Page 6-The Michigan Daily-Sports Monday- November 12, 1990
Blue pack Yost,
outnumber Spartan fans
by Matt Rennie
Daily Hockey Writer
A strange thing happened when
the Michigan hockey players skated
onto the ice at Yost Arena Friday.
They heard more cheers than
boos.
Why would that be strange. you
might ask. The Wolverines were
playing a home game against their
arch-rivals, the Michigan State Spar-
tans.
Anyone who had ever been to a
Michigan-Michigan State game at
Yost before, though, would never
ask such a question. They would
know that year after year, Michigan
State fans infiltrate Ann Arbor to
purchase large blocks of the precious
tickets.
The Spartans consistently sell
out Munn Arena, and there is a wait-
ing list for season tickets. Conse-
quently, this game for many State
fans represents the only opportunity
to see their team in action.
But this year, the Michigan ticket
department had a surprise waiting for
the Spartan faithful. Ticket sales
were limited to four per person,
which thwarted the Spartans' usual
tactic of having one person buy
tickets for a large group.
In addition, 2,000 tickets were set
aside exclusively for Michigan stu-
dents and faculty as part of the "Shut
Out State" week campaign, which
lasted from Oct. 15 through 18.
These tickets were sold at the
CCRB, as well as at the ticket of-
fice.
The results were noticeable from
the onset, as the fans roared thunder-
ously as the Wolverines were intro-
duced. Instead of the typical 50-50
Michigan to State fan ratio, the
crowd was closer to an 80-20 split.
No one was more pleased with
the crowd than Michigan coach Red
Berensn.
Michigan co-captain David Harlocle
said. "It was really nice to beat them
at fiome, since this is the only time
we play them at home this year."
Both games of the Wolverines'
next series with the Spartans will be
played at Joe Louis Arena.
"We were pumped to play,",de-
fenseman Patrick Neaton said. "The
majority of the crowd was our fans.
We hadn't beat State in our buildpi
for two years. Everybody was jIus
flying high tonight."
For the nine rookies on the
Michigan roster, it didn't take long
to understand what the Michigan-
Michigan State rivalry means in
terms of intensity.
"As soon as I stepped on the ice,
I couldn't think," frosh defenseman
Aaron Ward said. "I had heard when I
was being recruited about how there
was always more State fans. I went
out and bought 25 tickets of my
own to give to people."
Michigan State coach Ron Ma-
son somehow was unaware of any
difference in the fans.
"It should be (a Michigan
crowd)," Mason said. "I always
thought they had plenty of fans
here."
Mason's error could perhapsAb
attributed to his perception of the.to-
tal amount of noise generated ,by
both fans.
While State fans have been more
abundant in the past, they have usu-
ally had a lot more to cheer about,.
Wolverine center Cam Stewart and Spartan left wing Rob Woodward engage in fisticuffs during the second period
Saturday, while Michigan's Ted Kramer and a linesman try to intervene. The fight resulted in two penalties apiece
for the icers. Stewart, a rookie, scored the first goal of his career in Friday's 4-2 victory.
HOCKEY
Continued from page 1
came at 8:39 in the second period
when Michigan appeared to score its
fourth goal. But instead of expanding
the lead, the linesman blew the
whistle before the score, claiming
that he lost sight of the puck, which
deflected off the inside of the post
and angled out of the crease. With
the overturned call, the Wolverines
lost the goal and any remaining
momentum.
"We gave it back to them,"
Berenson said. "We just gave the
momentum back to them and we
couldn't get it back. The bottom line
is that we didn't play the kind of
hockey we had to play."
The Spartans skated right through
the Wolverine defense and pum-
melled Shields with shots. While
allowing one goal in the second and
two in.the third, Shields made 29
saves in the game and fought off
three breakaways by the Spartan
offense.
"Shields was the difference,"
Berenson said. "He kept us in the
game the rest of the way. We were
lucky to get out with a tie."
Berenson
"We have not had a Michigan
crowd in my seven years here,"
Berenson said. "It gave us an extra
lift. We needed the crowd tonight."
The Wolverines sent the majority
of the 8,100 fans home happy with a
4-2 win over the Spartans.
"It was really exciting tonight,"
HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
... ... .........
ET,
i
E6
t
Disputed calls loom
over Saturday's tie
by John Niyo
Daily Hockey Writer
Saturday's Michigan-Michigan State game conjured up strikingly similar
memories of the football game between the two state rivals earlier this fall.
Once again, it was the men in striped shirts that were the centerpiece of
post-game conversation.
Spartan coach Ron Mason sounded much like Gary Moeller complaining
about a no-call very late in the game which ended in a 3-3 overtime tie.
Meanwhile, in the other lockerroom, Michigan felt that the game maybe
should have never reached overtime in the first place. And both lockerrooms
had fairly legitimate gripes.
Mason's complaint regarded the tripping penalty given to Wolverine de-
fenseman Patrick Neaton with only 1:10 left to play in the five-minute over-
time period.
Michigan and Neaton were caught off guard when a simple line-change
turned into a dangerous breakaway for State rightwinger Dwayne Norris.
Norris intercepted the puck near center ice and skated in alone on goalie
Steve Shields while Neaton raced in from the Michigan bench. Neaton dove
with his stick outstretched, tripping Norris.
"They got it back so fast, all I could do was dive at him," Neaton said. "I
didn't react as quickly as I should have."
The referee called a tripping penalty on Neaton, and the Spartans were
on the power play for the remainder of overtime. They failed to score and
the teams ended deadlocked.
"That should have been a penalty shot," Mason said. "When a guy is
skating in on free ice and he gets tripped like that, it's a penalty in my
book."
The Wolverines Aould have avoided that controversy had the referee not
disallowed a Michigan goal earlier in the game.
A pass from behind the net bounced off the skates of a State defender
and skidded behind goalie Mike Gilmore just over the line in the right front
of the goal. The light came on and Michigan started to celebrate a goal that
would have put them up 4-0. But referee Steve Piotrowski waved the goal
off, much to the delight of the home crowd of 6,692.
"It was a goal," senior co-captain Don Stone said later. "But the referee
had blown the whistle. He just lost sight of the puck."
SUPER SUPERIORS: Michigan (7-2-1 overall and in the CCHA) and
Lake Superior (8-1-1, 7-0-1) both enter their series this weekend on a roll.
Michigan has been on top of the CCHA standings all year and is now
joined by the Lakers, fresh off a home sweep of Western Michigan. In lop-
sided 10-2 and 9-2 weekend victories Lake Superior scored more goals than
last place Illinois-Chicago has scored all year.
Both teams swept the struggling UIC squad, and both earned three points
with a win and a tie against the Spartans.
don'e
Shields,
r1
'M' icers
JOSE"JUAREZuany
Michigan right wing David Oliver controls the puck Friday night against
Michigan State's Dwayne Norris. Oliver chipped in an assist Saturday night
on Patrick Neaton's goal that gave the Wolverines a 3-0 lead.
CCHA Standings
answering questions
by Matt Rennie
Daily Hockey Writer
EAST LANSING - Entering this season, the Michigan hockey team
had high hopes, a ranking of second in the CCHA, and a lot of
uncertainties.
Among the most-asked questions were: (1) Who will play goalie?, and
(2) Are these guys as good as everyone says they are?
The answers are, in order, Steve Shields and oh, yeah.
Both of these answers were confirmed with authority this weekend, as
the Wolverines beat and tied Michigan State, 4-2 and 3-3.
Shields, the rookie goaltender from North Bay, Ontario, continued to
show why he is currently the Wolverines' starter with two masterful
performances.
The newcomer's 30- and 29-save performances left everyone impressed,
including Spartan coach Ron Mason who called Saturday's performance
"one of the best goaltending efforts I've seen this year."
Most impressive though was Shields' reaction to surrendering the
tying goal, which capped a three-goal Spartan comeback.
"I didn't see it right away, and all of a sudden, it hit my glove and it
was in the net," Shields said. "I couldn't afford to get upset, though,
because there was still a long way to go."
Shields kept his concentration and preserved the tie for the Wolverines,
surviving a Spartan powerplay for the last 1:10 of overtime. That type of
poise is a rare trait in 18-year-olds, but is also the mark of a champion
goaltender.
Meanwhile, Michigan co-captain Don Stone responded in the
following way to the weekend's events: "I'm not as happy as if we had
won two. We had a 3-0 lead, and they stuck it to us."
In the other lockerroom, Mason seemed relieved to have survived with
the draw.
Wait a minute! What's wrong with this picture? Michigan is
disappointed with taking three out of four points, and Michigan State is
happy to have at least pulled out a tie. That can't be right.
But it is right, and what these reactions show is that the Wolverines
aren't lying when they say they expect to §weep every weekend. The team
knows that you don't win championships by settling for anything.
Michigan coach Red Berenson has stressed the importance of the team
believing in itself, and it would seem that his Wolverines have turned the
corner in that respect.
Here's a a group of players that hadn't beaten the Spartans in a regular
season game in two years, and when they earn a win and a tie, their co.
captain says that he is not as happy as if they had won both.
That statement may seem too obvious to warrant repeating, but it
shows that the Wolverines consider themselves a better hockey team than
the Spartans. And if the weekend's performance was any indication, more
people had better start believing the same thing.
While there is still a long season ahead, Michigan answered a lot of
doubters this weekend. Today, there is only one question left regarding the
Wolverines' shot at the CCHA title:
Why not?
S
Standings
T EA M (OVE RA LL)
Pts. GF
GA
TEAMv.. . .(w.OV AL.
1. Michigan (7-2-1)
Lake Superior (8-1-1)
3. Bowling Green (6-3-1)
4. Ohio State (6-3-1)
Michigan St. (3-4-3)
6. Ferris State (4-3-3)
7. Western Mich. (3-4-2)
8. Miami (3-5-2)
9. Ill-Chicago (1-9-0)
7-2-1
7-0-1
6-3-1
4-3-1
3-4-3
2-3-3
2-4-2
1-5-2
1-9-0
15
15
13
9
9
7
6
4
2
57
50
46
27
42
32
24
22
18
33
16
42
31
34
30
38
41
53
Upcoming Games
Friday, November 16
Michigan at Lake Superior
Bowling Green at Ferris State
Ohio State at Western Michigan
Miami at UIC - 7 p.m.
Boston College at Michigan State
r
1
SENIORS
This is it!
Here's your last chance to get your picture
in the 1991 MichiganEnsian yearbook.
Our photographer is back!
171" f f
486/25/33 ISA/EISA64 cache
only $2799
------------ -------
286/12MHZ
only $409 fl
386SX/16MHZ
ony $629
I
-OMMM
EIo
PRiNTEd ON RECyCEd PApER.
386/25MHZ 86/25MHZ64kcahen
only $979 only $1089
=.--i
86133MHZ 64kcache *EVEREX
only $1239 s
2400 Modem $55
Scanner $120
Mouse $20
I
I
i
I