4B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - March 6, 2000
Puck talk Key play
It was a surreal feeling skating Friday, 18:12 into the first period.
around - everything flashed right in .
front of me. It's a pretty cool tradition Sinia 3 Bowlng Green 6 scott Matzka short handed goa gave the
of e.htsahpre.',otWolverines a 2-0 lead. The junior' first of
we have here" three goals of the weekend proved to be
- Sean Peach.rehlecgting on his solo lap. Bowng Green 1 teMgahigmn 3 "e-winningscore.
during Senior Night recognition at Yost~aiI~
Seniors
The Michigan Daily hockey writers' picks
for the three stars of the
weekend:
- Scorr MAZA-
LEFT WING
The junior had perhaps the best weekend
of his career against Bowling Green, scor-
ing three goals and an assist.
- JEFF JILLSON -
DEFENsEM
Scored the final goal in Michigan's CCHA
regular-season-championship-clinching
game.
- JAY VANaK -
DEFENSEMAN
Scored the first goal in Friday's game to
put Michigan on the board and on the
road to a conference crown.
I unwsn 4, nouwi areenm .
Michigan 2 0 1 -3
Bowling Green 0 1 0 --1
First peiod-1. UM, Vancik (Matzka), 15:50; 2. UM,
Matzka (Koch), 18:12 (sh). Penalties -- UM,
Huntzicker (hooking), 3:55; BG.Statkus (holding),
8:05; 8G, Ham (high-sticking). 11:56; BG, Schueller
(w lsportsmanlike conduct), 14:27: UM, Comrie (slash-
ing). 14:27; UM, Hilbert (checking from behind),
17:14; BG.,lHewson (roughing after the whistle),
20:00; UM, Hbert (roughing after the whistle),20:00.
Second peiod -1. BG Ednger (Desjarlais, Murphy),
15:45. Penalties - UM, Corrie (tripping), 1:59; UM,
ilison (high-sticking), 6:37: BG. Mass (interference),
7:58; BG. Adams (high-sticking), 10:34; UM, Vancik
(cross-checking), 13:30.
dperiod -3. UM, Jilson (Shouneyia, Mink), 10:13
(pp). Penalties - BG. Mass (hooking), 8:35; UM,
Cammalleri (hooking); 211:28: 8G, Moore (hooking),_
14:49; UM, Comre (highsticking), 16:15; UM,
Swistak (hooking), 17:54.
Shots on goal - UM, 4-98 - 21: BG, 9.66 - 21.
Power Pays - UM, 1 of 6; BG, 0 of 8.
Saves - UM, Blackburn 488 - 20; BG, Masters, 7-
9-5--18.
Referee - Steve Mcinchak
Unesmen - John LaDuke, John Pearson
tBGSU Ice Arena, Bowling Green
ttendance: 3,782
take final
lap in style
By Uma Subramanian
Daily Sports Writer
Their lap around the ice traversed familiar
ground they'd skated over hundreds of times
before.
But this final jaunt, with the spotlights shin-
ing exclusively on them and the 'M' flags they
carried, was a tribute to four seniors who each,
in his own way, left an indelible mark on
Michigan hockey.
On Saturday, prior to Senior Night festivities,
Krikor Arman, Kevin Magnuson, Andrew
Merrick and Sean Peach played in their final
regular-season game at Michigan.
Though the Wolverines suffered a 6-3 defeat
at the hands of Bowling Green in a meaningless
game as far as postseason plans were concerned,
the contest represented the end of an era.
The Class of 2000 is the final link to perhaps
Michigan's greatest team ever - the 1996-97
team that won thirty-five games and made a trip
to the Frozen Four.
These graduating seniors have done it all in
their Michigan careers.
Besides that remarkable freshman campaign,
the class partook in an NCAA championship as
sophomores and claimed a CCHA tournament
championship last season.
Saturday night, when Peach, the Michigan
captain, accepted the CCHA regular-season
championship trophy from league commission-
er Tom Anastos, everything came full circle.
After his name was announced, each senior
took a turn around the rink hugging his team-
mates as his career accolades were announced.
When he took his solo lap, Merrick reflected
on that remarkable first year.
"I thought back to freshman year when I was
standing out there with Brendan (Morrison) and
Jason (Botterill) and all those guys going around
and how I thought to myself I'd never go
through this," Merrick said. "Three years
seemed like forever then, but they really went by
fast.
"It was a nice feeling to go around. I know
there's bigger and better things to move on from
here. This part of my life is coming to an end -
which is a good thing, but it's a sad feeling too."
This season, due to an overload of talented
young players, the seniors haven't had a chance
to skate together much - a fact which made
Saturday's outing all the more special.
"My happiest part was being able to just play
with these guys - it's not too often that all four
of us get to play together," Peach said. "It was a
surreal feeling skating around and everything
flashed right in front of me. I also remember
Morrison and everyone was chanting 'Hobey
KIMITSU YOGACHI/Daily
Andrew Merrick and fellow seniors Krikor Arman, Sean Peach and Kevin Magnuson played in their
final regular-season home contest on Saturday night at Yost Ice Arena.
Bowing Green 6, Micnigan 3
Bowling Green 2 1 3 - 6
Michigan 0 1 2 -3
Frst period - 1. BG, Fultz 16 (Edinger Valentine),
14:34 (pp); 2. 8G, QeLuis 7 (Jones, Hewson), 15:14.
Penalties - UM. Vancik (interference). 2:00; UM,
Jlson (tripping), 4:48; UM, Mink (obstruction-holding).
8:40: BG , day (holding), 10:15; BG, Dearlais (rough-
ing), 13:02; UM, Merrick (roughing), 13:02; UM,
Merrick (roughing), 13:02: BG, Edinger (roughing),
14:34; UM, Magnuson (roughing), 14:34; 8G, de Luis
(tripping), 16:07, BG, Adams (slashing), 16:07: UM,,
Koch (slashing), 16:07; 8G, Mass (interference),
17:19; 80, Edinger (tripping), 18:03; 8B, Jones (slash-
ing), 18:57: BG, Valentine (cross-checking), 19:48;
KUM, Shouneyia (cross-checking), 19:48.
Second period- 3.8BG Barow 4(Day), 6:39;:1. UM
Matzka 10 (Langfeld.Vancik), 14:35. Penalties -BG,
Hewson (hooking), 7:56; UM, Langfeld (interference),
9:44.
Third perod -4. BG. Day 13(de Ls), 1:37;:2. UM,
Shouneyia 4 (Hilbert, Coarie), 4:311 pp); 5. 80. Hewson
6 (Ham, Desarais), 14:21; 6. BG. Desjarlais 5 (Jones,
Moore), 15:55 (pp); 3. UM, Matzka 11(Roemensky),
19:08 (sh). Penalties - BG. Ham (hooking). :18; UM,
Hbert (slashing), :188G. Wetterberg oostruction-hook-
ing). 2:17; BG, Hewson (slashing). 3:30; UM, Huntzicker
(tripping), 5:05; 8G. Jones (tripping), 6:51:M8G.sKnight
(cross-checking), 9:26; UM, Comrie (slashing), 14:50;
UM, Magnuson (holding the stick),.15:03; UM, Peach
(kneeing), 17:52.
Shots on goal - BG 8-12-10 - 30; UM. 12-12-5 -
- 29
Pwer Plays - B 2 of 9; UM 1 of 10.
Saves - BG, Masters 12-11-3 - 26; UM, Blackburn
6-11-7 - 24.
Referee - Matt Shegos
Lkiesmen -- John LaDuke, John Pearson.
At: Yost Ice Arena
Attendance: 6,364
Baker' for him.
"At the time, we were like Man, those guys
are pretty cool and this is pretty cool.' I know
that the freshmen look up us and they probably
think this is pretty cool - this is a great tradi-
tion we have here.:
Unfortunately for the seniors, on the whole,
their final regular-season game was a pitiful
team effort - one that was not representative of
the Wolverines' recent stretch of games.
"It's almost emotional for me 'cause you
know the guys and know what they've been
through," Michigan freshman Mike Cammalleri
said of the celebration. "It's great to watch and
it's great for them.
"But I feel really bad for the seniors because
we gave them a final game like that."
Yet fortunately, because their team was
crowned regular-season champions, these
seniors will witness at least another two games
in Yost Ice Arena when Michigan hosts Western
Michigan in the first round of the CCHA play-
offs this upcoming weekend.
But if the season is any indication, the likeli-
hood is that all four may never play together
again. That reality did not escape any of them.
Despite the debacle, "I'd like to say that I
think the four of us played a good game
tonight," Merrick said. "We were ready to play
FA LCONS
Continued from Page 1B
day's game to complement a pai
goals Saturday.
"I started scoring a little bit
weekend and hopefully I can kec
going," Matzka said. "I've got a
of confidence right now."
And so does Michigan, a team
rallied from setbacks early in the
son to wrap up the conference cr
- something that coach
Berenson said means more in the
picture than Saturday's loss.
"Our goal this season was to
first place and there were a lo
obstacles to overcome and we
that," Berenson said. "I'm re
proud of this team and one g
does not make a season."
Michigan is also confident
one game won't break a sea
either, as the team looks to bury
sa lingering thoughts of Saturday's1
U YOGACHI/Daily with the anticipation of the post
Friday son.
wn.
and we can be proud of that."
In fact, the seniors played their hearts out in a
penalty-filled game that saw Arman, Merrick
and Magnuson in the box simultaneously.
"I laughed a little bit when I saw that,"
Merrick said. "At one point we'd all been sitting
on the bench together kind of as a buffer. Then
we all moved over to the penalty box together. It
was kind of funny. I took the penalty that Krikor
had to serve."
"And I figured it's the last game, why not give
them a good headlock," Magnuson said. "When
I analyzed the situation when I got in the box it
was like, 'Hey, it's our night and we're in the
box."'
The seniors also bowed and paid homage to
the Michigan hockey band - which they count
amongst their biggest supporters.
All joking and losses aside, the seniors know
- perhaps better than anyone - what it will
take for this Michigan team to succeed in the
postseason, which began at the final buzzer of
Saturday's game.
"We remember that we have the most points
in the CCHA and won a conference champi-
onship" Magnuson said. "And all four of us
truly believe that this is the best chance we have
to win it since our freshman year. We're ready
for the run."
"We were out of sync, we couldn't
shoot or score. It was not a good
game and I told our team just to for-
r of get the game," Berenson said. "This
was just a stinker on our part and
this we're not going to let it bother us.
ep it From here on in, it's a new season
lot and I like our team when there's
something on the line."
that For a Michigan team eager to put
sea- Saturday's setback behind it, much of
own what happened after the game helped
Red erase the lingering pain of the loss.
big Presented with the conference trophy
before a spotlight tribute to the
win team's graduating seniors, Michigan
t of highlighted a season's worth of
did accomplishments in a move that
ally more than placed the loss as a mere
ame slip in an ongoing saga of success.
"We're excited to have won the
that title," Comrie said. "There are a lot
son of good teams in the CCHA and it's a
any goal that we set from day one. It rep-
loss resents not just a game or a few
sea- games, but the work of a whole sea-
son."
Saturday's loss -.
good med 'bw for
the Wolverines
F ourteen minutes into the first period, the
Michigan hockey team fell behind Bowling
Green for good.
In his last CCHA game, senior Andrew Merrick could do.*
only one thing - laugh. As Merrick watched the Falcons'
first goal from the crowded penalty box, he looked to his side
at fellow classmate Kevin Magnuson and laughter erupted
amongst the two of them.
Since when was losing funny?
Since Saturday night's 6-3 loss to
Bowling Green.
In a meaningless conference game, the
Wolverines seemed to have left their
minds, bodies and talent in Ohio the pre-
vious night. g h
But that's the beauty of it. Michigan STEpHANIE
has a week to retrieve all of its belong- OB EN
ings from the Buckeye State before
games start to actually matter again. Off the
So all 6,364 fans in attendance Record
Saturday night can wipe those worries
from their minds and frowns from their faces - the
Wolverines' poor showing for their last conference game
gave the Michigan hockey faithful absolutely nothing to
worry about.
What many of those fans in attendance at either of the
weekend games may not have realized was that this entire
weekend was completely meaningless.
The Michigan hockey team could have boarded a charter
plane for Acapulco with the rest of the Michigan campus,
returned yesterday, and still won the conference champi-
onship.
The Wolverines could have been downing their spring
break tequila shots on the beach, forfeiting their last two
games of the regular season, and still received an automatic
berth to the NCAA tournament.
That's why losing was funny. It meant absolutely nothing.
The Wolverines racked up the league title because of the fal-
tering of Michigan State and Northern Michigan on Friday
night, not because of their own spectacular -- or in this case
-- wretched play.
But there was a good reason that the Wolverines stayed
and played these games instead of turning into bar-hopping
beach bums for the week.
Even though this weekend lacked meaning in the confer-
ence standings, it did not lack importance for Michigan as it
enters the CCHA playoffs. In that sense, this weekend may
have been one of the most important of the season - and the
Wolverines executed it perfectly, even with that little bit of
humor.
The importance of this weekend was to prepare the team
for playoff hockey. The results of the games were meaning-
less - what mattered was the style in which the games were
played.
This weekend was used for the Wolverines to prove they
were ready for the conference tournament in which they will
try to defend last season's crown.
That's what the fans in Bowling Green saw on Friday.
Until only one minute remained in what became a 3-1
Michigan victory, the Wolverines thought they were playing
to clinch the regular-season conference championship. And
fittingly, they played their hearts out. When the Wolverines
thought it counted, they played playoff hockey.
Saturday showed the flip side. While the last game of the
season should have mattered to Michigan, the team admitted
that in the lockerroom before play even started there was no
desperation. There was no desire for victory. The champi-
onship was in the Wolverines' hands and Saturday was just
all fun and games.
Once again, Michigan executed perfectly. I'm not condon--
ing the team's poor play and lack of attentiveness throughout
the evening, I'm simply recognizing the need to have a lack-
luster game in a season and the Wolverines' perfect place-
ment of that lackluster game in their schedule. The "we
couldn't care less" play came when the game meant the least.
But once again, what Michigan's poor performance on
Saturday lacks in meaning to the conference standings it
gains in importance upon entering the playoffs.
Michigan was taught a lesson at no cost. The loss showed
the Wolverines that they are not invincible. And for a team
that has only suffered one conference loss since the turn of
the new year and the return of their starting goalie, the brush
with reality sends that important message.
Since the beginning of the new millennium this year's team
was showing signs of the 1997 team, which donned some of
the best talent this university has ever seen. That squad, led
by Hobey Baker winner Brendan Morrison, only lost four
games all season, clinching both the regular-season and con-
ference tournament championships.
That team lost in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament.
And that loss was their first brush with reality.
Now it's this team's turn to try for the triple crown. One
down and only two to go. But this time reality has already set
in for Hobey Baker candidate Mike Comrie and his 2000
squad. Michigan taught itself a lesson on Saturday night. And
admittingly, the team laughed a little along the way.
But all joking aside, the 6-3 loss was the last time this sea-
son that the Wolverines will ever be able to look past an
opponent - and it's a good thing that they got it out of their
system.
- Stephanie Offen can be reached at soffen@umich.edu.
0
Friday: vs. W Michigan,
7:35 p.m.
Saturday: vs. W. Michigan,
7:05 pm.
Sunday: 7:05 p.m. vs.
W. Michigan, if necessary
The top-seeded Wolverines host the
tenth-seeded Broncos to open the
CCHA Playoffs.
No. 1 Wisconsin (28--u1)lost toColorado
Colege, 54; def. Colorado College, 2-1
No.2 Boston tnhver#ty(23-7-6) tied
Merimack 3-3; played Boston College yesterday,
inc.
No. 3 North Dakota (24-7-5) del. Benmidji State,
9-2; def. Bemidi State, 6-3.
No. 4 New Hampshi (20-9-1) tied Mass.-
Amherst 3-3; eMass.-Amherst; 5-1.
No. 5 Michigan (24-84) de, Bowling Green, 3-1;
lost to Bowling Green,6-3.
No.6 Maine (22-7-5) tied Providence, 6-6; def.
Providence, 3-2.
No. 7 St Lawrence (22-7-2) def. Wayne State, 5-
3; def. Dartmouth, 7-s.'
No.8 Boston Co ege (22-10-1) def.
Northeastern, 7-2; played Boston University yester-
dainc
No.9 Michigan State (23-10-4) tied Notre Dame,
2-2; de. Notre Dame, 5-3.
No. 10 Colgate (21-7-2) tied Pinceton, 2-2; def,
Yale, 7-1.
KIMITSU
Jay Vancik scored the first goal in Michigan's 3-1 win
night that secured the regular-season conference crop
Matchup
No. 1 Michigan vs. No. 10 Western Michigan
No. 2 Michigan State vs. No. 9 Miami
No. 3 Lake Superior vs. No. 8 Bowling Green
No. 4 Northern Michigan vs. No. 7 Nebraska-O-aha
Venue Last time
Ann Arbor Michigan beat the Broncos 7-2, 9-3 on Feb. 11 & 12
East Lansing
Sault Ste. Marie
Marquette
South Bend
Miami upended the Spartans 2-3, 0-3 on Nov. 19 & 20
The Lakers split with the Falcons 7-5 and 0-1 on Nov. 26 & 27
Northern Michigan won 2-0 and tied 4-4 on Oct. 29 & 30
The Irish lost 1-4, 2-4 to the 'Dogs on Oct. 23 & 24
No. 5 Notre Dame vs.
No. 6 Ferris State
With this weekend's CCHA regular-season finales came the end of a hotly contested race for the league scoring crown. In his final conference contest Michigan State's
Shawn Horcoff used three assists to jump past Michigan's Mike Comrie to claim the scoring title. Western Michigan's David Gove finished third.
4
Team
Michigan
Michigan State
Lake Superior
Northern Michigan
k1,... r m
W
19
18
17
16
11
L T
6 3
8 2
9 2
8 4
IA 71
CCHA
Pts GP
41 28
38 28
36 28
36 28
r 10 1)A
GF GA
112 65
84 46
76 66
93 64
Ar, 7t,.
OVERALL
W L T
24 8 4
23 10 4
18 14 2
21 11 4
14 M R
19 £;- Y. ,. i , 7j MIN- .,j~r~x, '