4B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - February 15, 1999
Puck talk
"We feel like we're letting everyone
in the world down that is a
Michigan supporter.
- Michigan winger Josh Langfeld, on
the recent six-game winless streak
Michigan 2
Western Michigan 2
Key play
7.1 seconds remaining in the third
period
- Michigan center Mark Kosick finds the
loose puck near the Western Michigan
crease and flips it past goaltender Matt
Barnes for the game-tying goal.
The Mchgan Daiy hockey wrtes'
picks for Michigan's three stars of
Saturday's game.
The freshman goaltende kept
Western Michigan from extendig
its 2- 0leadwi keysavesin bot
the second and tnird periods
-2 MARKKOICK
CENTER
Kosick salvaged the game for the
Wolverines by scoring wth7.1 .-
ensleft In the game, aftera, scrum i
in front of the Westem Michigan
net. Kosick's goal helped Michigan
salvage a point on the road'
- 3. Jos- LANGFD -
FORWARD
The sophomore had a goal and an
assist against the Broncos. His score,
number 14 on the season, was a
nifty individual effort after an odd-
man rush The goal cut the defidt to
~ -#r and gaveMiign somes life on
the road.
Michigan 2, Westem Michigan 2
Michigan 0 1 1 0 -2
Western Mich. 1 1 0 0 -2
First period -1. WMU, Mindel 11(Addesa,
Andrews), 7:51. Penalties -WMU, Crane (hold-
ing), 9:19.
Second period -2. WMU, Andrews 3 (Novock),
6:31; 1. Mich, Langfeld 14 (Peach), 15:31.
Penalties - Mich, Vancik (hooking), 7:25; Mich,
Hayes (elbowing), 8:30; Mich, Van Ryn (holding the
stick), 13:12; WMU, Redenius (hooking), 16:13;
Mich, Comrie (cross checking), 18:53; WMU,
Addesa (slashing), 19:57.
Third period -2. Mich, Kosick 8 (Comrie, Langfed),
19:53. Penaltes -WMU, Andrews (roughing),
6:20; Mich, Rominski (roughing), 6:20.
Overtime - no scoring. Penalties - none.
Shots ani - Mich, 411142- 31; WMU, 7.92 -
25.
Power Plays - Mich 0 of 3; WMU 0 of 4.
Saves - Mich, Blackburn 6w7-2 - 23; WMU,
Barnes 4-10-13-2 - 29.
Referee - Jim Sotiroff.
nesmen -Tony Molina, Kevin Langseth.
At: Lawson Ice Arena. A: 2,886.
Pairwise Rankings
Tie Pairwise Rankings (PWR) are a
statistical tool used by the NCAA
selection committee to assist In decid-
ing which teams to invite to the
Division i championship tournament.
Rankings are calculated at
www.uscollegeockey.com.
Team RPI 1k PWR
1. North Dakota .6569 1. 25:
2.Maine ,6327 2 .24
3. New Hampshire .626 3 23.
4. Mitchigan State .60u9 4 . 22
1. Colorado College .5856 5 20
.gClarkson: , .5764 6 20~
7. Quinnipiac .5369 15 18
N-S. Boston College .5752 7 16
9. St. Lawrence .5538 9'. 18.
>10. Denver .5461 11. 16
:a11. Michigan. .:5578 .$. 15;
F2, Princeton .5405 14 315
The NCAA toumrament field consists of
2Division I teams. Conference regular
sason and playoff champions receive
automatic bd. The west regionl
takes place In Madisoan the East
regionaI is in Worcester, Mass.
Next
Opponents
UOME GAMES IN CAPS
Feb. 19 Western Michigan
Feb. 20 Michigan State (Joe
Louis Arena)
Feb. 26-27 MIAMI
How the USCHO
To 10 fared
Ranrkings end recrds as of Feb.8.
KNo. 1 North Daikota (22-2-2) beat Denver 7-~
3 and 11-4.
No.?2 Maine (21-2-4)treat Boston Colege 6-
4..
e f Michigan State Q1443-) beat Notre
KNo. 4 New Hampshire (21-5-1) tied Boston
SUnivei~ty 2-2, beat Mc mack.71.
~'No. 5 Coorado Colege (19-......ea
KMinnesota 5-1, 3-1.
No. 6 Boston College (179-2) lost to Maine
No. 7 Notre Dame (16-7-4) loi to Michigan
7State 1-0, lost to Ferris State 1-0.
No Michigqan (1784) tied Westr
No 9 Ohio State (17-10.4) beat Northen
SMihian 6-3, lost to Northern Michigan 7-2.
No. 10 Denvtr~ (179-2) lost to North Dakota
S7-3 and 11.4
Subpar execution
slows down M'
hockey offense,
By Chris Duprey
Daily Sports Editor
KALAMAZOO - Playing a
Western Michigan squad that was
torched by Ferris State the previous
night, the Michigan hockey team had
hopes of blitzing the Broncos right out
of the gate Saturday and never looking
back.
It didn't happen.
For the fourth time in as many
games, the first goal scored did not
belong to the Wolverines.
Michigan was forced to play catch-
up hockey again after Western
Michigan's Daryl Andrews beat Josh
Blackburn to put the Wolverines in a
2-0 hole with 13:29 remaining in the
second period.
The slow start almost cost them. If
not for Mark Kosick's scrambling goal
with 7.1 seconds left in the game,
Michigan's trip to Kalamazoo would
have been fruitless - and its losing
skid would've hit four games..
Instead, the Wolverines salvaged a
point in their only game of the week-
end to help keep them afloat in third
place in the CCHA standings.
"The last four games we've played
the whole game from behind," said
Michigan coach Red Berenson, whose
team's last lead was a 3-2 advantage at
Michigan State on Jan. 29. "We've got
to score the first goal and get used to
playing with the lead again."
For a team that hasn't been starting
many games strong as of late,
Michigan's play gave no indication
that it emotionally had peaked for the
contest.
Meanwhile, the Broncos were phys-
ical throughout the opening period,
finishing their checks and making life
tough for Michigan, which registered
only four shots in the period.
The Wolverines began to manufac-
ture their own opportunities in the sec-
ond period, peppering Western
Michigan goaltender Matt Barnes on
several occasions.
"I thought we got better as the game
went on," Berenson said. "Once we
got the penalties out of the way, then I
thought we had the momentum."
Still, the majority of Michigan's
shots on goal - slapshots from the
point, and wristers from in between
the circles - weren't strong enough to
cause problems for the 5-foot-4
Barnes.
Winger Josh Langfeld finally got
the Wolverines on the board, slipping
the puck past Barnes on an odd-man
rush fueled by Western Michigan
defenseman Jeff Lukasak's slip-and-
fall - not by creating commotion in
front of the Broncos' net - for
SARA SCHENCK/Daily
Sophomore Josh Langfeld scored the Wolverines' first goal on a breakaway, but had trouble getting by Western Michigan's Jeff
Lukasak.
Michigan's first goal, with 4:29
remaining in the second period.
"We had trouble getting it going
offensively for most of the first two
periods," Kosick said. "We just didn't
get it done. Their goalie played well."
Most of the Wolverines' execution
problems were caused by their nonex-
istent physical presence in front of the
Western Michigan goal for most of the
night.
Barnes saw pretty much everything
that came his way, and very few of the
31 shots he faced came through traffic
in front of the Broncos' net.
All problems aside, the Wolverines
did execute when it counted most.
Kosick's strike in the closing seconds
sent the game into overtime, giving
Michigan an extra five minutes to try
and pull out the victory.
Last Saturday, down 3-2 at home to
Wolverines wake
up in third period
By Mark Francescutti
Daily Sports Writer
KALAMAZOO - The Michigan
hockey team returned to its old, dom-
inating self in the last two periods,
especially near the end of regulation
Saturday night against Western
Michigan.
The Wolverines came out of the
first intermission roaring, and
notched five shots on goal in the first
47 seconds. But if the rush struck fear
in the Broncos, then the third period
sent them reeling.
With Michigan trailing 2-1 and six
minutes left in the
third period, the HOCKEY
Wolverines from NoCk
earlier in the sea- Notebook
son showed their ------------
faces, dominating Western
Michigan's reeling defense and spray-'
ing shots on goaltender Matt Barnes.
"We had our chances to win the
game. (Sean) Ritchlin had a few
chances, (Mike) Comrie and (Josh)
Langfeld had a couple too," Michigan
center Mark Kosick said.
But instead, Michigan found time
winding down, desperately needing
the tying goal. The Broncos held off
the Wolverines for over five minutes
and 53 seconds before Kosick
answered Michigan's prayers.
"Bobby was taking the faceoff and
he was trying to push it forward,"
Kosick said. "I was playing behind
him like a defenseman.
"I think it went to Van Ryn, and the
puck came square out in the crease
and I shot it over the top of the
goalie."
Kosick's shot up top with 7.1 sec-
onds left resulted from Michigan get-
ting a chance in deep near Barnes -
something they tried to accomplish
for most of the game against the
smaller goaltender.
"You want to go down a little bit,"
senior Dale Rominski said describing
the plan of attack against Barnes.
"You usually want to freeze him, so
you can get him down and then have
an ocean to shoot for upstairs."
But with Western Michigan clog-
ging up the area near the goal, most
of Michigan's shots came from the
point, and the referee's lack of
whistling didn't help Michigan's
chances either.
"Interference was brutal out there,"
Rominski said. "Guys were just hog-
tying you before you even got close
to the net. Whatever interference is
now, it's completely arbitrary.".
The Wolverines were able to get a
last-second tally to send the game
into overtime, but had no such luck in
the extra stanza.
Although Western Michigan inter-
im coach Jim Culhane said he
instructed his team to play for the
win, the Broncos' play in overtime,
like the last minutes of regulation,
included little more than icing the
puck every time Michigan forwards
neared it.
"They were dumping the puck out
and they probably were happy with
the tie," Berenson said. "We were
pressing, and it's a lot harder when
you're playing that way."
With a team like Western Michigan
icing the puck, Michigan had extreme
trouble keeping it in the zone.
"You have to just get it in deep and
work a forecheck," Kosick said. "If
we had a few more minutes and a
couple more shifts we were going to
get it done. That's something we are
going to have to do the whole game."
TURNING POINT: One of the key
points in Saturday night's contest was
Michigan's key penalty-kill in a two-
man disadvantage in the second peri-
od.
With Mike Comrie and Bobby
Hayes committing two consecutive
penalties, Scott Matzka, Bubba
Berenzweig and Justin Clark held
their own against the Western
Michigan rush.
All three players blocked several
shots, keeping most of the action
away from Blackburn.
And when the puck did reach
Blackburn, the goalie was solid, mak-
ing sure the Broncos didn't increase
their lead to three.
"After we killed off the penalties, I
think we gained the momentum,"
Berenson said.
Ohio State, the Wolverines seemed to
need just a few extra minutes to pre*
for the tying goal. This time, Michigan
got the lucky bounce in front and
made no mistake with its golden
opportunity.
"It was just one of those (goals) -
maybe the kind of goals that have been
going in against us," Berenson said.
"We finally got a break. That seemed
like the break that we needed."
Late goal
lifts Blue
to 2-2 tie
BRONCOS "
Continued from Page 1B
In fact, by the time Western's Chuck
Mindel finally beat Blackburn for the
game's first goal, Michigan had yet to
see a real scoring opportunity.
After the period's lone penalty was
called on the Broncos, the Wolverines
were able to set up a good power play
cycle - only to be snubbed by Western
goalie Matt Barnes. Shortly after t
advantage expired, a Jeff Jillson poke-
check kept the Broncos from tallying
another goal before the end of the peri-
od. Michigan seemed to be outmuscled
in the first period from the drop of the
puck, and managed only four shots on
goal to Western's seven.
But the second period was a different
story completely. Michigan came out fir-
ing, and eclipsed Western's shot total in
less than a minute. The Wolverines dom-
inated play for much of the second -
but that didn't stop Western defenseman
Daryl Andrews from adding to Western's
lead midway through the period.
Seemingly undaunted, Michigan con-
tinued its solid second-period play,
killing off a 3-on-5 and another power
play before Josh Langfeld finally put the
Wolverines on the board.
The third period belonged to the
goalies - as Blackburn had seven hu
saves to keep the Wolverines in tl'
game while Barnes came ever-so-close
to recording a win.
With just more than a minute to go,
Berenson spent his timeout and called
for the hands team. Kosick was joined
by freshman Mike Comrie - and after
a quick change, Langfeld - for the
game-tying sequence.
Michigan pressed for the win in over-
time and had several chances, but the
Broncos steadily dumped the puck int
their offensive zone to quell Michig'
pressure, waiting for the clock to run out
on overtime and the Wolverines'
momentum.
"I think our team realizes how hard
we have to work every night just to stay
even -just to have a chance,"Berenson
said.
SARA SCHENCK/Daily
Forward Geoff Koch tries to get by a Western Michigan defender in Saturday
night's contest. The Wolverines had trouble all night getting the puck in deep.
WESTERN WONDERS: Lawson
Arena gives Bronco fans some "dif-
ferent" forms of entertainment
between periods.
During the first intermission, two
lucky fans became human pucks by
sitting on intertubes while ice offi-
cials put them in a slingshot. The
"bungee pucks" were then flung
down the ice trying to steer them-
selves in the opposite goal.
But the human-turned-puck excite-
ment became more apparent when
"puck boy" skated out onto the ice
during the second intermission.
A boy, dressed up in a puck outfit,
skated around the ice throwing sou-
venir pucks out to crazed fans.
Penalty box ushers also made the
fans go wild by throwing little Tootsie
Rolls into the stands.
Intermission
entertainers
Bungee pucks were all the rage at
Lawson Arena on Saturday. Here are the
Daily's 10 favorite intermission acts so
far this season:
1. Ferris State
2. Michigan
3. Bowling Green
4. Western Mich./
SMichigan State
5. Michigan
6. Wisconsin
7. Joe Louis Arena
8. Western Mich.
9. Ohio State
10. Michigan
Bulldog magic show
Mini-mite hockey
Falcon Frisbee toss
Bungee pucks
Jamie Morris
Celebrity Score-0)
Bucky on ice
Crab race'
Penalty box Tootsie
Roll toss
Buckeye puck game
Jim Cnockaert
Celebrity Score-C
;
CCHA Standings
Notre Dame loses two, Northern slams Bucks*
Team
Michigan State
Ohio State
w
16
16
CCHA
L Tr
26b
7 3
pis
38
35
24-
26
W
22
18
OVERALL
L T
3 6
11 4
GP
31
33
From Staff Reports
It was not a hugely successful weekend for any of the
top four CCHA teams, but a battle is heating up for the
1t-, 1z third a-Af rth ncitnne
Saturday.
No single Wildcat scored twice in the contest,
although Chad Theuer had a goal and two assists.
The seven ngoal a11wed b Ohio State tied a season
In familiar fashion, Brian Adams took a feed from
Mike York for the game winning goal at Munn Arena
this time against Notre Dame on Friday night.
Senior left wine Bryan Adams scored his 17th 2oal of
?'
... ..............