-4B - The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - February 24, 1997
HOCKEY
COLLEGIATrE--".
z OCKEY
A$,OCIA Tlf*-
If the CCHA
playoffs started
today s.
(1) Michigan* vs. (8) Alaska.
Fairbanks
(2) Miami* vs. (7) Ohio State
(3) Lake Superior* vs. (6) Bowling
Green
(4) Michigan State* vs. (5)
Western Michigan
* clinched first-round home ice
Note: First-round series games held
on campus of higher seed.
Underclassmen steal senio;
spotlight on final weekend
FmUniIgan, O, Lae upenior V
LakeSuperior 0 0 0-0
Michigan 1 5 2-8
Rat period-. UM Herr 25, (Muckalt) 5:14.
Penalties - LSSU, Battaglia (hooking), 2:52: UM,
Schock (hooking). 7:14: UM, Botterill (major-checking
Ifrom behind, game misconduct), 15:28. Second period
M.LSloan 2. (Morrison, Herr), 1:52; 3. UM
Morrison 24 (Muckalt, Herr), 5:05; 4. UM. Herr 26
(Legg, Morrison). 6:17 pp; 5. UM, Muckalt 19
(Schock. Legg). 9:32 (6-on-3) pp ' 6. UM, Madden 19
(unassisted, 17:59 pp. Penalties - LSSU, Hurtubise
-(high-sticking), 5:50: LSSU, Laviolette (holding), 8:00:
LSSU, Fuss (roughing), 8:00: LSSU, Grahame (interfer-
ence), 9:32; UM, Hayes (slashing, 10-mn. miscon-
duct). 11:28; LSSU, Slukynsky (roughing), 13:26: UM,
Crozier (high-sticking). 15:30: LSSU, Laviolette (high
-sticking). 17:16; UM, Muckalt (holding). 19:09. Third
period - 7. UM. Herr 27, (Legg). 10:40 pp: 8. UM,
Hayes 6. (Clark), 18:01 pp. Penalties - UM, Schock
(interference). 5:23: UM. Luhning (high-sticking),
6:05; LSSU, Lambeth (roughing), 9:00: LSSU UGeorge
(roughing), 11:23: LSSU, Hurtubise (roughing), 11:23:
UM. Rominski (slashing), 11:23: UM, Peach (rough-
ng), 11:23: LSSU Kucsulain (slashing). 16:04: UM,
Crozier (roughing), 19:47: UM, Frescoln (roughing).
20:00.
Shts on goal - LSSU 6-4-5 - 15. UM 13-16-9--
~'38.
Power Plays - LSSU. 0 of 9: UM. 5 of 9.
Saves - LSSU. Grahame 12-12.6 - 30. UM. Turco 6-
--15.
Referee - Steve Piotrowski.
Linesmen - John LaDuke. John Dobrzelewski.
:At: Yost Ice Arena. A: 6,527.
By JimRose
D~aiy Sports Writer
Somebody forgot to tell the underclassmen
that this was the seniors' weekend.
For the last regular-season home series of the
Michigan hockey team's season, the stage was
set for a memorable send-off for the
Wolverines' winningest class ever.
The Morrisons came in from British
Columbia. The Leggs, as usual, were in from
Ontario.
The Botterills even made the trip from
Winnipeg, Manitoba - as it turned out, an
awfully long trip to see their son get ejected
from the first game and spend most of the sec-
ond in the penalty box.
The post-game ceremony honored each senior
individually with spotlights, flowers, a
Michigan flag and one last lap around the ice in
front of the home fans.
Everything was set up to make the weekend a
special one for the seniors.
But as it turned out, most of Michigan's pro-
duction this weekend came from the underclass-
men.
On Friday night, junior Marty Turco was as
sharp as lie's been all season. And though the
result was a lopsided 8-0 Michigan win, several
key saves by Turco set the tone early.
And then there was Matt Herr, another junior.
All he did on Friday was steal the show by scor-
ing a hat trick and posting two assists in the
CCHA-clinching victory.
Another junior, Bill Muckalt, made a tri-
umphant return from a separated shoulder to
tally two goals and three assists for the week-
end.
His presence on Brendan Morrison's right
There is a future to
this program -
although it's0
questionable, looking
at this group of
seniors"
- Red Berenson
Michigan hockey coach
wing - and Botterill's extended absence
which allowed Herr to join the left side
helped make the top Michigan line a threat
every time it took a shift.
And when the Wolverines were down. 3-,1 in
Saturday night's game, it was sophomore Sean
Ritchlin who tied the the game with a backhand
past Lake Superior goaltender John Grahame.
So what gives"? Didn't somebody tell the
underclassmen they were supposed to stay in the
background this weekend?' Weren't the seni@
supposed to do all the scoring in this series?
"We didn't really play up senior weekend in
the lockerroom," Michigan coach Red Berenson
said. "We have in the past, and we've laid an
egg. It's more than the seniors out there - we
got a lot of production out of the underclassmen
this weekend.
"And that's good. There is a future to this pro-
gram - although it's questionable. looking at
this group of seniors."
WARREN ZINN/Daily
Unlike Greg Crozier, Michigan's fate in the CCHA is not left hanging. Despite stumbling to a 4.4 tie
against Lake Superior on Saturday night, the Wolverines clinched the conference title Friday with a 8-0
rout of the Lakers. Michigan's CCHA championship is its fourth consecutive title.
Dynasties converge at Yost
By Mark Snyder
Daily Sports Writer
While one dynasty patted itself on the back, the
other was kicking itself in the butt.
Before senior weekend. Michigan was on the
verge of a league title and primed to honor the
greatest class in its history.
Lake Superior anticipated the two-game series
fighting for anything - a win, a tie - anything.
Michigan saw this weekend as one with playoff
pressure. Only one point away from a fourth con-
secutive league title, a victory Friday should have
come easily for Michigan.
It did.
The 8-0 shellacking of
Lake Superior was the
Wolverines' chance to flex C
their muscles and pound the k -
Lakers into submission.
Never in the history of the
battles between these two
teams had Michigan won by
such a large margin.
Michigan out-worked,
out-hustled and out-lucked
the Lakers. Matt Herr recorded a hat trick, Dale
Rominski and Bobby Hayes were all over the defen-
sive zone blocking shots and Marty Turco stopped
the few attempts he faced.
It was a team effort on a night that recognized a
team accomplishment. On the offensive end, it was
Michigan's night as well.
Pucks trickled through Lake Superior goalie
John Grahame's legs when he was standing up, over
his back when he was sprawled on the ice and even
off his back when he thought he had all the angles
covered.
The game was a coronation of the champions.
The coming-out party for Michigan was symbolic
of the nation's top team at the apex of its game.
"When they have the puck, all five guys are dan-
gerous," Lake Superior coach Scott Borek said.
That was the team that showed up Friday.
Saturday was a different story, a different team
and a different game altogether. Lake Superior
fought for some of its former glory.
Mired in fourth place in the CCHA prior to the
Michigan series, the Lakers are not the same team
which tied Michigan for the CCHA title last season
- let alone the one that dominated the nation in the
early 1990s.
Lake Superior entered the weekend as the bubble
team in a league that will probably only send three
teams to the NCAA tournament. So gaining points
this weekend was essential for the Lakers to gain
ground on third-place Michigan State.
The Lakers played desperate and determined
from the outset, gaining a tie and vaulting into the
third-place spot in the conference.
"We got a little more aggressive on our
forecheck," Lake Superior coach Scott Borek said.
"(Between games) was a gut check.
"We were in a great building against a great team
and had to play much better than we played on
Friday."
Senior night was turning into a disaster for the
Wolverines. And most of it was attributable to
Grahame.
After getting trounced for eight goals Friday,
Grahame returned to Yost Ice Arena on Saturday
looking for redemption. And against Michigan,
holding the offense to four goals was outstanding.
He kept his team close, making 30 saves and per-
mitting the Lakers to stay close enough to win.
This was the Lake Superior of old, the one that
played teams like Michigan and not only kept the
game close - it won.
But those were the days of coach Jeff Jackson,
who has since left to lead the USA Hockey pro-
gram, and only flashes of that team remain.
And now Borek is stuck with a team that doesn't
have the talent to compete with the Michigans of the
CCHA on a regular basis.
So a tie was fine for Lake Superior and fine for
Michigan. And that's how the game ended - with
both teams happy.
Michigan didn't win the game on senior night,
but the moving ceremony for the seniors after the
game soothed most of the stalemate's bitterness.
Lake Superior didn't win the game either but got
the necessary point to remain alive for an NCAA
tournament berth.
"I'd be disappointed if we got to Joe Louis Arena
(for the CCHA semifinals), and didn't get in."
WARREN ZINN/ Daily
Michigan sophomore Bobby Hayes took one too many hits Friday. He was scratched from Saturday's game.
Borek said. If both teams win their separate first-ro
With the CCHA championship, Michigan does- series, the teams will meet in three weeks at Joe
n't have to worry about getting into the NCAA tour- Louis.
nament. But it might have to be concerned with the And after this weekend, neither dynasty knows
Lakers again.
what to expect.
Seniors honored, kiss 'M' goodbye
Second Star: Bill Muckalt, LW
After sitting out for three weeks
with a shoulder injury, Muckalt's
appearance on the ice was a testa-
ment to his determination. Not only
did he play, but he was second on
the team with five points (two goals
and three assists).
First Star: Matt Herr, LW
Herr did the majority of his damage
in Michigan's 8-0 domination of the
Lakers on Friday. He scored five
points in the game, netting three
goals and two assists. The hat trick
was Herr's first of the season and
extended his lead as Michigan's top
goal-scorer. Herr now has 27 goals,
three more than senior center
Brendan Morrison and senior left
wing Jason Botterill.
By Dan Stillman
Daily Sports Writer
An emotional weekend at Yost Ice Arena
was capped off Saturday night with a post-
game ceremony honoring Michigan's nine
graduating seniors. Playing in their final regu-
lar-season home game were Jason Botterill,
Peter Bourke, Chris Frescoln, Mike Legg,
Warren Luhning, John Madden, Brendan
Morrison, Harold Schock and Blake Sloan.
Each skated around the ice waving Michigan
flags handed to him by his parents.
"We respect the fact that this place is very
special," Botterill said. "And no matter where
we go in our hockey careers after this, there's
probably never going to be a place like Yost Ice
Arena."
The seniors circled the ice together, at one
point bowing in thanks to the pep band. Finally,
they converged on center ice where they all
kissed the 'M:
THREE'S A CROWD: Morrison, Botterill and
Bill Muckalt were reunited as Michigan's top
line Friday night. After starting the season on a
line together, the three played the bulk of the
schedule on separate lines.
But with Muckalt's return from injury, the
three were together again, until the 15:28 point
of the first period when Botterill was thrown
out for a check from behind.
"I guess he didn't want to play with us,"
Morrison joked.
Botterill did get to spend some extra quali-
ty time in the stands with his parents, who trav-
eled all the way from
Winnipeg, Manitoba, to see
him play. For the third time e*
in two seasons, Botterill0
was disqualified for games
his parents attended. e
As for the hit itself.
Berenson said that there
was no malicious intent on
Botterill's part..
"If you watch the tape, you'll see where the
player lost the puck at the last minute and then
changed his body position just at the time he
was going to take him out," Berenson said. "It
wasn't an attempt to hit him from behind, and
he knew it, but he also knew that it was a hit
from behind as it turned out."
The assistant captain did make it back out
onto the ice in a jacket and tie for the presenta-
tion of the CCHA championship award.
CLOUDY CRYSTAL BALL: John Madden
scored the 22nd shorthanded goal of his career
Saturday, his seventh of the season. The goal
tied the game for good late in the third period.
As the season's end grows near, so grows
Madden's uncertainty about the future.
"In the last four years, and playing junior
hockey, I've always known where I was going to
be this time next year," Madden said. "(Now), I
don't have a clue where I'm going to be.
"I'm going to be sitting in a dressing room,
and I'm not going to be sitting next to Brendan
and Botts anymore. I'm going to be sitting
beside somebody else, but I have no idea
where I'm going to be or who's going to be my
friends."
MANTLE HARDWARE: The CCHA champi-
onship plaque wasn't the only award given
Friday night. Before the game, representatives
from the Hockey Humanitarian Organization
presented Sloan with the Hockey
Humanitarian Award for the community ser-
vice he has performed while a student-athlete
at Michigan.
LAKERS
Continued from Page 183
the Wolverines is as secure as Fort Knox, but right wing Mitch
Lane tied the game at three for the Lakers with 9:19 left.
"When you beat a team 8-0, it's hard to come back and p ay
as well the next night," Berenson said. "And you knew (Lake
Superior was) going to play better"
Michigan's seniors know they will be back at Yost for the
first round of the CCHA playoffs, March 7-9, but Saturday
was still an emotional night.
"We respect the fact that this place is very special," Botterill
said. "And no matter where we go in our hockey careers after
this, there's probably never going to be a place like Yost Ice
Arena."
For players like Madden, who hasn't been drafted by
NHL team, the end of a collegiate career means a lot of un-
tainty.
"In the last four years, and playing junior hockey, I've always
known where I was going to be this time next year," Madden
said. "(Now), I don't have a clue where I'm-going to be.
"I'm going to be sitting in a dressing room, and I'm not
going to be sitting next to Brendan and Botts anymore. I'm
going to be sitting beside somebody else, but I have no idea
where I'm going to be or who's going to be my friends."
Berenson said this senior class is probably the best class he's
seen at Michigan.
"It terms of what they have accomplished - what the ten
has accomplished since they've been with the team - it's hard
to put anyone else ahead of them, he said
On Friday, it was junior Matt Herr who sparked the
Wolverines in the conference clincher.
Herr got the Wolverines on the board at 5:14 of the first after
riht winfya ililM, s-',tole the, uck and fe-dHerr. whostuck
CCHA Standings
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