tscoreboard-.- f-dsanr Y ftU Tracking 'M' teams NIT BASKETBALL NEW JERSEY5, NBA The Michigan men's swimming team is in ninth plac@ CHAMPIONSHIP Pittsburgh 3 BASKETBALL with 48 points after the first day of the NCAA CAlFmNA 6 , CALAR, inc. COlaNd 6, Championships in Indianapolis. ChriS Thompson, the corommanon Washington HOUSTON 113, Wolverines' top finisher, placed third in the 50-yard XAVIER 106, PHOENIX, inc. Toronto 104 freestyle. Oregon 75 St. Louis San Antonio NHL HOCKEY VANCOUVER, inc. DENVER, inc. Friday BOSTON 3, Dallas Phoenix March 2,F1999 Chicago 3 F/OT LOS ANGELES, inc. PORTLAND, inc. Welcome to Woostah Blue begzsfinal path o season zvith hopes RCESTER, Mass. -- As the Michigan hockey team circled the ice at the Worcester Centrum Centre, coach Red Berenson called his players over to center ice. The ice at the Centrum is typical of the ice surface at any arena Michigan has played in this season - cold and frozen with many random lines painted on it. Despite the cookie-cutter feel of The Centrum's ice, Berenson beckoned his troops to center ice anyway. As the team congre- gated around him, Berenson pointed to the NCAA symbol below him and mentioned how the Wolverines have always U. played well on surfaces with the BERKA NCAA symbol painted on them. Teeing And with that, the third leg of Off Michigan's championship run began. While the actual first- round game with Denver doesn't start until 8:30 tonight, that Michigan postseason feeling is at fever pitch again. This fever has led the Wolverines to success in the past. Michigan has made it past the regional round to the Frozen Four in six of the last seven seasons, includ- ing the past four. Like the Kentucky men's basketball program, Michigan is an undeniable force in the post- season. A month ago, that last statement would have been followed with a drumroll and a few rounds of laughter from the audience. The cackles would have been espe- cially loud up in East Lansing, where Michigan State coach Ron Mason would be taking great joy in poking fun at his rival. Mason seemed to pretty much write the Michigan obituary Feb. 20. After defeating the Wolverines, 3-1, in Joe Louis Arena, Mason said that the game was "the best both teams couldplay." A seemingly innocent comment, Mason's statement pretty much said that Michigan wasn't so good this year. Maybe Mason is right. Maybe Michigan isn't that great this year. The Wolverines have had streaks where scoring goals was as difficult as finding a good park- ing spot on State Street. Michigan has also had streaks where it spent more time in the penalty box than on the ice. The Wolverines led the CCHA in penalty minutes, not exactly the stat NCAA East Regional Hockey hopes to win another NCAA crown f/f By Chris Duprey Daily Sports Editor WORCESTER, Mass. - Maybe it was just an act, maybe it wasn't. Either way, the Michigan hockey team looked as relaxed as it ever has during its final full practice yesterday before meeting Denver tonight in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. The lion's share of the preparation is done. All of the Terrible Tuesday practices, the videotape scrutiny and the conditioning is over with. For the Wolverines, it's a matter of taking a deep breath, digging in their skates and playing Michigan hockey. "You really have to compete, play physical and get second efforts. You can't give up unearned goals at this point (in the season), because it's hard to get them back," Michigan coach Red Berenson said about his keys to winning. "We can play well in big games. Our next game has to be our best game." Meeting that directive will be a tall order for the Wolverines, who played Northern Michigan to near-perfection in the CCHA final this past Saturday. Michigan's season has been a true pendulum, and it's on the upswing again. But Denver is just as hot, winning TONIGHT ........... ....... .. ... .... Who: Denver vs. Michigan *Whe Worcester, Mass. When: 8:30 p.m. TV: WTVS and WFUM - channel 3 in the dorns, 26 off campus, and channel 12 in all of Ann Arbor Radio: WCBN 88.3 FM and WTKA 1050 AM its last nine games, including a 4- victory over NCAA tournamct*' favorite North Dakota in the WCHA Championship game last weekend. All in all, it's shaping up to be a true No. 4-No. 5 seed battle - where the game can go either way, where emo- tion and intangibles are as valuable a pure skill. The Michigan seniors know this, and they worked hard at yesterday's official practice to set a comfortab tone, telling jokes and razzing th teammates as if this weekend is just another pair of games in the CCHA. See REGIONALS, Page 9 WARREN ZINN/Daily. Michigan freshman Mike Comrie will have the unique opportunity of battling his older brother Paul tonight, when the Wolverines battle Denver in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, that Berenson was hoping his team would be on top of. And Michigan had to deal with having a freshman goaltender. Not that Josh Blackburn performed poorly - not at all, he made the CCHA all-Rookie team - it's just that he was still a wet-behind-the-ears fresh- man. All these arguments against the Wolverines are valid. Michigan isn't the best team in the nation this year. That title more than likely is held by North Dakota -- where half of the state's population plays for the team. But the best regular-season team doesn't always win the title. Michigan knows that. In 1997, they set a school record for wins, but fell short of the title. In 1996 and last year, Michigan was the underdog, but came home with a NCAA trophy. What does this mean for Michigan's title chances this season? About as much as the position of Pluto in May - nothing. Being a fifth-seed, the lowest seed its ever received in this tournament, the Wolverines are going to have to pull some big rabbits out of their hat to capture the trophy again. But then again, the NCAA logo does strange and wonderful things for this team. And if Michigan makes it to the Frozen Four next weekend, the logo will be right with them. - TJ Berka can be reached via e-mail at betrkat uamtich.edu. 'ast playoff wins The Matchups OFFENSE: A flurry of offensive pro- duction in the last month of the seasoib By Mark Francestutti has Michigan averaging 5.4 tallies'a Daily Sports Writer game in the last nine games. Denver When the Wolverines tango with also has a quick scoring ability and has their NCAA first-round regional a fine top line headed by senior Paul opponent, Denver, tonight, Michigan Comrie. The Pioneers are well-round- will face ateam they know little about. ed offensively, but Michigan can say Not having played the Pioneers in the same thanks to great performancer 18 years, the Wolverines have to come by its third and fourth lines in t* out, play their game and hope that they playoffs. On a neutral site in the out-muscle Denver for a victory. NCAA Tournament, defensive lapses What we do know about the and turnovers will most likely give one Pioneers, is that they are a cinderella team the offensive edge. team this season. Preseason predictors EDGE: EVEN placed Denver eighth in the WCHA. DEFENSE: In the Denver-North But the Pioneers fought off a dismal Dakota WCHA championship game, it 11-25-2 record the previous year and was apparent that the Pioneers frus- finished third behind North Dakota trated the offensive-minded Fighting and Colorado College. Sioux by taking away North Dakots's Here are the matchups for tonight's passing lanes. That spells trouble fo contest. 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