SSPOF
Legends,
By Mark Francescutti
Daily Sports Writer
Former Michigan goaltender Marty Turco
Michigan's 1998 NCAA championship hockey s
received some closure last night.
In a defining moment for Michigan players, fan
*aches, Turco returned to Yost lee Arena to help
the 1998 NCAA championship banner before a C
game against Lake Superior.
Rumors about Turco returning for the celeb
were heard all week around Yost. The invitatior
there, Michigan officials said, but with Turco p1
with the Michigan K-Wings on Friday and Sat
nights, there was some doubt as to whether or n
former Wolverine could make it.
As it turned out, the banner raising was on top
W erary.
I was invited, and I was only so far away, and
really thought twice about it," Turco said. "I playe
games this weekend and I was more excited fo
night, because it gives the season some closure."
Rink announcer Glen Williams opened the ce
ny recounting the road to the championship,
j I
73
f'YI
.t
*Ichigan forward Dale Rominski scored the first
score, the first of the season, turned out to be t
1948I1951
at Balig
ITS ONDAY
hopefuls reive deam
h ope u s reie dream
o and
eason
ns and
raise
CHA
ration
n was
laying
turday
ot the
of his
never
ed two
or this
remo-
, then
introduced Turco.
The carpet was laid out for the former Michigan
goalie - who led Michigan to two championships in
three seasons - and he helped senior captain Bubba
Berenzweig lift the drapes hanging over the big blue
banner, which then was lifted up into the rafters at cen-
ter ice, joining countless others.
. Turco then shook the captain's hands and gave him
some words of encouragement.
"I told Bubba 'best of luck' and 'enjoy your year and
make the most of it,' because your senior year is the
best of the four years," Turco said, "Bubba knows what
he's getting into."
Last season was supposed to end last season, and not
last night, with a new blue banner to join the other nine
But a team that was thought to be in a rebuilding
season proved critics wrong, with a march through the
NCAA tournament and a Josh Langfeld overtime goal
that led to a cinderella ending.
"We're really proud of what we did last year and it's
a great motivator," senior forward Dale Rominski said.
"You think of all the stuff we went through last year,
and it's the beginning of this year - it was really excit-
ing.
Fans were greeted at the door by a plethora of free
goodies. Michigan officials gave out mini blue cham-
pionship banners and posters of last season's champi-
onship team, plus a note from coach Red Berenson
thanking the fans for their support.
"It's a great day for Michigan hockey," Berenson
said.
But the real treat was a celebration most fans will
remember for a lifetime.
"I thought it was beautiful, it was something I'll
remember for a long time," LSA sophomore Josiah
Silverstein said. "I feel more connected to Michigan
hockey."
The fans roared - when Turco's name was
announced, and throughout the rest of the 10-minute
celebration.
"It was just awesome," LSA sophomore Katie
McLaughlin said. "I felt very nostalgic and just very
happy about last season, and it was great to see Marty
back here."
It was fitting for Turco to return to the Yost ice
See BANNER, Page 4B
WARREN ZINN/Daily
Michigan raised its ninth national championship banner to the rafters of Yost Ice
Arena last night before a crowd of 6,587 for the CCHA opener with Lake Superior.
Emotion helps 'M'
outmuscie Lakers
By David Den Herder
Daily Sports Writer
In a physical CCH A opener last night,
the Michigan hockey team defeated Lake
Superior, 2-0, at Yost Ice Arena.
Pregame emotion gave rise to a penal-
ty-ridden first period, as six Lakers and
two Wolverines were sent to the box.
Michigan capitalized early on a four-on-
three power play when senior assistant
captain Dale Rominski took a feed from
Scott Crozier to dump in the 1-0 goal.
"Either Crozier was going to score, or
it was gong to deflect my way," Rominski
said. "So I just backed off the net and I
basically had the whole net - I actually
caught the top of (the goalie's) pad."
Rough play continued to dominate the
period, allowing for just 7:06 of five-on-
five action from the drop of the puck to
the first intermission. A total of 52 penal-
ty minutes were handed out by the end of
the game.
"This team (Lake Superior) is so dirty
and so physical that it was a little bit
expected," Michigan captain Bubba
Berenzweig said.
The roughing eventually resulted in a
frightening stop in the action late in the
third period.
With the puck deep in the Laker zone,
Lake Superior center Blaine McCauley
threw Michigan sophomore Scott
Matzka back-first into the boards.
Matzka bore most of the impact with his
head, and collapsed onto the ice in a
bloody, motionlessiheap.
The Yost crowd fell silent as Matzka
slowly regained consciousness. His
movement drew cheers of relief, but
Matzka could not skate off the ice with-
out assistance.
He was later diagnosed with a minor
concussion and required stitches.
"He's fine now, but there's no question
he didn't know where he was for a few
minutes," Michigan coach Red Berenson
said. "It was a clean hit, it wasn't a dirty
hit. He just got his head hit pretty hard."
Before coming out of the game,
Matzka set up freshman Mike Comrie for
a second-period goal that all but put the
Lakers away.
The goal was the first of Comrie's
NCAA career, but second in the eyes of
the Michigan faithful, who also saw him
score against Guelph Oct. 3.
"When (Comrie) has the puck, he's
like a veteran already," Berenson said of
his talented freshman.
Although no points were officially
recorded on power plays, Lake Superior
goalie Rob Galatiuk felt the punishment
of his team's 32 penalty minutes.
The Wolverines pummeled Galatiuk
with 40 shots on goal, and he turned
away all but two, including several stiff
one-timers to the glove side.
Michigan goalie Josh Blackburn, on
the other hand, enjoyed a nearly impene-
trable defense much of the game.
Blackburn faced just 14 shots, but still
had the opportunity to make some smart
and impressive plays.
"You've got to stay focused,"
Blackburn said after the slow night,
"Watch what's going on at the other end,
and be ready for anything"
Overall, Berenson was content with
the outcome of the battle.
"We generated, maybe, more shots
than we did good scoring chances ... but
we didn't give up much, and when we
did, I thought Blackburn was sharp."
WARREN ZINN/Da~iy
t goal of the game at 3:26 In the first period, putting the puck past Lake Superior goaltender Rob Galatiuk. Rominski's
the winning goal in Michigan's 2-0 victory.
o,-,r N 1f9*
vul1lU4I mu" u i
Orange barrels can't slow
women's cross country
record-setting match
By Uma Subramanian
Daily Sports Writer
Two different teams showed up to play vol-
leyball at Cliff Keen Arena on Friday night. But
Owasn't just Michigan's opponent who changed
Tor the seventh annual Rock the House game.
A new-look Michigan squad solidly swept
No. 22 Minnesota (2-3 Big Ten, 12-4 overall),
16-14, 15-5, 17-15, in a match that was charac-
terized by intensity, emotion and some record-
setting performances.
This new team was dramatically different
than the team that was swept by No. 23
Michigan State last Wednesday.
In Friday's victory - its first over a ranked
$ponent - Michigan (2-3, 10-5) played with
an intensity that had not been seen this season.
In the final game of the match, the
Wolverines jumped out to an early 5-0 lead.
They then led 14-10 before Minnesota respond-
ed with a late rally.
The Wolverines couldn't manage to get that
sophomore setter Alija Pittenger served, closing
the door on the Gophers, 17-15.
The very nature of game three was indicative
of the revamped Wolverines.
Versus the Spartans last week, the Wolverines
led 5-0 early in both game one and the critical
game two. But Michigan State came away with
both games.
On Friday, that just wasn't going to happen.
"They were tired of losing," Michigan coach
Greg Giovanazzi said. "They seemed to take
more individual responsibility, especially the
seniors. They were exceptional.
"I thought in the third game that we were
completely in control. They came back by play-
ing good ball, not because we broke down,
which has been a problem in the past."
Szczesniak took things into her own hands,
recording 18 digs in the match. With that total,
she crossed the 1,000 dig mark - becoming
only the fourth Wolverine to do so.
"I think we were really sick of losing out
By Ryan C. Moloney
For the Daily
' KALAMAZOO - To say that everything
went the way of the Wolverines in Saturday's
Michigan Intercollegiate would be to stretch the
truth.
Granted, the fifth-ranked Wolverines packed
up the entire race and placed five of their run-
ners among the top 10 overall finishers, en route
to a 29-point team performance and the title of
the state's best team.
In fact, about the only thing the Wolverines
couldn't control was the construction on 1-94,
which affected their pre-race preparation.
"It gets you out of your routine a little bit,"
Michigan coach Mike McGuire said in refer-
ence to the team's late arrival. "Normally we
get to a site an hour and 45 minutes before a
race and we got here less than an hour before the
race. So it affects a little bit of your prepara-
tion."
The runners felt the effects of the lengthy
dIrive or mall
Not that the team was complaining - peren-
nial front-runner Katie McCregor added to a
season full of accomplishments with a c:ourse-
record time of 16:38.
"We were just going out there to compete,"
McGregor said.
McGregor separated from the pack at the mile
mark and spent the rest of the race in cruise con-
trol while her teammates focused on keeping in
a pack behind her and closing the time gap.
"It's not fun running up there all by yourself,"
McGregor said. "You try to remember that there
are other runners behind you. It's mental."
McGregor was followed by Elizabeth
Kampfe, who finished second overall, clocking
an impressive 17:02. The rest of the top five was
filled out by Michelle Slater (5th, 17:28), Lisa
Ouellet (7th,17:34) and Katie Clifford (10th,
17:52).
Particularly encouraging to McGuire was the
team's response to the season-ending stress frac-
ture suffered by Katy Radkewich nearly two
wfxPkaairn
DAVID ROCHKIND/Daily
Jeanine Szczesniak's single-game attack per-
centage record was shattered by teammate
Karen Chase on Friday.
record-setting performance last weekend. She
was joined by seniors Linsey Ebert and Karen
C'ncflanthlt a tn.
{