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Ihlue may kick
off i Cassic
B David Den Herder
,Daily Sports Writer
For a short time, it looked like Michigan would go a
*ar without a marquee season-opening football game.
That time may have expired. According to a report,
Michigan has accepted an invitation to play in the 2000
Kickoff Classic at the N.J. Meadowlands in late August,
pending the confirmation of a suitable opponent.
The Star-Ledger of Newark, N.J. said Michigan agreed
to play in college football's famed early-season matchup,
but has already shunned the proposition of facing No. 2
Virginia Tech. Boston College, another Big East possibil-
ity, has reportedly declined.
-Michigan's associate athletic director for media rela-
Wns, Bruce Madej, would neither confirm nor deny the
report that Michigan will add the Kickoff Classic to its
schedule this fall. Michigan is currently slated to open
the sseason by hosting Bowling Green and Rice.
The Wolverines, who traditionally begin the season
with a high-exposure matchup, would have opened next
season against the two unranked, nontraditional teams
See CLASSIC, Page 3B

Fight for firs9t:'M'beats State

I

By Chris Grandstaff
Daily Sports Writer
EAST LANSING - On one end of
the ice, senior captain Sean Peach con-
gratulated the return performance of
Josh Blackburn with an uninhibited cel-
ebratory leap into the young netminder's
arms. The emotionally charged embrace
after Michigan's 2-0 victory over
Michigan State seemed to serve as a
release both from the memories of Dec.
30, a 3-1 loss to Michigan State in the
Great Lakes Invitational, and from the
first half of the season missed by
Blackburn.
On the other end of the ice an all-out
brawl was ensuing, with as many as five
one-on-one confrontations occurring
simultaneously. The fight started after
Michigan State defenseman Brad
Hodgins landed a crosscheck to the back
of Michigan freshman J. J. Swistak as the
game had ended. The hit led to the sub-
sequent retaliation by the Wolverines,
and a fighting on both sides.
The most notable altercation was

between Michigan's Bob Gassoff and
Michigan State's Damon Whitten. After
a furious exchange of punches, lost hel-
mets, pulled hockey sweaters, and pun-
ishment - most of which was dished
out by Gassoff - the two were finally
separated.
"I like to see the rivalry and the com-
petitiveness," Michigan coach Red
Berenson said. "Because I don't think
anybody that ever played for Michigan
felt any different than what we saw there
at the end of the game today. But you
can't be involved in that. It wouldn't
have happened if the players hadn't
already been coming off the benches."
Lost in the mix - too exhausted to
fight - stood Blackburn. But he didn't
need to fight - he'd already done his
part. The sophomore goalie stopped 23
shots in his first game since Oct. 8. The
shutout of the Spartans was the first by a
Michigan goalie since Marty Turco
accomplished the feat back in 1996. The
win was also the first Michigan victory
in Munn Ice Arena since Feb. 4, 1995.

"It's special," Blackburn said. "It's
special anytime you beat Michigan
State. This is the first win I've had
against them since I've been here. We've
got a huge rivalry and everybody knows
it. They played hard and we did too, I
think we just got a couple more
bounces."
Michigan got a lucky bounce off the
stick of Scott Matzka for the game's first
goal. The Wolverines got on the board in
the second period when Matzka redirect-
ed a low shot by Michigan defenseman
Sean Peach. The puck popped over the
right shoulder of Michigan State netmin-
der Ryan Miller and into the back of the
net.
Michigan's second goal, which put the
defensive game out of reach for the
Spartans, was started when Blackburn
made a soccer-style kick save out to the
right boards where Mike Comrie picked
up the puck. Comrie skated lazily down
the right side before dropping the puck
off to Hilbert, who sent a slap shot over
See SPARTANS, Page 4B

JESSICA JOHNSON/Daily
Josh Langfeld Is wrestled to the ice for his Involvement In the
skirmish that broke out after Michigan beat the Spartans, 2-0.


'Due

respect

Nothing
romes easy
for these
freshmen
WSTLAFAYETTE - It was
supposed to be the slam
dunk that finished the game.
Michigan led Purdue by four with time
running down in overtime, and the
Boilermakers were pressing hard. The
Wolverines gained control and pushed
the ball upcourt, with Brandon Smith
and LaVell Blanchard waiting at the
other end.
Blanchard, ever
the gentleman, Chris
*pped three feet
short of the basket Duprey
and flipped to a
cruising Smith on
his right -"After
you, my good
man" --and the
junior made sure to
actually convert
this dunk, unlike DuPE's
the.slam he bricked Scoop
t three days ear-
I in that horrible
Minnesota game.
Timeout, Purdue. 40 seconds
remaining. A 76-70 Michigan lead.
Game.
Or not. The Boilermakers rushed
down the court, hit a 3-pointer as
quickly as they could set the screen
fot one, and then fouled the first
Michigan man to touch the ball -
al Crawford. His free-throw per-
tage: 79.4 percent, second-best on
Ale team.
One free throw would give Michigan
See DUPREY, Page 5B
Women up
* .4p

Blanchard's tip-in secures
wild double-overtime victory


ABOVE: AP PHOTO RIGHT: JEREMY MENCHIK/Daily
ABOVE: Forward I.aVell Blanchard tips in the game-winning shot at Purdue to even
Michigan's Big Ten record at 1-1. RIGHT: Michigan women's basketball coach Sue
Guevara advises her team during a timeout.
)set defending champs

By Arun Gopal
Daily Sports Writer
Hello, Dr. Jekyll. Nice to see you again.
After a terrifying performance on Thursday night against sub-
.500 Indiana, the Michigan women's basketball team decided to
show its good side once again in a nationally televised contest
with defending national champion Purdue on Saturday.
The season-high crowd of x,106 at Crisler Arena witnessed
the Wolverines' best effort of the year. While senior co-captain
Stacy Thomas broke the Big Ten career record for steals, a bal-
anced scoring attack paced by Anne Thorius' 18 points and
some key defensive stops late in the game carried the
Wolverines to a 74-67 triumph over the 12th-ranked
Boilermakers.
In handing Purdue (1-2 Big Ten, 9-4 overall ) its second con-
secutive loss, Michigan (3-1, 11-4) gained a measure of redemp-
tion after the embarrassing loss to the Hoosiers.
"I have to give my team all the credit in the world," Michigan

While Purdue center Camille Cooper was able to notch a sea-
l 1 ni .Y zir t " t . Y Y

points between them, and if we can get that consistency in our

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