Page 6 -The Michigan Daily- Sports Monday- November4, 1991
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MORE PENALTIES INCREASE IMPORTANCE OF POWER PLAY
Power plays struggle on weekend-
I mw
Talented Blue le ers
need more teamwork
by Andy De Korte
Daily Hockey Writer
KALAMAZOO - Taking four points from a two-game series is the
goal of every team in the CCHA on any given weekend. While the
Wolverines accomplished this agains Western Michigan this weekend, they
were not satisfied with the performance.
"I'm pleased with the results of the weekend, winning two games, but
there was plenty of things that I didn't like, but we survived," Michigan
coach Red Berenson said. "I was unhappy with some of the penalties, the
flow of the game, there were times when we just didn't play as well as I
think we're going to have to play."
The tight penalty calls appear to be a thing that will cause all CCHA
teams to conform to cleaner play.
In reality, this change should help the Wolverines. Led by four
extremely quick centers, Denny Felsner, Mark Ouimet, Brian Wiseman, and
Ron Sacka, Michigan has less use for physical hockey than others in the
CCHA.
"I think the restrictions are kind of brutal," Western Michigan
defenseman Andy Suhy said. "A big part of my game is tight-checking and
stick work. Our team relies on contact. We're a nuts and bolts team."
WMU, Ohio State, and Bowling Green all rely heavily on contact. And
while Michigan showed last year that it can handle the brutality, this year,
the Wolverines may not have to combat the problem. The teams they will
face may have a changed tactical agenda because of the redefined penalties.
Friday, the fans at Yost witnessed a barrage of penalties that helped
Michigan control the flow of the game, winning 5-1. The younger, smaller
Bronco forwards could not compete with Michigan's. The Wolverine
forwards kept the puck in WMU's zone for large chunks of the game.
The Wolverines would have certainly scored more Friday, without the
impressive WMU defensemen. The defensemen blocked more shots(8) than
Bronco goalie, Craig Brown(6). Five is considered a good periou a shot
block tally. Whenever a Wolverine would close in on the goal he was
intercepted by a Western defenseman.
The choppy nature of Saturday's game could have easily left an objective
fan in doubt as to the better team.
After a power-play goal by Chris Tamer, the Wolverines could not keep
consistent pressure on Western. While five Michigan first-period penalties
played a big part in this, the Wolverines' forwards did not play with each
other as well as they had done the night before.
Clearly, the Broncos, playing in their home opener, were playing an
intesified game. They outshot the Wolverines 25 to 13 for the period,
which closed in a 1-1 tie.
By the end of the second period, Michigan actually led Western in total
shots. While the action was dominated by individual Wolverines, it was
not necessarily dominated by Michigan. A large part of the effort was
single-handed. The majority of the credit for each of Michigan's tiebreaking
goals should go to the scorer.
Wiseman's goal, Michigan's fourth, was the eventual game winner,
boosting the Wolverines to a 5-3 victory.
While Michigan has individual talent - 16 players selected in the NHL
draft - any team is improved by teamwork; the sum is greater than the
total of the parts.
Fortunately, it is early in the season, and while the Wolverines may not
be playing well enough to beat a great team now, there is much time for the
expected improvement.
Take the weekend's points and smile, knowing Berenson will be sure to
mesh the Wolverine talent.
by Andy De Korte
Daily Hockey Writer
KALAMAZOO - Continuing
to follow a strict strategem for
calling infractions, Central Colle-
giate Hockey Association officials
are putting a great significance on
team's power plays.
"We have seen that the officials
aren't going to let anything go,"
Western Michigan coach Bill
Wilkinson said. "I said last week,
because of that, that the team with
the least amount of penalties called
against it would win. That was
Michigan and they won."
Wilkinson made this prediction
when his team was first in the
CCHA in penalty killing, not al-
lowing a goal in 21 opportunities.
However, Michigan proved to be
a tougher opponent than Illinois-
Chicago, Western's only other
league opponent. Wilkinson did not
expect to shutout Michigan's power
play, but giving up only three goals
in 20 opportunities did not disap-
point him.
'Our penalty killing
was much better, we
worked hard, we used
a lot of different
players'
- Red Berenson
The Broncos, two for 13, coun-
tered with a power play conversion
percentage which slightly bettered
Michigan's, 15.3 per cent to 15 per
cent.
The numbers led captain Brian
Tulik, a senior defensemen, to con-
clude, "Even if we got more penal-
ties than them, we could have had an
even better percentage. Myself and
(other defensemen) Andy Suhy, and
Derek Schooley were all really tired
tonight, even by the end of the first
period, especially after last night's
game."
Michigan's power play defense
impressed Michigan coach Red
Berenson much more than its of-
fense.
"Our penalty killing, I thought,
was much better, we worked hard,
we used a lot of different players
killing penalties," Berenson said.
"That's good because I don't think
we're relying on one or even two
sets of penalty killers to do it.
"We're using more and more
players in that role and that keeps
them fresh. We try to keep everyone
involved."
Friday, the Michigan power play
only scored once on ten opportuni-
ties. However, because of the strong
overall output by the team, as evi-
denced by the four-goal margin, this
shortcoming was a non-factor in the
game's results.
Although the power play has not
reached the level of efficiency that
Michigan feels it needs to compete,
it still provided the crucial goal on
Saturday night. The Broncos and the
referees provided many opportuni-
ties to practice the Wolverine
power play, which may have been
what Michigan needed most.
"We got the big goal, Oliver's
goal. We needed that, it helped pif:
(the Broncos) away," Berenson said:
"A power play has got to be like a
weapon, not like a sponge. I think.:
we can have a good power play, its'
just not there yet."
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Michigan left wing Denny Felsner scored career goal No. 100 in Friday night's 5-1 victory over Western
Michigan. Felsner now stands fifth all-time among Michigan goal scorers.
UAC Viewpoint Lectures and L. S. A. Student Government Present:
SPORT SPEAK
ICERS
Continued from page 1
fired a shot from the left circle off
the post and out to the right point.
Western captain Brian Tulik wound
up a slapshot from the point, which
Jones deflected past Shields.
Michigan rallied back at the
start of the second period when
Mark Ouimet blasted a forehand
from the left circle past Brown, off
the post and into the net at the 1:03
mark. Just 54 seconds later Cam
Stewart deflected a Patrick Neaton
shot past Brown giving the Wolver-
inesa3-1llead.
Western again fought back with
two goals midway through the sec-
ond. After Shields made a great stop
of Chris Belanger in the slot, Colin
Ward knocked the puck down with
his glove and shot the puck into the
vacated net.
The Broncos tied the score on an-
other deflection at the 14:38 mark.
This time, Jason Jennings deflected
Schooley's shot from the point with
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CHRIS
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Nov. 5 5:00 pm
Rackham
Auditorium
Western on the power play. Beren-
son was upset the Wolverines could
not put the game away in the second.
"I didn't like the idea that they
got back into the game," Berenson
said. "If we're going to be a good
team, we can't let teams do that."
But before Berenson could be
too concerned with the change of
momentum, Brian Wiseman turned
the game around with a great indi-
vidual effort. Doug Evans fed Wise-
man breaking in on the left wing,
Wiseman skated by the defense and
had a one-on-one with Brown. He
deked Brown to the center and then
tapped a backhand past the sprawled
goalie and into the net.
"We had a good transition at
center ice and Dougie Evans made a
great pass," Wiseman said. "I just
skated in and the goalie overcom-
mitted so I stepped around him, and
luckily I had enough room to put it
in."
While Berenson was happy with
Wiseman's goal, he was more
pleased with the center's dominance
on faceoffs.
"That's a good sign for a center,"
Berenson said. "When you're win-
ning the draws you're having a good
game because you're getting your
team the puck."
The third period was character-
ized by numerous penalties and the
Wolverines dumping the puck and
chasing with one or two forecheck-
ers. Michigan's final goal resembled
its first. On the power play, Wise-
man battled for the puck along the
right boards, and fed Tamer in the
slot. Instead of shooting, Tamer slid
the puck to his left to David Oliver
who fired a forehand over the diving
Brown.
Western center Scott Garrow ac-
knowledged that the Broncos played
well, but realized that is not always
enough for a victory.
"As a team we worked hard,"
Garrow said. "We made a couple of
mental errors, and a great team like
Michigan is going to take advantage
of them."
Friday, Michigan also took ad-
vantage of the Broncos' errors:
Neaton scored an early power play
goal as Western again took earI+
penalties. With the Wolverines
ahead, 2-1, in the second period,
Oliver made a great pass to Felsnor ,
at the blueline, and Felsner skated in:
with Ferschwiller draped over him,
and shot a backhand by Brown. Tl;
goal was Felsner's 100th of his c;
reer.
Shields once again got the start-
ing nod from Berenson and saved 24;
shots. While Berenson was happy,
with the sweep this weekend he sees,
'If we were playing a 0
great team, we would
not have won, but I
don't know if there
are any great teams
this early in the
season
-Red Berenson
Michigan hockey coac.
a lot of room for improvement for
his squad.
"I am pleased with the results of
the weekend," he said. "It's good to;
win two games. It's a little late to
get our first win, but we'll take ita
If we were playing a great team, we
would not have won, but I don't
know if there are any great team$
this early in the season."
Most of the players agreed wit *
Berenson's assessment of the week-
end, stressing the importance of im-
proving each week.
"I think we are starting to plat,
as a team and not individuals,
Evans said. "The thing that scarer
me is that no one played as good a,
he could. I can't wait to see all 29
cylinders firing at once." -
Captain David Harlock agrees
"I think that's more indicative o
what we expect and the coaches ex*-
pect," he said. "What we are really
looking for is steady progression."
Pizza
)SPECIAL ,
This event is the first in
a series of lectures from the
world's top sports figures--
yet another way Viewpoint
Lectures reaches out to more
of the many groups that com-
prise the diverse community
at the University of Michigan.
Harlock
RN C3
Napoli
W WEEKEND
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