8 - The Michigan Daily -- SPORTSThursday - Thursday, January 5, 1995 B I&S Tech's Mancini chose B! ~NQS Jguts over glory at GLI By DARREN EVERSON Daily Hockey Writer DETROIT - Late in last Thursday's game, Luciano Caravaggio braced fora shot that he must have been relieved to see. There was no way the Michigan Tech goalie was giving up his 12th goal of the night on that one, mainly because the puck wasn't even headed toward the net. Somehow, he didn't know Michi- gan was running the old bounce-the- puck-off-the-dropped-stick-on-the- ice play. Ordinarily, when a shot like that and 11 others find the net, the victimized goalie gets the rest of the night off. All Caravaggio could do, though, was fall to the ice in agony, because there was no one on the bench to replace him. Backup netminder Matt Kucway and six other Huskies violated team rules. Because of this, coach Bob Mancini suspended them for that game. Mancini deserves praise for his action. Michigan Tech sure could have used some of those guys - among those suspended were a couple of the team's top scorers. But at a time when coaches place winning above ethics, Mancini did just the opposite. "That shows great character by (Mancini), to discipline his guys like that," Michigan forward Mike Knuble said. Considering the current climate in collegiate athletics, Knuble's state- ment is quite true. If you're a coach, winning is everything these days; don't do enough of it and you'll soon be looking for work elsewhere. While a hockey coach at Michi- gan Tech doesn't endure the same pressure that coaches at other places do, the Huskies haven't really been any good for quite a while. What's more, they haven't won the annual Great Lakes Invitational - a tourna- ment they created - since 1980. With that in mind, Michigan Tech fans and alumni are probably getting a bit restless waiting for a winner. So when the Huskies got a shot against No.3 Michigan attheirGLI, the coach let a trivial thing like morality get in the way? "I'm 100 percent totally convinced that I made the only choice," Mancini said, "and it was the right choice. You can't play favorites." This doesn't mean that Matt Kucway would've made all the dif- ference in the world that day, or that the Huskies would've won had the others played. However, Jimmy Roy and Dave Dupont, two of the offend- ing players, combined for five points in the consolation game against Cornell. Both also had an assist on the game-winning goal. Their play in that game and the 17 other ones this season prove they're an important part of Mancini's team. And since all the parts weren't in place for Michigan Tech last Thursday, the Huskies weren't at their best when they truly needed to be. "Hopefully all the statements have been made and all the punishments taken care of," Mancini said after the Huskies' win over the Big Red. Thanks to his own choice of ac- tion, that probably will be the case. When Kucway, Dupont and the rest think of Michigan's record-breaking 13-0 victory, they'll know they were the only ones who got embarrassed that day. JOSE JUAREZ/Spncialto the Daily Michigan forward Mike Knuble fights for a loose puck during the Wolverines' 5-4 win over MichiganState. G'L'I gi*vvs chigan hockey a boosult BIAS PARTY iSHOPPE Welcomes Students Back Kegs - Imported Beer 8 Wine - Liquor- Cigs- Deli 340 S. State St. Ann Arbor, MI 48104 fVISA 1 :u( KIEIN oson or Buy any subT Ben a 32oz. habatts I or L awash I jell's I Fountain 12 Pk cans I sandwich I Pins I Pop $6.49 I $1.49 $1.99 39C PLUS DEPOSIT ## Wlcoupon. Expires 25 Wlcoupon. Expires 25 Wlcoupo. Expires 1119 Wlcoupo. Expires The World Leader In Test Preparation Presents For International Students and Professionals This course features: 70 Hours of LIVE Classes Conversation Practice Sessions Practice TOEFL Exams 230 hours of additional self-paced review material Home Study Materials 1-20 Documentation Next class starts January 25, 1995 337 East Liberty St., Ann Arbor, M1 48104 1-313-662-3149 Call Kaplan today for information or to enroll! Kaplan is authorized under federal law to enroll non-immigrant alien students. Kaplan offers test preparation courses for GMAT, GRE, MCAT, USMLE, NCLEX, CGFNS, DAT, SAT, ACT, and LSAT. Some restrictions apply. By NICHOLAS J. COTSONIKA Daily Sports Writer DETROIT - They call it the stepping stone. The midterm examination. The dress rehearsal for "down the road." But whatever they call it, the Great Lakes Invita- tional is nothing less than a booster rocket for the Michigan hockey team. The Wolverines have won a record seven consecu- tive GLI titles. During that streak, Michigan has gained important notoriety, recognition and recruiting power. "The GLI gives us a lot of local visibility and national visibility," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "A lot of people watch this tournament. It's a prestigious tournament. "To win this once, then twice, then three times and so on, people start to look at Michigan and say, 'Hey, they must be pretty good.' Maybe we are." One of the Wolverines' preseason goals is to show how good they are in the GLI. Their doing so is important to the players, coaches and the program - not to mention the alumni. "It is a big team goal to win this," captain Rick Willis said. "It's something we work for, focus on and push for. "We hear from all the guys that graduated before the tournament. You hear from Steve Shields, Mike Stone, Brian Wiseman, they all call. They make sure we've got all the troops together and we're ready to rock. It's a prestigious tournament and it's important to a lot of people." Beyond the reputation of the tournament itself is the prestige of the venue. The GLI is played in Joe Louis Arena, home of the Detroit Red Wings. That is quite a draw for recruits and quite a thrill for players like Willis and Mike Knuble. "This is the ultimate hockey building, besides the Boston Garden," said Willis, a Lynn, Mass. native. "Down here in Detroit, with all of this tradition ... it's just awesome. Mike Knuble said it a thousand times, it's got that certain aroma to it. It's big-league and it has a big-league smell." "When you walk in here you can smell the spilled beer and hot dogs," Knuble said. "It's a professional- type atmosphere. We love to play here." Their love of playing in the GLI gives the Wolver- ines new focus when headed into the second half of the season. Championship wins following long holiday layoffs can do wonders for a team's psyche. The title certainly did that for Michigan last year, as they regis- tered a .750 winning percentage following the tourney. "Although you can't plan it, (winning the GLI) has been a very positive part of the second half of our seasons for the past few years," Berenson said. "Walk- ing out of this building tonight, our kids just feel so good, and they build on that. We're a better team in the second half, after the GLI." 'To win this once, then twice, then three times and so on, people start to look at Michigan and say, "Hey, they must be pretty good." Maybe we are.' - Red Berenson Michigan hockey coach For Berenson, the tournament is also a time to test his team. The Wolverines' ability to come back after a long layoff and play well against tough competition is a stern challenge. "The GLI is like our midterm exam;" Berenson said. "Winning it is like getting 100 on your midterm exam." But the GLI is only the midterm. With all of their elation created by winning the tournament, the Wolver- ines know their final exam is coming soon. The GLI title is only a rehearsal for the real thing - the NCAA tournament. "This is kind of our dress rehearsal for down the road," Willis said. "Tonight we did well in, our dress rehearsal." If they do as well on their final, their report card will hang from the rafters. " Newsletters Newsletters Newsletters Newsletters Big savings on newsletters for all clubs, businesses, and organizations. cwyQ99-mkS I s - - v u l£. M I