"
Page 10-The Michigan Daily- Thursday, April 1, 1993
ICERS
Continued from page 1
potent attack. Freshman sensation Paul
KarlyaleadsMaine' s offense. The first-
year center tops the nation in assists
with 71 to go along with 25 goals. The
Black Bear's second-line center is al-
most as deadly. Senior Jim Montgom-
ery has 91 points. Both are finalists for
this year's Hobey Baker Award.
The other cog in the Maine offen-
sive machine is its smallest player -
Cal Ingraham. Despite his diminutive
stature (5-foot-4), the right wing leads
the nation in scoring with 44 tallies.
However, it is Kariya that teams
have tried to shut down, especially be-
cause of his terrific passing skills.
'Teams have shadowed him, but he
always finds a way to get the job done,"
Mainecoach Shawn Walsh said. "Wher-
ever we have gone this season, the
teams have had their largest crowds of
the season. I think that's because of
number nine."
FNA L FOU R
The Wolvernes' number nine has
had quite a season himself. Dave Rob-
erts leads Michigan in scoring with 64
points. Yet, he is not the sole offensive
force for Michigan as eight other Wol-
verine players have totaled more than
30 points, including four with 50 or
more (Mark Ouimet, Cam Stewart,
David Oliver, and Brian Wiseman).
"They have more offensive ex-
plosiveness than we do," Berenson said.
"But I think we can skate, defend, and
get good goaltending."
The key to Michigan's success will
be on the special team units. Maine puts
the puck in the net 31.2 percent of the
time while having the man-advantage
(83-266). The Black Bears are just as
stingy when they have a man in the
penalty box, allowing goals just 12.2
percent of the time.
The Wolverines, meanwhile, kill off
86.7 percent of their penalties. While
playing a man up, Michigan has buried
the puck in the net 25.7 percent of the
time.
The Michigan defense will have to
use its strength along the boards and in
the corners if the Wolverines plan on
playing in Saturday's championship
game against the winner of Lake Supe-
rior State and Boston University.
"They are every bit as physical as
the Minnesota team we played last
week," Walsh said. "Michigan has a
little bit more finesse and talent than
others do to go with that."
Berenson said his team is "the best
team" he has had in his nine years at the
helm of the Wolverines.
Walsh said that this is "the best
team" he has brought to the semifinals.
Tonight, the game will decide who
brought the better of the two squads.
0
0
I
KRISTOFFER GILLETTE/Daily
Michigan goaltender Steve Shields will have to deliver a strong performance if the Wolverines are to going to be
able to triumph over Maine. Shields has a 30-5-2 record going into this afternoon's semifinal at the Bradley Center.
'M' hockey needs Shields to be
mai man agaIst Black Bears
I-
by Brett Forrest
Daily Hockey Writer
It could be the biggest game of
his life.
If teams win in the playoffs, they
win with goaltending. In today's
NCAA semifinal game between
first-seeded Maine (40-1-2) and
second-seeded Michigan (30-6-3),
Wolverine junior netminder Steve
Shields just may have to will his
team to victory.
Shields was steady throughout
the season but garnered little praise.
Going into this afternoon's game, he
has a 2.17 goals against average -
second in NCAA hockey - but his
defensive corps is regarded as the
best in the nation.
Seniors David Harlock and Pat
Neaton might play in the Olympics
in January. Senior Chris Tamer
could play for the Pittsburgh
Penguins in a few weeks. Junior
Aaron Ward is a first-round draft
pick with numerous options.
Maine boasts the most potent of-
fense in the land, averaging 6.85
goals per tilt. Right wing Cal
Ingraham is tops in the game with 44
goals in 43 games. The Black Bears
have three players with more than 80
points and eight with over 40.
Michigan has not faced anything
near this kind of firepower this
season.
"I'm going to prepare the same as
always," Shields said. "What I've
done so far this season seems to
work for me. At this stage of my ca-
reer I know how to prepare. I won't
change anything for this game."
"(Shields) plays against the best
forwards in the country every day
right here," Michigan coach Red
Berenson said. "That's not to say
they're better than Maine's but
they're right with them. He faces his
share of good shots in practice every
day."
This game could prove to be a
turning point for Shields. His play
this season improved markedly from
last year. But he still does not get the
respect across the country many
Wolverines say they feel he de-
serves. If he has his career-best
game against the once-beaten Black
Bears, in front of the sellout crowd
of 18,000 at Milwaukee's Bradley
Center, he might finally convince
people he truly is a money goalie.
"I don't have to overachieve to
win," Shields confided. "We're not
going to win single-handedly, we're
not going to lose single-handedly.
By no means do I have to carry this
team."
Last week against Wisconsin, the
teams were knotted at 2-2 until
Shields let in a routine slapshot from
60 feet. It was almost miraculous
that the Wolverines recovered from
the setback to win in overtime.
Today's game will be the 40th
game of Michigan's season, and
Shields saw action in 38 of the pre-
vious 39. This workhorse has to be
the key for the Wolverines as they
tackle the long-awaited challenge of
facing Maine.
"I'm pretty sure the Maine game
is not going to be 2-1," Shields said.
"We should be desperate at this
point of the season. We've worked
all year and now it comes down to
these two games. We'll be ready."
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