xw ffiiugian alfg PORTS ONDAY qv' hockey blows late lead, settles for tie with Ohio State David Den Herder ly Sports Writer COLUMBUS - Josh Blackburn and the Michigan hockey team were 70 seconds away from a big road victory Saturday night. Tut the Wolverines opportunity melted away like the watery ice at Value City Arena late in the third period. The puck - hich had seemed so large to ckburn all night - dribbledd MkchIgan 1 ss the goal line at 18:50, OhIo State 1 resulting in a 1-1 split decision - with Ohio State, while keeping Michigan two points behind Michigan State in the CCHA standings. "We feel like we should have won and could have won - an'didn't win," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "But it was a great game, a great crowd, and I think it was a great event for the CCHA." Yhile the event may have been great, the rink conditions at Oiio State's new arena were anything but - making puck ban- an absurd proposition for either team. The ice conditions were terrible, there's no question," Berenson said. "And I don't want to criticize anyone - I know their coach understands that - and it'll take some fine tuning to get their act together in terms of the ice." Women's hoops stomp Wildcats Blue stomp Iowa for road victory ley ,6a Subramaan Daily Sports Writer EVANSTON A week ago, victory seemed like a distant memory. But just a short time later, that sweet sensation has rturned to the Michigan women's basketball team. After yesterday's 64-54 victory over Northwestern, Michigan coach Sue Guevara said adversity builds character. *anyone would know, it would be Guevara. So far this sea- son, her Wolverines have experienced the high of a nine-game winning streak and the frustration of a five-game losing streak. Instead of accepting defeat, in the last six days the Wolverines have nearly climbed all the way out of the deep pit they had dug for themselves doing the previous two weeks. One week ago, Michigan was in last place in the Big Ten. After Friday night's 86-67 victory over Iowa, it had rocketed out of the cellar and into fifth place in the conference. During the three-game winning streak, the character of the team has finally shone through displaying a squad that has fJlyelled and began playing- The most glaring example of Norhwestern 64 that is the recent distribution of- --- - offense. No longer is junior guard Stacey Thomas forced to carry the weight of the team on her shoulders alone. Instead, players such as freshmen Ruth Kipping and Alayne Ingram, as well as sophomore Anne Thorius, have put up impressive fig- ures on the scoreboard. "1 have a team of warriors," Guevara said. "We've had gutty performances from several people and had contributions from I nch the last three games." he contributions of her teammates have allowed Thomas to play her game. In doing so, Thomas has once again become the dominating player she was at the start of the season. Yesterday's game was another record-setting performance for Thomas, who led all scorers with 15 points and nabbed 10 rbounds. She recorded a career high four blocks and with her six steals surpassed Diane Dietz for second on the Michigan career steals list with 233 in three years. She trails only Lori Gnatkowski, who leads all Wolverines with 266. But last night's performance in Evanston could not be called "The Stacey Thomas Show" It was perhaps one of the most plete .performances the Wolverines have had all season wi four players scoring in double figures. The most telling statistic was Michigan's 68-percent field- goal shooting percentage in the first half and 50.9-percent shooting for the game. See WILDCATS, Page 6B Value City Arena had been used earlier in the day for an Ohio State basketball game, and officials were having logisti- cal problems keeping the ice frozen. The poor conditions though did not deter referee Roger Graff from calling several penalties in the first or second periods. Twenty players - 10 Wolverines and 10 Buckeyes -- were banished to the bok in the first two stanzas. "We didn't come here to take penalties. We came to play more of a penalty-free game," Berenson said. "But we ended up taking way too many penalties. Part of it is the refereeing and part of it is just the emotion in the game, the position the other team puts you in and the pressure in the game" Ohio State coach John Markell agreed that the early periods had more than a healthy dose of penalty minutes. "It was rough sledding in the first period," he said. "I think we were nervous because of the (large) crowd, and it con- tributed to the early penalties." All that being said, Michigan's only goal came with both teams at full strength. Early into the second period, Michigan forward Geoff Koch was breaking toward the far side and fed a cutting Mike Comrie for the go-ahead goal. "Koch was out front, and two guys went to Josh Langfeld so I just tapped it in through the five-hole. Good things happen when you put it on net," Comrie said. But that would be the extent to which any good things hap- pened on net for the Wolverines. Despite several good chances, Michigan couldn't convert, and was forced to protect a one-goal lead when the clock began to wind down on the third period. And just as it began to seem things would end up in Michigan's favor, Ohio State's Hugo Boisvert found a wide- open Ryan Jestadt to tie the game. Overtime offered Michigan several good chances, but nei- ther team could convert. "(Scott) Matzka had a couple chances, I had a deflection, we knew we were always in the game," Comrie said of the extra stanza. "Just like the NHL, it would be a better game if there was better ice. But that's all right, it's hockey." Blackburn saved 25 of 26 shots on the night and held the Buckeyes scoreless in overtime. "Blackburn gave us a chance to win the game, and that's all you can ask of your goalie," Berenson said. "If that's one of the factors in winning on the road, Blackburn had a solid game." While Ohio State went 0-for-8 on the power play, Michigan missed all nine of its opportunities with the man advantage. "On the power play, I thought we were strong at the start of the game when the ice was good, and we seemed to dete- riorate with the ice as the game went on," Berenson said. "And you can't blame the ice, but it may have been a factor." The Michigan hockey team surrendered a goal with 1:10 to go, earning a 1-1 tie with Ohio State in Columbus. Tra 0 n wr C Road loss boils down to Blue's lethargicstr By Josh Kleinbaum Daily Sports Editor WEST LAFAYETTE - The script has been around almost as long as Gene Keady has been at Purdue - only the set changes. The Michigan basketball team travels to another Big Ten school, falls behind by double digits early, makes a valiant comeback at the end of the game, but falls just short of actually winning it. Saturday, the set was Mackey Arena. Michigan fell behind Purdue 20-6 in the first six minutes, was behind by as Purdue 81 much as 19 early in the second 72 Michtn 7 half, battled back to within five with just more than four minutes left in the game, then let it slip away, losing 81-71. The loss dropped Michigan to 1-6 in opponents build- ings and 2-10 away from Crisler Arena. "They got off to a big start and we were never able to recover," Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe said. "At some point, our basketball team has to make plays with the game on the line." But Michigan (3-4 Big Ten, 9-11 overall) didn't make plays with the game on the line. In fact, it did just the opposite - a handful of turnovers and fouls towards the end of the game, including two costly errors by freshman forward Chris Young, just may have cost the Wolverines a shot at a valuable road win. "We stopped ourselves," Ellerbe said. "We didn't fight through down screens, we travelled. In fundamental situa- tions, we didn't come through" With 7:46 to play in the game and Michigan trailing by seven, forward Brandan Smith stole a Jaraan Cornell pass and broke down the floor. As he went for an easy layup, Purdue's Carson Cunningham dragged Smith to the floor. Cunningham was called for an intentional foul. Smith hit both his free throws to cut the lead to five, and it looked as though momentum was swinging Michigan's way. But on the ensuing inbounds pass, Young was called for a questionable pushing-off foul. Instead of getting a chance to cut the lead to three, Purdue hit a free throw on the other end to push it up to six. From that point on, Michigan committed five more turnovers, resulting in seven Purdue points. "We exert a lot of energy getting back into the game," Michigan guard Louis Bullock said. "It's tough getting See BOILERS, Page 58 DANA UNNANE/Daily Not even Brandon Smith's career high of 15 points could help resurrect the Wolverines from a 19-point deficit to Purdue. Michigan came within five points, but the Boilermakers closed out the victory at Mackey Arena. Cunninzgham ST LAFAYETTE - For a guy who just torched Michigan for 24 points in his first start of the sea- son, Purdue guard Carson Cunningham wasn't really all that excited. In fact, he was "pissed off." Sure, he had just led the Boilermakers to a 81-71 victory over the Wolverines ... but he could have PRANAY cared less. REDDY "This is a game we Reddy should win," Reddy Cunningham Or Not snapped. "We should have won more convincingly." Cunningham wasn't being arrogant, he was just mad. He was mad that Purdue had dropped its two previous Big Ten games against Ohio State and Indiana. He was s urgency Michigan back into the game aft an 18-point lead with I1 minutes "I was pissed off because we t were better than we are," Cunnin added. Some pretty harsh words forji game conference losing streak, r not in Boilermaker country, whe breathe and sleep Purdue basket could argue that the skid was blo proportion, but then again, isn't t college athletics is all about? Since when is emotion not the theme for any college sport? Thi pros, where your job is on the lin lege - particularly men's colleg - pride is paramount. Cunningham was "pissed off,' every right to be; Purdue was stu and so was his game. Well, if you'll look closely, th Wolverines are in a similar situat They've lost two conference gan exempi fies Purdu er holding did in wins over Wisconsin, Indiana and s left. Ohio State. hought we And the problem goes beyond the fact the igham Wolverines haven't been at home for the past two games. The key here is Michigan's ust a two- sense of urgency - or the lack thereof. ight? Well, While Michigan was simply looking for a re fans eat, win on the road, the Boilermakers needed ball. You much more. wn out of The Michigan game was going to be a that what defining point in Purdue's season - the point where the Boilermakers either suf- overriding fered their first three-game conference los- s isn't the ing streak since 1985, or got back on track ae. In col- for a run at the Big Ten title. e basketball From Cunningham's demeanor and Purdue coach Gene Keady's comments fol- and he had lowing the game you got the sense that ck in a rut, there was still trouble in paradise (um, West Lafayette) - even after notching a hard- e, earned conference victory. ion. But you couldn't help but think it was a nes in a row refreshing change. Here stood one of the e's attitude DANA LINNANE/Daily Mic~hian'st Ruth Kooing has emerged lately he~lng the DANA LINNANE/Daily Purdue coach Gene Keady didn't do much smiling Saturday, even though his team { I I