4B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - January 24, 2000
Puck talk
"That team has no class whatsoever.
It's fwstrating when your star players
get hacked and there's nothing you
can do about it."
- Michigan captain Sean Peach on the
Buckeyes'questionable plav.
Michigan 6
Key Play
Fuiday, 10:54 into the third period.
Mike Coinrie is cross-checkedfiom
behind by Ohio State's Rvan Jestadt
sparking a bmwlthat tainted the game.
The penalty came immediately afterAndy
Hilbert scored Michigan sfinal goal.
Ohio State
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Confident Koch,
Hilbert lead Blue
-GEOFF KocH -
LEFT WING
Koch scored Michigan's first two
goals, giving the Wolverines a lead
they never relenquished.
- ANDY HILBERT -
RIGHT WING
The freshman scored twice includ-
ing Michigan's final goal that
sparked a game-defining brawl.
- JOSH LANGFELD -
RIGHT WING
By recording Michigan's fifth goal,
the junior broke out of a scoring
slump and. put the Buckeys away.
By Chris Grandstaff
Daily Sports Writer
COLUMBUS --- Ohio State, like vir-
tually every other team the Wolverines
have played this season, made it a point
on Friday night to key on and abuse
Michigan standout center Mike Comrie.
But Ohio State, as virtually every
team the Wolverines will play for the
rest of this season, learned on Friday
that stopping Comrie is a near impossi-
bility and that even if the feat could be
accomplished the Wolverines are far too
deep for it to matter.
Comrie was held without a goal, but
his linemates, Andy Hilbert and Geoff
Koch, scorched the Buckeyes for two
goals apiece.
"Both those guys played great,"
Comrie said. "I think our line is really
clicking. Our team is on a roll right now
and it's great to see."
The Wolverines are rolling right now,
and they're doing it with all four lines.
Last weekend, the Wolverines received
surprise goals from Krikor Arman and
Craig Murray, and on Friday Josh
Langfeld broke out of a season long
scoring slump - netting his sixth goal
of the season.
"We're a tough team to stop because
we have four really good lines," Comrie
said. "We put a lot of pressure on teams
because anybody on this team can
score."
Every member of the team has
stepped up since the break, and the top
line has followed suit. Of the 18 goals
that the Wolverines have scored since
the winter hiatus, the top line has scored
nine.
Friday night was no different. Koch
got the Wolverines on the board first by
firing a shot through the five hole of
Ohio State goaltender Ray Aho and then
broke a 1-1 tie in the second period with
his second goal of the game.
"Koch really got us going tonight
with the short handed goal," Hilbert
said. "If we hadn't gotten that goal who
knows what would've habpened."
But Hilbert's own goals were equally
as important. Hilbert broke a 3-3 tie in
the third period and scored the games
final goal - giving the Wolverines the
cushion they needed in the 6-4 victory.
With Koch and Hilbert gaining more
confidence, and the rest of the team
continuing to step up, the offense -
already first in the CCHA with 4.12
goals per game - becomes dangerous-'
ly potent, especially when Comrie is
thrown into the mix.
"Koch is a good player," Langfeld
said. "Once he gets his confidence this
team really gets going. Anytime both of
those guys can step up and score we
become a hell of a hockey club.
"If we can continue to get everyone
firing on the right cylinders, and play
well defensively we're going to be real-
ly hard to beat."
Michigan 1 2 3 -6
Ohio State 0 3 1 -4
.First period - 1. UM. Koch 7 (Blackburn). 15:12 (sh).
Penalties - OsU, colsant (slashing), 7:01; UM,
Murray (slashing), 7:01; OSU, Selleke (hooking), 8:17;
UM, Roemensky (highsticking), 1:04; UM, Peach
(holding), 13:33; UM, 0tmeyer (charging), 16:05;
OSU, Meloche (obstructionhooking), 16:36; OSU,
Jestadt (holding), 17:36; UM, Koch (interference),
19:17.
Second period - 1. OSU, tLafteche 3 (Freemani,
McComck), 1:14 (pp);2. UN, Koch 8 (Canie
Camniailen), 4:36 (pp); 3. UM, Ortmeyer 5 (Kosick,
Langfeld), 5:28 (pp); 2. OSU, Smith 2 (GuAla,
Colsant), 5:58; 3.050, Meloche12 (Aho)11:38 (pp).
Penalties -OSU, Selleke (slashing), 2:02; OSU, Crain
(high sticking), 4:49; OSU, Ganga(slashing), 6:31;
OSUTitus (roughing after the whistle), 7:02; UM,
Matzka ( roughing after the whistle), 7:02; UM,
Swistak (tripping), 9:35;'UM, Roemensky (slashing),
10:56; OSU, anga (10minutes for diving), 16:18;
OSU, Meloche (roughing) 19:33; OSU, Meloche (slash-
ing), 19:33; UI, Gassoff(cross-checking), 19:33; UM,
M~atzka (hoding), 19:54.
Trd period - 4. UM, Hilbert 11 (Peach, Comrie),
:49; 5. UM, Langfeld 6 (MinkPeach). 6:59 (pp); 6.
UM, Hilbert 12 (Cammalleri, Nilson); 10:54 (pp); 4.
0,SU, Ganga 12 (Signoretti, Jestadt) 18:39 (pp
Penalties - UM, Kosick (hooking), 1:36; OSU,
Signoretti (cross-checking), 5:56; UM, Swistak.(high-
sticking). 7:22; QSU, team (too-many men on ice),
9:19; OSU, Sellecks (high-sticking),9:36; OSU, Titus
(roughing x 2), 10:54: OSU, Dufour (5minutes fight-
ing), 10:54; oSU, Dufour (10 minute major/ game dq),
10:54; OSU, Jestadt (roughing x 2), 10:54; UM,
Cammallei (roughing x 3) 10:54; UM, Jilson (5min-
utes fighting), 10:54; UM, Jillson (10-minute
major/game dq), 10:54; UM, Roemensky (roughing),
10:54; UM, Conmrie (roughing), 10:54; OSU, Broccoli
(hlding), 14:59, UM, Vancik (interference), 16:55;
UM, Huntzicker (holding), 18:0.
. Sots on goal - UM, 86-13 -27; OSU, 813-13 -
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DANA LINNANE/Daily
Andiv Hilbert scred two fgoals for Michianen route to the Wolverines' 64uvictory:
Extra-curicular actties leave M fuming
SUDi
if a p
matic
appli
Ohio
d you know? According to NCAA hockey rules,
layer drops his gloves during a fight, he is auto-
aly ineligible for the next game - the rule
ed to Michigan's Jeff Jilison after his tussle with
State's Jean-Francois Dufour,.
e 17,343 fans witnessing Friday's Michigan-.
State game composed the largest crowd to
witness a college hockey game at a campus site
s set an NCAA record.
off Koch recorded all 16 of his points this sea-
n only nine out of the 21 games he played.
lation: if Koch scones, he'll probably score again
ame night.
By Geoff Gagnon
Daily Sports Writer
COLUMBUS -They stood virtually alone near the
Ohio State net, their arms bulging with the bundle
they'd collected.
As officials sorted out the details of Friday's third
period fight, the captains sorted out the treasure trove
of equipment that littered the ice.
With care, Michigan captain Sean Peach and Ohio
State captain Andre Signoretti traded a collection of
gloves and sticks only moments after their teams were
trading punches.
In something that is becoming a bit of a trend, emo-
tions boiled over midway through the third period as a
game delaying skirmish erupted resulting in two ejec-
tions, two fans getting thrown out and two cups of Yoo
Hoo tossed as well.
As fists flew near the Ohio State net, the wild alter-
cation on the ice aroused the NCAA-record crowd and
the fans in the stands were soon involved in the melee,
too.
By the time Peach and Signoretti had gathered the
sticks and gloves, arena officials were doing their own
cleaning as Coke and chocolate milk stained the ice.
Michigan players said, though, the real stain on the
game was created by Ohio State after the Buckeyes
threw a late hit that leveled Michigan forward Mike
Comrie, igniting the brawl.
"They were a dirty team tonight," Comrie said.
"They didn't play like an NCAA team - they played
classless at times. (Michigan coach Red Berenson)
mentioned to us that they would probably loose their
heads at certain times and they did."
The night was bittersweet for Berenson, who was
happy to see his team skate away with a 6-4 win, but
upset about the circumstances surrounding the game.
"I think it was pretty obvious when (Andy) Hilbert
scored the goal that one of the Ohio State players
cross-checked Comrie, who had nothing to do with the
play, then hit him again, and pretty soon our players are
in trying to protect Comrie, and you've got a real prob-
lem," Berenson said.
That real problem, as Berenson and others see it, is
something that the Wolverines have been forced to
contend with as opponents trying their best to stop
Comrie, draw him into the penalty box - or worse.
"The referee's got a tough job, but it's still his
responsibility to protect the players," Berenson said.
"You've got a player like Mike Comrie who's a great
player, maybe the best player in this league, one of the
top players in the country, and we need the officials to
protect him."
Friday night, where the officials left off, Jeff Jillson
With new
lines, 'M'!
reinvents
powerplay,.,,
By Uma Subramanian
Daily Sports Writer
COLUMBUS - When it was at
said and done, exhaustion was all that
lingered.
As they strolled out of the visiting.
lockerroom at Ohio State, all the
Michigan hockey players wanted was,
to go home. The Wolverines had just
come out on top, 6-4, over the
Buckeyes in the longest, possibly,
most brutal contest they had played al
year.
After the game, there was no jubil-
tion in the air and no sense of victory.,
Michigan was just tired and frustrated.
"It's a disappointing way to finish a
game off," Michigan captain Sean
Peach said. "That team has got no.
class whatsoever. It's frustrating when,
your star players get hacked all night
and you can't do anything about it.",
But ironically, or perhaps justifi-
ably, it was the Buckeyes' penaltie*
that led to their demise and the rebirth
of Michigan's power play offense.
Though the game was brutal, there
were a couple of bright spots that must
have made Michigan coach Red,.
Berenson smile - at least a little bit-
Michigan's power play, which has
been noticeably stagnant, finally
emerged from its two-month hiberna-
tion.~
In past seasons, Michigan has typi
cally lingered around a 20-percent
power play conversion percentage. So,
the 18.3-percent tally that the,,
Wolverines carried into Friday's game,;
didn't appear all that low - at least on
the surface.
But the fact is that through 11
games in mid-November, the
Wolverines had converted on 25.3-
percent of their power play opportuni-
ties and scored 24 times on the mane
advantage.
Then, suddenly, power play produc-
tion fell off and Michigan only con-
verted nine times in 13 games.
All that changed Friday when the
Wolverines used Ohio State's ill-
advised penalties to their advantage.
and scored four clutch goals to put the
Buckeyes away.
The penalty killing unit was also
effective as Geoff Koch opened th
scoring with a short-handed goal
15:12 into the first period.
Last week in practice, Michigan
coach Red Berenson tweaked the
power play units and created offensive,
machines.
The first power play unit now con-
sists of Andy Hilbert, Mike Comrie
and Geoff Koch - Michigan's top,
line that has notched 34 goals - plus
freshman Mike Cammalleri, who has
I1 tallies of his own.
The second unit features Michigan's
junior line of Josh Langfeld, Scotf
Matzka and Mark Kosick. Freshmen,
Jed Ortmeyer and Mark Mink rotated
into the fourth forward spot on the
line.
Berenson's new units were success
ful - each recorded two .oals.
"The puck started to go in and bot,,
units had good puck control anc
moved it well," Berenson said. "If you
have that many power plays (11) and.
you score on the first couple, you get,
some confidence."
Also, junior Josh Langfeld, who led
last year's squad in goals but has
struggled this season, recorded his.
sixth goal in Friday's win.
"It feels great when you score,
especially when you haven't beep
scoring for awhile," Langfeld said. "It.
was a big goal; it put us up by two. t
felt good - really good. But we gave
up a lot of opportunities tonight.
There was a lot of cheap stuff going
on and the game took a little too'.
long."
UANA LINNANE/Uaily
As Mike Comre is leveled by Ohio State's Ryan Jestadt, a melee ensued resulting in two disqualifications.
Ge
n i
esa
filled in.
Emotions flared when Ohio State's Ryan Jestadt
cross-checked Comrie from behind after Hilbert's sec-
ond goal.
As Comrie rose, so did tensions as Ohio Sate's Jean-
Francois Dufour held Comrie's head before Jillson sep-
arated the two.
While other Buckeyes continued to assault Comrie
as the Michigan forward skated to the bench, Jillson
was trying to drive Dufour away from the confronta-
tion.
But Dufour ripped Jillson's helmet off and in an
instant Michigan's 220-pound sophomore put his
gloves to the ice and his fists to Dufour as officials
concerned themselves with other action behind the net.
While Jillson was successful in landing a series of
blows before the two combatants mutually ceased fire,
it seemed the Buckeyes were the real winners.
For his part in the fight, Jillson will miss next week-
end's rematch with Ohio State in Ann Arbor. But the 6-
foot-3 defenseman makes no apologies for his efforts
to protect his teammates.
"It's disappointing that I won't be able to play next
week, but you have to do what you have to do and if
that means sticking up for teammates, so be it, Jillson
said.
And while Jillson reluctantly accepts his spectator
status for Saturday's showdown, his teammates ques-
tion the ruling that puts Jillson in the stands.
"It's a real shame that we're forced to protect our
best players like the way we were tonight," junior
defenseman Bob Gassoff said. "People make decisions
to go after top players and to try to draw our team into
fighting and it's just unfortunate that a guy like Jillson,
who was simply protecting a teammate is the one that
is penalized."
Gassoff said that far too often players recklessly play
with a spirit of invincibility, knowing that they can vir-
tually attack anyone on the ice with little repercussions.
"We need to keep these people accountable, and it's
a shame that it means loosing a guy like Jillson next
week," Gassoff said.
Hampshire (18-5-4) tied Northeastern,
on Friday; tied 4-4 (CO) Saturday.
nsin (19-6-1) defeated MSU-Mankato,
day; lost to MSU-Mankato 3-0.
Dakota (16-6-2) defeated Minnesota
r lost to Minnesota 5-2 on Saturday-
gan (20-6-0) def. Ohio State, 6-4 on
No. 5 Maine (15-4-4) did not play.
No.6 Boston University (14-6-4) def.
Massachusetts-Lowei ,5-0.
No.7 Michigan State (17-7-1) tied Rensselaer, 2.2
(O); beat Rensselaer, 4-1.
No.-B Northem Michigan (16-6-2) did not play.
No.9 Boston Colege (13-7-1) did not play; lost to'
Providence, 4-3.
No. 10Rensselaer (13-7-2) tied Michigan State, 2-
2(OD;lost to Michigan State, 4-1.
BUCKEYES
Continued from Page 16
their own hands when Ohio State ral-
lied for two goals to tie the score-
after two periods.
"We got off our game when we
started yapping back at them," Koch
said. "Coach emphasized that we
need to keep our mouths shut and go
out there and play our style versus
their style."
And in the third period, the
Wolverines heeded their coach's
advice.
The Wolverines reducing their
rough play, used Ohio State penalties
to their advantage, scoring on two
more power play opportunities.
After Hilbert's first goal of the
game, 49 seconds into the period,
junior Josh Langfeld sealed the vic-
tory for the Wolverines, giving them
a 5-3 lead.
Coming off a scoring slump,
Langfeld blew a shot past Aho on the
power play.
"They like to play after the whis-
tie," Langfeld said. "And like coach
said that's going to hurt them. We'll
get on the power play and beat them
on the power play."
Ice Palace or Brick Barn?
With its state of the art amenities, Ohio State's often empty ValueCity Arena at the Jerome Shottenstein Center is regal
- certainly not raucous. How does the million-dollar Buckeye compound compare to the field house on State Street?
.A
6
Team
Michigan
Michigan State
Northern Michigan
Lake Superior
Notre Dame
w
14
12
11
10
L
4
5
3
7
7
CCHA
T Pts GP
0 28 1.8
0 24 17
2 24 16
1 21 18
4 18 18
GF GA,
76 41
54 24
55 35
47 43
38 50
OVERALL
WL T
19 6 0_
17 7 1
16 6 2
11 12 1
10 13 5
What Happened: After Andy Hilbert scored Michigan's sixth goal, Ohio
State's Ryan Jestadt cross-checked Mike Comrie from behind. Comde's team-
mates came to his aid as Jeff lson wrestled Jean-Frandos Dufour away from the
melee.
Dufour and Jilison fought as officials held back other players and separated other
skirmishes. Exhausted, the two mutualy agree to stop the fight before "some-
{u .r..AA} l -
U Opened in 1999 -
* Original cost - $106.5 million TOTAL CAPACITY:
* 49 private luxury boxes 171500
* Home to Buckeye hockey and basketball
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