The north poU __ ,Whigan ranks fifth in the latest USCHO hockey poll. Go online to see 'ow the rest of the top eight shakes out. mwrhigandaily.com/Isports sIe i )It V Daig TUESDAY FEBRUARY 22, 2000 9 Love-to- hate rivalry will decide conferenCe B Uma Subramanian Daily Sports Writer Three weeks ago Michigan State hockey coach Ron Mason didn't think his team had a chance to do what it has done the past, two years -- win the CCHA regular season crown, Around Groundhog Day, things ked bleak. ason's Spartans were struggling to win, having trouble finding the net and felt pretty down about it. All of a sudden, the Spartans have begun heating up '- sooner than Punxsutawney Phil had predicted for the winter freeze to thaw. "To tell you the truth, three weeks ago we didn't think we had a shot," Mason said. "We were struggling. We turned the corner again two weeks ago against #rthern (Michigan). That put us in a ition now where we feel pretty good" In the span of a couple of weeks, the Spartans are once again contenders for the coveted CCHA crown. After the Wolverines tied Northern Michigan twice last weekend, Michigan State sits only two points out of first place - making a repeat conference title a reasonable goal. "Things are pretty upbeat right now in lockerroom because of where we are- the league," Mason said. "We could have finished fifth or sixth. "Last year we ran away with the title, but that's not a healthy situation to be in coming down the stretch. A conference race like this, where you are fighting for every game, keeps your team sharp." This year, the race is as close as ever. Friday night, when the teams meet in Ann Arbor, Michigan and Michigan lte will play for all the marbles. orthern Michigan coach Rick Comley said the CCHA title chase has become a two-team dash to the finish. Michigan's lead is so fragile that a few bad bounces could easily give the Spartans the crown. Granted, CCHA bragging rights could serve as a huge motivator, but much more than that hangs on the line. The regular-season vanquisher is Gaines has backcourt blues Point guard needs help from Smith until Crawford's return By Jacob Wheeler Daily Sports Editor No one was happier that Brandon Smith sliced and diced his way to a career-high 16 points Sunday than point guard Kevin Gaines - the athletic fresh- man whose reeled under pressure with- out his backcourt mate Jamal Crawford. "We think (Brandon) can do that every night," Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe said about his veteran swingman who had his first breakout game this sea- son. "Whenever he does that, it helps takes the pressure off Kevin." Gaines has suffered a virtual identity crisis in the backcourt since Crawford began his six-game suspension, handling the ball and setting up the offense, but then trying to pick up the exiled shooting guard's scoring slack at the same time. The point guard's stress reached a cli- max at Wisconsin this past Wednesday, as he walked out of the visitors locker- room with the weight of the world on his shoulders and a box of pizza teetering in his shaky hands. Gaines showed no signs of the vibrant personality which earned him the nickname "go-go." Gaines was confronted by a handful of reporters who drilled him about the Wolverines' seventh-consecutive loss, and about his added responsibilities of handling the basketball all alone - since his backcourt teammate Jamal Crawford was watching the game on television back in Ann Arbor. Michigan's current floor leader used to think he could handle the media, the point guard duties and the pizza in his nervous hands. But a freshman in the ruthless Big Ten can only do so much. Gaines sputtered out a few answers for the reporters, and then dropped his pizza all over the Kohl Center floor. . It wasn't the first time that Gaines had undermined his personal expectations. "Go-go" had tried putting the Wolverines on his back three days earli- er, in a 21-point loss to Indiana on Feb. 13, but failed the challenge miserably, missing all 15 of the shots he took from the floor. The kid from Las Vegas - the town where success under pressure makes the difference between riches and rags - wasn't capable of executing Michigan's offense all by himself. It showed. During the first 15 games of Michigan's season, as the team's promise captivated the headband-toting fans, Gaines wasn't the first scoring option in the back court. His initial job was bring- ing the ball up the floor and, when nec- essary, breaking an opponent's full-court press. Gaines' task was getting the ball into the hands of long-armed Crawford, Michigan's go-to-guy. But when NCAA violations confined Crawford to the bench through Michigan's "murderers' row" stretch, Gaines inherited something equivalent to the weight of the program. Without another bona fide guard, it became Gaines' job to bring the ball up the floor, set up the offense and against defenses like those of Indiana, Michigan State and Ohio State, throw up shots for lack of a better gameplan. Gaines performed better at Wisconsin, leading the team on offense with 16 points, on 6-of-14 shooting, but couldn't stop the Badgers' unconscious three- point barrage. Duany Duany and compa- ny nailed 11 consecutive long bombs, partly because they didn't have Crawford's 6-foot-6 frame to contend with around the arc. Michigan coach Brian Ellerbe later criticized the defense of swingman Leon Jones, and has admitted in the past that sharp shooter Gavin Groninger is often overmatched athletically. That left Gaines virtually all alone in the backcourt. "Go-go" tried. He execut- ed the fast break by himself. He played for 38 minutes. But Gaines couldn't carry the entire team in his pizza box. And when he dropped his postgame treat in front of the press after the sev- enth-consecutive loss, Michigan's dilern- na became clear as day. JESSICA JOHNSON/Daily Michigan State is back in the CCHA title race. Everything is on the line when the Spartans come to Yost Ice Arena on Friday. granted an automatic NCAA Tournament bid. The other conference teams have to earn their invitations dur- ing the CCHA Tournament - the win- ner also earns a ticket. "You have to beat the teams that are trying to catch you," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "We didn't give up any ground to Northern (Michigan) this past weekend, but we lost some ground to Michigan State. We've played some great hockey in the last four games and our team will be ready to go on Friday." Though the Spartans and the Wolverines meet twice this coming weekend, only Friday's game at Yost Ice Arena will count towards conference standings. Saturday's game, which will be played at the Joe Louis Arena, will only affect the national standings. Essentially, it has become a single- contest weekend - i.e. Michigan has one chance to lock up the CCHA crown. "Friday could be the game for first place,' Berenson said. "If they win, then it's all tied up and it goes down to the next few games. If we win the game, we'll have a four point lead. It's ours to win and it's ours to lose" If the Spartans win on Friday, the teams will be tied heading into the final weekend of conference play. Sparty and company finish out the CCHA regular season playing a home-and-home series with Notre Dame, which has clawed its way back into fifth place in the confer- ence. Michigan closes out with Bowling Green, which split a weekend series with the Wolverines earlier this season. Michigan and its arch-rival have three days left to prepare for the most impor- tant game of the season, so far. The anticipation has escaped no one. "We're going to be ready for Michigan State," Michigan center Mike Comrie said. "It's going to the biggest game all year and both teams know it. We're going to have a hard week of practice and be ready for Friday night. Last year it was tough knowing that they won it. "Hopefully there are 25 guys in our dressing room who want it more than they do. On my recruiting trip, I learned about the rivalry. Every time you're in the game, you know you love your team, and you love to hate them." Don't miss our coverage over break Even if you're in paradise, the Wolverines will he in action over spring break. But The Michigan Daily will set aside its umbrella drinks and suntan lotion (momentarily) to provide comprehensive coverage -as always. Get out of the sun, and get onto the Daily Sports Website. Men's basketball * Women's basketball Hockey' 0 Wrestling Big Ten Championships michigandaily.com / sports Daily Sports. When Michigan sports news happens, we don't take breaks. Point guard Kevin Gaines will be the happiest man in Crisler Arena If backcourt mate Jamal Crawford returns for Thursday's game against Purdue. Though he tried valiantly, Gaines hasn't been able to pick up the scoring slack dur- ing Crawford's six-game absence. KIMITSU YOGACHI/Daily U U_ } } . t . 1 .% 1 :1 i « , '4 r r +. r \! ; .w.r.... m,,..,...,.,yK._ ..._m . ...... ..........w h, m. ... ..,,... iCiY. +r - :.IYPMt - «:,a.r.k k.. ., ..-.... j .r-- .... JX av.... .ae. . >xiXiR r.zKxAt :" "."Tv f. F Y p .... ., ,,::a,.... j4,..s> . ... ...., } } { f i ._ _ _ ... 1~ 1 i Seniors! FREE Coffe! Tom0rro Wednesday February 23 Espresso Royale Caffe* , ?- «,. « . w r r .. ,. , raw ......_ . , _...,_._ a '' u .., ,,,... ,. ,w. _r, - - . , .....- e _.. .,,.,..w ... ., ._. _ . .. _,... ., , ; x .. f .. 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