0 Page 8 - The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, November 22, 1988 Blue BY RICHARD EISEN Home, sweet home not so sweet for Blue icers Former 'M' safety Brown still a team player in the NFL What has happened to the home ice advantage for the Michigan hockey team? Often, beating a team on their home court, field, or ice can be the toughest feat in sports. Just ask the Detroit Pistons, who practically needed to invoke magical chants to beat the Boston Celtics on their home floor. Usually, home is kind. THIS YEAR, home is where the Michigan hockey team sports a 2-3-2 record. Home is where the pucks have been bouncing around like a pinball. Home is where the Wolverines have not played well. "I don't know (what the problem is.) I wish I knew," said Michigan coach Red Berenson. "Right now, other teams are coming in here and playing well." Maybe Yost Ice Arena needs a parquet floor. Whatever the answer is, Berenson and Co. have not found it. So far this year, Michigan has suffered disappointing home series's against Illinois-Chicago and now last weekend against Ohio State. "On the road, we seem to play Michigan hockey but tonight (Friday) we weren't ready and we played down to their level," said Michigan co-captain Todd Brost after Friday's loss to Ohio State. "We weren't checking like we did on the road and that makes a difference." ALTHOUGH Michigan has not been able to win consistently at home, they have been road warriors, winning its first five road games. Berenson's goal of finishing .500 on the road has gotten off to a roaring start. The road wins have been impressive. On its first road trip this year, Michigan travelled 300+ miles to sweep Lake Superior, the defending national champs. Michigan's next road win came at Bowling Green, a night after they lost at Yost to the Falcons. Ryan Pardoski entered the Ohio State zone. PARDOSKI shot at the net and Buckeye goalie Todd Fanning did not save the puck. But something did: whether it was the Boston Garden demons or the new Yost Ice Arena demon, who knows. The puck hit the right post and caromed directly across the crease to the left post. Bing. After hitting the left post the puck, instead of entering the net, somehow ricocheted back out toward the blue line. Bing. The green light indicating a goal flashed momentarily, for it seemed that Pardoski's shot had hit the mark. Unbelievably, it didn't. In addition to the imaginary brick wall in the Buckeye net, the pucks constantly bounced over the Wolverine sticks. Adding these unlucky breaks to Michigan lowering its level of play equals a home problem. "I don't know what it is but when we go on the road, within the team, we give ourselves the role of underdogs and when we're at home we don't seem to understand that all other teams coming in are doing the same thing," said Michigan defenseman Mark Sorensen. Sorensen added: "They're the underdogs, overachievers. We have to get above the level of being complacent to being comfortable." There is no cause to panic now since Michigan enters the Thanksgiving break in second place, something that hasn't occurred in a while. Their level of play on the road has been inspiring, with the Wolverines, at times, looking completely unbeatable. But at home, the Wolverines take on a completely new look. "I suppose in previous years, we would've been happy to be .500 at home but not this year we're not. And we have not played well at home," Berenson said. "If we knew what the problem was we would change it." BY DAVID FELDMAN In the early '70s, safety Dave Brown was the anchor of the Wolverine defense. Brown, also a top punt returner, was best known for his hard tackling. Now, in his fourteenth season in the NFL, Brown has long since switched from safety to cornerback and no longer returns punts. Even his trademark has changed. Instead of the bone- crushing tackle, the Green Bay Packers rely on Brown to make the spirit-crushing interception. BROWN doesn't mind being asked to alter his role. In the pros and in college, Brown has always made whatever changes are needed to help his team win games. Alumni Update1 "I didn't think I'd be a cornerback when I first came into the league, but you adapt to the situation," he said. "I'm a team player and the team needed a cornerback." Brown currently ranks tenth in all-time NFL interceptions, with 55. Paul Krause, who played for the Washington Redskins and the Minnesota Vikings in the '60s, is the record holder with 81, 26 ahead of Brown. "Of course I'd like to be the number one all-time interceptor," Brown says. "I'm a little ways away. I know I've got to get a lot of interceptions in the next few years. But I just take it one game at a time." DESPITE closing in on such a major individual accomplishment, team success is still Brown's first priority. "I'm not going to take a chance that could hurt the team just to become the number one interceptor. My goal is to help the football team. I don't like anyone to score on me at any time," Brown said. After being drafted in the first round by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 1975, Brown won a Super Bowl in his first NFL season. Before he had time to adjust his Super Bowl ring on his finger, however, Brown was plucked up by the Seattle Seahawks in the 1976 expansion draft. In 1987, after eleven years with Seattle, Brown was traded to Green Bay. He and Steve Largent were the last two members of the original Seahawks. "I was surprised, and somewhat disappointed when I got traded," Brown says. "But that's all part of the business of being in professional.football." As he nears the end of his career, Brown wants to reach the level of team success that has eluded him since his rookie year with the Steelers. "That's my main goal. I want to go back one more time and win it all. We're going to get on the winning track. We've got to work hard and get better." Unrealistic talk for a member of the 2-10 Packers? Perhaps, but Brown has reason to expect Wolverine-like success from his team. Brown is joined on the Packers by three other Michigan alumni: punter Don Bracken, and linebackers John Anderson and Ron Simpkins. Brown enjoys being part of what has become a mini Michigan alumni club in Green Bay. "It's different, but it's great," Brown said. "You know you all come from the *same place. The character and integrity carries over from the 'M' days. We still talk about the Big Blue." a a JOHN MUNSON/Doily Wolverine center Mike Moes (7) is tied up, just like the other Wolverines on home ice. The last two road wins came in a sweep of Ferris State, breaking the Bulldog's four game winning streak. But for some reason, Michigan has not reached the level of excellence at home that they profess on the road. "We're playing well and coming together as a team on the road," said Michigan center Rob Brown Saturday night. "We get a lot of good bounces on the road and we didn't get a lot of bounces tonight." Saying Michigan did not get good bounces at Yost Saturday night is an understatement. Down one goal with approximately four minutes remaining, Michigan's ROSE BOWL Leave Dec. 30 or 31, Return Jan. 3 or 4 BOERSMA TRAVEL ROSE BOWL Round Trip Airfare Detroit-Los Angeles $288 rates vary from $288 to $348 Call: 1-800-482-3694 or collect, 851-3900 ELLIOTT 30000 Orchard Lake Rd. Farmington Hills, MI 48018 Travel & Tours, Inc. FLIGHTS from $238 Hurry! Spaces limited! ROSE BOWL - ROSE PARADE GREAT SEATS AVAILABLE TICKET TIME 6 4 (213) 202-0053 (714) 832-5800 (818) 440-9700 (818) 783-1033 Michigan Union - 663-7749 a There's a Sale on Macintosh Computers! ...and Just in Time for Finals--and the Holidays. Bundle #1 Macintosh Plus with Apple 800K floppy drive Imagewriter II printer Microsoft Word Quantity left: 30 $1,941 Take advantage of these low prices! # . , . Take immediate delivery! Take advantage of Apple's great financing program! Offer good only while these bundles last! ,@",, Stop by the Hands-On Display, Ground Floor, Michigan Union Bundle #2 Macintosh Plus with Apple 20M SCSI drive Imagewriter II printer Microsoft Word Quantity left: 70 $ 2,133 Bundle #3 Macintosh SE with 2 internal floppy drives Standard keyboard Imagewriter II printer Microsoft Word Quantity left: 40 $ 2,285 Bundle #4 Macintosh SE with 20M internal SCSI dr Standard keyboard Imagewriter II printer Microsoft Word Quantity left: 70 $ 2,735 I a I 10am -6pm TODAY, November 2 and Thursday & Friday, December 8 & 9 Friday, December 16 ( U-M Departments Only) Thursday and Friday, January 12 & 13 Friday, January 20 or stop by the CRC, third floor School of Ed., anytime 9-5 Great1 I t I I ik-- - term papers.Great tems. ,_ 3 3 i i . l tt{-it4ltG . . I' To buy a Macintosh computer to help with your writing, ask your parents to do some writing. On an Apple Student Loan-to-Own application, that is. If they qualify for the loan, they'll receive a check in a few weeks-and you'll have a Macintosh on your desk soon after that. So stop by and pick up an application. Do it now; before the term's over. Apple's Student Loan-to-Own Program !2 t - 4 id