
FOR MICHIGAN, there were many heroes, not the
least of which was Billy Powers who played his finest
game in perhaps his biggest game. The sophomore
transfer from St. Anselm Collge, a small school in New
Hampshire notched his first hat trick in a Wolverine
uniform.
Even more significant for Powers what that the op-
ponent was RPI, a sclool that along with Michigan ex-
pressed interest in last year's Division II rookie-of-the-
year, but a school that according to Addessa could not
find a scholarship for him.
"It feels great to get a hat trick," said Sommerville,
Mass. native. "It doesn't matter who its against, but it
does feel a little bit better when the team is from out
east and that's where I'm from.
"It's an added incentive to play against a team like
that," he added.

SThrills abound ...
... with RPI in town
"HE DID THE things I always knew he could do,"
said Michigan assistant coach Mark Miller.
"Billy Powers tried RPI before he tried Michigan ...
We would have loved to have him. He's a fine, fine
player," said Addessa. Power's performance left a
sour taste in Addessa's mouth, no doubt.
Another hero was Michigan backup goalie Mike
Rossi. With the crowd of 4,647 chanting for Berenson to
put in the freshman netminder, their wish was granted
as Rossi was inserted between the pipe to begin the
third period.
The Flossmoor, Ill. native stopped 17 of 20 shots,
none bigger however, than a breakaway save in over-
time on the Engineer's Neil Hernberg, Rossi's high
school teammate.
"THAT'S THE game winning save if there ever was
one," said Berenson.
"I just got lucky, I guess," said Rossi
modestly. "That's all you need though."
But make no mistake about it, this was an entire
team effort. All but two players on the team notched at
least one point and the Wolverine offensive explosion
will cause many opponents trouble as the conference
schedule approaches its final month.
"WE HAVE played 19 games now," said Addessa. "I
think the talent levels of the University of Michigan
team are extremely high and comparable to the
highest talent levels of teams throughout the country.
"I don't know a team in the country that has the
forward strength that they have. Gordon "Red"
Berenson is one of the greatest offensive hockey
players that ever played the game. I wish he'd come
and spend a couple of weeks with me to help me teach
my kids to play as well offensively."
Michigan is unquestionably a different kind of team,
capable of being world beaters one night while looking
awful the next. RPI's head man thinks the Wolverines
could become the former on a more consistent basis.
"I hope that those kids use this," Addessa said
Saturday. "They beat a prominent program in a
nationally televised game (PASS). I hope it gives
Michigan a shot in the arm and they go on to either win
or come closeto winning this league because I think
they're capable of it."

PERFECT BIG TEN RECORD ON THE LINE:

Tiemamnface MSU

By PETE STEINERT their undefeated Big Ten record (3-0)
In its final meet of a vigorous five intact against the Spartans. Michigan
meet homestand, the wrestling team head coach Dale Bahr admits his
will host Michigan State tonight at team looked tired on Sunday against
7:30 p.m. at Crisler Arena. Purdue, but MSU is having problems
The Wolverines, wrestling their of its own.
fourth meet in a week, hope to keep THE SPARTANS 2-6-1 overall, 1-3 in

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the Big Ten, have been bitten by the
injury bug to irritate other problems.
"It's something we all have to face as
coaches," noted MSU head coach
Grady Peninger.
"We're simply going to have to go
for an upset. Michigan has a good
team, maybe their best in many
years. They're capable of giving any
team trouble," he added.
"Michigan State over the years has
had real outstanding wrestling
teams," said Bahr. "The last year or
two, however, they've been down.
They have a lot of freshmen and
sophomores in the lineup, and we
match up very well against them.
Right now, we have a bit more ex-

7 1/
Bahr
... looking for early lead
perience with our four or five seniors
in the lineup."
IF THE SPARTANS are going to
give the Wolverines any trouble, it
will come from the middle weight
classes, particularly at 177 pounds
where Dave Mariola should prove to
be a tough opponent for Kevin Hill.
MSU's Dan Matauch (134) and
Charlie Root (158) are two other wor-
thy opponents. "Those three have
been our most solid performers,"
Peninger said.
Michigan, winners of last year's
meet, 34-11, dominate in the upper and
lower weight classes. Moving Doug
Wyland up from 118 to 126 has allowed
him and William Waters (118) to be in
the lineup at the same time, thus
providing a potent 1-2 punch at the top -
of the lineup.
"I FOUND OUT that the momen-
tum of the meet is often set in the first
match or two," explained Bahr. "If
Waters and Wyland go out and get us
10 team points right at the start, we're
off to the races, and Michigan State is
starting to second guess themselves."
Both coaches feel the meet holds
added significance since it is
Michigan vs. Michigan State. "We
consider this one of our biggest mat-
ches of the season," said Bahr.
"Anytime Michigan and Michigan
State meet, everybody that competes
wants to win," added Peninger.
Heavyweight Kirk Trost put it this
way: "It always feels good to beat
Michigan State. The rivalry carries
over from other sports into wrestling.
Being a senior, it would be nice to go
out with a win."
AP Basketball poll

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i. North Carolina (62) ... 19-0
2. Duke ................. 16-1
3. Memphis State........17-0
4. Georgia Tech..........15-1
5. Oklahoma ............ 17-0
6. MICHIGAN...........17-1
7. Kansas............... 16-2
8. St. John's ............ 17-2
9. Syracuse........... 13-2

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