The Michigan Daily - Sports Monday-- April 5, 1993 - Page 7 The Best and Worst " Top leazue in college hockey has more to offer than talent-.== of the CCHA by Brett Forrest Tim Rardin and Chad A. Safra. Daily Hockey Writers Now that the Michigan b ckey team's sea- son is complete, we feit it was time to give you our Best and Worst list of the. Central Collegiate Hockey Association season. While the CCHA boasts probably the best overall talent in the nation, it has its fair share of interesting attractions - of both the must-see and must-miss varieties - as well. The following encompasses all those attractions, as well as the Best and Worst CCHA games involving the Wolverines: BAND Best: Lake Superior. Don't get us wrong on this call. The Laker band is not the most talented in the CCHA, they are just a real band, complete with guitars, bass and a full drum set. When the band breaks into a rendition of Radar Love - a crowd favorite - Lake State's Brian Rolston has been known to quiver with adrenaline. Worst: Illinois-Chicago. It is not really a band, per se. The twelve members who decide to show up for the games resemble a collection of the worst street musicians found in the Windy City. The drummer stands out in par- ticular, continually failing to keep time with the other members of this motley crew. The Flames even used pre-recorded music more frequently than live entertainment while action was stopped. CROWD TRADITION Best: Miami's Baby. It is'a ritual that would make the Yost faithful jealous. As the William Tell overture blares from the Goggin Ice Arena sound system, a man in the bleach- ers places his infant daughter on his shoulders and bounces up and down as if he were the Lone Ranger. Although this routine was repeated four or five times, it remained charming. Chalk one up here for originality and creativity. Worst: MSU's National Anthem. The Spartan faithful need the lyricsto Francis Scott Key's little-known aria scrolled on the mes- sage boards encasing Munn. In addition, some of the words on the screen were out of order. Just add this to the ever-growing list of Michi- gan State jokes in your memory bank. This makes number 1,265,398. FANS Best: Miami. An arena that seats only 2,200, Goggin turned away more students than actually saw the game againstMichigan. These fans were loud, probably in part because they had to wait outside in the cold for an hour. Goggin is small, so, unlike all other CCHA rinks, the students are allowed to stand directly behind the boards. When they start pounding on the glass in unison, take our word for it, it's loud. And that doesn't even include when they start yelling. Worst: Ohio State. It's kind of tough to have the best fans, or rather to not have the worst fans when you only have four or five to speak of. That includes the ticket taker. GAME Best: vs. Michigan State (11-1 at Joe Louis Arena Jan. 30). Anytime Michigan beats Michigan State, it's a good game. But to completely dominate the Spartans in every conceivable aspect is a great game. The Wolverines skated by, around and through every person with a green and white jersey in this one. Worst: vs. Western Michigan (8-4 at Yost Ice Arena Oct. 31). A completely ugly Wolverine effort opened up Michigan's CCHA home schedule. Anytime a team gets outscored by four, allows eight goals total and sieves it on the first two shots of the game, it does not matter where the game is played, it's unsightly. The fact it was at home, though, made this Halloween game particularly frighteing. ICE RINK Best: Munn Ice Arena. Munn is the most modem facility in the CCHA, a venerable rink when compared to many of the dilapidated arenas that dot the conference map. Sightlines are ideal for fans as no steel girders rise up from the seats. Another revolutionary feature at Munn is the seats - they have backs and cushioning. The only negative - Munn is lo- cated in East Lansing. Worst: The Ohio State Ice Rink. This "rink" defines one of the reasons college hockey is not an immensely popular sport. The 1,400-seat eyesore of a venue turns away more spectators than it attracts. It is small, outdated and more suited to a pee-wee game than one between two Division I schools of over 30,000 students. The Buckeye version of the vestibule is tiny and crowded - perhaps due to the large pop- corn maker and five video games. The ice sur- face constantly receives complaints from play- ers for its quality and from fans for its protru- sion from under the corner boards and into the spectating area. MASCOT Best: Lake Superior's Shanker. He is cute and furry, kind of like that adorable bear on the Snuggle fabric softener commercials, except he's a bird. Works well with kids and does an admirable job of riling up those pesky Laker fans. He even gave us an autograph, presumably to ensure his selection in this story as the best mascot. Worst: Ferris State's Bulldog. Ugly, ugly, his momma says he's ugly. U-G-L-Y, he ain't got no alibi. He skated - and boy could he skate - between periods when the Zamboni was on the ice. Had he been run over by the resurfacer, we probably would've given him Best Mascot. But of course, he wasn't. i l t } MICHELLE GUY/Daily Michigan senior forward Dave Roberts and the rest of the Wolverine hockey team are done for the season, but one thing still remains -- the Best and Worst awards around the CCHA. Bouncing, including How to Spot a Fake 101 and Intimidation 212, while attending Michi- gan State. Worst: Ferris State. Night life in Big Rapids consists of grabbing a couple of burri- tos at Taco Bell, going back to the motel and S watching television. And you'll have plenty of time to watch your favorite shows, because when you return from your 'Run for the Bor- der,' it's only 7:30 p.m. For real excitement the next night, you can go nuts and grab your supper at Kentucky Fried Chicken. If it's closed, Burger King is usually open. However, TV watching may get boring after a while (the town is getting cable next year) so head to that good 'ole one-screen movie theater where they still show Star Wars. PA MUSIC Best: Miami. If it weren't a hockey arena, it would be a night club. This place was rock- ing from start to finish. Even if you don't like hockey, the music is good enough to keep you entertained the whole time. No joke. Worst: Notre Dame. If I were a Notre Dame hockey player, I think I would transfer - not only because my team sucks, but be- cause I don't think I'd get too motivated to play when some guy is ripping through hip- hop disco jingles on a desperately out-of-tune organ - for the whole game. Somehow BeeGees tracks from Saturday Night Fever don't have quite the same adrenaline-pumping effect that Queen's "We Will Rock You" does. And when played by someone who obviously wasn't talented enough to make the Hockey Pep Band - all nine members of it - you've got problems. I guess the fans were cheering for the music to end, because the Irish hockey team sure didn't do anything worth cheering about. RESTAURANT Best: The Antlers, Sault Ste. Marie. This is the place in the bustling town known as the Soo - which, admittedly, is not saying much. However, it is a must-see, a must-eat and a must-hear. The indoor decor is dominated by gaming trophies and furs and it is an honor to have a kill hung at the restaurant. The food and service are both top-notch. Most of all, though, the noises must be ex- perienced. The bells, whistles and sirens are U.P.-renowned and often cause customers to lose their bearings - always a welcome sensation in Saltstie Mary. Worst: Grandma's Grease Palace, Kent. We ordered number seven on the menu but it looked like number two. The flapjack dish (as Grandma called it) was serviceable except that the pineapple ring drowning in Aunt Jemima ruined its overall aesthetics. ROAD TRIP Best: Illinois-Chicago. The only good thing about UIC is that it's in Chicago. One weekend was clearly not enough time to ex- plore all that the Windy City had to offer. A visit to Chicago Stadium for a Blackhawks game is a must for any hockey fan. Don't forget about the Sears Tower and Hancock Building observation decks, Nike- Town - a four story shop that exclusively sells Nike sneakers and clothing and a walk down the Magnificent Mile (Michigan Ave.) Worst: Ferris State. See Worst Night Life. What positives can a visitor offer about a trip to Big Rapids - none. It takes over three hours to get to this unthriving metropolis, and about three seconds to get through it. A trip through downtown is over before you've shifted into second gear. The fine sites in Big Rapids include the town public library, and of course the buildings of Ferris State, which are all perfectly rectangular. Frank Lloyd Wright where are you? Imagine the UGLi - 100 times over. A tourist brochure from Big Rapids (if there is one) would resemble a leaflet someone hands out telling you about University Towers. When leaving Big Rapids, the most common exclamation is "Thank God." And that's just from the students when they escape for the weekends. UNIFORMS Best: Miami. Rumor has it Calvin Klein liked the Redskins jerseys so much that he is incorporating them into his fashion lineup for next fall. On VH1's Fashion Television, Klein was quoted as saying, "They're sweet, man. The quaint yet bold blend of red and white brings tears to my eyes. I especially enjoy the half-arc configuration of 'Miami' on the front of the jerseys and the miniature Native American upon the lower crest of the shoulder area. They just accentuate the overall aura." Worst: Bowling Green. Imagine you vom- ited on your uniform before you came out on the ice and didn't have time to wash it. Imag- ine you didn't wash it all season. Ahhh, that lush combination of burnt orange and earthy brown thrills the senses. The Falcon players must be color blind. The Ferris State Bulldog is the proud winner of this year's Worst Mascot award in the CCHA. NIGHT LIFE Best: UIC. This is Chicago. One of the greatest, vivacious cities in the world. There are more restaurants, bars and clubs than empty seats at the Hartford Civic Center for a game between the Whalers and Senators. The place to see and be seen is the Rush Street district. For three blocks, nothing but bars line the sidewalks. The drinks are cheap and the music is loud. However, if you have a fake ID, make sure it is a good one No New Hampshire laminated licenses will work with these fellas. The bouncers know what they are doing. Most of them probably majored in Bar Maine rallies to win first- ever NCAA hockey title MILWAUKEE (AP) - Senior Jim Montgomery gave freshman Paul Kariya some final advice as he felt Maine's championship season slipping away Saturday night. The Black Bears, going for their first NCAA title ever, trailed Lake Superior State with a period remaining. "I said to Paul, 'We've done it all year and we've got to turn it up a notch.' So I told him to turn it up," Montgomery said. Kariya was listening. The Hobey Baker Award winner as the nation's top player then made assist passes to Montgomery for three goals in a span of four minutes and 35 seconds as the Black Bears rallied for a 5-4 victory and the NCAA championship. "I said, 'Let's go after them and get them on their heels,"' Maine coach Shawn Walsh said. "Once we rooting them on, the Black Bears - in their first appearance in the finals - came back. "We just wanted to win, we did- n't care who was the hero. We just wanted to be the national cham- pion," said Montgomery, voted the outstanding player in the tourna- ment. Maine got within 4-3 at 4:19 of the final piod when Kariya worked the puck out from behind the goal and slid it across to Montgomery, who was in the left crease for the score. Montgomery scored the tying goal when his shot deflected off a defender at 7:40. Kariya made the assist pass as he was being driven into the boards. One minute and 14 seconds later on a power play, Kariya carried the puck in on the left wing and fed a crossing pass to Montgomery who .a I a. '.... ...._ .._~ .. .... ' ....... _.___. .. I-