The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 30, 1995 - 11 4HOCKEY Continued from page 9 other Wolverines that I'd like too." Knuble is coming off a clutch performance against Wisconsin in which he notched two goals, includ- ing the game-winner midway through the final period. Maine advanced to today's game ith a 4-2 victory over Denver Sat- urday, and the Black Bears have returned to the semifinals this sea- son despite the turmoil that sur- rounded last year's squad. After winning the National Championship two years ago with a team that some people called the finest college hockey team ever, the team slipped from its perch last sea- *on and finished a mediocre 17-15- 4. The reason for the fall was two- fold. First, six players, including Imes, left the team before the season to play for the U.S. national team, and then during the season three other players were ruled academically ineligible. That discovery resulted in the 1orfeiture of 14 games and gave the team an official final record of 6- 29-1. This season, Maine sprinted out to an early start and has not looked back. "Our focus has been on just this season," Walsh said. "Last year's behind us, and we're just worried about Michigan right now." * What worries Walsh most about the Wolverines is their potent of- fense that ranks No. 1 in the nation. "Just the general skill level and balance of their top three lines (is a concern)," Walsh said. "They've got something like 50 goals on all three of the lines, and certainly their power play is a concern." Berenson, on the other hand, is a ttle troubled by a corps of defensemen that allows the fewest goals per game in the nation yet also produces a hefty chunk of Maine's offensive output. "They generate a lot of offense from their defense, and they'll be tough to contend with," Berenson said. "They have more points on defense than most of our forwards have. 0 "It'll be a great game between two teams that like to play hockey the way it should be played." ON THE TUBE: Today's game will be televised by ESPN starting at 1 p.m. Michigan is 8-3 this season in games that have appeared on televi- sion. The other semifinal between Boston University and Minnesota vil] be broadcast by ESPN2 start- ing at 8:30 p.m. UCLA confident for battle.against Oklahoma State DOUGLAS N'"IN"L" y Kevin Hilton and the Wolverines need to get by Maine if they want to fight for the NCAA Championship Saturday. MATCHUPS Continued from page 9 consistently faster and more skilled with the puck than that of their oppo- nents. Maine won't be an exception. The Black Bears score an impressive 4.6 goals per game, but they get their offense in a completely different man- ner. Maine's attack starts at the blue line, and defensemen Jeff Tory and Jacques Rodrique are a testament to that fact. Tory leads the Black Bears with 52 points, and Rodrique (11- 25-36) is among Maine's top five scorers. Still, the Black Bears' greatest as- set isn't their ability to put the puck in the net, and they don't play as such. They stand a much better chance if they stick to that philosophy. Advantage: Michigan . Michigan defense vs. Maine de- fense: This year's Michigan team outclasses last year's version because of the superior experience of the de- fensive corps. The Wolverines didn't lose anyone to graduation or the pros at the end of last season, and Michigan now has four veteran defensemen it can depend on. None of them, however, size up with Maine's Chris Imes. After play- ing with the U.S. Olympic Team last year, Imes (4-28--32) returned to become the team captain and Hockey East Player of the Year. The Blake Sloan-Steven Halko and Tim Hogan-Harold Schock combina- tions have been solid for the Wolver- ines; they were the key to Michigan's CCHA-leading 2.74 goals-against average. However, the Black Bears are marginally better in that depart- ment (2.59) and their blueliners pose an offensive threat. Advantage: Maine Michigan goaltending vs. Maine goaltending: Maine goalie Blair Allison struggled through all of last year, finishing 11-8-3 as he shared the netminding duties with Blair Marsh. Both goalies returned this season, but the platoon system did not. It's Allison's job now, and the security of being the clear-cutNo. 1 is how Walsh explains Allison's goals-against av- erage dropping from 3.37 to 2.64. Marty Turco has never wondered about his status as Michigan's No. I netminder - he was recruited to fill that role. Turco, the CCHA Rookie of the Year, has hardly disappointed, but he has struggled some lately, giv- ing up some puzzling goals against Lake Superior State and Wisconsin in the postseason. Advantage: none Special teams: The most often- heard clich6 in college hockey is the one about special teams winning the big games. If that were the case, it's a wonder the Badgers aren't playing in the Wolverines' place. In the NCAA quarterfinal round, Wisconsin went 2-for-4 with a man-advantage, stopped Michigan's first eight power plays and even scored a shorthanded goal. To their credit, the Wolverines did win the game on a power play goal. Michigan's special teams play was most noteworthy that day because the Wolverines are as strong as anyone in that department - they score on 29.4 percent of their power plays, tops in the nation. The Black Bears aren't far behind at 28 percent, and their penalty-kill- ing percentage (85.9) beats Michigan's 84 percent. Since Maine is the more defensive- minded team, however, the puck will be in the Black Bears' end more often than not. In the process of knocking the bigger Wolverine forwards off the puck, Maine will resort to hauling people down, which leads to penalties. Michigan's power play is the best around, and it'll get more chances. Advantage: Michigan Coaching: Maine's Walsh has won at least 30 games seven of the past eight years; Michigan's Berenson has 30 or more victories in each of the last five seasons. This year, both coaches' teams clinched their respec- tive conference's regular-season title well before the season was over. Obviously, neither is here by acci- dent. Yet, when a team has the kind of talent the Wolverines have had the last few years and doesn't win a na- tional title at some point, the coach is sure to get most of the criticism. Berenson hasn't gotten to this point. His NCAA Tournament losses of late have been the result of bad luck, or so it seems. Walsh did win a title, though, and his BlackBearshave never shown a penchant for dropping the big games - no matter what the reason - like Berenson's Wolver- ines. Advantage: Maine Overall: Berenson and Walsh don't believe it, but Michigan has a serious edge in offensive speed and skill. Can the Wolverines convert on the power play? That's the question. The answer is, nobody's better with a man advantage. Prediction: Michigan 4, Maine 2 SEATTLE (AP) - UCLA's Jim Harrick sounded nearly too confident, almost cocksure. He wasn't cautiously optimistic like Nolan Richardson of defending cham- pion Arkansas, Dean Smith of North Carolina and Eddie Sutton of Okla- homaState. Each expressed confidence, but with the proper amount of doubt, too. "I feel good," Harrick said during a telephone news conference Wednes- day. "If you didn't think that, you probably shouldn't come." As NCAA Final Fours go, Harrick is a rookie. When the top-ranked Bru- ins (29-2) play Oklahoma State (27-9) in the NCAA tournament semifinals in the Kingdome on Saturday, it'll be Harrick's first game as a coach in the Final Four. He'll be giving away a lot of big- game coaching experience to the likes of Richardson, Smith and Sutton, who have coached in Final Fours before. Smith has coached Final Four teams in four decades. "That sounds old," Smith said with a chuckle. And wise. Smith said all the right things about Saturday's other semifinal, between North Carolina (28-5) and Arkansas (31-6). "I think it should be an exciting game if we can handle their excellent pressure defense," Smith said. "But this could be our last game." Harrick has reason to be confi- dent. His Bruins have won 17 games in a row, including a 102-96 victory over Connecticut in last Saturday's West Regional final at Oakland, Calif. "We have made a great run through our conference, which is a very, very good conference," Harrick said.."We beat Kentucky and Louisville and Notre Dame and North Carolina State and Duke. We've gone out and played anybody we could possibly sched- ule." UCLA last won a national title 20 years ago in San Diego. It was the last ofJohn Wooden's loin adizzying 12- yearrun. The Bruins are back in the Final Four for the first time since 1980 when nomadic Larry Brown was the coach in Westwood. Harrick thought UCLA could make it to the Final Four this season. When the Bruins were in Seattle to play Washington in a Pac-10. game Feb. 9, he took his players to the Kingdome to show them where they could be playing in April if they worked hard enough. "We did it for a special reason," he said. "We wanted to put it in their minds that it was a place we wanted to return to." UCLA is favored by 4 points to beat "Big Country," Oklahoma State's 7-foot, 300-pound center Bryant Reeves, but Sutton likes the odds. Back in the Final Four with Okla- homa State after his coaching career appeared over at Kentucky, Sutton enjoys being the underdog. "We're going to be wearing black uniforms so I guess we'll be the un- derdogs," Sutton said. "I think we have the toughest challenge that we've had all season. I really believe UCLA deserves the No. 1 ranking in the country." The Cowboys got to Seattle with a 68-54 victory over Massachusetts in the East Regional final, holding Mas- sachusetts to a season-low 28 percent shooting. BASEBALL Continued from page 9 "You have good days and you have bad ones," said John Arvai, who leads the team in saves. "Today just hap- ned to be one of our bad days." M The Wolverines pulled ahead of Western, 6-5, in the fifth. Scott Niemiec walked with two outs in the inning. AfterVan Oeveren flared abloop single over the shortstop's head, Goble ripped a single to rightfield to score Niemiec. Simmons scored the Wolverines' seventh run on a two-base error in the eighth. Kevin Gorlewski (1-0) picked up Ohe win for Western. Van Oeveren went 3-for-5 yester- day, hissecond three-hitgamethis week. The senior co-captain also scored three of Michigan's eight runs. He has been on a tear his last five games, batting .500 with eight hits in 16 at bats. Van Oeveren, last year's most valuable player, was batting only.209 in the first 21 games of the season. "A lot of (my slump) just had to do ith what's above my shoulders," Van Oeveren said. " Ijust tried not to dwell on it and focus on positive things. I drew a line last weekend and said 'this is a new season."' Brian Simmons was 2-for-3 at the plate with a double for the Wolverines. Hokies pokey NEW YORK (AP) - Shawn Marquette 57-54 on Smith made two free throws with less scored six straight poir than a second left in overtime to give 59 lead. Virginia Tech a 65-64 victory over Marquette counter Marquette for the NIT championship run to move ahead 64- last night. layup by Pieper with 1 Smith, who finished with 24 Tech then ran down points, was fouled by Faisal Abraham Smith was fouled afters as he went up for a shot under the fake near the basket. basket with seven-tenths of a second Smith, who grabbe remaining. The junior forward made was voted the tourr his first free throw to tie the game, Shawn Good added 1 then sank his second after Marquette Hokies. called a timeout to make him think Hutchins and Ton about it. scored 15 points for M Marquettethen inbounded the ball McCaskill had 13 poi to Anthony Pieper just across bounds. midcourt, but he couldn't get a shot off before the buzzer sounded. Smith, a 67 percent free throw shooter during the season, made 10 of 12 Wednesday night. It was the second NIT title for Virginia Tech (25-10), which also won the final in overtime over Notre A re Dame in 1973. Y Marquette, which won the NIT in 1970, finished at 21-12. your b Aaron Hutchins scored the first basket of overtime to put Marquetted 7 T , h r to NIT title Jan. 17, then nts to take a 63- red with a 5-0 63 on a driving 8 seconds left. the clock and making apump d 12 rebounds, inament MVP. 4 points for the ny Miller each arquette. Amal ints and 15 re- Penn State 66, Canisius 62: Dan Earl scored 17 points, including two free throws with 6.4 seconds left, as Penn State survived a late Canisius rally for a 66-62 victory Wednesday night in the NIT consolation game. Penn State led 58-46 with 7:55 left, but Canisius fought back to tie the game at 62 on a steal and dunk by Craig Wise with 1:56 remaining. John Amaechi hit two foul shots with 46 seconds left to give Penn State a 64-62 lead. Canisius missed three shots on one possession in the closing seconds and then fouled Earl, who made both free throws to clinch the victory. AP PHOTO Oklahoma State is getting up for its game against the Bruins. ou upset because oyfriend's parents nterfering in your relationship?. StudentOrganization ccounts Service [SOBS] General Fund AccounitConversion Beginning September 1, 1995, and running through September 30, 1996 SOAS General Fund (GF) Accounts will undergo a conversion. As a result I .Fe1! 4 ZT t 4"\ +tN 1-,An dr 4- di 4 hC- m