_.£ CAROLINA 2, N.Y. Islanders 1 Nashville 3, TAMPA BAY 0 DETROIT 2, Buffalo 1 N.Y. Rangers 2, FLORIDA 1 Boston 3, OTTAWA 0 San Jose 8, TORONTO 5 OOLORADO 5, Vancouver 2 Montreal 2, EDMONTON 0 NBA BASKETBALL Minnesota 87, BOSTON 68 ATLANTA 103, Indiana 102 CHARLOTTE 110, Chicago 81 Detroit 84, NEW JERSEY 71 Ucie Ldjgm t~lg want my 'MTV The Michigan hockey team's entire trip to Worcester, Mass. can be seen on Channel 3 in the dorms, chary nel 26 off-campus, and channel 12 no matter where in Ann Arbor you are. Thursday March 25, :999 9A Baseball braves cold, lights fire against Western SMichael Kent y Sports Writer KALAMAZOO - Braving freezing temperatures and a tundra-like field, the Michigan baseball team built a fire under its hitters that fueled three multiple-run innings for the Wolverines en route to a 9-5 victory over Western Michigan. Heading into the eighth inning, the Wolverines (8-10) led 7- 2 and looked to be cruising to an easy victory. But a three run eighth for Western, thanks to an RBI triple by right-fiekler Kris Gundrum and a two-run homer by left-fielder John Toner, brought the Broncos within two going into the final inning. Wut in the ninth, Michigan scored twice to put the game away for good. Michigan preseason All-America candidate Bryan Besco has struggled so far this season. But the first baseman's RBI double in the ninth was the key to the two-run inning that helped ensure victory. "He's got the potential," Zahn said. "He's got to realize that you take it one bat at a time and not worry about his not hitting up until this time because now is when we need him." All ten of Michigan's hitters managed to reach base at least once, keying a pair of three-run innings in the first and fifth. cor different players had multiple hit games for the verines, led by left-fielder Rob Bobeda who had three sin- gles, drove in two runs, and scored. "We're starting to swing the bats better" Zahn said. "It was good to see Besco swing the bat well, there at the end." Though Michigan's hitters were unaffected by the cold, the pitchers were able to use it to their advantage. "The pitching is at an advantage when it is cold like this because the hitters don't want to hit' Zahn said. "(The pitchers) don't get too bothered by the cold. It's more the wind, and it wasn't too bad out there today." M tarting pitcher Bryan Cranson turned in his best perfor- ce of the season, pitching six innings and giving up just two runs. Cranson struck out and walked two, scattering eight hits. See BRONCOS, Page 12A Away from home, 'M' has harder path Hockey 'U' NCAA East Regional By Mark Francescutti Daily Spouts Writer Last year at this time, the Michigan hockey team notched a No. 3 seed in the NCAA Tournament and received the luxury of playing the We,6t Regional in the warm con- fines o FYost Ice Arena - something they won't have this season. Horne sweet home turned out to be an undserstatement. Thamks to what many players call the bes t crowd ever at Yost, Michigan fought off Princeton and then North Dakota in the NCAA Regionals. That victory gave the Wolverines the necessary confidence that enabled them to win their second chan.apionship in three years. "Confidence is everything with these guys," Notre Dame coach Dave Poullin said. The crowd at the North Dakota game in last season's regional was a menorable one for both fans and players. In fact, the building was so loud that the television and radio an nouncers were nearly shouting to get their messages through. "The gift of home ice came at a tin ie when the team needed to prove itself in the playoffs. It was coming off a 1997 season - one of the ggreatest Michigan regular seasons in history - in which it had lost a dis- alppointing NCAA seminfinal game.. The '98 Wolverines hadn't won Chapter Two? Here are the differences between last season's national championship team and the 1999 Michigan hopefuls. Records 30-1 24-106 CCHA finish: 2nd 2nd Regionals site: Yost Ice Worcester, Arena Mass. First opponent: Princeton Denver Neutra-site record: Goaltender: Championships won: 3-3-1 3-2-0 Senior Marty Turco NCAA Freshman Josh Blackbum CCHA+? either the CCHA regular season title nor the CCHA Tournament and needed a strong NCAA Tournament showing. "If we hadn't won (the NCAA Championship), and lost in the first round of the playoffs, it would have been a disappointing season" Michigan coach Red Berenson said. This season, the Wolverines won't have the luxuries of home, playing almost 11 hours away in Worcester, Mass. Plane tickets to surrounding air- ports are selling for up to $1,000, and many Michigan fans have no choice but to stay home. Fans also look to save their money for the possibility of a Frozen Four trip to Anaheim. See REGIONALS, Page 11A MARGARET MYERS/Daily Unlike last year, Josh Langfeld and the Michigan hockey team won't have a homelce advantage. NCAA takes it easy on Wiscon sin MADISON (AP) - The two-year probation Wisconsin received for unauthorized spending of booster cl b money mostly embarrasses the s ol, a top NCAA investigator said yesterday. "The penalties are quite light for a major violation, said David Swank, chair of the NCAA's Division I Committee on Infractions. "The uni- versity did not properly oversee what its booster clubs were doing." The school's teams were spared penalties concerning postseason tournaments, television appearances and scholarship allotments. #isconsin Chancellor David Ward said he was "gratified" the NCAA found most of the questioned expen- ditures would have been considered proper had necessary ' written approvalbeen obtained. "No competitive advantage was gained and none of the funds accrued to the benefit of enrolled or prospective student athletes," Ward in a released statement. Athletic director Pat Richter said a plan was in place to make sure simi- lar mistakes don't happen again. Men look to challenge for titles By Jason Emeott Daily Sports Writer Beginning today, the Michigan men's swimming and diving team - one of the most illustrious programs in NCAA history - will be at looking to chal- lenge for a national title at the 76th NCAA championships in Indianapolis. The Wolverines have won an NCAA- record II national titles in swimming, not} including the seven Michigan won before swimming officially became an NCAA sanctioned event in 1937. Though the Wolverines probably won't be bringing home a 1999 NCAA championship banner to the newly, remodeled Canham Natatorium thii weekend, coach Jon Urbanchek h as already deemed the season a success.. "If we get eight to ten people to tteo NCAA meet, the 'Big Dance', the sFra- son will be a success," Urbanchek said. Eight Wolverines will be at the NCAAs in Indianapolis this weekend: seniors Tom Malchow and Brett Wilmot, juniors Mike McWha and Josh Trexler, sophomores Chris Thompson and Scott Werner, and freshmen Jeff Hopwood and Tim Siciliano. Stanford is favored to bring home another NCAA title, unless upstart Auburn can knock them off. But these eight Wolverines have the potential to make some serious waves - - especially returning All-Americans Malchow and Thompson. Both have legitimate shots to add to Michigan's 143 individual national titles. Malchow, the 1996 Olympic sil- ver-medalist in the 200-meter butterfly, could very well bring home the NCAA title in the 200-yard fly this weekend. Thompson, the NCAA's third-place finisher in the 500 freestyle in 1998, holds the nation's fastest times in both of his events this weekend, the 500 and 1,650 free. Malchow is seeded third in the 200 fly. Urbanchek said the tall Malchow is much better in the long-course Olympic pool than in the collegiate short-course pool, but he is still a seri- ous threat to take on anyone in the, nation. "He has a definite shot to win it," Urbanchek said. "He's not as good in. short-course, but you never know. I hope he does it, he deserves to win it." As for Michigan's youngsters, Hopwood and Siciliano, the potential isu there to make a large impact. In fact, Siciliano is seeded first in the 400 indi- vidual medley. ____________________________________________M KELLY MCKINNEU./Daily Jeff Hopwood has the potential to make some serious waves at the NCAA Championships, which start today In Indianapolis. TST.LC U ILA I F m F ORONZE sTJ.C esents ELEA GE OF ANEW ERA J1 f' 21 .., ..,.V M RREEYinUOAKLAND~ r/