12A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 28, 1996 Swimmers shift to NCAA nindset By Susan Dann Daily Sports Writer It's sage wisdom that has been passed down for years in the world of team competitions: There is no 'I' in team. In swimming this year, the idea of putting the team before the individual has been questioned. The distractions of the U.S. Olym- pic Trials and other foreign qualify- ing meets have proved trying on the team concept, as individuals have fo- cused on their own preparedness. Eight Michigan swimmers per- formed in the U.S. Olympic Trials. Of those, three earned spots on the team, five didn't. The emotional impact of such an event will undoubtedly affect indi- viduals' outlooks toward swimming, not to mention the NCAA champion- ships. Therefore, the Wolverines are per- haps the best team to put the cliche to the test. "The Olympic trials are an 'I' meet," coach Jon Urbanchek said. "The NCAA is a team concept. Whichever team can make the transition from 'I' to 'team' the best is going to win." Urbanchek's swimmers are ready for the test. "After a meet of that prestige and stature which rewards great individual performances, it is hard to refocus," Michigan sophomore and Olympic team member Tom Malchow said. "It's really an exciting shift, though. When you are representing the whole school, the University of Michigan, it's not hard to pump up for the cham- pionships." But contradicting the team's return to. a unified focus, the Wolverines cannot afford to lose individual suc- cesses. Only I11 members of the Michigan squad will compete this weekend, while squads like Stanford and Au- burn have qualified 18 to 20 swim- mers for the meet. Michigan knows quantity does not translate into quality. "Last year we won with 12 guys," John Piersma said. "Sure, it would be nice to have 18 or 20 guys, but I think we can do it." Where the Wolverines are strong, they are dominating. In the 500 freestyle, Michigan is mighty. Seven of the team's 11 will compete in the event, including Olym- pians Malchow, Piersma and Tom Dolan. Likewise, in the 1,650 freestyle, Big Ten champion Joe Palmer and 1995 NCAA champion Dolan could both earn the Wolverines points in that event. But where the Wolverines are weak, they are not even a factor. And that could be their downfall in the end. "Unfortunately for us, the NCAAs are primarily a sprinting meet," Piersma said. "We don't have a team competing in the 200-yard freestyle relay and no one in both the 50 and 100 freestyle events." The Wolverines are also forfeiting points in the diving competitions, as no one from Michigan qualified on the boards. That could be painful against other top schools. "Stanford, Auburn and Texas are sprinting schools," Piersma said. "They may finish one or two in the sprints, but we'll make up for it in other events. We have outrageous numbers in the distance." The severe lack of bodies swim- ming for the Wolverines at the na- tional championships returns indi- vidual responsibility to the Michigan swimmers. "(The lack of numbers) puts a little more demand on each of us to pull our weight in not only our strong events," Malchow said. "It's not just who (from Michigan) finishes first in their strongest events, but also who can pick up fifth or sixth in their non-primary event and earn us points this way." HOCKEY Continued from Page A The Terriers are the defending national champions, a title that carries with1(;t0 a different stature than they've experi- enced in past tournaments. Q However, BU now has the chacgo repeat as champion, somethingthatit't been done since Jack Kelly coached the Terriers to consecutive titles in 19l-mod 1972. And while most teams wouldn't need any more incentive to win, BU coach Jack Parker is also welcoming the return of Travis Roy, the freshman who was para- lyzed in an on-ice collision during, t he first game of the season. Roy will watch from the stands; con- fined to a wheelchair, a sight that drove many teammatestotears at last weekptnd's NCAA East Regionals. .; "There's no question that last yea ' catalyst, all year long, was to avenge t loss the year before," Parket said.- *We don't have that anymore. "This year we have a chance tokbe the first team to repeat in a long time, bu the situation with Travis has put thiswhole thing in perspective; we'd like t9geat Michigan and advance, but if we, con't, we don't." Parker's hopes rely on a high-flying offense led by Hobey Baker finalists. Pandolfo and Chris Drury. The pair-have scored 67 points apiece, while Pandolfo, the Hockey East Player of the Yearleads the nation in goals. But Berenson has even more to worry about in forwards Bob Lachance, Shawn Bates and Mike Grier, who havelcom- bined for another 150 points. All told,the Terriers possesses the nation's most.pro- lific offense, averaging more than, six goals a game. 1 If Boston University, the No.1 the East, has an Achilles' heel, it is de- fense. The Terriers are solid, but they graduatedtheir top three defensemenxfrom a year ago and needed to move~hris O'Sullivan back to the blue line-oiso- lidify their defense for the NCAA tourna- ment. Boston's line chart looks a kflike Michigan's, with at least six playe.sor- ing more than 45 points. But whatsc - Parker most about the Wolverins Michigan's top-ranked defense. "Nobody knows how good theyere on defense only because they're so good on offense," Parkersaid. "They reallypresent a lot of problems for us.",;" ; WALKER VANUYKE/Dailyf The Michigan men's swimming team will try to defend its national title starting today at the NCAAs. SWIMMING Continued from Page 9A to score." If Michigan is to repeat, it will have to fend off legitimate challengers in the sprinting events. The Longhorns have six swimmers entered in both the 50 and 100 freestyle events. The Volunteers return Ricky Busquets, who placed seventh and fourth in the 50 and 100, respectively. This season he tore up the Southeastern Conference, winning both events at the conference meets with times of 19.45 and 43.01. Auburn also has a full complement of sprinters entered in the meet, including Oliver Gumbrill, who in last year's na- tionals finished fifth in the 50 and sixth in the 100. Stanford, who is generally consid- ered the Wolverines' greatest rival, is also very strong in the sprints. The Cardinal have entered four swimmers in the 50 free and six in the 100 free. Included in its lineup is All-American Scott Claypool, who finished runner- up to Borges in the 50 last year. Perhaps the biggest challenge for the Wolverines in the three-day meet - even bigger than their sprinting deficiency - will be to overcome their overall lack of entrants in the meet. While Michigan sent II guys to Austin, top-ranked Auburn and Stanford are both taking the full complement of competitors to the NCAAs. Stanford has swimmiers in every in- dividual event except the 200 breast- stroke. The Tigers had so many athletes qualify for nationals that they had to leave some of them back at school in order to meet the NCAA limit. "It was difficult to leave those guys at home," Auburn coach David Marsh said. "The greatest weakness for our team is that we have a lot of one event guys" In contrast, the bulk of Michigan's 11 athletes are swimming numerous races. Most of these swimmers are highly ranked in their respective events. London 199* Paris 229* Amsterdam 275* Dublin 285* Prague 299* Rome 309* Budapest 309* IN . set tck . nO..o.,i bw on. ...necduo . farts .,do "0 k" oda l. u- o.f l(, toak. b~o.N . Si - S 4. depodnq oM destinion or de.p .*k charqges pid dirc o bn kign o-*N .1lkw4 oo. i o ru- , am "vt*twi ,. "Voted 1995's Best Travel Agency in Anti Arbor by the readers of The Michigan Daily." # 1 GOTravel 1220 S. UNIVERSITY DR., STE. 208 ANN ARBOR, MI 48104 313-998-0200 http://www.ciee.org/cts/ctshome.htm ISSU0EURA .PASSES E COTSONIKA Continued from Page 9A goaltender in Tom Noble. Both teams have loaded lineups. This game will not come down to talent. It won't come down to hunger either. Michigan wants to get to the final for the first time since 1977. Boston Uni- versity wants to win for a fallen team- mate. The Wolverines and Terriers both have enough motivation. "Last year's catalyst was to avenge the embarrassment of the year before," said Boston University coach Jack Parker, whose Terriers won the 1994- 95 NCAA title a year after being blown out, 9-I, in the championship game by Lake Superior. "We were a very hungry team. Now the challenge is to repeat. We have (paralyzed freshman) Travis Roy as a catalyst this year." With both teams stocked with scor- ers, and both playing for something more than just a ring, Mike Legg is important. The distraction caused by A CHAMPIONSHIP Cincinnati the goal could hurt Mike Legg and, most importantly, Michigan. It could upset the delicate mental edge that Berenson says his team has. "We're a little more experienced, a little more confident than we were a year ago," Berenson said. "We're ready, and we still have something to prove." The Wolverines had better be ready. A minute loss of focus by any player- even for something as amazing as Legg's goal -can kill a team in games that are decided by a bad bounce, a lucky break or a stick trick. If Michigan wants to win tonight, The Goal had better not detract from the real goal - at all. If it does, no Wolver- ine will be seen on ESPN for a long, long time. - Nicholas J. Cotsonika can be reached over e-mail at cotsonik@umich.edu. 5 -w -.. ... ,. c. ; 24th A Inuil Dane for Mother [Eth Ann Arbor.Pow Wow March 29, 30 & 31, 1996 UM Crisler Arena __ _.. - i NOPPORN KICHANANTVA/DAIL Junior center Brendan Morrison, shown here sliding after the puck earlier this season against Illinois-Chicago, is Michigan's marquee player. He is one of the Hobey Baker Award Finalists. The Wolverines will need a strong showing from Morrison tonight if they hope to get by Boston University and into Saturday's NCAA title game at 1 p.m. t i 'vir. A gethering of over 1,000 of North Americe's finest chemplon dancers and singsrs. Come see the country's most reknown Native Corefhpeople and Attisens disilaglng end selling thaW euthmnf e work. Doors open Friday 5:00 PM Grand Entry 7:00 PM Doors open Sat. & Sun. 11:00 AM Saturday Grand Entries 1:00 & 7:00 PM Sunday Grand Entry 1:00 PM Adults $8/day Child (3-12) $3/day Students and Seniors $5/dav Lecture Notes *course pcet *Resume Services: OFax Service BOOKSTORE ACCURATE FAST PROFESSIONAL Receive $2 off a resume package with this ad. One per customer. Grade A Notes at Ulrich's Bookstore Second Floor + 549 E. University - 741-9669 " University of Michigan Hospitals Research for Pay" * Healthy, drug-free subjects between 18-45 needed for research studies at U of M Hospitals involving 1-2 visits and blood drawing. ePays $100-$200. * For more information, call Heddy at 764-5349. ~1 session I-June 3-july S S- I. l...4. . o The Seventh Annual Maa.. ,== a. i I