6 - The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - Monday, March 7, 1994 HOCKEY Continued from page 1 like they would lose for the fourth consecutive time. The team scored both of its goals in the third period and turned away the Falcons by the identical score of the previous meet- ing, Jan. 25. The game, like the last contest, was marked by outstanding goaltending. Michigan's Steve Shields made 25 saves while Bowling Green's Bob Petrie made 28. The decisive goal came at 7:07 of the third, when senior David Oliver tal- lied his 200th career point. "We wanted to prove to ourselves that we could play in somebody else's rink and we could play in a one-goal game," junior Mike Knuble said. "It was really important because we want to go into the playoffs on a two-game streak. A season is a roller coaster, a lot of ups and downs. We just got stuck in adown for acouple of weeks.". Obviously, the team is still mired in a down. Now, it must regroup be- fore Kent State arrives on Friday to face off in the first round of the CCHA playoffs. "We know we can do the job," ,senior Brian Wiseman said. "If the 'leaders do their role on the team it shouldn't effect the way we play or approach any game. It is a new sea- 'son. Everyone has zero wins, zero losses and zero ties." The team realizes that the real season begins today at practice. If the Wolverines can't rediscover the con- fidence that brought them 16 straight CCHA victories earlier this season, there will be more nights like Satur- day and the season will be over sooner MICHAEL ROSENBERG Roses are Read JONATHAN LURIE/Daily Rick Willis battles with Ferris State's Derek Crimin in the final game of the regular season. The Bulldogs won 6-2. HOCKEY NOTEBOOK: Mihia prepares to take on Kent State C: M 'M' ends season with questions, not answers T he Michigan hockey team finished its five-month, 36-night, Monsters of the College Ice Rinks tour Saturday night, and when the dust had settled, all anyone could see was more dust. There are two teams that have made appearances wearing Michigan uniforms, and the two teams are as different as night and day, sugar and salt, Red Berenson and The Green Hornet. There is the team that blew through the Central Collegiate Hockey Association season like a January wind, stopping for nobody and leaving opponents bitter and begging for shelter. Nobody could touch these Wolverines, and when another team was actually able to keep a game close, Michigan always found a way to skate off the ice with a victory. But as the weather has gotten warmer and the ice has melted, so, it seems, have the Wolverines. The team that has been calling itself Michigan lately is a far different squad from the early-season Wolverines. Michigan hasn't played superior hockey since Jan. 5 and 6, when it swept Lake State at Yost Ice Arena. Those wins, which put the Wolverines so far ahead of the rest of the conference the other teams sent out a search crew to find them, represent the last time the team went all-out for 60 minutes. Worst of all, it doesn't seem like anyone, least of all the Wolverines, * knows which team will show up on a given night. Heck, nobody knows which team will show up in any given period. Saturday against Ferris State, with Michigan down 2-1 after two periods, there was no doubt in the minds of Berenson's team about who would win the game. "We knew we were going to come back," senior Mike Stone said. "In the locker room before the third period, everyone was real confident." Then the Wolverines went out and played their worst 20 minutes of the year. They didn't hustle, they didn't fight for the puck, and, as a result, they didn't win, falling to Ferris, 6-2. Friday night, Michigan had come back from a 1-0 deficit at Bowling Green to play inspired hockey, rallying to win the game, 2-1, ending a three-game losing streak. The victory over the Falcons all but screamed, They're ba-aaaaaaaaaaack. Then came the loss to the Bulldogs. No, they're no-ooooooooooot. What's next? The Wolverines could return to form, play dominating hockey, win the CCHA tournament and go on to win the school's first national title in 30 years. On the other hand, they could lose to Kent this weekend. Well, maybe not. The Golden Flashes are so bad, they can be summed up in one word: bad. Michigan could show up to Friday's game after the first period and still win. Actually, Michigan could show up to the game after the first period and find itself ahead by three goals. So this weekend's series means very little, because the Wolverines could play poorly and still blow out the Golden Flashes. That's what happened three weeks ago, when Michigan turned in a sub-par performance against Kent and still won, 10-4. But there will be a time soon when Michigan can stand up and play like the best team in the nation or watch an opponent do it instead. Early in the year, it was clear that if the Wolverines were going to go down, they would go down fighting. Now, nobody knows. By ANTOINE PITTS DAILY HOCKEY WRITER The smoke has cleared and the Michigan hockey team finally knows who it will face in the first round of the CCHA playot; s. With two losses against Lake Supe- rior this weekend, Kent State (6-22-2 CCHA, 11-24-2 overall) remained in 1 th place and will face the first-place Wolverines. Michigan had the option of playing Kent or CCHA-affiliate Alaska-Fairbanks (23-11-1 overall). As expected, the Wolverines by- passed Alaska-Fairbanks to face the Golden Flashes. MICH. 2, BOWLING GREEN 1 Michigan 0 0 2-2 BG 0 1 0-1 First Period- None Second Period- 1. BG, Glantz 7 (Helbing, Fry), 7:44 (pp). Third Period- 2. UM, Willis 7 (Stone), :45 (sh). 3. UM, Oliver24 (Legg, Stone), 7:07 (pp). Shots on goal- UM 15-10-5- 30. BG 9-9-8-26. Goalie saves- UM, Shields 9-8- 8-25. BG, Petrie 15-10-3-28. Penalties- Lune, BG (trip- ping), 5:20; Botterill, UM (high sticking), 13:45; Pronger, BG (hooking), 17:41.' Michigan defeated Kent 6-2 and 5-2 on the road in December and triumphed 10-4 last month at Yost Ice Arena. Michigan goes into the playoffs losers of four of its last five games. The Wolverines hope the playoffs will help them regain the edge they had earlier this season. "It's a new start," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "It's been a great season. The games now will certainly take on more importance." The best-of-three series begins Friday at Yost. DENZIN DEBUTS: Sophomore defenseman Drew Denzin saw his first action in a Michigan uniform Saturday night against Ferris State. Denzin, an Ann Arbor native who played at Pioneer High School, is a walk-on on this year's team. "I wanted to give him at least an opportunity to wear a Michigan jer- sey in a home game," Berenson said. "He's been a great kid. He just hasn't been able to make our starting lineup because of the quality of our team. "I really respect the kid and he's going to go on and do well in his life without hockey." OLIVER REACHES 200 MARK: With his goal in Friday night's 2-1 victory over Bowling Green, senior forward David Oliver became the eighth player in Michigan history to record 200 ca- reerpoints. TeammateBrian Wiseman surpassed 200 earlier this season. Oliver, who already has 103 goals, needs three more assists to become only the third Wolverine to finish his career with at least 100 goals and 100 assists. Denny Felsner and Dave Debol are the only other Michigan players to accomplish the feat. PLAYOFF TICKETS: CCHA first round playoff tickets are now on sale at the Athletic Ticket Department. Next weekend's games against Kent at Yost Ice Arena will be Friday, Saturday, and, if necessary, Sunday. The ticket office is also taking orders for the CCHA Finals March 18-20 at Joe Louis Arena as well as the NCAA Tournament, which be- gins a week later. Michigan 1 1 0-2 Ferris State 1 2 3-6 First Period- 1,FSU, Duff 10 (unassisted), 3.11(pp). 2, UM, Wiseman14, (Botterill, Hogan), 14:47. Second Period- 3, FSU,Hunt 2 (Parrish, Sturock), 5:52. 4, FSU, Roach 4 (Paine), 15:33. 5, UM, Wiseman15 (Botterill, Knuble), 19:11 (pp). Third Period- 6, FSU, Crimin 1 (Kitching, Parrish), 7:22. 7, FSU, Kolenda 8 (Roach, Paine), 8:02; 8, FSU, Kitching 4 (Sergott), 8:38. Shots on goal-UM 14-10-10- 34. FSU 5-9-12-26. Goalie saves- UM, Shields 4-7- 7-18. UM, Gordon x-x-2. FSU, Lisko 13-9-10-32. omw i - otn I * Discounted student airfares * Eurailpasses issued on-the-spot * Hostel cards * International ID card * Work Abroad programs * Travel guidebooks and gear * Expert travel advice CoulNaITrv1 1220 S. University Avenue, Ste. 208 (above McDonalds) Ann Arbor, MI 48104 313-998-0200 Featuring " Teriyaki *Tempura} * Sukiyaki " Udon (noodles) *Full Sushi Bar " Karaoke for Group Parties Across Fourth Ave. From Kerrytown 663-3111 ai ?I C 0 Graduation: JONATHAN LURIE/Daiy Botterill collide on Saturday night during a 6-2 loss to Ferris State. Michigan's Brian Wiseman and JasonI This is your moment Ifyou have something to share with dassmates,family, and friends-" Here isyour opportunity Wanted: Student Speakers for the 1994 LS&A Spring Commencement (Fourth annual competition) 0l r_ The Fifth Annual Pre-Med Students' Symposiumt Being a Part of the Changing Medical Profession" Featuring Keynote Speaker: Dr. Susan HershbergAdleman Saturday, Mach 12, 1994 10:00 am. -3:15 p.m. uiMiehia twrim nin The University of Michigan CENTER FOR CHINESE STUDIES presents the thirteenth annual ALEXANDER ECKSTEIN MEMORIAL LECTURE 'th a Ala tmn mhna e of Cin atu- Who: _m. Open to all LS&A seniors eligible to graduate by the end of Winter Term 1994. I