The Michigan Daily - Sports Monday - November 26, 1990 - Page 3
HOCKEY
Continued from page 1
Nonetheless, Michigan was ready
;to celebrate after Saturday night's
blowout, the game which vaulted
them into the promised land. Of
course, being in first place may have
had nothing to do with it. The
Wolverines may have been happy
just to have beaten Ohio State,
something they had not done in six
previous games.
Theioutcome of this game was
not in question for very long, as
Michigan jumped to a 3-0 lead and
never looked back. The three
Wolverine goals came within a span
of 44 seconds, as Cam Stewart,
Mark Sorenson, and Mark Ouimet
provided the offensive punch.
Despite all the scoring, Michigan
coach Red Berenson was more im-
pressed with the Wolverines' efforts
on the other side of the ledger.
"I thought we played a better
game defensively tonight," Berenson
said. "If you play good defense, the
*offense will usually click in better."
Michigan's nine goals were
scored by eight different players, as
Stewart was the only Wolverine
with a pair.
"It was a better team effort
tonight," Berenson said. "I thought
we looked hungrier around the net."
The game marked the return of
sophomore David Roberts, who
missed Friday's game with a cut on
the bottom of his foot that he suf-
fered in last Saturday's game at Lake
Superior. Roberts had a goal and
three assists and provided an explo-
sive shot from the point. With this
extra dimension added to the Wol-
verines' power play, they were able
to shoot four for seven in the game.
"It felt good to be back," Roberts
said. "I didn't want to spend another
S game in the stands."
The "No Vacancy" sign was often
seen hanging from the door of the
penalty box, as the referees handed
out 75 penalty minutes in the con-
test.
That was not the case in Friday's
battle, as the officials lost control of
the game by allowing too much ex-
tra-curricular activity to go on in the
5-5 draw. Both coaches were dissatis-
* fled with the quality of officiating.
"I thought twice as many penal-
ties could have been called,"
Berenson said. "We preach good
hockey, and they allow things to go
,n all over the ice."
Buckeye coach Jerry Welsh
agreed, although not exactly the
same way.
"It was definitely a biased game,"
Welsh said. "We got away with
some stuff, too, but the non-calls
definitely went in Michigan's favor."
The game was close all the way,
as neither team led by more than a
goal. The Wolverines drew first
blood when Mike Helber scored his
first goal of the season two and a
half minutes into the contest.
Ohio State came back, though, as
Ron White tied the game two min-
utes later, and Phil Cadman gave the
Buckeyes the lead on a short-handed
goal with seven minutes left in the
first.
"They scored too early," Berenson
said. "We showed a lack of defensive
awareness. It was a combination of
things: goaltending, defensemen,
forwards not getting back. Those are
mistakes on our part."
Michigan took a 5-4 lead with
eight minutes left on a Chris Tamer
'power-play goal, but Mike Merri-
man knotted it again two minutes
later.
At this point, chaos prevailed for
he remainder of regulation and the
entire overtime, but the officials did
not call a single penalty.
"All of a sudden, it's like there
aren't any rules," Berenson said. "I
was worried someone was going to
get hurt."
Mike Gill
L
Michigan's Cam Stewart skates by the Buckeyes' Brian Baldrica during third period action from Saturday
night's victory. Stewart was the only multiple goal scorer for the Wolverines as he notched two.
by Matt Rennie
Daily Hockey Writer
Michigan played poorly Friday night, and if you
don't believe it, look at what the Wolverines did on
Saturday.
Yes, the Wolverines did take three out of four points
from Ohio State this weekend, but when it was over,
they talked like fishermen about the one that got away.
All Saturday's lopsided score did was reinforce the
notion that the Buckeyes had no business playing the
Wolverines to a draw on Friday.
Okay, Michigan moved into first place in the CCHA
by picking up points on Lake Superior, who lost
Saturday to Ferris State. Excuse me for not waving my
pennant. The Wolverines could have picked up another
because the Lakers tied the Bulldogs the day before.
Three out of four points was good enough against
Michigan State two weeks ago.
Even two out of four was good at Lake Superior.
But three out of four against Ohio State is just not
sufficient. Not for a team that expects to win its
conference.
There was a time when Michigan would take three
out of four points against any team and be satisfied.
There was also a time when, if the Wolverines wanted
to see the CCHA playoffs at Joe Louis Arena, they
stood in line to buy tickets.
There are plenty of excuses for Friday's performance.
David Roberts didn't play. It was an emotional letdown
form the Lake Superior series. The referee and linesmen
appeared to be Ray Charles, Stevie Wonder, and Jose
Feliciano. Either that or they subscribed to the theory,
"No autopsy, no penalty."
Blue cannot let
games slip away
All those excuses hold some validity, but excuses
are for teams that finish second.
It's easy to say, "Take it easy. It's just one game.
Anybody can have an off game," but the truth is that
champions cannot allow themselves to have an off
game, or even an off period, for that matter.
Someone once told me that "every game is a big
game when you're fighting for first place."
The person who said that was Michigan's head
coach, Red Berenson. After being edged out of the
NCAA tournament last year, Berenson and his
Wolverines know about the importance of any single
game.
Today, we can say that Michigan played poorly and
tied Ohio State. But at the end of the season, if the
Wolverines finish one point out of first, then we may
look back to that innocent Friday night in November.
Few teams in the nation can play with the
Wolverines when they're at their best. That's why tying
a mediocre team like Ohio State hurts them so much.
Consistency is the key word, and the Wolverines
have to maintain a consistently high level of intensity
until March if they expect to be a factor in the CCHA
race.
Berenson knows that the while he may have the best
team in the conference, the other teams are good enough
to capitalize on any mistakes their opponents make.
"If you're not on your game every night in this
league, your chances are not very good," he said.
No, it's not easy to be mentally intense for 32
games a season.
But if it were easy, anyone could be a champion.
Seeing two OSU losses
makes for perfect day
Thanksgiving leftovers and post-Ohio State samplings...
...The perfect OSU-'M' Saturday. Try this on for size. Watch
Michigan defeat Ohio State on a last second field goal, leave Columbus
an hour and a half later, drive back to Michigan, and watch Michigan
defeat Ohio State 9-1 in hockey - missing only the first period.
...I like Ohio Stadium. It's a big place. And when you're watching a
game there, you get the feeling you're watching something special - like
an Army-Navy game or something, just because of the intruding looks of
the stadium. Maybe it's because the band wears black military uniforms,
too. But for some reason, all Saturday, I couldn't help but think I'd been
planted in a game taking place during World War II. Then the Michigan
Marching Band played a salute to the Beatles. Quickly, I remembered we
were in the 1990's. Now, if they played Glenn Miller...
...I wonder if I'm on band director Gary Lewis' Christmas card list.
...Quote of the day while leaving the stadium: "Well, at least we won
the Blood Drive," uttered some hopeless Buckeye fan. That is truly trying
to find a positive out of a no-win situation.
For the third time in nine years, the Buckeye's won the Blood Drive.
Ohio State made over 102 percent of its goal, Michigan hit just over 88
percent. While I can't really see why Michigan didn't get excited about
this that much, there were definitely some organizational problems.
This year, the program ran by appointment. Now, the last thing
students are going to do is make an appointment to give blood. I showed
up without an appointment at the Union and was told I could wait two
hours or make an appointment for later. I wonder how many people, when
presented with those options, decided not to let the Red Cross suck blood
out of them for 30 minutes.
...Can you believe this Michigan hockey team? Get your NCAA
Finals tickets now!
...Last week, after captain John Milligan learned that Virginia lost to
Maryland, he said the Sugar Bowl got what they deserved. Now, look at
what the Sugar Bowl got - Virginia lost again. Is this getting more than
they deserved? Will the Sugar Bowl change its starting time? If it decides
to go prime time against the Orange Bowl it will be mutilated in the TV
ratings game. I guess that's getting what they deserved, right John?
...Actually, it was interim athletic director Jack Weidenbach who
summed it all up best. He said the lesson in all this early bowl selection
frenzy is to win early and lose late. Michigan did exactly the opposite.
Instead of Sugar and other appetizing bowls, it got the Gator - not right
for an 8-3 season when you're Michigan.
...Of course, for the past few weeks, the Gator has looked like the
Promised Land when compared to the Memphis, Tenn., Liberty Bowl.
Florida does that alone. The Gator is a New Year's Day bowl, too. One of
my fellow football writers, Eric Lemont, wrote about the lack of
excitement Memphis offered - and in the process confused it with
Nashville. In my book, they were both the same, too.
Native Tennessians did not take kindly to this lack of geographic
knowledge inside the state of Tennessee, and expoused the virtues of their
state and city. When it appeared Michigan would go down in defeat (or
tie), I took solace in those letters. It didn't sound like such a bad town
after all. Now, I look forward to travelling to Jacksonville. Why? So I
won't have to count all the velvet Elvis' being sold on street corners.
(Save the stamp, Memphisites.)
...To protect themselves against a lawsuit (I guess) the following
warning appeared on the cloth towel machine in the men's bathroom in
Dominic's. "Warning: Do not attempt to hang from towel, or insert your
head into the towel loop. Failure to follow these simple instructions can
be harmful or injurious." Where do people think of these things?
...Rocky V was pretty good, but I expected even more. And Sly
Stallone says this is his last of the Rocky's? Wait six years. I bet he
comes back with another. The scenerio: Stallone's real-life son Sage, who
played Rocky's son in the flick, trains hard under Rocky's tutelage and
gets a shot at his dad's old heavyweight belt.
...Every Monday the media has a luncheon at Weber's Inn with coach
Gary Moeller. Late last week, the media, Moeller, and some players who
spoke became sick. I thought I had the flu. Turns out, it was something
ate. It was the talk of the press box Saturday - and Moeller was
comparng menus afterwards too. Thanks for a great Thanksgiving break
Webers.
...Speaking of the media, while driving through Ohio to Columbus,
Detroit News sports editor and columnist Joe Falls was spotted in a
Buick. No big deal. But Falls was riding in the back seat, reading
newspapers, with only a driver in the front. Most writers fly on road trips
- even as short as Columbus. I guess Falls wanted to look like a big
shot all the way to Columbus. Next time, Joe, splurge for a limo.
...Just wondering: Does anyone realize that one point against either
Michigan State or Iowa now means Michigan would be headed to
Pasadena? Yep. While everyone is giddy about the Gator Bowl and
defeating the Buckeyes, it does hurt just a little bit to start playing the
"what if" scenerios again.
jm~
Tears for now,
$ SI vcoislater
by David Schechter
Daily Sports Writer
There was coach Peggy Bradley-
Doppes before the season started
saying she felt like a teenager. The
excitement of the season brought
back those red blotches reminiscent
of high school.
There was team captain Julia
Sturm on the verge of tears. For all
her efforts on that day she could not
buy her team a win, and she still felt
responsible.
There was a weakness here, an
error there, but always a winning
spirit. For every game played this
season, they came out feeling they
had a chance. How else could they
have won "The Big One" against
Illinois, a nationally ranked team?
Bradley-Doppes was the new
cook who tried to whip up a
winning concoction. With their
record now complete at 6-25 overall,
2-16 in the Big Ten, it's obvious
that she didn't have much luck. Or
did she?
This year the Wolverines played
more consistently, with more
strength, and with better fundamen-
tals than in years past. They lacked
talent, but never effort. They never
rested, even when they weren't on
the court. No one ever sat on the
bench, they were too excited, too
involved. So they stood, applauded,
and cheered for their teammates when
they weren't on the floor.
And between matches, they
would dive, slide, and slither across
the floor to stay relaxed and alert. It
looked strange, but it served its
purpose. It effected the way they
played. On the court, they dove, slid
and slithered to balls, showing a new
spirit in Michigan volleyball.
Things are changing. Bradley-
Doppes is known for her recruiting
abilities. She built a winning
program at North Carolina partly on
strong recruiting classes. She will do
the same thing here. But why would
she leave a winning program for a
losing one?
Bradley-Doppes left because she
saw what Michigan could be with
hard work, basic skills, and solid
recruiting. Her enthusiasm for the
game is always present, and most
importantly, she wants to win.
So Bradley-Doppes and the
Wolverines take their lumps now,
because they know in five years or
less, seasons like this one will be a
distant memory. Something to joke
about. So in many ways this is a
sacrificial year. A year for players to
learn a new coach's system. A year
to improve, and to dream of better
years.
For a player like Julia Sturm,
whose volleyball career just ended
without a winning season, what is
there to say? She was the major
building block in Michigan's
recovery, an all-star senior who on
any given night could make the big
plays for the Wolverines. She is a
team player, who showed younger
players the value of a positive effort.
She was the first step in the right
direction for the Wolverines, but
won't see the fruit of her effort.
But Sturm must know inside
how much she has meant to Mich-
igan volleyball. She must know that
her efforts will not go to waste. She
must also know that when the
Wolverines clinch the Big Ten title
in a few years, that her efforts helped
propel the team in that direction.
There was the 1990 volleyball
season, the beginning of the future.
VOLLEYBALL
Continued from page 1
place team," Wisconsin coach Steve
Lowe said. "I was very impressed.
We expected them to come out fight-
ing. They played real aggressive de-
fense, they hustled, and really went
after it."
Michigan coach Peggy Bradley-
Doppes was satisfied with the good
effort of her team, despite the three-
game sweep by the Badgers.
"Wisconsin has maturity, and a
lot of consistency," Bradley-Doppes
said. ',That only makes the team
solid and predictable, and very bal-
anced. Wisconsin played like they
should play; they're dominating the
Big Ten."
And is that where the Michigan
"Maybe tonight the kids were
playing too hard," Bradley-Doppes
said. "It gets to the point where
they're playing too hard, and not
fluid enough."
"I don't think you can ever try
too hard," Sturm said. "They played
with their hearts into it. I would
rather have too much heart than not
enough."
In a formal ceremony before the-
match, Sturm was given gifts by her
teammates. And despite the disap-
pointing loss, the team sang The
Victors to their retiring leader and
even built a human pyramid for sev-
eral photographers. It was no coinci-
dence who knelt at the center of the
bottom row, with the entire team
upon her shoulders.
"This team is classy. That is re-
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AUBURN
Continued from page 1
when we had leads."
As will usually be the case this
season, Szczechowski led the
Wolverines with 14 points.
Sophomore forward Nikki Beaudry
also tallied 14.
In the featured game of the
The people who weren't there will
only see the final score, and they
wouldn't think it was a good game."
Center Trish Andrew paced
Michigan by knocking down 15
points and wiping 6 boards off the
window. Szczechowski threw in 11
points, and Leah Wooldridge ran the
show from the point with nine
points and six assists.
As for the Auburn's high-flying
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