rU PRO BASKETBALL Portland 88, CHARLOTTE 87 INDIANA 104, Dallas 80 MIAMI 102, Sacramento 88 NEW JERSEY 123, Philadephia 105 WASHINGTON 105, Boston 92 NEW YORK 105, Detroit 94 Minnesota 102, Denver 100 Phoenix, SEATTLE, inc. Milwaukee, L.A. Lakers, inc. PRO HOCKEY N.Y. Islanders 3. BUFFALO 2 DETROIT 6, Colorado 5 MONTREAL 8, Pittsburgh 2 CHICAGO 5, Washington 3 VANCOUVER 4, Anaheim 2 SAN JOSE Toronto, inc. PRO BASEBALL DETROIT 16, Cleveland 2 Chicago Cubs 6. SAN FRANCISCO 2 Thursday March 27, M97 IOA ~C~M Ui VS 8 North Dakota (29-0-2) Tr VS. Boston University (258-3) Colorado College (2514-4) Michigan. (35.5.3) 1 p.m., ESPN2 7:30 p.m., ESPN2 It wasn't a cake walk last season, but Michigan waltzed out of Cincinnati with the 1996 national championship. This year, do the Wolverines have what it takes to be ... k, FA 7)i I ,. 01 Semifinal match with BU looks familiar By:Andy Knudsen Dafy Sports Writer MILWAUKEE -They were different teams, and it was a different year. But Michigan's 4-0 upset of Boston University last season will be very rele- vant when the two teams meet in the NCAA semifinals again tonight. The puck drops at 7:30, and the game will be televised on ESPN2. 'It's on our mind that we got beat 4-0' Boston goalie Michel Larocque said. "Obviously we want to prove that we're a better team than that.' And the Terriers wouldn't mind a little revenge. "We definitely owe them at least a good game," Boston center Chris Drury said. Last year, Boston was favored to repeat as national champion until Michigan knocked the Terriers from their throne. Now, the roles are reversed, as Michigan tries to become the first team to repeat as champion since Boston won back-to-back titles in 1971 and '72. The Terriers have played up their role as underdogs all week. "We'll have our hands full playing Michigan," Boston coach Jack Parker said. "They are the team to beat. Watching Michigan play Minnesota was like a firestorm flashback for our team." Larocque said: "We need to keep it really: close and hopefully it will be a squeaker on our side.' And Drury said all the pressure is on Michigan. But the Wolverines don't buy it. "They might say they're the under- dogs, but I think there's a lot of confi- dence over in that lockerroom," Michigan defenseman Harold Schock said. "They're going to be as good as any team we've faced all year. I really don't buy that underdog thing." Brendan Morrison said that while Parker's complimentary remarks are nice, the Wolverines aren't going to fall into the trap. Parker is "the Lou Holtz of hockey, trying to tell us how good we are," Morrison said. This Boston team will look different than the high-octane offensive team the Wolverines blanked last year. The Terriers have a 60-point scorer in Hobey Baker finalist Drury (37 goals, 23 assists), but have switched to a philoso- phy of defense this season. See REMATCH, Page 13A Michigan netmin- der Marty Turco was phenomenal In last year's. semifinal win' over the TerrleP. Turco stopped. . Boston University's tbp, ranked offenseg the way to a shutout. Bubba Berenzweig and the rest of the Wolverines' defense was s equally spectac* lar, limiting the a: offensive wizard, to just 17 shots on goal. FILE PHOTO t r. . Wolverines must guard against distraciions University of Colorado at Boulder USESUMMER TO ELEt RfiTE YOUR AA"D EMIC PROGRESS S ummer session on the Boulder campus is something special. With over 500 campus courses to choose from, it's a relaxed, comfortable learning environment. Classes are smaller. And when you're not in class, you can soak up Boulder's mellow charm. Or explore Boulder's backyard, a high country playground that includes some of the country's most rugged and spectacular terrain. Summer is a great time to get a jump on the next phase of your educational goals. fOR EXAMPLE: VISITING STUDENTS. Take advantage of CU resources to complete or enrich your own degree program. wN i f CrTUDEMT S.NT Take a college course for By Jim Rose Daily Sports Writer MILWAUKEE - The Wolverines have arrived. So have the Terriers. The Tigers and the Fighting Sioux are here, too. College hockey has invaded Milwaukee. Michigan, Boston University, Colorado College and North Dakota have all sent representatives, and the City of Cheese and Beer is welcom- ing them with open arms. Banners announcing the arrival of the NCAA are draped above the city streets. Bars and restaurants are bracing for an infusion of road-tripping college stu- dents. Everywhere you look downtown, 10-1 ,X030, some sign screams, "College Hockey at the Bradley Center!" But the Michigan players say they don't care. And they bet- ter not. It would be easy, it seems, to get swept away in the atmosphere surrounding this weekend's festiv- ities. These are college students - they're not used to this kind of hype, not like their professional cotnterparts are. I It would be easy to put hockey on the back-burnetfor a while, see the sights, hit the streets, bask in the lights of the televi- sion cameras. It would be easy - but it would also be costly. Michigan is The Team To Beat. Everyone is gunning for the Wolverines. Boston coach Jack Parker has already said that it's "Michigan against the rest of the field." That's the attitude the other teams are taking into this tournament: 'us against The Mighty Wolverines.' That wil be difficult enough to deal with. It would be tough enough even if there weren't any hype. But there's plenty of hype. So mush hype, in fact -- so much media, so many interview requests, so many tdlevision cameras - that Michigan coach Red Berenson has taken it upon himself to disobey the NCAA's orders and refuse to open the Michigan lockerroom to the media. But Berenson is not a college student. He has no trouble distancing himself from the media frenzy and keeping his focus on:the ice. But can his players do the same? They'd be able to. Because getting swept up in the excitement will take the focus away from where it needs to be - on the ice. s "The ardes patbot'hi whl tournament is the tiOme between game Michigan defensenian Harold Sch said. "It sounds funry, but it really is true - the hockey is they easy part." After practice ended at 3:30 yesterday, the Wolverines met the media and mid they were ready to -play. They said:Sg were excited about facing Boston'.Ai playing for a spot in Saturday's final; - Greg Crozier was, sitting by himseltiri a chair, waiting for *Aarty Turco to fiist a radio interview. CAzierwasstaring inti space, biting his fingernails and tappo his foot on the floor "I'm ready to play, right now"he said. "I just want to get it over with." There were still 28 hours until faceoff. What to do until then? "I dunno" Crozir said."Not sleep." One thing is for ;sure. There are plenty of distractions around. Plenty of things to do. Few of them hare anything to do with hockey. None of them fall under t :"preparation" category. And the worst fiing Michigan could do would be to get caught up in the car- nival of attention Oat has pervaded the Bradley Center and surrounding area. The Wolverines say they know it. "I don't think wt' came to Milwaukee to do some sightsozing," Jason Botterill said with a smile. "We came to win a Scouple of hockey glmes.' SeeDISTPRACTION, Page 13A M o0 BLUEE DRIVT 0 a- cr) z V) t i YOUR 1996 NATIONAL CHAMP MICHIGAN WOLVERINES BEGIN THEIR TITLE DEFENSE Tonight 7:30pmCJVF If U of M wins1,}Wen Saturday 3129 at 1:00pm. ILV a r