The Michigan Daily - Sports Monday - March 1, 1993 - Page 5 C BIui 0 L Ins 'M' could win it )3 * Michigan's Mark Ouimet shoots against Lake Superior State Friday. The shot was deflected, but Wolverine freshman Ryan Sittler knocked it in to seal the victory for Michigan. by Brett Forrest Daily Hockey Writer This Michigan'team just might be able to win it all - maybe. Maine is tough - but the Black Bears gave up five third-period goals to Boston University and suffered their first loss, 7-6, Feb. 19. Maine's record of 31-1-2 is tops in the nation and freshman Paul Kariya leads col- lege hockey in scoring. Maine can skate through an offensive zone with such precision and skill that wingers often tap pucks into open nets while opposing defensemen climb to the rafters to retrieve their athletic supporters. The Orono squad is fast, fundamentally sound and pretty to watch. At times, Maine looks indomitable. Then again, at times, Michigan looks unbeatable as well. In the 14 games since the winter break, Michigan's average margin of victory is an even five goals. The Wolverines' record during that span is 12-2. These two teams are the only squads ranked No. 1 in the Albany Times-Union poll this season. Michigan held the top spot after the first week of the season but lost to Western Michigan the following Saturday. The Black Bears have been No. 1 in the past 17 polls. Maine and Michigan have to be the teams to beat as the NCAA tournament looms. OTHER FAVORITES: Harvard is a good team, but not great. The Crimson lost to Dartmouth Friday, 4-3. The Big Green's league record was a rosy 7-11 going into the contest and the win made their season. Harvard's toughest ECAC opponents are RPI and Yale, who are middling at best. Thus, Harvard's record of 19- 3-2 carries little weight. Ted Drury might win another Hobey Baker for the Crimson. Freshmen netminders Aaron Isreal and Tripp Tracy are solid between the pipes but do not expect a repeat of 1989 in Cambridge. Boston University is probably the best team in the nation outside of the two big M's. The Terriers boast a balanced scoring attack, a strong goaltending tandem in Scott Cashman and Derek Herlofsky and the only vic- tory over Maine this season. They are just a step below the top two, though, at this point of the year and have been inconsistent throughout their 24-7-2 record. But look for them to be standing when most teams have fallen. all, then again? Many so-called experts see Miami as a favorig;to come out of the West in the NCAA Championships. The Redskins have been leading the CCHA race or most of the season and beat Michigan in a game for &irst place Feb. 6 in Oxford. Brian Savage can put the puck in the net and Richard Shulmistra can keep it out. Bobby Marshall is also one of the top defensemen in the league. So there is some credence to the idea that the Redskins could do some damage in a playoff forinat. Bottom line, though, is Miami will win nothing inhe postseason. They are inexperienced and do not haveany real depth. Minnesota-Duluth, while holding first place in the WCHA, has lost its fair share of contests. Derek Plante is a tremendous favorite for the Hobey Baker and alotig with teammate Chris Marinucci is among the national leaders in scoring. The Bulldogs' 23-8-1 record has too many holes in it, though, and they have been unable to take firm con- trol of the league. Wisconsin is two points behind Duluth. Minnesota is four points back of Wisconsin. Michigan Tech is three points behind Minnesota. The parity goes on from there. Lake Superior State, besides Michigan, Maine and BU, probably has the best chance to go deep in the NCAAs. Coach Jeff Jackson has shuffled players in and out of the lineup due to numerous injuries. Earlier in the season, when the Lakers were healthy, they were a high caliber squad. Now, they are starting to get players back on the ice and are playing well again. Lake State was tied with Michigan entering the third period at Yost Friday, only to lose by two goals, including an empty-netter. Remember, they did win the national championship last year and, as a result, know what it will take to make a return trip to the finals. Look for the Lakers to win a preliminary game in an upset in the NCAA tournament. Michigan and Maine are well above the rest. Maine suffered a lapse in the final stanza against BU but then came back and crushed the Terriers the next night. Michigan had poor efforts in the early part of the season but is playing its best hockey of the season currently: If all goes according to plan, these teams will meet for the national championship in Milwaukee. Then again, few things in college hockey ever go according to plan. ICERS Continued from page 1 ginning," Berenson said. "Their team matches up with ours well and they were forechecking us well - so maybe they take (quick starts) away from us. I thought Ouimet really turned it up in the third period, he created some great chances for his line. (David) Oliver, (Cam) Stewart, and (Brian) Wiseman were outstand- ing." The line centered by Ouimet (0 goals, 3 assists), including David Roberts (0-1) and Stiver (2-1), had a hand in four of Michigan's five goals. Michigan's Mike Knuble knotted the score at one to open the Wolver- ine scoring ledger at the 11:54 mark. Saturday, the Notre Dame game was the antithesis to everything LSSU was - a test, a learning ex- perience, or even close. After winning three previous contests, 6-1, 5-1, and 7-1, the Michigan hockey team slapped the Irish around again, 7-2. As the game scores indicate, no one was too surprised with the out- come. "From our perspective, it was a game you expect to win," Berenson said. "We could have been sluggish from last night, and we were, but we still put the puck in the net. Halfway through the game we were about even in chances but we capitalized more than they did." "In reality we knew they were better than we are," Notre Dame coach Ric Shafer said. "We want to get good like they are." The possibility of returning to Yost for first round of playoffs put Shafer in a comical mood. "We're going to sneak into their lockerroom before the game and tape all their skates with cellophane tape," he said. "But that's just one of our ideas." The biggest moral victory Notre Dame could salvage from the game was still being in the game, only down 2-1, after the first period. Unfortunately for the Irish, the slug- gish Wolverines overcame the let- down from playing Lake Superior the previous night. Four seconds into the second pe- riod, Wolverine forward Oliver col- lected the puck off the faceoff, stormed down the right side of the ice, and rocketed a shot over ND goalie Greg Louder for a power play score. Just .1:17 later Michigan's Roberts turned a one-on-one into a breakaway by dekeing Irish defender David DalGrande out of his pants in the right circle. Roberts proceeded to bring the score to 4-1 by wristing a shot past the beleaguered Louder. Roberts, who sported a cast to protect a deep bruise suffered from a two-hander to his wrist Friday night, completed his first hat trick of the season at the 6:05 mark of the same period. The big lead allowed Berenson to give backup goalie Chris Gordon 33 minutes of work and rest Shields, who stopped nine of 10 shots. Gor- don did not disappoint, allowing only a late power play goal after a 5-on-3 situation expired. The previous weekend, Shields found himself on the bench at the end of both games. Friday, Gordon minded the net in the third period in the 8-3 victory against Ferris State. The following night, Al Loges stopped all seven shots he faced in the final stanza during the 12-1 de- molition of Bowling Green. Six goals by six different skaters in the first 15 minutes of the game grounded the hapless Bowling Green Falcons. Mark Sakala scored the first goal of his career 2:17 into the game. Stiver scored the eventual game winner 41 seconds later. Sakala, Stiver, Roberts, and Oliver each scored two goals. Friday, Michigan bulldozed the Bulldogs. The Wolverines nearly doubled FSU's shot tally, 44-23, as well as scoring on half of their six power play chances. Roberts and Ouimet led all scorers with three points each. STANDINGS Miami, OhioS Michigan2 Lake Superior Michigan St. Western Mich. Ferris St. Bowling Green' Kent St. IIl. Chicago Notre Dame Ohio St. W 22 21 19 17 15 12 10 10 8 5 3 L 3 5 5 9 11 13 17 17 18 21 23 T Pts. 3 47 3 44 4 42 2 38 2 32 3 27 1 21 1 21 2 1$ 2 12 2 8 OVERALL RECORDS: Miami, Ohjo 24-7-3, Michigan 25-5-3, Lake Sub- erior St. 22-7-4, Michigan St. 21-12- 2, Western Michigan 18-14-2, Ferris St.17-15-3, Kent St. 13-18-3, Bowl- ing Green 15-20-1, Illinois-Chicago 10-21-2, Notre Dame 7-23-2, Ohio St. 5-26-2, x-Alaska-Fairbanks 21- 10-2 x-affiliate member for 1992-931 Saturdays Results: Bowling Green 5, Ohio St. 4 Ferris St. 5, Illnois-Chicago 2 Michigan St. 6, Kent St. 4 Lake Superior St. 7, Western Mi. 3 SCORE BY PERIODS Ferris St. 1 1 1 - 3 Michigan 431- 8 First Period: 1, UM, Roberts 14 (Ward), 8:05. 2, UM, Wiseman 8 (Neaton), 8:42. 3, UM, Oliver 28 (pp) (Roberts, Stewart), 13:51. 4, UM, Harlock2 (Stewart, Wiseman), 18:38. 5, FSU, Moore (pp) (McIn- tyre, Chaput), 19:55.j Second Period: 6,FSU, Passarelli 6 (pp) (Bell, Sergott), 1:44. 7, UM, Sittler7 (pp) (Stiver, Ouimet), 5:45. 8, Knuble 18 (Sittler, Ouimet), 16:15. 9, UM,, Stone 9 (Knuble, Tamer), 16:45. Third Period: 10, FSU, Fillipek 11 (Christian, Paine), 10:17. 11, UM, Stiver 17 (Roberts, Ouimet), 15:52. Goalie Saves: UM, Shields (7-7- x- 14), Gordon (x-x-6- 6). FSU, Mazzoli (13-8-x- 21), Lisko (x-x- 13- 13)., Officials: Referees - Jeff Shell, John LaDuke. Linesman - Larry Lulich. At: Yost Ice Arena Att: 6,085 SCORE BY PERIODS Lake Superior 2 1 0- 3 Michigan 2 1 2- 5 First Period: 1, LSSU, Miller 3 (pp) (Barnes, Hulett), 11:37.2, UM, Knuble20 (Wiseman),11:54.3, UM, Tamer 4 (Roberts, Stiver),12:33.4, LSSU,Tallaire 23 (Rolston, Morin), 15:40. Second Period: 5, UM, Stiver 20 (Ouimet), 6:03. 6, LSSU, Aldridge 2 (Ralston). 15:04. SCORE BY PERIODS BGSU 010- 1 Michigan 624- 12 First Period:1U, Saka a 1 (Neaton, Wiseman), 2:17. 2, UM, Stiver 18 (Ward, Shields), 2:58. 3, UM, Roberts 15,5:21.4, UM, Stew- art 15 (pp) (Wiseman, Oliver), 10: 43. 5, UM, Oliver 29 (pp), 11:11. 6, UM, Wiseman 9 (sh) (Stewart), 15:22. Second Period: 7, UM, Stiver 19 (Ouimet, Roberts), 7:47. 8, BGSU, Harkins 17 (Ackerman), 14:25. 9, UM, Knuble 19 (Sittler, Stiver), 17:33. Third Period: 10, UM, Sacka 6 (Arnold), 3:16. 11, UM, Roberts 16 (sh) (Ouimet), 10:10. 12, UM, Oliver 30 (pp) (Stewart, Wiseman), 16:13. 13, UM, Sacka 7 (pp) (Tamer), 16:44. Goalie Saves: UM, Shields (4-6- x- 10), Loges (x-x-7- 7). BGSU, Ellis (7-11-14- 32). Officials: Referees-Shell, LaDuke. Linesman - Lulich. At: Yost Ice Arena Att: 6.610 SCORE BY PERIODS Notre Dame 1 0 1- 1 Michigan 2 4 1- 7 First Period: 1, UM, Roberts 17 (Stiver, Ouimet), :43. 2, UM, Wiseman 10, (Knuble, Sittler) 13:03. 3, ND, Lamppa 4 (Gruber, Cusey) 19:05. Second Period: 4, UM, Oliver 31 (pp) (Stewart, Hilton), :04. 5, UM, Roberts 18,1:21.6, UM, Roberts 19 (Ouimet, Tamer), 6:05. 7; UM, DLAA2L~NRA Michigan sophomore forward Rick Willis prepares to shoot against Notre Dame Saturday. The Wolverines blew out the Fighting Irish, 7-2. AA A AA A A AA- I i ff s r I I L- 1 f i . 1 . f f i _0 . HOCKEY NOTEBOOK Bowling Green crashes all season against Blue icers by Brett Forrest Daily Hockey Writer Bowling Green took a mammoth beating against the Wolverines this year. In three games against Michigan, the Falcons lost by a combined score of 24-2. They were shutout, 4-0 at Yost Jan. 16, beaten, 8-1 Feb. 13 at the BGSU Ice Arena and vanquished, 12-1 Feb. 20 again in Ann Arbor. The 12-1 score was the first time Michigan tallied exactly 12 goals since a 12-3 win over Bowling Green in the 1984-85 season. The 11 goal margin of victory was the highest for a Wolverine squad since the NCAA champion 1963-64 team squeaked by Ohio State, 24-0. HE SHOOTS ... HE SCORES: Sophomore defenseman Mark Sakala scored his first career goal against Bowling Green Feb. 20 at Yost. Sakala's goal was the first in the game and came at 2:17 of the opening period. "At first, I didn't believe it went in," Sakala said. The Warren, Mich., native did not see action last season and has played in 16 games this year, tallying five points. ROBERTS CHUGS ALONG: With 11 points in the last four games, se- nior David Roberts moved into third place on the Michigan career scoring list. His 235 points rank him above Brad Jones' 227 and just behind Dave Debol's 246. Denny Felsner leads the all-time list with 261 points. MAIZE CRAZE: Michigan is undefeated while wearing its maize jerseys this season. The Wolverines debuted the uniforms in an 8-3 victory over Northern Michigan in the final of the Great Lakes Invitational. The jerseys made a second appearance Jan. 16 against Bowling Green at Yost. Michigan then beat Michigan State, 11-1 Jan. 30 and Lake Superior, 5-3 Friday. DEKERS FAMERS: Prior to the Feb. 20 game against Bowling Green at 9an iv m. Elm