6B - The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday - October 27, 1997
Don't panic: Michigan's seaso
JOHN KRAFT/Daily
Greg Crozier and the rest of the Wolverines will have to improve their defense and
special teams if they are to compete with elite teams like Michigan State.
By Fred Link
Daily Sports Wnter
After the season's first official hockey practice,
Michigan captain Matt Herr had a message for those t
expecting the Wolverines to pick up exactly where they
left off last year.t
"I'd rather lose 10 games att
the beginning of the year ...-
and win a national champi-
onship, than go 30-0 and lose
the last two games," Herr said.
The next day, Herr was sit- -
ting in class waiting for the
professor to begin. Next to him
was a student reading Herr's;
comments in The Daily. Not 1
recognizing Herr, the student
turned to his friend and commented "They'd better not
lose 10 games. We'll be really mad if they do."
Considering Michigan's recent performance - the
Wolverines have lost two of their last three - fans like
the one in Herr's class probably are mad. And scared.
But with no good reason?
Despite their feelings, Herr was right. The key to the
season is how the Wolverines play at the end.
In Saturday night's loss, there was one thing separat-
ing the Spartans and the Wolverines - experience.
EMU Classic acts
as Blue showdowi
By Nita Srivastava
Daily Sports Writer
Competition between players of the same team tends 1
avoided as much as possible. It can cause conflict and
turbance for everyone on the team.
But what happens when there is only one spot left,
two people can easily fill the position? The competitio
there and cannot be avoided.
Senior Tiffin Goodman and junior Allison Noe 01
Michigan women's cross country team are both in conten
for the final spot on the roster, when the Wolverines corr
in the Big Ten championships next weekend. Last Fri
they both made a bid for the last spot, competing ir
Eastern Michigan Classic with two other Wolverines, sol
more Adrienne Hunter and freshman Lena VanHaren.
Michigan coach Mike McGuire will make a decisior
week whether he will send Goodman or Noe to join e
other Wolverines at Big.Tens.
Throughout the meet, Noe and Goodman illustratedt
competition with one another. In the beginning of ther
they were running together. Goodman moved ahead after
first kilometer, but Noe caught up with a kilometer to g,
Noe, who is coming off of an injury to her Achilles
don, finished the meet in second place with a time of 19
It was her first competition since last April.
"She competed well," McGuire said. "We miss Allis
presence in our lineup, but it will still take her additi
races to get back to her level."
Goodman was also coming off a foot injury. She did
train for nine days before the competition but still man,
to place fourth with a time of 19:10.
Because the two runners are so even, despite Noe's lac
experience this season, the decision will be harder
McGuire to make.
In only their fifth game of the year, Michigan is still
learning to play together, still searching for a way to
replace the nine seniors who formed the nucleus of the
team the last four seasons.
The Spartans, on the other hand, returned most of
their key players from last season and haven't gone
through the same adjustment period as Michigan.
On Saturday night, that made all the difference.
The young Wolverines made numerous mistakes
defensively, leading to several scoring opportunities
and four Michigan State goals.
"We had a couple of letdowns defensively, and they
took advantage of that;' Michigan forward Bobby
Hayes said. "That was pretty much the difference in the
game."
On special teams, the Wolverines' inexperience
showed. Michigan went 0-for-8 on the power play while
giving up two power play goals to Michigan State.
With three freshmen on the top power play unit, the
Wolverines' power play has been inconsistent. After
scoring four power play goals in last Saturday's 6-4 vic-
tory over Colgate, the power play was ineffective
against Michigan State this weekend.
The Spartans' defense certainly deserves some credit
for the Wolverines' offensive difficulties. But more than
anything, Michigan's inconsistency on the power play
was simply the result of its inexperience.
a is still young
As the season progresses and the team plays tog-
er more, many of the problems should be corrected and
the frequency of the mistakes should decrease.
"Our team will be a different team after Christmas,"
Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "I'm not totally
disappointed in our team and how we played. We just
have to eliminate the mistakes."
In the next three weeks, the Wolverines play two
games each against Alaska-Fairbanks, Northern
Michigan and Ferris State - the three teams ranked at
the bottom of the preseason CCHA coaches poll. W
Michigan probably won't dominate these teams as it
has in the past, these are games that it should win.
During this relatively weak stretch in their schedule,
the Wolverines must concentrate on improving their
special teams play, eliminating mistakes and playing
disciplined hockey. While they may be able to get away
with sloppy play in the next three weeks, Saturday
night's game proved that they have to play better if they
want to compete with the best teams in the nation.
If the Wolverines are to be an elite team at the end of
the year, in a position to compete for a CCHA and 0
NCAA championship, they'll have to improve their play.
Fortunately, it's only the fifth game of the year, so as
Herr pointed out, there is time to correct their-mistakes.
Don't panic, yet. After all, championships aren't won
in October.
41wNI
Un ayUNv.
8,... Pease Auditorium
tickets on sale Wednesday, Oct. 22
EMU students: $10 non-students: $16
Tickets are available at the EMU Box Office, 313/487-1221
Monday-Friday, noon-5:30 p.m. Fax orders to 313/487-3443
For morc information contact Campus Life Programs at 487-3045
LOUIS BROWN/Daily
Julie Froud, Katie McGregor, Elizabeth Kampfe will be com-
peting in the Big Tens next week, but others are still trying
to earn a spot at the meet.
"It's hard to say who Mike will choose," Goodman said.
"Allison beat me, but then he might elect to train her for a
couple of weeks before another competition. You never
know."
The meet was unscored, providing a low-key environment
for the runners. It gave Michigan an opportunity to send
young and injured runners to gain experience competing in
meets, while also helping McGuire to make a choice about
whom to send to Big Tens.
"I liked the fact that there was no scoring because the fact
that I didn't do well didn't take away from the team," Hunter
said.
She finished with a time of 20:33, behind VanHaren, who
finished with a 19:38.
SPARTANS
Continued from Page 1B
with Hayes being credited for the
unassisted goal.
With the score knotted at one,
Michigan's home crowd was revital-
ized, and it seemed the Wolverines
were also gaining momentum.
But even with the huge momentum
shift, the Wolverines failed to capital-
ize, again having problems on their
power play.
Michigan mustered only one shot
off its four power-play opportunities in
the period, including a span of
minute during which the Wolveri '
had a two-man advantage.
While the Wolverines squandered
their opportunities in the second peri-
od, the Spartans feasted on theirs,
proving to be the difference in the
game.
A turnover on Michigan's end of the
ice led to the go-ahead goal for
Michigan State by center Shawn
Horcoff. And with the Wolveriti
reeling, the Spartans added a pow
play goal to make the score 3-1.
Michigan State center Sean Berens
skated in from the slot, deked
Michigan goaltender Marty Turco and
poked in the puck for the two-goal
advantage. It was the Spartans' second
power play goal of the game.
"We watched a lot of tape for spe-
cial teams tonight," Berens said. 'We
were well coached and well dis
plined also, and that's the kind
game you have to play when you come
in to face the University of Michigan."
Michigan State's Rustyn Dolyny
added an unassisted goal in the third
to make the score 4-1, before
Michigan finally answered back.
Right wing Dale Rominski beat
Alban for Michigan's second goal, but
it was too little too late for the
Wolverines, who didn't make another
serious threat in the game.
r - i I
SARA DRAPER
ADMISSIONS COUNSELOR FROM
THE NATIONAL COLLEGE OF CHIROPRACTIC
WILL BE ATTENDING TIlE
University of Michigan
Graduate School Information Fair
Thursday
October 30, 1997
12 - 4 p.m.
Stop by to learn more about chiropractic and NCC!
FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CALL:
1-800-826-NATL
Mnchigan St. 4, mlch gan
Michigan State 1 2 1 -4
Michigan 0 1 1 -.2
First period - 1. MSU, York 1(Bogas, Adams), 10:31
(pp). Penalties - MSU, Kruzich (interference).1:33;
UM, Berenzweig (roughing), 3:02; MSU, York (elbow-
ing). 7:57: UM, Muckalt (tripping), 9:29; UM
Befernzweig (interference). 11:24; UM, Crozier.(trip.
ping), 14:40._-
Second period - 1. UM, Hayes 1. 1:10; 2. MSU,
Horcoff 1 (Harlton), 13:53; 3. MSU, Berens (Adams,
Bogas) 19:16 (pp). Penalties - MSU, Kruzich (tip-
ping), 2:33; MSU, Weaver, (tripping), 3:40; tIASU,
Loeding (charging), 11:36; UM, Rominski (roughing),,
14:32: MSU, York (roughing), 14:32; MSU, Bogas
(roughing), 14:32; UM Magnuson (high-sticking),
18:30; UM, Muckalt (high-sticking), 19:58; Loeding
(high-sticking), 19:58.
Third period- 4. MSU, Dolyny 1, 3:01:2. UM,
Rominski 1 (Trainor, Van Ryn), 3:11. Penalties -
MSU, Loeding (high-sticking), 6:42; UM, Langfeld
(interference), 8:22; UM, Van Ryn (roughing),.11:00;
MSU, Bogas (hooking), 17:47.
Shots on goal- MSU 9-4-6 - 19; UM 3-8-9 - 20.
Power Plays - MSU, 2 of 7,UM, 0of8.
Saves - MSU, Alban 3-7.8 - 18; UM, Turco 82-5 -
15.
Referee - Matt Shegos.
Unesmen - John Dobrzelewski, Larry Lulich.
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