Hockey USCHO poll
Wv1ichigan ranks fifth in the latest
USCHO hockey poll. Coo online to see
how the rest of the top 25 shakes out.
michigandaily.com/sports
j LItid Emei
PORTS
WEDNESDAY
MARCH 8, 2000
9
*More to
come from
champi ns
ow far has the Michigan hock-
team come this season? Six
nd a half months ago, I first
spoke to Michigan coach Red Berenson
and I asked him how far he thought his
team could go. The legendary Michigan
coach said he couldn't be sure, but I can
tell you from the look in his eyes today
that the things his team has accom-
plished thus far this season were not
what he had in mind.
Six and a half months ago, Red
erenson officially found out what peo-
le had been speculating all summer
long-junior co-
captain Mike Van
Ryn was hanging
tip his skates as a
Wolverine to pur-
sue dreams in pro-
fessional hockey. .
Van Ryn's defec-
tion could not have CHRIS
crme at a worse GRANDSTAFF
for the The Gand
olverines, whose Scheme
defense was
already two roster spots short after
transfers during the summer.
-Compound the potential defensive
woes with the offensive struggles of the
previous season and the Wolverines'
chances of reclaiming their first regular
season championship since 1997
seemned a near impossibility.
*And things kept getting worse.
'One month into the season, Michigan
lost the services of starting goaltender
and team MVP Josh Blackburn for
three months due to an injury. The
injury apparently occurred in a bizarre
refrigerator moving incident which
seemed to freeze any chances the
Wolverines would have of winning a
conference championship.
Two weeks later, the Wolverines hit a
ew low by dropping a game against
erennial conference basement-dweller
Alaska Fairbanks, 4-2 - one of only
four conference victories the Nanooks
would garner all season.
Experts began writing off the
Wolverines, and with good reason. Who
could realistically expect such a young
team to respond from such huge blows
to the roster?
The players and coaches did.
1SWhen one player goes down, the
ockey system under Berenson expects
and demands the rest step up, and this
season's group of young Wolverines did
it in a big way.
Backup goaltenders Kevin O'Malley
and L.J. Scarpace held down the fort for
Blackburn, mounting a 13-6 record in
his absence. And since returning from
his injury, Blackburn has proved why he
is one of college hockey's best with a 9-
2-4 record.
" Defensively, the entire blue line has
tepped up and erased any early season
doubters. As the team's captain, Sean
Peach has gracefully handled the diffi-
cult task of both holding together a
young team and anchoring a depleted
defense at the same time.
Junior Dave Huntzicker has stepped
up and had a breakthrough year
leading the team statistically in
lus/minus and providing a dependable
fensive backdrop. Jeff Jillson, whose
mjulti faceted game has shown why he
will inevitably play in the National
Hockey League, is one of the team's
leading scorers and is a key to both the
power play and the defense. With the
tough play of Jay Vancik and the needed
addition of "young" Mike Roemensky,
the Wolverines' defense has been noth-
ing to scoff at - ranking near the top
of the conference in goals-against.
Simply put - the type of wins this
am has claimed this season, consider-
ing their age, is absolutely amazing.
When this season's group of
Michigan icers needed to make a state-
ment in East Lansing after being beaten
by the Spartans just a week and a half
earlier, they did it - blanking the
Spartans, 2-04- their first win at Munn
in five years. When the Wolverines
needed to get two points at hostile
Aorthern Michigan, they got them --
king out two ties. When the
Wolverines needed a win over Michigan
State to keep the conference champi-
onship in their own hands, they did it -
with a convincing 4-2 victory.
Six and a half months ago, doubters
nredicted a championship-less season
° h ® AROUND THE HORN
BTT a waste of time to Knight
By Chris Duprey
Daily Sports Editor
Indiana's Bob Knight, perhaps the
most outspoken Big Ten coach against
the conference tournament, kicked off
this week's festivities in grand fashion
when he said "Nothing will change my
mind about the necessity of this tourna-
ment. I don't think it does a thing except
use players to make money."
On that upbeat note, news from
around the Big Ten:
(1) OIO STATE: Never mind that
they're the top seed. Coach Jim O'Brien
and the Buckeyes are wary of teams that
have motivations to do well at the BTT.
"There are teams that are on the
proverbial bubble, that need to win one
or two games to get into the NCAA
Tournament," O'Brien said. "There's an
awfully lot of teams out there that post-
season tournaments are very important
to."
For instance, take Indiana, a team that
doesn't care at all about the Big Ten reg-
ular season or the NCAA Tournament. It
would make the Hoosiers' vear to do
well at the BTT, a tournament Knight
prizes so highly. Tell that to Knight.
(2) MICHIGAN ST.rE:: One has to
wonder if the BTT is a waste of time for
the Spartans. The outcome is complete-
ly meaningless to their season in com-
parison with the NCAAs, so all this
week does is prolong the waiting.
Does the BTT just give additional
time for pressure to build?
"I think they're hungry because they
got to the Final Four last year," Coach
Tom Izzo said. "I don't think it's any
extra pressure. It's a goal."
Yeah, Tom. The pressure's completely
off.
(3) PURDUE: The big question facing
the Boilermakers is whether or not
they've forgotten their regular-season-
ending thrashing at Indiana, a loss that
cost them a share of the Big Ten title.
"We forgot that (Indiana game) that
night. We had an opportunity to tie the
championship and we didn't do it,"
Coach Gene Keady said. "Indiana was-
n't going to lose that game - they were
just mentally tougher that night"
The game was a week ago Tuesday.
Purdue didn't play over the weekend like
the other teams did - a long time to
think about a bad game.
(4) I1LNOis: After starting confer-
ence play 1-3, the Illini went on a tear,
winning 10 of their final 12 conference
games to finish I 1-5 and earn the fourth
seed. They face Indiana tomorrow, a
team the Illini destroyed 87-63 at home
on Feb. 22.
Coach Lon Kruger said that Illinois is
playing it's best ball right now "for sure."
After bouncing in and out of the rank-
ings all season, Illinois has finally
regained a foothold on No. 25 in the AP
poll, slotting them at about a No. 6 seed
in the NCAA Tournament.
(5) INDIANA: Knight deadpans tlat
there's no way his team is thinking about
the Illinois debacle from Feb. 22.
"If you start thinking in the past about
everything, then you're not going to do
anything in the future."
Interesting philosophy, Coach.
The Hoosiers might take a short look
at the past for one reason - to witness
themselves playing their best ball of the
season. An overtime victory over
Michigan State and the win over Purdue
this past Tuesday, while both at home,
bode well for Indiana's postseason
prospects.
Maybe the Hoosiers will make it past
the second round of the Dance this year.
(6) WISCONSIN: If you're going to tell
Coach Dick Bennett that his team does-
n't belong in the NCAA Tournament
with its 16-12 overall record, you'd bet-
ter come prepared for a fight.
"We played the third- or fourth-tough-
est schedule in the country, we beat a lot
of good teams, we play in arguably the
best conference in America. If this isn't
good enough, they shouldn't talk about
building your schedule," Bennett said.
"I'm not concerned one bit" about
Wisconsin's tourney hopes.
Just promise to score more than 32
points this time, Dick.
(7) IoWA: Roll out the red carpet for
Coach Steve Alford. His only trip to
See TOURNAMENT, Page 10
MARJORIE MARSHALL/Daiy
Ohi State guard Scoonie Penn will look down at the rest of the Big Ten in
Chicagoi weand. His Buckeyes hold the No. 1 seed in the tournament.
f Vancouver slaps
Crley with assault
Football ticket applications on the way
VANCOUE\ R, British Columbia
(A.P -- art MeSorlev of the
Boston ruin willhe charged with
assault for hi br stick attack last
month on :nadji rashear of the
Van oumer anuWks, authorities said.
MeSorlv will fa ce one count of
assa ult with a uea pon( Geoff Gaul, a
spokesman 1r the British Columbia
criminal jusice brnch, said yester-
day.
He said the decision was made
after a prosecutor's review and a
police investigation.
The NI HL was displeased with the
move but will fuIly cooperate with
Canadian authorities.
"We believe the league dealt with
the mater quickly, decisively and
appropriaely and did not feel that
any further action was either war-
ranted or necessarv" said Bill Daly,
the NH IIs chief legal officer.
McSorley was suspended by the
NH;L fr the rest of the season. le
must meet with commissioner Gary
3ettman before the league will con-
sider letting him play next season.
"We're not making any comment
on the situation' Bruins spokes-
woman Ieidi Hb land said.
"I am not aware of the charges."
The 36-year-uld defenseman was
suspended indefinitely Feb. 22, one
day afer he swung his stick with
both hands against the side of
Brashear's head in the Bruins' 5-2
defeat to the Canucks. The following
day, the NHL suspended McSorley.
"I embarrassed my hockey team ...
I got way too carried away. It was a
real dumb play," McSorlev said then.
"I'm still in shock at what I did. I
have to come to terms with what I
did. There's no excuse. It was so stu-
pid, I can't believe I did it."
Brashear fell backward, striking
his head against the ice as his helmet
came off. His body twitched and
blood came from his nose. He was
diagnosed with the most serious kind
of concussion and his status is to be
reviewed in about a week.
"I never thought I'd see a player
acting like that toward another play-
er," Brashear said. "I wonder what
was going through his mind to do a
thing like that."
McSorle, who received a match
penalty for attempt to injure, has
lasted 17 years in the league because
of his ability to fight and protect his
more-skilled teammates. He had six
previous suspensions in his career.
McSorlev is best known for serv-
ing as Wayne Gretzky's protector
with the Edmonton Oilers and then
with Los Angeles as the two were
traded together in one of hockey's
biggest deals.
Already thinking about Michigan
football?
Students should ready their check-
books, because the Michigan Ticket
Office has sent out its forms for 2000
student season football tickets.
Students should receive their
applications by the end of this week.
Forms were sent out on March 6.
Michigan will host six games:
Bowling Green, Rice, Wisconsin,
Indiana, Michigan State and Penn
State.
Away game tickets will be avail-
able April 3.
Individual tickets for select home
games - most likely Rice and
Bowling Green - go on sale July 10,
though quantities appear limited.
HOCKEY MANIA: Tickets for
Michigan hockey's playoff series
with Western Michigan this weekend
are still available at the ticket office.
If the Wolverines and the Broncos go
to a third and deciding game in the
series, students who have season
tickets will have to purchase a third
ticket for $9. Friday's game will face
off at 7:35 p.m., while Saturday's and
Sunday's games begin at 7:05 p.m.
NEED A RIDE?: Those students
interested in traveling by bus to the
CCHA Tournament on March 15 and
16 should contact the ticket office
this week (764-0247). Based on
demand, the office will decide if a
bus is warranted. For the past two
seasons, students have traveled by
bus down to Joe Louis Arena to sup-
port the Wolverines.
-Mark Francescutti
and Ben Singer
i .1
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