The Michigan Daily - Monday, October 8, 1990 - Page 15 1990 'Road to the Joe' o o.'*.. New look on CCHA benches M' icers can never Yill expectation cup by Matt Rennie Daily Hockey Writer There's a magic trick that has been performed by virtually everyone in the business at one time or another. What happens is the magician pours water into a glass from a pitcher. The glass is only a fraction of the size of the pitcher, yet it never seems to overflow despite the continuous pouring by the magician. The question is: where does all the water go? It seems that no matter ow long the magician pours, it will never be enough to fill the glass. That particular magic trick reminds me of college athletics these days. No matter what successes are attained, there's always room for more. The glass is never completely filled. One could say that this is no different from any other aspect of life, which is true to a certain extent. The difference is that partial successes can be savored more in our daily lives. In sports, nothing is ever enough. Consider the case of the Michigan hockey team, which will embark on a new season this weekend. The so-called experts are predicting the Volverines to do big things this year. The public expects it, and they expect it of themselves. It wasn't always this way, though, for Michigan coach Red Berenson's squad. In fact, it wasn't long ago that the Wolverines were the doormat of the CCHA. This is Berenson's seventh season as the top man in the Michigan hockey program. During his first three years, his teams compiled a dismal 39-77 record. CCHA playoffs? Get real. The only way the Wolverines were going to Joe Louis Arena back then was through the turnstiles. While Berenson certainly does not want a return to those Dark Ages, ven he would probably admit that those were easier times. No one expected anything from the Wolverines. They'd skate through their 25 games a year, and if they won a few, that was a bonus. Upon reflecting how far the program has come, Berenson remembers his first game at Michigan. "The kids didn't expect to win," Berenson said. "They were surprised sometimes when they won games. I couldn't believe it. We won our first game, and I felt good, but the team was so excited it was like they won the Stanley Cup. I told them, 'Hey, we played well, but we expected to win this game. The season's not over.' "But for them, the season was over. We didn't win another road game until the second to last game of the year." Those days are, in the words of Ernie Harwell, long gone. Berenson has instilled a new attitude in the hockey program that starts with self- respect, and his recognizable name has brought plenty of young talent to Ann Arbor. High school players see a program on the rise, and they want to be a part of it. Top players do not go to schools that don't expect to win their games. But as more top players come to Michigan, more is expected from the team. Last year, the Wolverines won their opening series of the CCHA playoffs over Western Michigan to advance to the semifinals at the Joe. It was the first time since Berenson's arrival that the team had gone this far. This year, the Wolverines are regarded as a lock for the CCHA final four, and most fans are counting on a trip to the finals. Last year, the team generated excitement by nearly qualifying for the NCAA tournament. This year, anything less would be a disappointment. Like the magician pouring the water, Michigan achieves higher and higher goals each year, but it never seems to be enough. And the pressure continues to mount. The number two ranking in the CCHA by both the coaches and the media poll. Berenson's statement that this is potentially his best team ever. These things are like extra weights placed on the Wolverines' backs. The team knows what they are capable of doing, and for some that might be scary. When they skate onto the ice this Friday against Miami of Ohio, they will be expected to win. It's a tough life at the top. You either do what you are expected to do or you fail. The glass is never completely filled. "We do not have to overachieve to beat anybody," Berenson said. "We don't have to go into a game and say, 'I hope we get all the bounces and we hope they don't play well. And maybe then we'll have a chance to win.' We're not like that anymore. "We hoped to win then; we expect to win now." Notice that word that keeps popping up: expect. The Wolverines' efforts are like the water, and their expectations are like the glass, which somehow grows big enough to contain all the water that is poured into it. Don't shed any tears for the Woverines, however. This is the nature of their business. And when it gets down to it, it's still better to be good than anything else. "We want that pressure," Berenson said. "I wouldn't have stayed here if I didn't feel that one day we could have that kind of pressure." The strongest pressure is that which comes from the team themselves. The team does not need a poll to tell them what they are capable of doing. "When we look around, we can see that we've got a good team," junior Doug Evans said. "Every year we raise our goals. This year, we don't want to stop short of the NCAA's because once you get there, anything can happen." Maybe then, in the NCAA tournament, the Wolverines can find a way to make their cup runneth over. by John Niyo Daily Hockey Writer It may be "out with the old and in with the new" this year in the Central Collegiate Hockey Asso- ciation, but despite turnover in per- sonnel for league members, a turnover in league standings is not expected. Three conference programs looked for new guidance and new leadership by selecting new head coaches, yet both the coaches and media alike don't foresee much change in the way those teams will play this season. And while one-third of the league was playing musical chairs, the song really remained the same, with CCHA assistant coaches now grabbing center stage in each case. The biggest change occurred in the Upper Peninsula, where Lake Superior State - one of the dominant -teams in the CCHA for many years - decided not renew the contract of successful, but contro- versial head coach Frank Anzalone. Taking over the reigns will be LSSU assistant Jeff Jackson, who had just resigned and taken an assistant job at Michigan State when Anzalone was let go. The other two coaching changes were not quite as abrupt. Illinois- Chicago hopes that former Michigan assistant (1987-90), Larry Pedrie, can breathe life into a floundering program, while Ferris State brought back a former assistant (1986-89), Bob Mancini, from a one year hiatus in the NHL where he was a scout for the Quebec Nordiques. But while CCHA Media Day offered new faces, it certainly did not offer a much different outlook on the conference race, as the preseason polls reflect. Without a doubt, Michigan State looks like a cham- pion, while Lake Superior and a consistently improving Michigan squad will play the part of chal- lengers to the throne. Consistent Bowling Green is fairly steady in fourth with only Ohio State - picked by coaches to finish anywhere from third to seventh - left to pose a real threat of pushing its way into the first division. Miami, Western Michigan, and Ferris State ought to battle it out for positioning and Illinois-Chicago was a pretty unani- mous choice for the cellar. One coach whose job was certainly not in jeopardy after last season was Michigan State coach Ron Mason, who earned CCHA "Coach of the Year" honors for the second consecutive year. It was the sixth time he has won the award in his 11 years at Michigan State and he ranks as the second-winningest coach in NCAA history with 609 victories. Last year his Spartans rode a 27- game unbeaten streak to a 26-3-3 league record and a 35-7-3 record overall. They won both the regular and postseason CCHA crowns before bowing to Boston University in the NCAA Quarterfinals. Mason wil, however, have some holes to fill. Gone from that powerhouse is the offensive punch provided by 1990 Hobey Baker Award winner Kip Miller (48 goals, 53 assists) and by Pat Murray, the league's second leading scorer with 61 regular season points. Miller used up his eligibility, while Murray decided this fall to pass up his final year, signing with the Philadelphia Flyers. "We will have to rely on different people to score goals, whereas last year we could really look to Kip Miller to lead the way almost every Freshman center David Oliver (r) and senior center Jim Ballantine (1) battle along the boards during the annual Blue-White game . Oliver scored one goal, and Ballantine tallied two assists as Blue beat White 8-3. game," Mason said. "We hope that some of our goal scorers will continue to do so and maybe we can upgrade some scoring from different areas to add to our totals." Senior Shawn Heaphy, State's top returning goal scorer, and junior Peter White, the CCHA Tournament MVP last year, will headline the offense this season for the Spartans. They will be joined by a host of others forming what Mason feels is "as much depth as we've ever had since I've been here." If the offense gives Mason any nightmares he need not worry because the rather impenetrable goaltending of Michigan State will most likely be causing nightmares three straight years. The pressure will be on him to carry on the successful tradition of Laker hockey. Helping ease that pressure will be Hobey Baker Award candidate Jim Dowd, the top returning scorer in collegiate hockey, and senior Karl Johnston, who may emerge as one of the top defenseman in the country. Add to that the league's top goalie last year, Darrin Madeley, his standout backup, Brandon Reed, and newcomers like left winger Kurt Miller - the MVP of the United States Hockey League last year - and the pressure on the young Jackson isn't so bad. Bowling Green has enjoyed nine straight 20-win seasons, but veteran Pre-Season Predictions Coaches Poll (i :rsat - n a ce) Range of Votes Points A 1' 1 1 13 L i [1 L L I s v s .. w 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. Michigan State (6) Michigan (3) Lake Superior St. Bowling Green Ohio State Miami Western Michigan Ferris State Illinois-Chicago 78 72 64 54 43 32 28 20 14 (1-2) (1-2-3-4) (2-3-4) (3-4-5) (3-5-6-7) (5-6-7-8) (5-6-7-8-9) (6'-7-8-9) (7-8-9) fallen since 1983 when they were the top-ranked team in the country. Last year they finished tied for fifth in the CCHA after being picked to finish last. With most of last year's squad back for the 1990-91 campaign, Buckeye coach Jerry Welsh and hid team hope to edge back into the first division with solid all-around play., Miami lost All-CCHA center Craig Fisher to the Flyers and right wing Todd Harkins to Calgary. But a, veteran trio - seniors Bob Wall- work, Jim Bodden, and Rob Van- derydt - returns to lead the offense, and junior Mark Michaud who won 11 games last year returns between' the pipes. Western Michigan will find it hard to replace the leadership and talent of eight top players who finished out their careers last year. Only in goal were the Broncos; unhurt by graduation. It will be tough for them to improve on their, fifth-place finish of a year ago. Ferris State returns 16 lettermen overall and eight of ten top scorers from 1989-90, but that's not saying much for a team that scored only 106 goals and won only six, CCHA games. New coach Mancini may not find things much different, at Ferris State than they were with NHL doormat Quebec - though he was only a scout there for the Nordiques. Illinois-Chicago was picked to finish fifth last year. They finished last. This year they are picked to: finish last. Will they finish fifth? Doubtful. New coach Pedrie will have his hands full trying to return UIC to the respectful team it was' two years ago. ASOCT1O- - Wcm* a 0 Medi Poll (First-DiacQ)_ Points J IT&4ll1(1 J %III 11." Al a4 x a. 1. Michigan State (20) 2. Michigan (3) 3. Lake Superior (1) 4. Bowling Green 5. Ohio State 6. Western Michigan 7. Miami 8. Ferris State 9. Illinois-Chicago 211. 178 173 148 102 85 76 61 46 for opposing coaches and forwards as well. The Spartans return not one, but two of the top three goaltenders in the CCHA last year. Senior Jason Muzatti and junior Mike Gilmore both allowed less than three goals per game. Jeff Jackson is taking over a Lake Superior State team that has finished in the nation's top ten for coach Jerry York has to replace three-time Hobey Baker finalist Nelson Emerson as well as the nation's top scoring defenseman, Rob Blake. York does have ten returning forwards and Angelo Libertucci back in goal, but the defense will consist mainly of untested younger players. Ohio State has consistently 1990 Michigan Hockey. Date Dayd Schedule Date Day Onnonent Time Opponent Time Sl Vll Vllb i 1111 V G Yu(.V Yu) \JVLVaaV aa4 as aV 49 I .. Keep the Spartan fans at home: sell out Yost 10/12 10/13 10/18 10/19 10/21 10/26 10/27 11/2 11/3 11/9 11/10 Fri. S at. Thu. Fri. Sun. Fri. S at. Fri. Sat. Fri. Sat. at Miami at Miami at B.Green B.GREEN W.ONT.(ex) UIC UIC FERRIS ST. FERRIS ST. MICH. ST. at Mich. St. 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 7:30 p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. p.m. 1/4 1/5 1/11 1/12 1/18 1/19 1/25 1/26 2/1 2/2 2/8 Fri. Sat. Fri. Sat. Fri. Sat. Fri. S at. Fri. Sat. Fri. at UIC at UIC MIAMI MIAMI at B. Green B.GREEN at Ferris St. at Ferris St. at Ohio St. at Ohio St. WESTERN 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. 7:30 p.m. by John Niyo Daily Hockey Writer Michigan is out to get Michigan State. After the Wolverines kick the partans out of Michigan Stadium next weekend. the master nlan to If you can't wait that long, single game tickets are available right now for all games - including the State contest - at the Michigan Athletic Ticket Department, 1000 S. State *i r a