4B - The Michigan Daily - SPORTSMonday, March 9, 1998
HOCKEY
Quotable:
"It wasn't like we were talking
about how good we were between
periods.... we really wanted to get
something going in the third period,
and we did not do it."
- Michigan coach Red Berenson
on blowing Friday's 4-goal lead
Michigan
Bowling Green 4
-A~ JMichigan I
Notre Dame 0
Key play:
'On Feb. 27, Ferris State's Brian
McCullough scored in the third peri-
od, giving the Bulldogs a 2-1 victory.
The loss virtually ended Michigan's
chance at a title.
Emotions run high for
seniors in final outing
By Fred Link
Daily Sports Writer
After a Michigan victory, forward Bill
Muckalt is usually all smiles.
But after defeating Lake Superior 5-2 in his
last regular season home game, Muckalt choked
back tears as he and fellow seniors Gregg
Malicke, Chris Fox, Marty Turco and Matt Herr
were honored for their contribution to Michigan
hockey.
"I remember (former Wolverine) Ricky Willis
saying 'Mucks, it's going to be you sitting here in
four years,' And I didn't believe it." Muckalt
recalled. "Tonight it hit me that this isn't going
to last forever. It's coming to a close, and it's
really sad.
"No matter how much money you make, I
don't think you could top this feeling right now.
Coming back for my senior year has been just
unbelievable. I would turn down what (Sergei)
Federov got to come back here."
During the seniors' four seasons in Ann Arbor,
the Wolverines have posted an impressive 127-
28-1 record. Michigan has won three Great
Lakes Invitational titles, three CCHA regular
season titles and three CCHA playoff titles and
made three trips to the NCAA final four, win-
ning the NCAA championship in 1996.
Individually, Muckalt's 103 career goals tie
him with Mike Knuble and Gilbert Buford for
sixth on Michigan's all-time goal scoring list,
and his 219 points are good enough for seventh
all-time. In the net, Marty Turco's 121 career vic-
tories set an NCAA record and his 14 career
shutouts are a Michigan record.
But it wasn't their accomplishments on the ice
that caused Muckalt to become choked up with
emotion after the game.
The friendship between the five seniors made
the night unique.
"There's something about my class and the
friends you make here - it's something special
that can't be replaced," Muckalt said. "No matter
where you go, you're going to meet people, but
you don't meet Michigan people. And Michigan
people are something special. Coach (Red
Berenson) always talks about a Michigan man,
and I'm sitting here with four of them right now."
Three and a half years ago, Fox, Malicke,
Turco, Herr, Muckalt and Robb Gordon were
freshmen on the Michigan hockey team. On the
ice, Turco was called on to replace Steve Shields
in net while Muckalt and Gordon developed into
reliable scoring threats with 37 and 41 points,
respectively.
"Turco had the biggest challenge coming in
here as a freshman, obviously, as a starting
goalie," Berenson said. "And Muckalt worked
his way up and became a scorer his freshman
year."
Away from hockey, the six freshmen spent
much of their time in Turco and Gordon's room
playing Sega hockey, and their friendship began
to develop. Gordon left Michigan after that year
to play major junior hockey, but the five others
remained. Over the next three years, they lived
together and became the best, of friends.
As sophomores, they helped the Wolverines
capture their first NCAA title since 1964, and
last season they were part of a Michigan team
that won a record 35 games.
But with the loss of nine seniors from last
year's squad and the addition of 10 freshmen to
replace them, this season was the toughest of the
seniors' careers. "This year that class has made
the difference on this team," Berenson said.
"With Marty shutting the door and giving us a
chance in every game, and the way Muckalt took
JOHN KRAFT/Dail
Michigan hockey captain Matt Herr and his fellow seniors - Gregg Malicke, Marty Turco, Chris Fox an
Bill Muckalt - played their final regular-season game in Yost Ice Arena against Lake Superior.
Michigan 1, Notre Dame 0
NotreDame 0 0 0 -0
Michigan 1 0 0 - 1
First period -1. UM. Muckalt 30 (unassisted),
00:32. Penalties - UM, Van Ryn (hooking), 2:53;
UM, Langfeld (tripping), 6:56; N, Simon (tripping)
17:32; ND, Cotnoir (roughing), 19:39; UM, Langfeld
(roughing), 1939.
Second period - no goals scored. Penalties - UM,
Hayes (interference), 8:19; ND, Cotnoir (tripping,
roughing), 8:19; ND, Van Arkel (roughing); 11:02;
UM, Fox (roughing), 11:02; ND, Andrusiak (hook-
ing), 11:25; UM, Herr (roughing), 11:25; UM, Peach
(interference), 11:39; UM, Crawford (high sticking),
18:39; ND, Eaton (tripping), 19:22.
Third period - no goals scored. Penalties - ND,
Van Arkel (high sticking), 3:44; UM, Herr (interfer-
ence), 4:26; UM, Crawford (broken stick), 7:48;
UM, Herr (high sticking), 18:26.
Shots on goal - ND 15-13-7 - 35; UM 11-5-3 -
19.
Power Plays - NDO0 of 7; UM 0 of 4.
Saves - ND, Eisler 10-5-3 - 18; UM, Turco 15-13-
7 - 35.
At: Joyce Center Arena A: 2,667
d a .
over the team when Matty was hurt early - I
just thought that was great leadership from this
class."
And with the leadership and strong play of the
senior class, the Wolverines have had another
excellent year, compiling a 26-9-1 record. But
more important for the seniors, they've had one
more year together.
"The best part about playing on this team and
living with these guys is learning about life,"
Turco said. "It's coming to the rink, and it's
going home with these guys and knowing that
these guys will be your friends until the day you
die."
As Berenson said, "Robb Gordon doesn't
know what he missed."
Get out the Maulox,
fans
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Michigan 5, Bowling Green 4
Bowling Green 1 1 2 - 4
Michigan 4 1 0 -5
First period -1. UM, Crozier 11 (Peach), 6:27
(pp); 2. UM, Matzka 3 (Rominski, Muckalt), 12:54;
3. UIM, Herr 11 (Muckalt), 14:17 (pp); 1. BG,
Faulkner 8 (Price, Williams), 18:19; 4. UM, Langfeid
16 (Herr), 19:14. Penalties - BG, Price (tripping),
6:13: BG, Williams (high sticking), 8:43: UM, Herr
(tripping), 9:15:UM, Rominski (high sticking),
10:20; BG, Williams, (slashing), 14:14; BG,
Schueller, (slashing), 14:50.
Second period - 5. UM, Merrick 3 (Matzka,
Ritchlin), 15:48; 2. BG, Schueller 4 (Williams,
Faulkner), 19:53. Penalties - BG, Desjarlais (trip-
ping), 7:56; UM, Van Ryn (holding), 11:53; BG,
Holzinger (roughing), 12:34; BG, Mass (cross-check-
ing), 13:20; BG, Ham (high sticking), 16:50.
Third period - 3. BG. Bonvie 12 (Ham), 4:47; 4.
BG, Price 13 (Holzinger, Bonvie), 7:15 (pp).
Penalties - UM, Rominski (roughing), 6:46; IUM,
Fox (roughing), 12:15; BG, Price (high sticking),
12:15; UM, Rominski (tripping), 14:15.
Shots on goal - BG 2-7-5 -14: UM 22-10-8 - 40.
Power Plays - BG 1 of 5; UM 2 of 8. -
Saves - 8G, Timm 18-9-8 - 35; UM, Turco 1.6-3
- 10.
Referee - Matt Shegos.
Unesmen - Tony Molina, Steve Mclnchak
At: Bowling Green Ice Arena. A: 3,232.
OTRE DAME -Talking with
the general Michigan hockey
fan, I've been asked the ques-
tion, "So, is the hockey team going to
do good in the playoffs, or what?"
First of all, it's "do well," - not, "do
good."
And second of all, I don't know.
Of course I don't - I've been wrong
all season. I thought this team would
surprise No. 2
Michigan State
two weekends
ago and stake a
strong claim toV
first place.
That didn't
happen. The
Spartans swept SHARAT
Michigan con-
vincingly and RAJU
have the inside Sharat
track going into in the Dark
the playoffs.
I figured the Wolverines would be
playing close games during the first
half of the season and would return to
blowing out teams in the second half of
the season.
Wrong again. In fact, Michigan
games are just as nailbiting now as
when the season began.
This past weekend is a prime exam-
ple. The Wolverines had Bowling
Green by the short-and-curlies Friday
after exploding to a 4-1 first-period
lead.
By the end of the game, Michigan
was clinging to a one-goal lead and
escaped with a 5-4 victory.
The Wolverines have been doing this
tight-rope act all season long. If you
want to sum up the 1997-98 regular-
season Michigan hockey campaign
without using any words, all you need
to do is show a tape of the final 1:24
seconds of last Saturday's game.
White-knuckled and most certainly
out of Maalox, the Wolverines man-
aged to pull out a victory from the jaws
of near defeat.
Again.
But that is how it has been. If coach'
Red Berenson didn't have a heart con-
dition before this season began, there's
a good chance he has one now. His
team has given him few chances to
relax on the bench.
Back on Oct. 11, 1997, the
Wolverines played their first game of
the season against higher-ranked
Minnesota. Trailing by two goals early,
the Wolverines rallied and won. By one
goal.
A quick glimpse of the first and lass
games of the season, it would seem
that this team hasn't matured at all.
Of course, that's not true. Michigan
has the unfortunate distinction of being
a marked team, the highlight of every
other team's schedule.
Again, I don't know how the
Wolverines will do in the postseason.
Michigan can beat anyone in the coun-
try or be beaten by nearly anyone in
the country.
So in the postseason, pack some
extra-strength Pepto Bismol and be
ready for the same edge-of-your seat
hockey. That much is certain.
- Sharat Raju can be reached at
sraju@umich.edu
MARGARET MYERS/Daily
Michigan forward Bill Muckalt scored a goal and recorded two assists this weekend. He finished second in CCHA scoring.
IRISH
Continued from Page 11B
back," Michigan defenseman Mike Van Ryn said.
"When we only have (a lead of) one goal, I think
we're just more concentrated on the game because
we don't really have a cushion."
After splitting the previous weekend with a 2-1
loss to Ferris State and a 5-3 victory over Lake
Superior, Michigan was down three points to
Michigan State in the conference standings heading
into Friday's game with Bowling Green.
After this weekend - and a split for Michigan
State - the gap is just one point, but there is a gap,
nonetheless. Second-place Michigan will face Notre
Dame (12-14-4, 17-174) again - this time in the
first round of the CCHA tournament on Friday.
If the tournament is anything like Saturday's game
against the Irish, the Wolverines are in for a hard-
fought defensive struggle - and maybe more heart-
attack hockey.
Michigan's Bill Muckalt opened up the scoring
quickly with an unassisted goal from the left slot 32
seconds into the game. But a back-and-forth tempo
prevented either team from getting into an offensive
rhythm and closed the scoring the rest of the contest.
Notre Dame had some opportunities, outshoot-
ing the Wolverines 35-19, but Michigan goalie
Marty Turco made solid stops throughout the
night, and the Michigan defense cleared most of
the rebounds before the Irish could get second-
chance opportunities.
Most of the action occurred at opposite ends of
the game - first when Muckalt scored his lone goal
in the opening minute, and last when Notre Dame
tried to capitalize on a 6-on-4 advantage in the
game's final minute.
Michigan captain Matt Herr was awarded a five
minute major for high sticking at 18:26 in the third,
giving the Irish two extra players when Notre Dame
pulled goalie Matt Eisler with 40 seconds left in the
game.
Notre Dame had a couple of chances, but
Michigan defenseman Chris Fox finally cleared the
puck.
"A lot of desperation hockey - we're hanging
on," Berenson said. "And I don't know that the
penalties are always the right calls, but I think Herr's
penalty was deserved. And we had to kill it."
Michigan's defense had to deal with adversity all
night long. One of the Wolverines' top defensemen,
Bubba Berenson, sat out after twisting his knee
Friday against Bowling Green. On top of that, fresh-
man defenseman Dave Huntzicker went out during
the Notre Dame contest with a hip-pointer.
"When you're playing without them, it makes it a
lot tougher," Van Ryn said. "Bobby (Gassoff) and
(Scott) Crawford did a great job stepping up, and I
thought they played real well."
Berenzweig and Huntzicker will probably be
ready for this weekend's series against Notre Dame,
Berenson said. Considering the problems the
Wolverines had in Friday's game against the Falcons,
Michigan can use all the help it can get.
The Wolverines opened against Bowling Green
(6-21-3, 8-27-3) looking like the best team in the
CCHA - regardless of the standings. Michig
played as if it was on the power play the whole fir
period, outshooting the Falcons a whopping 22-2.
More important, the Wolverines used a barrage of
goals from Greg Crozier, Scott Matzka, Josh
Langfeld and Herr to lead Bowling Green, 4-1,
heading into the second. Then something happened.
The Wolverines stopped moving the puck well and
took just 10 shots in the second period. Michigan
scored just one more goal - from Andrew Merrick
late in the second -and allowed the Falcons to draw
within one at 7:15 in the third.
"The first period might've been our best of the
season," Berenson said. "We dominated, we never let
them get started, and we did all the things we want-
ed to do. ... And then we got into some bad habits.
"We just got away from our whole game plan in
the second period."