Coming up this weekend ... N The Michigan hockey team faces off against Western Michigan at 7 p.m. tonight at Yost Ice Arena. X The men's volleybalI tean hosts Sacramento State and the Collegiate Classic Tournament at the CCRB tonight and tomorrow. 1 The men's gymnastics team competes at Cliff Keen Arena at 7 p.m. tomorrow against ilinois and. Ohio State. Page 10 Friday, Fabruar 3. 1995 i Wolverines fight for first h Weekend important for Michigan's CCHA title hopes F By Darren Everson Daily Hockey Writer With another weekend comes an- other pair of must-win games for the Michigan hockey team. As their quest for the CCHA title continues, the Wol- verines host Western Michigan to- night and visit Michigan State tomor- row - a couple of familiar foes that Michigan has had a lot of success against. "We're not a dominant team that blows teams out of the building," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "Not a lot of teams in this league think we're that good." Someone seems to think the Wol- verines aren't so bad, sinceMichigan is currently the top-ranked team in the country. However, all is not well. Forward Jason Botterill will not see action this weekend. The junior winger has been plagued by injuries and will not play in either game. Even with him in the lineup, Michigan has struggled offensively lately. In an attempt to re- verse that trend, the Wolverines will try a couple of different line combinations against the Broncos and Spartans. Kevin Hilton has been skating with John Madden and Warren Luhning in practice. Ron Sacka should return to the lineup, and he may join Matt Herr and John Arnold. Rick Willis, Bill Muckalt and Robb Gordon figure to be another combination, while the line of Brendan Morrison, Mike Knuble and Mike Legg remains the same. For once, the Wolverines don't have to spend any time wondering what Bowling Green is up to. Aside from the fact that the two teams are now tied for first place, the Falcons have a two-game set with Alaska- Fairbanks, games that don't count in the standings. As important as these games are for the Wolverines' championship hopes, Michigan State may need two points from Saturday's contest even more. The Spartans are in contention for the conference title, and like Michigan, MARK FRIEDMAN/Daily Rick Willis and the Wolverines will try to get by Western Michigan and Michigan State this weekend. Blue to c i against Gophers Wolverines must face Minnesota at unfriendly Williams Arena By Ryan White Daily Basketball Writer Minnesota basketball coach Clem Haskins has only one thing on his mind at this point in the season, and it's not the Big Ten title. "All we want to do is get to the NCAA Tournament," Haskins said. "We just want to get to the NCAA, where they're all neutral site games, and we're pretty darn good at neu- tral sites." Haskins believes if they are to make it to March Madness the Golden Go- phers (5-3 Big Ten, 14-6 overall) need to win the rest of their home games. That includes tomorrow night's 8 p.m. showdown against Michigan (6- 2, 12-8) at Williams Arena. Minnesota is 5-4 on the road this season, butithas won just one of its four conference games away from home. Haskins has put the emphasis on winning at home, since he feels that the Gophers will need 19 wins to make the tournament, and for one additional reason. "We have the best place to play in the country," Haskins said. "There is no team like Williams Arena." Michigan senior Ray Jackson agreed. "They've definitely got the tough- estplace to play in the country," he said. Minnesota has had seven days to prepare for the Wolverines, seven days that the Gophers needed. Forward Jayson Walton has been bothered by knee problems and center Chad Kolander has been resting a bad TheGophers lastgame was a55-54 victory over Iowa. Like Michigan State, Minnesotahas been helped by the return of a top player. But unlike the Spartans' Shawn Respert, who chose not to enter the NBA Draft, the Gophers' Voshon Lenard opted for the draft but returned to Minnesota. Lenard was the first to take advan- tage of an NCAA rule allowing under- classmen to enter the draft and return to college ifthey weren't happy with where they were selected. Lenard was chosen 46th overall by the Milwaukee Bucks, and is now averaging 17.1 points per game for Minnesota. Senior guard Townsend Orr is the only other Golden Gopher averaging double figures. Orr is scoring 13 points a contest. In spite of the fact that Minne- sota is aiming for the NCAA Tour- nament, it hasn't ruled out the Big Ten title. "I really feel that our chances are as good as (any conference teams) to win games," Haskins said. "I think our chances are still as good as anyone's to win the Big Ten championship. "I'm really pleased with the team. I told them last night that if we just stay focused we'll be all right." they have played two fewer league games than Bowling Green. Both clubs lose that edge this weekend, but Michigan State currently stands three points behind the Fal- cons and the Wolverines. "In order to stay in the hunt, I think we need this one," Spartan forward Anson Carter said. At the Great Lakes Invitational against Michigan, the juniorcenterand his teammates played what Michigan State coach Ron Mason called their bestgame of the season. And whilethe Spartans were much more competitive in that encounter than they were in November's meeting, they still came away with nothing to show for it. "What makes Michigan so tough is that (the Wolverines) can throw three or four strong lines at you," Carter said. "I don't know if you can say it's any one person with them. It's like a wave of blue is coming down right on you." As for Michigan State, the attack See HOCKEY, Page 14 Wrestlers square off versus Big Ten foes By Jed Rosenthal Daily Sports Writer The Michigan wrestling team, riding the crest of a three-match Big Ten winning streak, has finally met its toughest opponent - itself. When All-American and captain Jesse Rawls went down with a torn anterior cruciate ligamentlast Saturday against Northwestern, the Wolverines might have shot themselves in the foot. Michigan has left itself with a void at the 177-pound slot when it goes on the road tomorrow to take on Big Ten foes Purdue and No. 21 Indiana. Rawls' status for the season is still undecided. He can continue wrestling or opt for surgery, which will put him on the shelf for the rest of the year. "What we're going to do for now is try to cover in the dual meets forJesse," Michigan coach Dale Bahr said. "It's like the army when you go into war. You know that at some point in time, somebody in your platoon is going to go (down). You just hope he doesn't, but you must go in there knowing that something like this can happen. You just have to pick up and carry on." The upper weight classes have been the Wolverines' strength, but with Rawls out indefinitely, the lineup will be shuffled for tomorrow's matches. Freshman Bill Lacure will move to 158 pounds and displace No. 5 Jeff Catrabone, who will wrestle at 167. No. 6 Chad Biggert will move from 167 and replace Rawls. Lacure is the new wrestler in the lineup, but Bahr has confidence in the rookie. "He's a two-time state champion," Bahrsaid. "He's notatrue 158-pounder, but we're hoping he can fill in and 'Cat and Biggert can win for us." Lacure never lost a high school wrestling dual meet and went unde- feated his junior and senior years for a combined 79-0 record. See WRESTLING, Page 14 4F~: ,.'. Lena 0 ankle he aggravated over thepastcouple of games. Haskins gave the team this past Sunday and Monday off and Walton has only practiced sparingly the past couple of days. Maurice Taylor and Michigan will try to grab a Big Ten conference win from Minnesota Saturday at Williams Arena in Minneapolis. wometankers dive in against Indiana tomorrow By Marc Diller Daily Sports Writer The countdown is on and the Michigan women's swimming and diving team is now less than two weeks away from trying for its ninth consecutive conference champion- ship. No. 2 Michigan (3-0 Big Ten, 6- 1 overall) faces Indiana (3-4, 4-5) for its final Big Ten dual meet of the season tomorrow at Indiana University-Purdue University at Indianapolis Natatorium. "The meet is in the same facility where the Big Tens will be held," Wolverine coach Jim Richardson said. "It will be good for us to develop a familiarity with the pool." For Michigan, this weekend's meet will act as a final preparatory competition before the Big Ten championships Feb. 16-18. The Wolverines have started intensive training to prepare their swimmers to score NCAA qualifying times at "I think Indiana has some good young swimmers. On paper though, we're much stronger than the Hoosiers." - Jim Richardson Michigan swimming coach Hoosiers diver Jenny Dixon re- mains undefeated during the dual meet season in the three-meter and has posted the conference's top score in the event with a 324.6 against Toledo Nov. 5. Wolverines diver Carrie Zarse is second with a 311.70. Zarse has the slight edge over Dixon in the one- meter, 320.90 to 310.05. Indiana is a young, developing team which has yet to prove itself a threat in the conference. In the pool, the Hoosiers are led by juniors Tammy Cook and Beth Burke. Together, Cook and Burke boast the team's top times. "I think Indiana has some good young swimmers," Richardson said. "On paper though, we're much stron- ger than the Hoosiers." Big Tens. All but seven swimmers have begun to taper in order to score better times. "It's a good tune-up for people who don't have NCAA cuts yet," Richardson said. "We're a week and one half away from the meet. Some- times it can get pretty ugly because the complete taper hasn't set in yet." Michigan swimmers will be swimming their second-or-third best events Saturday to continue the training process through the meet. Probably the meet's top match-up takes place above the pool on the three-meter diving board. 0 Raft me Rivers Wid NOW HIRING FOR SPRING/SUMMER. STAY IN ANN ARBOR, TAKE A CLASS, AND BUILD YOUR RESUME WHILE EARNING COMMISSION-BASED PAY. "Working as an Account Executive has opened the door for me to the 'real world'. There are few other ways to earn such m