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The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - January 27, 1997 - 7B
LEGG
ontinued from Page 15
the line. But he never could have
dreamed of the impact the game would
have on his life.
After the goal, he became interna-
tionally-known. A Swedish hockey
magazine named the shot its play of the
year. His goal was written about in all
the'newspapers, and it was shown on all
of the television highlight shows.
Legg received awards, garnered
aques, and swept the yearly honors
or various play of the year honors. And
yet, for all the people around the world
who know him as the "goal guy," he is
unchanged.
"He got a lot of recognition,"
Michigan coach Red Berenson said.
"He got a lot of respect and attention,
which is good because it was overdue
for a player like Mike. I like the way he
handled it. He brushed it off. He's just a
ice kid. He doesn't get big-headed
'Wc t it, but I do think it gave him more
confidence."
Berenson's eyes have watched No. 15
skate up and down the ice day in and
day 'out for four seasons, but at times,
the view has been blurry.
Berenson demands all-out effort. He-
gaVe 100 percent when he was a player
and his coaching philosophy evolved as
an extension of his playing career - go
1 out, all the time.
Maybe that is why Berenson was
troubled that Legg rarely played the
game of which he was capable. During
his first three seasons, Legg would have
good nights, when he fulfilled his enor-
nmos talent, littered in between the
tghts when games didn't go as well.
'.1is season, things changed for
-e's always been a good player on
our team, but rarely been a great play-
er," Berenson said. "Now, he's playing
great hockey. He's focused, he's moti-
vated, and he's confident. And when
you put all those things together with a
skilled player, you see what you're get-
ting (now)."
What Berenson's getting now is
Legg's breakthrough campaign. After
this weekend's two games against
Miami, Legg is among the team leaders
in goals and assists - an unusual posi-
tion for the senior. His 31 points are
approaching his career high of 40
points set last season - and there are
still 10 games left in the regular season.
"In the past, there's always been
something missing," Berenson said.
"He's always showed signs of greatness,
but (Legg) never played that way. And
now he is.'
Berenson and the coaching staff's
observations are an essential part of
Legg's continuing development. And
Legg gives them credit.
"They're so supportive," Legg said of
the coaches. "(Assistant coaches) Mel
(Pearson), Billy (Powers) and Red are
unbelievable. They just want to see us
do good and make us men out of boys
when we get here.'
When Berenson watches Legg skate
off the ice for the last time, he will see
a player who has changed and matured.
m.
When his friends' eyes aren't on
Legg, they get impatient.
"Anytime you go anywhere with him,
you're always waiting for him," said
Harold Schock, Legg's roommate and a
Michigan defenseman. "Guys will be
ready to go to a movie, and (Legg) has
to go upstairs and fix his hair. You've
always got to wait for him."
While idiosyncrasies exist within any
friendship, Legg's roommates maintain
that the soft-spoken senior is unwaver-
ing in his loyalty.
. "He's the kind of person you could
ask any favor of, and he wouldn't think
twice about doing it," Schock said.
"He's someone you could tell anything
to."
Legg's personality fits in well in a
lockerroom dominated by high-profile
stars. While he has been drafted by the
NHL's New Jersey Devils, it is players
like captain Brendan Morrison who
garner most of the publicity, and that's
perfect for Legg's demeanor.
"He has one of the more laid-back
attitudes on the team;" Morrison said.
"He really loosens things up once in a
while. He fits in really well and is liked
by the guys."
Legg asserts his leadership by acting
as a role model.
"On the team, everybody can be a
leader," he said. "It's not who is (a cap-
tain.) You can show leadership on the
ice by just working hard. No one is real-
ly set apart from anybody else."
Legg's eyes can see what's around
him, as well as what is within him.
The senior will pull off his Michigan
uniform - whether it's after the nation-
al championship game March 29 or ear-
lier - for the last time, without regrets.
"(Coming to Michigan) is the best
decision I made," he said. "The guys on
the team and the coaching staff made
(Michigan) an unbelievable place to
come. They have it all. They're a No. 1
organization in academics and hockey."
It is the camaraderie at Michigan that
reminds him he is part of a team, one
functioning unit.
"On our team, if someone's going to
go out somewhere, they call everyone
on the team to see if they want to come
with you," he said. "No separate little
groups. In that sense, it's a beautiful
place to be?'
Whatever his memories are, Legg
will miss Michigan.
"It's our last year" Legg said. "It just
seems like we were here yesterday, in
the dorms. It's really special this year.
The head leaders on the team, we just
try to do (for the freshmen) what (for-
mer captains Steve) Shields and (Brian)
Wiseman did for us when we came in.'
Four years at Michigan have left an
impression on Legg, but more than that,
he left a mark on the program.
As a member of one of Michigan's
most successful senior classes, Legg
laughs when asked about his place in
history.
"It's hard to look at it" he said.
"Maybe when I step back, I can look at
that. It's sort of hard right now to do
that. I've heard that we could be the best
class that's ever been here. But I can't
say that."
Even in history, his modesty will
remain.
U ..
Two months away from a possible
repeat trip to the national championship
game, Legg is not pondering his future,
but instead is focusing on the present.
"I'm not worried about (the NHL)
right now," he says. "I'm trying to have
a real strong finish, and if I do that,
things will fall into place."
For the next two months, one thing is
for sure, Mike Legg will do everything
possible to close out his college career
with another national championship.
Swimmers take.two
By B.J. Luria
Daily Sports Writer
When you've lost 45 swim meets in a
row to the same team, you're not sup-
posed to put up much of a challenge,
especially if you're facing the fifth-best
college swim team in the country.
But don't tell that to the Purdue
Boilermakers, who came within one
event of knocking off Michigan on
Friday night in West Lafayette.
The shorthanded Wolverines
squeaked by the "greatest Purdue team"
that Michigan coach Jon Urbanchek has
ever seen, 127.5-113.5, before defeating
Indiana in Bloomington on Saturday.
The Wolverines were forced to leave
several swimmers, suffering from cases
of the flu, at home, including Olympic
medalist Tom Malchow. The absence
was especially significant Friday in the
200-yard butterfly, Malchow's specialty.
Against Purdue, Michigan was res-
cued by the divers. Bret Wilmot won
both one-meter diving events with
scores of 202.80 and 345.22, as the
Wolverines swept the first three spots in
both events.
But the Boilermakers swam impres-
sively, winning six out of the I1 races.
Michigan was paced by captain John
Piersma, who won the 200-yard freestyle
(1:39.93) and the 100 free (46.21).
"They were pumped to try to beat us"
Piersma said. "They thought this -was
their year, but everyone came togeh."
Other winners for the Wolverinesn
Friday night included freshman Mike
McWha, who continued his dominace
in the 1,000 free,junior Ryan Papa in the
200 backstroke and junior Steve
Williams, who won the 500 free and
placed second in the 1,000 free.
Saturday's meet was a little easier for
the Wolverines, who won 152-91.
Piersma once again showed why he'is
the captain of the talented team, winning
the 200 and 100 free for the second day
in a row. Williams also swam well for the
Wolverines, winning the 1,000 free and
placing second in the 500 free. Michigan
swept the 200 fly, with Owen von
Richter taking first place.
"Captain Piersma stepped it up and
won two events for us," Urbanchek said.
"And then the sweep in the 200 fly nailed
it for us."
The weekend's victories not only
helped the Wolverines in the win column
but also boosted the team's morale.,
"I think this was one of the most pro-
ductive weekends of the year" Piersma
said. "Everyone should be really proud.
We really came together as a team:"
Michigan has two weeks to rest before
it gets to swim competitively in its (tome
state for the first time since defeating
No. 1 Texas at home in November.
RUNN
FOR TI
MORNI
IARADISE
ntnued from Page 3B
game.
:As it is, the crowd only makes noise after a big play.
Otborwise, it's silent, a fact that would change if the band
weft to play more short, quick songs.
A change in placement would also benefit the band.
light now, it's situated behind the south basket, semi-fac-
-a"'the student section. The theory is that this will enliven
.students more than if the band were facing some other
direction, according to Gregory.
But there are a couple of problems.
First of all, the students aren't the problem.
They are going to be loud no matter what.
The band needs to be facing the older crowd to try and
rouse it more.
Grogan and his troops are also too close to the action. This
allows the referees to govern them more than they should.
The bands needs to be moved further away from the action,
like it is at Yost, so the referees can't control it.
* So, why not place it to the south of the student section, a
number of rows up from courtside? This way, the band
would be facing the east side - the quiet side - of the
arena, and it would also be far enough away from the con-
trolling hands of the referees.
This would also allow it to blare away into the opposing
teams' huddles during timeouts. No opponent would like
that.
The argument against moving the band is that a new area
would have to be constructed to accommodate the band.
How much could such a move really cost, a couple of
thousand bucks? Michigan can surely afford it.
And it. would definitely be worth it.
It would make Crisler a more hostile place to visit. Sure,
it has never been easy to beat the Wolverines on their home
floor. But Crisler isn't exactly an intimidating place to play,
either. Ohio State, a team picked to finish near the bottom of
the Big Ten, has already won there this season.
The Michigan men's basketball pep band isn't the main
reason the Crisler Arena crowd is one of the deadest in the
conference.
But it's a reason.
And something can be done about it.
- Barry Sollenberger can be reached over e-mail
atjsol@umich.edu.
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