NATIONAL
HOCKEY LEAGUE
Ottawa at
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N.Y. Rangers at
TAMPA BAY, inc.
N.Y. Islanders at
PITTSBURGH, inc.
Colorado at
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Chicago at
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Los Angeles at
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Nashville at
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Ulie £chiiz Ia .tig
Tracking 'M' teams
The Michigan soccer team begins NCAA tournament.
play today against Xavier at the Michigan Soccer
Field. The first round game begins at 2 p.m. The win-
ner plays Notre Dame on Nov. 14 or 15.
Wednesday
November 11, 1998
8
VML)LNu, ma.
Sophomore
defenseman Dave A
Huntzicker may
retum to the
Michigan lineup
this weekend If he
is cleared by a
doctor today.
MARGARET MYERS/Daily
Blueliner could return
Buckeye Stew? Spartans have the recite
e upset of the year took place in the Big Ten,
Twhich shouldn't surprise anyone. Exactly how it
was pulled off should.
Tnanks to a little jukin' by Sedrick Irvin, a little
chokin' by Joe Germaine and whole lot of pressure
applied by the rest of the free world, Ohio State took a
By TJ. Beka
Daily Sports Writer
When Michigan defenseman Dave
Huntzicker went down Oct. 30 against
Bowling Green with a separated shoul-
der, the preliminary prognosis was that
he would be out three weeks.
But if he is cleared by a doctor today,
the sophomore will be on his home ice
Friday against Alaska-Fairbanks, a week
earlier than expected.
Huntzicker "will play if he gets the
go-ahead," Michigan coach Red
Berenson said.
Huntzicker took advantage of last
week's off-weekend to get his shoulder
back into shape. Along with working out
in the weight room, he did some light
skating in informal practices.
"I'm feeling better every day,'
Huntzicker said. "I'm working real hard
with the trainer and on the ice and I'm
feeling pretty good. I still look over my
shoulder from time to time in the cor-
ners, but I'm feeling pretty comfortable."
Huntzicker's intensity in getting back
into action is being copied by his team-
mates this week in practice as they try to
distance themselves from their last per-
formance, a 6-1 loss to Northern
Michigan on Halloween night.
Junior center Andrew Merrick has
been especially intense in practice this
week, getting into fights the last two
days. Yesterday, Merrick and assistant
captain Bobby Hayes dropped the gloves
and went toe to toe.
"Everybody's just working really
hard," Merrick said. "The guys are try-
ing real hard and stuff happens. There
are no hard feelings though - what hap-
pens on the ice is left on the ice."
dive, falling 28-24.
Once a year, there is a game
so vile, a day so slanted to boil
the blood of Wolverines every-
where, that the competition is
beyond comprehension. And in
this year's version, Michigan
State squeaked out the Evil
Bowl.
What are the ingredients of a
for-the-ages upset? The recipe
involves effort (or lack thereof)
on the part of both teams.
Welcome to the Daily kitchen.
MARK
SNYDER
Mark My
Words
1
I
BuCKEYE STEW
One part favorite: Ohio State rolled through this
season on a mission of redemption. Its dominance
began when every major poll anointed the Buckeyes
the team of destiny in the preseason, a spot they didn't
relinquish heading into the Michigan State game.
The Buckeyes, led by former Heisman candidate
Joe Germaine, were among the most efficient offenses
in the nation, averaging more than 30 points per game
while allowing just more than eight. The steamroller
defense, spearheaded by Butkus Award winner Andy
Katzenmoyer, was flattening opponents in an historic
manner.
One part underdog: Michigan State had dropped the
enormous Paul Bunyan trophy on its own foot, losing
to Michigan earlier this year. The Spartans stood an
uncomfortable 4-4 overall and 2-2 in the conference -
numbers undeserving of even a lowly bowl bid.
They were decimated by injuries all year, losing
senior cornerback Amp Campbell to a devastating
neck injury, and morale in
e iolr East Lansing was nonex-
Re' istent. A top-five basket-
ball team on campus
/ dled8 dominated sports dis-
pat je. cussion and Nick
par underdot Saban's team was
parts cat beyond forgotten.
rtead Two parts goat:
4 pattsP Germaine and tail-
part back Michael Wiley,
mannered coa the bedrocks of the
J. pacts statehoooffensive game plan,
AP PHOTO
Michigan State's Shawn Wright (31), Aric Morris (9) and Jace Sayler (80) had all the ingredients for an upset
this past Saturday, when they beat then-top ranked and undefeated Ohio State, 28-24.
dropped the ball - literally. They played as if the
game was an afterthought, each fumbling once and
watching teammates have punts bounce off their pads,
E Four large doses of spread: After this result, we
wouldn't even let the Vegas oddsmakers pick for the
Daily. The "experts" pegged the State-State tilt at a 28
1/2-point advantage for the No. 1 Buckeyes.
The four-touchdown edge didn't sit well with Irvin
and he made his feelings known about the deficit, fir-
ing up his teammates. His contention? They'd have to
beat the spread and win the game to make a statement.
Not only fighting the Buckeyes, the Spartans were
combating public perception and that enemy drove
them to victory.
One large part mild-mannered coach: In his tenure
at Michigan State, Saban was waiting for his defining
moment. Every great coach has a big win sometime in
his career or else he's sent packing. Saban's came on
Saturday and it couldn't be at a better time - or loca-
tion - for him. In the early 1980s, Saban was fired
from Ohio State, so winning in the Horseshoe was a
bit of vindication. But his frantic search for his wife
Terri after the game encapsulated all the frustration of
this rocky season.
Ten parts statehood: As it always does with John
Cooper, the bottom line was his inability to win big
games. The loss to Michigan State, combined with the
stigma of Michigan's 8-1-1 dominance over Cooper's
team, made for great headlines nationwide ("Cooper
Ready to Fly South - Away From Michigan Border"
and "The Mitten Slaps Cooper Again.")
Bottom line: the Buckeyes didn't believe it was a
pressure situation, worthy of the "big game" moniker.
Michigan State did.
Better wash your apron, Lloyd, there's less than two
weeks until Michigan's five-star meal.
- Mark Snyder can be reached via
e-mail at msnvder umichedu.
TiPoFF 'S.
THURSDAY.
BATTLE OF BERAWN
Touchdowns and Scorekeepers, bewarel
Wisconsin quarterback/bar enthusiast
Mike Samuel says he didn't hit anyone <
in a spat outside a Madison bar on
Saturday night, but Michigan's defensive
line isn't likely be as kind to him.
away
i.
The University of Michigan WHAT'S
Department of Recreational Sports
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