12 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, October 10, 1997
Michigan-Minnesota
hockey rivalry rolls on
By Fred Link
Daily Sports Writer
In the early 1960s, when Michigan coach
Red Berenson was playing for the Wolverines,
the Michigan-Minnesota rivalry was one of the
most heated in college hockey.
"I remember playing in Minnesota, where it
was nearly a riot," Berenson said. "It was a big
thing. (John) Mariucci was the coach, and he
really had his team playing hard against
Michigan."
During Berenson's playing days, the
Wolverines and the Golden Gophers were both
members of the WCHA.
In the 1981-82 season, Michigan left the
WCHA to join the CCHA, and for a time, the
rivalry between the two schools cooled off.
After meeting four times a year for the past 60
years, the Wolverines and the Gophers met
only four times from 1982-92.
Since 1993, Michigan and Minnesota have
met every year in the College Hockey
Showcase - an annual showdown between
Minnesota and Wisconsin from the WCHA and
Michigan and Michigan State from the CCHA.
Since the series began again, the rivalry
between the Gophers and the Wolverines has
developed into one of the best in college hock-
ey.
"The reason it's such a rivalry is because
their team has been so strong and our team has
been very competitive with them," Berenson
said. "We've won games against them. We've
lost games against them. Every game we've
played against them have been good games."
For the past two years especially, games in
the Michigan-Minnesota rivalry have been par-
ticularly heated.
Two seasons ago, the Gophers snapped
Michigan's nine-game winning streak, beating
the Wolverines, 3-2, in a hard-fought game.
Last year's matchup in the College Hockey
Showcase was even better. With seven seconds
remaining in the third period, Minnesota's Erik
Rasmussen scored to tie the score at three. Just
51 seconds into overtime, Brendan Morrison
took a pass from Matt Herr and one-timed it
past Minnesota goaltender Steve DeBus to give
the Wolverines the victory.
In the past two seasons, the Wolverines have
been the Gophers' nemesis in the NCAA tour-
nament, knocking them out of the NCAAs
each year in the regional finals.
Last season, Michigan defeated the Gophers,
7-4, to advance to the final four in Milwaukee.
The game that stands out the most in the
recent Michigan-Minnesota rivalry, however, is
the 1996 NCAA regional final - the game in
which Mike Legg scored "The Goal."
Trailing, 2-1, in the second period and with
the Wolverines on the power play, Michigan
center Mike Legg scooped up the puck on the
blade of his stick.
Like a lacrosse player, Legg cradled the puck
on his stick and flipped it over DeBus's shoul-
der and into the net tying the score at two.
Michigan went on to beat the Gophers, 4-3.
and eventually won the national championship.
Each of these recent encounters has helped
inflate the Michigan-Minnesota rivalry to the
level of prestige and excitement it enjoyed in
Berenson's playing days. If history is any indi-
cation, tonight's Hall of Fame game should be
quite a show.
A rivalry rekindled
When Michigan coach Red Berenson played for the Wolverines in the 1960s, Michigan had an
intense rivalry with Minnesota. That rivalry died down in later years but has begun to reach its
original proportions with a new series of matchups. Here's a list of some of the outcomes:
Date
Nov. 25, 1995
Mar. 24, 1996
Nov. 29, 1996
Mar. 23, 1997
Score
Minnesota 3, Michigan 2
Michigan 4, Minnesota 3
Michigan 4, Minnesota 3
(OT)
Michigan 7, Minnesota 4
Notable
Wolverines' nine-game winning streak broken
Gophers knocked out of NCAA tournament.
Mike Legg scores "The Goal"
Brendan Morrison scores final goal in over-
time thriller
Wolverines again end Gophers' NCAA tourna-
ment hopes
FILE PHOTO
Michigan center Bobby Hayes and the rest of the Wolverines will try to further their success in their rivalry with the Golden Gophers tonight.
Michigan and Minnesota have a long history of hard-fought games.
ROSE
Continued from Page 11
thing to do with Goss maintaining that
simply having "no major violations" is
not good enough. Perhaps he is simply
on vacation.
But Goss and Bollinger both
spoke of maintaining "Michigan
standards" --- not just compliance
standards. Goss, without a doubt,
gave the impression that the basket-
ball program has not always lived up
to what he considers "Michigan
standards."
What all this suggests is that from
this point forward, Fisher's fate and the
fate of the report have nothing to do
with each other. Even if the NCAA
takes a look at the report and decides
that Fisher did all he could have, there
is absolutely no reason to think Goss
will agree.
Consider this quote from Goss:
"Our charge was to find the truth, and
then take actions with the truth. We
have what we have.'
But is it the truth?
Maybe nobody around here really
knows why all the basketball players
seem to drive fancy cars. I don't pre-
tend to have an explanation, nor can I
think of any reason why Robert
Traylor would be flaunting a flashy
Suburban amidst the most heated
investigation around here in a long
time.
But let's be fair. The report looked
into these things, and there was no evi-
dence to support allegations of serious
wrongdoing.
But it doesn't matter anymore. At
least as far as Steve Fisher is con-
cerncd, the report no longer matters.
Now, it's up to Tom Goss. The first
decision he'll have to make will be
about as tough as tl ' come.
What will happen o Steve Fisher?
Gross was hesitant to say anything of
substance at yesterday's conference.
But in light of what comes next, it
doesn't really matter what he said. His
next decision will speak volumes
about the kind of department he plans
on running.
- Jim Rose can he reached via email
ct jlrose(a tilich.edal
GOPHERS
Continued from Page 11
other teams are focusing on,"
Berenson said. "Every team has one.
and Muckalt is it for us."
An interesting side note is fresh-
man Josh Langfeld. The 6-foot-3,
205-pound forward is a Coon Rapids,
Minn.. native.
Minnesota is wild about hockey,
and Langfeld is expecting a strong
reaction from the crowds.
"It's exciting to play in Minnesota,"
Langfeld said. "The crowds are great,
and I should have a few friends corn-
ing to the game."
Langfeld has been one of the few
freshmen that already have high
expectations placed on them. Mike
Van Ryn, Mark Kosick and Scat
Matzka are a few others expecte
make strong contributions to the
team.
"This is going to be a great experi-
ence for our new players, a great start
to a season," Berenson said.
Later this weekend, the Wolverines
open their home season against
Toronto.
They play the Varsity Blues at Yost
Ice Arena on Sunday at 3 p.m.
/1
The University of Michigan
Department of Recreational Sports
INTRAMURAL SPORTS PROGRAM
WHAT'S
HAPPENING
Penn State struggles to develop
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By Andrew Krebs
Daily Collegian
STATE COLLEGE (U-WIRE) --
College football is propelled by the
rivalries.
Michigan vs. Ohio State.
Penn State vs. - who?
The Nittany Lions were once part
of one of the greatest rivalries in
football. From 1935 to 1992, Penn
State played Pittsburgh each season
while bragging rights within the state
hung in the balance.
It was everything a rivalry should be.
Penn State, entering its fifth campaign
as a Big Ten team, opened this season
with a convincing 34-17 win against the
Panthers at Beaver Stadium. It was the
first meeting between the schools since
1992. but the game has lost the signifi-
cance it once had.
The question is: Has the rivalry
with Pittsburgh been replaced by a
rivalry with another Big Ten team -
a conference rivalry like the one
between Michigan and Ohio State?
The Wolverines and the Buckeyes
have been playing since 1897, and as
the years have passed the game has
grown in importance.
The game is so important, in fact, that
many have questioned the coaching abil-
ity of current Ohio State coach John
Cooper solely because of his meager I -
7-1 record against Michigan.
They seem to forget Cooper has a
80-29-4 record as the Ohio State
coach, but that's how important the
rivalry is to the Ohio State faithful.
"When you talk about Michigan-
Ohio State, that's going back a long
time," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr
said. "That is what makes a rivalry."
This is just Penn State's fifth sea-
son in the conference, however. The
Lions haven't had the opportunity to
go back a long time with any of their
conference opponents.
Nonetheless, many are putting the
rivalry stamp on Saturday's game
with Ohio State.
"As far as I'm concerned, I think it
is definitely (a rivalry)," said Penn
State hero Derek Fox. "You have to
look at it that way - as far as being
just another game - but you know
this is the game."
Since Penn State began playing
Ohio State in conference play in
1993, the Buckeyes have largely
dominated the game.
In 1993, No. 12 Penn State trav-
eled to Ohio State and lost to the No.
3 Buckeyes, 24-6.
In 1995, No. 5 Ohio State came to
Happy Valley and Ohio State wide
receiver Terry Glenn scorched the
12th-ranked Lions for 175 yards and
two touchdowns. Penn State lost, 28-25.
Last year, No. 4 Penn State
"Michigan-Oh1io *
State ... That is
what makes a
rivalry."
- Lloyd Carr
Michigan football coach
returned to Columbus to play
second-ranked Buckeyes and I
with a loss. The Rose Bowl-bound
Buckeyes trounced the Lions, 38-7.
Penn State's sole win in that four-
year span came in 1994, when the
Lions were headed for the Rose
Bowl and an undefeated season. No.
I Penn State smashed No. 21 Ohio
State, 63-14.
"Three of the games have not been
very close," Penn State coach Joe
Paterno said. "Ohio State kicked 9
ears in twice, and we were able to
beat them pretty good one time. I
think this game will probably be the
most competitive."
It remains to be seen, though, if
this game will finally transform the
Ohio State-Penn State contest from a
very big game into a very big rivelry
- the very big rivalry Penn Statehas
been without since the glory days of
the Pitt-Penn State game.
LADY KAT
Continued from Page 11
won last year's Wolverine Invitational.
Park led the Wolverines with an'82-shot
average and a 20th-place finish, $enior
Nicole Green finished 28th with a corn-
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