The Michigan Daily - Friday March 12, 1999 - 9


I

Seniors finish their careers

I

Toumament

Other first round matchups

The Daily hockey Writer's predictions
for the other CCHA quarterfinal series:

,a I I

Continued from Page 8
ODAY'S SCHEDULE:
predicted winners in bold
East Regional, Charlotte
No. 4 Tennessee vs. No. 13
Delaware, 12:25 p.m.
No. 5 Wisconsin vs. No. 12
Southwest Missouri St., 2:45
No. 1 Duke vs. No. 16
orida A&M, 7:40 p.m.
o 8 College of Charleston
vs. No. 9 Tulsa, 10 p.-n.
East Regional, Boston
No. 3 Cincinnati vs. No. 14
George Mason, 12:15 P.M.
No. 6 Temple vs, No. 1
Ken 2:35 p.m.
No. MiamiFla.) vs. No.
5,Lafayette, 40p.m.
o. 7 Texas vs. No. 10
Purdue, 10 p.m.
Midwest Regional,
Milwaukee
No. 5 UNC-Charlotte vs No.
12 Rhode Island, 12:30 p.m.
No. 4 Arizona vs. No. 13
Oklahoma, 2:50 p.m.
No. 1 Michigan State vs.
pTo. 16 Mount St. Mary's,
755 .m.
No. 8 Villanova vs. No. 9
Mississippi, 10:15 p.m.
M1idwest Regional, New
Urleans
No. 2 Utah vs. No. 15
Arkansas State, 12:30 p.m.
.o 7 Washingtonvs.No. 10
ami (Ohio)2:50 p.m.
Io. 6 Kansas vs. No. 11
Evansville, 7:50 p.m.
No. 3 Kentucky vs. No. 14
New Mexico St., 10:10 p.m.

By Chris Duprey
Daily Sports Editor
Mixed in with the excitement of play-
off hockey is the Michigan senior class's
final weekend in Yost Ice Arena.
After four years, two national champi-
onships, and numerous CCHA acco-
lades, Michigan's seven seniors will bid
goodbye to their home rink soon, facing
a bit of pressure and a less-than-com-
fortable situation.
A berth in the NCAA Tournament
hinges on the Wolverines' performance
both this weekend and next in the con-
ference playoffs, and an opening-series
loss to Bowling Green could spell doom
for Michigan.
"We know if we go out and play our
best, that the fans will be behind us.
We're definitely pumped up," senior
Sean Ritchlin said. "Our main goal here
is to sweep - two games and out."
The Wolverines' seniors have seen it
all in a Michigan uniform, and will carry

that experience into the series and
beyond.
"After all the things we've gone
through as a senior class, and all the
things we've been through this year,
we've pretty much experienced every-
thing" assistant captain Bobby Hayes
said.
They've torched first-round oppo-
nents in the past. In 1997, they outscored
Alaska-Fairbanks 19-1 in two games,
giving them the momentum to win the
championship one week later at Joe
Louis Arena.
The seniors have faced tough times
too, and dealt with those. Notre Dame
shocked the Wolverines in the first game
of last season's CCHA playoffs, forcing
Michigan to win two in a row - includ-
ing a game two overtime cliffhanger -
on the way to learning the true meaning
of playoff hockey.
"Last year, when we won the third
game against Notre Dame, we really

came together as a team,' Ritchlin said.
"It helped us down the stretch, I think"
Both of those experiences should be
beneficial to Michigan, as the
Wolverines attempt to put a halt to
Bowling Green's recent hot streak.
As the Wolverines prepare, they're
bound to hear some wisdom from their
senior leaders - a corps of players that
have been just about everywhere in the
college game, a group that knows the lay
of the land.
Assistant captain Dale Rominski
doesn't have a fiery speech ready for
tonight. Instead he plans on telling his
teammates that "playoff hockey is all
hard work, all intensity.
"It's whack-and-hack hockey,"
Rominski said. "No matter if you get
speared, slashed, or whatever, you've got
to maintain your focus.
"If we don't win this series, our sea-
son's done. We're all going to be des-
perate."

44/
10-17-3
13-12-5
14-11-5

(8) Lake Superior at
(1) Michigan State
(6) Ferris State at
(3) Ohio State
(5) Northern Mich. at
(4) Notre Dame

20-3-7
17-10-3
15-11-4

The Lakers are just happy they made it to
the playoffs after battding back from the,
CCHA cellarTheir mood will change quickly
when they get dobbered by the Spartans.
Michigan State in two games.
Ferris had lost five straight before gritting
out a win against the Spartans. The feisty
Bulldogs have upset potential, but this one
comes down to home ice advantage.
Ohio State in three games.
Playoff hockey in South Bend? Joyce Arena
will be rocking, and the tight matchup
should be entertaining. Despite a long tip,
the Wildcats win the offensive battle.
Northern Michigan in three games.

p I

Blue survives Bronco crowd

/L

Ballroom Class
5:30 0:00
Dance 8:00
Sundays
Michigan Union Ballroom

By Geoff Gagnon
Daily Sports Writer
KALAMAZOO - With all of the
fevered frenzy that defines tourna-
ment basketball, the Michigan's
women's team staved off the upset-
minded Broncos in dramatic fashion
last night as they drew first blood -
literally.
With tensions flaring and emotions
running high, a spirited crowd erupted
as freshman Ruth Kipping exchanged
shoves with Western Michigan's
Shelsea Erving late in the second half.
The scuffle forced Erving to leave the
game with a cut arm.
As the two strualed for possession,
a rabid arena erupted as the sound sys-
tem blared them infamous boxing ring
call, "Let's get ready to rumble."
And Western Michigan's crowd
answered the call.
Emotion and passion frequently
reserved for tournament competition
blanketed the arena. Western
Michigan's crowd, bolstered by a grit-
ty on-court performance by Ron
Stewart's club, nearly proved too
much for Michigan. as the squad
opened the first round of the WNIT.
"This was a tremendous atmos-

phere for college basketball," Stewart
said. "Just imagine if in the 16 other
tournament sites across the country
tonight, people are getting that excited
for women's college basketball. I
think we'd be in a great spot."
And as his squad fed off the bois-
terous crowd in the second half to cut
Michigan's lead to six, it was clear the
Broncos were determined to give their
fans something to cheer about.
Western Michigan rebounded in the
second half to orchestrate a comeback
that saw the Broncos bring the deficit
to within six points - thanks largely
in part to the emotional boost the
crowd was able to provide.
"The crowd helped us a lot in the
second half," Western Michigan's
Kelly Delong said. "They were behind
us the whole game and really gave us
the help we needed to try and come-
back."
Guevara, who praised the role of the
fans in Western's dramatic second-
half comeback, said that crowd sup-
port is just what the Wolverines will
need this weekend.
"What we need for Sunday is our
crowd to sit down close to the court
and support us," Guevara said.

I I

FO FT RED
MIN *A M-A 0-T A F PTS
Thomas 37 10-16 0-0 1-12 0 3 23
Miller 26 6-8 2-4 5-8 0 5 14
Goodlow 23 3-8 0-0 0-3 0 4 6
Thorius 31 1-6 3-4 1-3 6 1 5
Ingram 23 2-7 2-3 0-1 2 2 7
Jara 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Oesterle 13 1-5 0-0 1-1 0 0 2
Lemire 30 3-5 0-0 06 5 0 8
Kipping 17 4-7 0-1 2-6 0 2 8
Dykhouse 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Totals 200 30462 74121043 1317 73
FG%: .484. FT%: .583. 3-point FG: 6-9,_667
(Thomas 3-4, Ingram 1-3, Lemire 2-2). Blocks: 5
(Thomas, MillerKipping Goodlow, esterle).
Steals: 2 (Thomas). Turnovers: 16 (Thomas 5,
Thorius 3, Goodlow 2, Lemire 2, Kpping 2. Lemire
2, Miller, Oesterle). Technical Fouls: none.
WESTERN MICHIGAN (64)
FG FT REB
MIN M-A M-A 0-T A F PTS
Erving 34 7-22 5-6 3-7 1 3 20
DeLong 30 3-8 4-4 05 0 1 13
Harris 36 3-8 1-3 7-13 1 1 7
Sri. Gallert 38 2-9 2-2 1-4 3 3 7
Bro. Gallert 40 3-8 2-3 0-2 4 3 9
Lassila 10 1-8 2-2 1-1 1 3 4
Dobberstein 0 1-1 0-0 0-0 0 0 2
Mueller 9 1-3 0-0 0-1 0 1 2
Popp 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Rud 3 00 0-0 0-1 02 0
Totals 225 24s58 18s2513-3518 21 73
FG%: .313. FT%: .800. 3-point FG: 6-18.-333
(DeLong 3-5, Bri. Gallert 1-5, Irving 1-4, bro.
Gallert 1-4). Blocks: 1 (DeLong). Steals: 8 (Bri,
Gallert 3, Rud 2. DeLong, Bro. Gallert, Lassila).
Turnovers: 13 (Sri. Gallert 3.Bro. Gallert 3, Rud 2,
De Long, Irving, Harris, lassila, Mueller). Technical
Fouls: none.
Michigan .........41 32 - 73
Western Michigan......25 39 - 64
At: University Arena, Kalamazoo
Attendance: 2,572



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Baseball heads to Sunshine State

By Michael Shafrir
Daily Sports Writer
As the endless winter continues to
wreak havoc on Ann Arbor, the
Michigan baseball team finds itself
travelling to warm locales to get some
games in before the snow melts - and
before the Big Ten conference invades
Fisher Stadium.
After finishing an eight-game road
Ep through California at 3-5, the
Wolverines find themselves searching 1
for the formula which will bring them
success in this weekend's games in
Hotnestead, Fla. With games scheduled,
against C.W. Post, Connecticut and
Southern Illinois, Michigan is looking
to get back on the winning track.
Michigan's pitching rotation will
again start with Bryce Ralston, with the
other probable starters being Luke
onner and Bryan Cranson.
Ralston went 1-1 in California,


including an 8-1 gem against San
Diego. Bonner also left the West Coast
with an even 1-1 record, while Cranson
- who finished with an 0-2 record -
was the losing pitcher in Michigan's 20-
7 loss to San Diego.
"Our pitching was there the whole
time in California," outfielder Jason
Alcaraz said.
But if Michigan is to succeed, they
need to avoid the type of letdown that
hurt them in California. After starting
3-1, Michigan went 0-4 over its last five
games, including a sweep at the hands
of Pepperdine. While none of the three
opponents the Wolverines will face are
as dangerous as Pepperdine, Michigan
is still wary.
The Wolverines will again rely on
senior co-captain Bobby Scales and
Alcaraz to carry the offensive load.
Scales has hit safely in all eight games
this season, while Alcaraz recently


cranked out his 200th career hit. But the
duo can't do it all.
"We need to do the little things,"
Alcaraz said. "Bunts and steals and
manufacturing runs."
Even if Michigan is hitting and pitch-
ing well, there is one thing they can't
control - the weather. Preparing for
these games has not been the easiest
thing - especially with the new snow
that keeps falling.
"We're in the same boat with the
teams that'll be down in Florida,"
Alcaraz said. "It's not that easy to pre-
pare indoors, but we don't like to use
that as an excuse."
Without the opportunity to play out-
doors in Ann Arbor, and no sign of the
snow letting up, these trips are an effec-
tive way for the Wolverines to get some
games under their belts. Besides, going
to Florida sure beats shoveling the dri-
veway again.

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