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Cleveland 92, UTAH 98, FLOR
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SPORTSpankd

Tracking 'M' teams
The Michigan women's tennis team after two consecu
tive home victories will try to keep the momentum
going when the Wolverines travel to Miami tomorrow
to face Miami.

Thursday
April 2, 1998

11A


Take

our
Berenson leads 'M' into
fourth straight final four

By Pranay Reddy
Daily Sports Writer
BOSTON - Few thought that this was even
going to happen.4
It's April, and the 1997-98 version of the
Michigan hockey team is still playing. This was
the year the Wolverines were finally going to
take their fall. The talent-laden senior class of a
year ago was gone, and a
host of new faces were in -----------------
the fold. Hockey
This was the year
Michigan State would coni mentaiy
finally break through and--------------
make a real run at the NCAA title. And after
weeping the Wolverines during the season. it
seemed that the Spartans had finally slaved their
demons.
But in the end, Michigan was the one left
standing, which begs the question - how?
All it takes is one look at the man who guides
Michigan. and you have your answer.
Red Berenson, in his 14th year' as Mlichigarn's
hockey coach, has drive fthis bunch of
Wolverines to the NCAA seniifinals with sheer
determination. Berenson has performed a minor
miracle with this year's team, considering the
experience he was left with in comparison to

last season. I F you don't think so, take a look at
the numbers.
This year, the Wolverines have scored a total
of 144 goals. A year ago, Michigan torched
opponents all season long and put in a total of
242 goals. The scoring dip resulted in an al er-
age of roughly three goals a game less for the
Wolverines. Yet, Michigan's victory total
dropped off by only five games from last year
- and it could have been a bfw more.
For a team based on a run-and-gun style of
hockey. this resulted in a lot of close aames
20. in fact, in which the Wolverines went 16-4.
crushing the previotus Michian record of 10
one-goal victories. It was these games that gave
the Wolverines a strong cohesiveness as crunch
time approached.
"When we went to Minnesota for the first
garne. I didn't know what to expect."' Berenson
said. "But everyone has stepped up to fill in the
gaps- fill in the cracks:
Granted Michigan's freshmen class is a t'al-
ented bunch - as evidenced by blueliners Mike
Van Ryn and Dave fluntzicker. and forwards
Mark Kosick and Josh Langfeld - but the
responsibility for their development has fallen
squarely on the shoulders of Berenson.
See BERENSON Page 16A


re uses magic of
ince to semis
gram has changed.
UNH,.which has long been labeled as a team
that didn't get it done in March. got it done and
then some Sunday. Playing Boston University
and one of the greatest traditions in college
hockey, UNH drove back the ghosts of N(.AA
tournaments pasi and finali broke through
against the team that it was said the Wildcats
could never beat.
By beating BU in the NC'AA Tournament, the
Wildcats finally got to find out what it was like
See WILDCATS Page 16A

(ABOVE)Michigan
coach Red
Berenson pre-
pares his team
for his fourth
straight NCAA
Final Four.
(RIGHT) New
Hampshire goal-
tender Matt
Carney takes a
break at the end
of practice yes-
terday.
MARGARET MYERS/Daily

r


_.M' baseball
blanks Detroit
By Josh Borkin
Daily Sports Writer
Iast weekend the Michigan baseball team was outscored
*45-21 while dropping three out of four to conference foe
Illinois - not a good way to begin a defense of the Big Ten
title. But in yesterday's near-flawless 7-0 shutout of Detroit,
they once again looked like the Wolverines of last year.
Initially, the weather looked like it would prevent the game
from even getting underway. The tarp was not lifted from the
field until five minutes before game time. and a light drizzle
still lingered. By the time the tarp was removed and the pitch-
ors warmed up, the starting time was already 40 minutes late.
But as the weather cleared, the Wolverines' pitching,
ffense and defense were impeccable. The offense churned
out 11 hits, while the Michigan pitchers only allowed the
Titans three.
"Today's performance was much improved," Michigan
coach Geoff Zahn said. "We know we have a good team, it's
just the consistency all around that we have been lacking."
Detroit was certainly not a weak opponent. Yesterday
against Wayne State, the Titans recorded 19 hits and 17 runs.
But yesterday afternoon, the Wolverines handed Detroit their
first shutout of the season.
The most impressive performances were from the pitching
staff. Sophomore Bryan Cranson earned his first victory of
*he season in an impressive fashion. Cranson pitched five
innings of no-hit ball while facing only 16 batters and col-
lecting three strikeouts.
"My offspeed and breaking ball were really there today,'
Cranson said. "Its great to get my first win. It really gives me

Blue gymnastics heads into
NCAA regionals as No. 1 seed

By Nita Srivastava
Daily Sports Writer
Despite its shocking and disappoint-
ing loss at the Big Ten Championships
several weeks ago, the Michigan
women's gymnastics team will try to
redeem itself at the NCAA Central
Regional Championship Saturday in
Tuscaloosa. Ala.
The second-ranked \W'olverines w ill
enter the competition as the No. I seed.
defending their regional championship
title from last year. Also competing in
the meet are six other top-25 teams ----
No. 3 Alabama -- the host school, No.
8 Louisiana State, No. 13 Iowa State,
No. 9 Michigan State, No. 17
Minnesota and No. 19 Illinois.
"I love competing in the Central
Regional because it is the strongest
region in the country;" Michigan coach
Bev Plocki said. "Competing amongst
the best makes us better, and it will help
in NCAAs."
The most difficult competition for
Michigan arguably will be Minnesota
and Alabama. The Wolverines fell see-

and to the Golden Gophers in both
meets this season, one of which was at
the Big Ten Championship on March
21.
"Both times against Minnesota have
been poor because we did not hit our
routines" Plocki said. "But, this does
not mean that they are a better team,
only that we did not perform the way
we should have."
Michigan has not competed against
the Crimson Tide in the regular season
since 1993, but has faced them in the
regionals and NCAA Championships
for the past 11 years. Alabama holds an
8-2-1 edge in the postseason.
Plocki said the goal for the
Wolverines entering this competition is
to keep falls to a minimum. Two breaks
in this year's Big Tens was all it took to
keep Michigan from the title, losing by
only five-tenths of a point. Had this not
happened, Michigan would have been
conference champions for the seventh
time in as many years.
See CENTRAL Page 12A

Men return
after four-year
team absence
By David DenHerder
Daily Sports Writer
For the first time in four years, te
Michigan men's gymnastics team is
packing its hags in April.
The eighth-ranked Wolverines wil
travel to Amherst. Mass. tomorrow for
the NCAA East Regional, where they
are seeded fifth in a field of six teams.
But it's not like the comnpetition Is
unfamiliar.
The Big Ten has something of.a
monopoly on the East Region. This
year all six teams hail from the con
ference, and that may work to
Michigan's advantage.
Of the 14 gymnasts who will do
the maize and blue this weekend, onty
See EAST Page 12A

NATHAN RUFFER/Daily
Four Michigan pitchers combined to shut out Detroit, 7-0,
yesterday at Ray Fisher Stadium.
a lot of confidence for this weekend against Ohio State:'
Although Cranson was pitching a no-hitter into the fifth
inning. Zahn chose to pull him, and replace him with junior
Robbie Reid. Zahn felt that having a Cranson rested was
more important than the possible no-hitter. Cranson agreed
with the substitution.
"I was not even thinking about the no-hitter" Cranson said.
"This was a mid-week game, and I just want to be sharp for
See TITANS Page 15A

Read Daily Sports
tomorrow for cov-
erage of the
Michigan hockey
team's 2 p.m.

r 'I

Distinguished Lecture Series of the Advanced Study Center of the International Institute
"Piercing the Flesh:
Causing Pain in the Name of Religious Gain'
Laurence Thomas

PURSUING A CAREER IN
ATHLETIC ADMINISTRATION?
MWuhigoa
Ahke