SportsMonday, October 25, 1999 - The Michigan Daily - 3B airbanks trades nuning picks for hockey stic By geoff Gagnon Daily Sports Writer "That was one of the real reasonsI FAIRBANKS, Alaska - With a decided to come. People just lov lash of light and sound, the Alaska- hockey:" Fairbanks hockey team was wel- That local love for hockey ha *med on to the ice by a raucous helped the team garner support with Carlson Center crowd. in Alaska. It also helped the Nanook With that the Wolverines were wel- find a niche in the CCHA since th comed to a phenomenon known as squad joined the league in the 1995 {hockey in Alaska' as they opened 96 season. their two-game series with the "I wanted to come here to getr Nmooks on Friday night. chance to compete with the CCHA In a frenzied multi-media intro- Gadowski said. "It's the premie duction event that boasted spotlights, hockey league in the country an a nirror ball and an over-zealous offers our team a great challenge." public address announcer with a pen- As one of the only varsity sport chant for prolonged pronunciation, a teams competing in Division I, it's n *irbanks crowd did its best to warm surprise that hockey has grown t up a cold night. receive a great deal of local attention From the outside the Carlson It's this support, coupled withe Center, which stands in the shadow fair amount of attention, that ha of the Goldstream Ridge on the helped create an involved and know northeast side of town, beats back the edgeable fan base that Gadowsk chill and snow common to the says he's come to enjoy. Alaskan interior. On the inside the "Here the people really appreciat building plays host to the highest and understand hockey more thai level of organized hockey within 300 they did at other places I've been, 'ties of Alaska's second-biggest city. Gadowski said. "If you want to jump d in a mid-Alaskan town with a start a program, this is the place t love for the sport and virtually noth- come." Ong else to do, Fairbanks hockey It's apparent that Gadowski and hi takes center stage for most residents. staff are doing just that. That's exactly why Fairbanks' With contests and give-away{ first,-year head coach Guy Gadowski throughout the game, as well asa decided to come to the sleepy town dynamic celebration after each goa built "dn the foundations of Alaskan set to thundering music, the Carlsoi goldhines that sprung up here over a Center faithful is whipped intoa century ego. spirited frenzy over a team that' "When I first got to Fairbanks I been winning. qasthrilled with how excited people Primarily a family event, Fairbank ere for hockey," Gadowski said. hockey appeals to a variety of peo Enticement ofCCH y Stephanie Offen In order to join the C Daily Sports Writer required to share the c FAIRBANKS, Alaska - Which one of these four Alaska. According to R hockey teams doesn't belong? a) Michigan b) enough airfare to get tI Michigan State c) Western Michigan or d) Alaska- coaches to Fairbanks and t rahks. "At one point we pro the answer, Alaska-Fairbanks, can and will be dis- said. "That was in our two puted because after Friday's victory over Michigan, the to the conference. That m Nandoks may have finally earned the respect of the play as many CCHA team CCHA. playoffs if our record war This season's wins over Michigan and Ohio State - Now, as an official me teams that made it to the NCAA frozen four two sea- Nanooks play a majority o sons ago - gave the Nanooks a chance to find their western foes. And it wou niche within the conference. these travel expenses con The task was not easily accomplished. After an Without a Nike or Adi unsuccessful plea to enter the WCHA along with solely on corporate spon aska-Anchorage, the Nanooks set their sights on the rink, fundraisers and dona ,HA. As an independent, Fairbanks was at risk of "Maybe we don't have losing its hockey program until the CCHA agreed to and all the extra things,. add the team to its currently expanding conference. can't use the resources t '"The main reason (the CCHA) accepted us is that done,' Roselius said. "Bu they saw if they didn't our hockey program would die," players go to Michigan an Fairbanks sports information director Scott Roselius warm-ups with the swoos] 'said. "If they wouldn't have accepted us we couldn't So maybe the Nanooks have continued to be a contender. The independents at the Michigan or Michigan that.point were just dwindling and dwindling" do some other teams in th I - k t - t a1 4 ' Is is lc o .9 7 a sd is o so n. a Is zs :o is VIOlA wom., dftrN ff 2drIF-, 3 I I I I s Alaska-Fairbanks 4, Michigan 2 Michigan 1 0 1 - 2 Fairbanks 1 1 2 -4 First period --1. UM. Comrie 8 (O'Malley), 14:56 (ppg.x ; 2. UAF, Carriere 2 (unassisted). 17:43. Penalties - UAF, Hamilton (tripping) 1:51; UM, Swisiak ( high-sticking) 8:56; UAF, Wynia (holding) 8:56; UM, Peach (cross-checking) 10:00; UAF, Larranaga (obs-interference) 12:56; UAF, UAF, Carniere (slashing) 13:39. Second period - 3. UAF, Rocheleau 2 (Zinger, Grosu;, 10:06 (ppg). Penalties -UM, Jillson (roughing) 0:31: UAF, Tiemstra (holding) 3:22; UM, Hilbert (cross-checking) 6:38; UAF, Wynia (holding) 7:30: UM, Mink (obs-tripping) 8:38, UAF, Tiemstra (obs.-holding) 12:00; UM, Ortrmeyer (slashing) 15:27; UM. Matzka (slashing) 17:47. Third period - 4. UAF, Bablitz 1 (unassisted) 17:42 5. UM, Kosick 3 (Mink. Langfeid) 18:23 (6X5); UAF, Reinheller (unassisted) 19:59 (5x6) Penalties - UAF, Rocheleau (cross checking) 3:14; UM, Jillson (unsportsmanlike) 5:19; UAF, Hamilton (unsports- manlike) 5:19; UM, Magnuson (holding) 9:18; UAF, McNeill (holding) 9:18; UAF, Bartzen (tripping) 12:34; UM, Langfeld (tripping) 14:22. Shots on goal - UM 11-14-22 - 47; UAF 13-5-5 23. Power Plays - UM, 1 of 8; UAF 1 of 7. Saves -- UM,0'Malley 12-4-4 - 20; UAF Mayes 10- 14-21 -45. Referee~-ion Gosger. Linesmen -Chris Milles, Rick Redick. At: Carlson Center. Attendance: 3,595. Michigan 4, Alaska-Fairbanks 1 Michigan 1 0 3 - 4 Fairbanks 0 1 0 - 1 First period -1. UM, Peach 2 (Koch), 8:43 Penalties - UM, Jillson (slashing) 0:31; UAF, McNeill (hooking) :36; UAF, Rienheller (tripping) 2:40; UAF, Andrews (interference) 3:57; UM, Vancik (tripping) 6:30; UM, Vancik (obs.-hooking) 10:10; UAF, Wynia (slashing after whistle) 11:43; UAF Hamilton (slashing) 12:41; UM, Langfeld (cross-checking) 13:38; UAF, Andrews (kneeing) 14:26; UAF, Tiemstra (roughing) 18:15. Second period - 1. UAF, Andrews 2 (unassisted) 14:42 (sh). Penalties - UM, Peach (interference) 1:53; UM, Swistak (slashing) 7:38; UM, Hilbert (spearing) 8:03; UM, Hilbert (10 mi. misconduct. O{) 8:03; UAF, Larranga (checking from behind) 14:08; UAF, Larranga (10 min. misconduct) 14:08. Third period -2,UM, Kosick (Comrie, Jillson) 1:31 (pp); 3. UM, Vancik (Matzka, Koch) 7:10 (pp); 4. UM Koch (Ortmeyer) 15:15. Penalties - UAF, Tiemstra (charging) 1:04; UAF, Hallett (charging) 5:25; UM, Comrie (tripping) 16:42; UM, Vancik (high sticking) 18:20; UM, Jillson (cross checking) 19:43. Shots on goal- UM 22-11-11 - 44; UAF 9-9-12 - 30 Power Plays - UM 2-of-10; UAF 0 of 9. Saves - UM, O'Malley 9-8-12- 29; UAF, Mayes 2 1-10-9 - 40. Referee - Jon Gosger Linesmen --Chris Milles, Rick Redick At: Carlson Center Attendance: 3,938 support for the Fairbanks squad that has found itself perennially at the bottom of the conference since join- ing the CCHA. While the nights grow longer and the days grow colder in Fairbanks, expect to find energy, excitement and half the town in a blue, square- shaped building already shielded by snow drifts. As each twelve-year-old with a Nanook jersey could tell you - just as surely as every 50-year old woman waving a Nanook banner - Fairbanks is quickly becoming a hockey hotbed and a haven for enthu- siasts and players alike. And with Gadowski's fresh new perspective, things are looking up for the frozen town that's traded mining picks for hockey sticks. BERKA Teeing Off 4 Penn State best of a ple, old and young: most clad in the blue and gold of the hometown Nanooks. With a student enrollment of just under 10,000, a slightly small, but no less enthusiastic student section has begun to inject a bit of excitement into the games - displayed each time the boards are pounded with fevered taunting after an opponent is checked. "This is a hockey culture," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "You see rinks flooded over and little kids out there playing hockey already and it's only October. These people love hockey and it shows." As Gadowski's turnaround contin- ues to make the Nanooks more com- petitive, that local interest in the sport will continue to translate into worth travel costs P cop le havce bee n saying it since August. Every time you hear talk about the Big Ten, some expert -- or nitwit --will start prais- ing the conference, talking about how it is the best conference in the nation as far as competitiveness and strength. While the Big Ten has had seven schools ranked among the top 25 in the nation, it is lacking one thing that other major conferences have -- a title race. I'm making it official now - Penn State will win the Big Ten title. The Nittany Lions not only are undefeated and ranked No. 2 in the country, they and Wisconsin are the only teams with less than two conference losses. How about perenial title contender and student-athlete haven Ohio State? The Buckeyes not only have lost twice in the Big Ten, but their season-ending grudge match with Michigan will decide which team will eat steak in Florida and which team will rope cattle in Texas. How about the surprising Michigan State squad? After beating the Wolverines - a victory whose impact was lessened by Michigan's fourth- quarter performance against Illinois - the Spartans have decided to try to go 6-5 for the 10th straight year. Although the Spartans seemed to be the best shot at a Big Ten contender after beating Michigan, they have responded by getting humiliated by Purdue, 52-28, and whupped by Wisconsin, 40-10. As for the Boilermakers and their all-everything quarterback Drew Brees? Although they killed the Sparties and Brees' play looks good to the camera - even with his unortho- dox birthmark on his face - the Boilers have lost three times in the conference. So what does that leave us? Goldy the Gopher, Chief Illiniwek, Bobby Knight, Hayden Fry and a patsy to be named later? Perhaps not. Wisconsin has only lost once. The Badgers have a Heisman Trophy con- tender in running back Ron Dayne and drive their mascot, Bucky, into Camp Randall Stadium on a fire truck. But there are a few things which kill Wisconsin as a possible Big Ten titleist. First is their stubborn refusal to acknowledge the forward pass. The Badgers either run Dayne up the mid- dle, oft' tackle, or kick the ball away. Wisconsin also has proven to be len bnc/i capable of having shoddy perfor- mances, as they lost to schools such as Cincinnati and Michigan (I do realize that was a cheap shot). And even if the Badgers won the rest of their games, they still could fin- ish as second monkey in the Big Ten; as Penn State avoids playing Wisconsin this season. This leaves Michigan, which is a laughable concept at best. The Wolverines did a less-than-stellar job in holding a 20-point second half lead u against the Fighting Illini, a team that came into the contest with absolutely no conference wins. So all that gives us Penn State. Basically, Joe Paterno is the father fig- ure of the conference this year with everyone else serving as bratty stepchildren. The rest of the Big Ten teams don't deserve any sort of credit as far as major bowls are concerned. Although the Nittany Lions seem inefficent at times - boredom in games against ridiculously sorry teams will do that to you - they are the only team that can perform adequately in all aspects of the sport. Purdue can't run the ball -- even though to its credit, it doesn't pretend to try. Wisconsin can't pass the ball. Ohio State tries to run and pass but sucks at both. Minnesota plays indoors. Michigan has the indecisiveness of a sorority girl at a department store. Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa all start with the letter I and have a preoccupation with corn. And Northwestern players are 'brainy'. And Michigan State has more psy- chological disorders than a former teen actress turned drug abuser. Basically, the Big Ten is a gaggle of clowns. So Penn State is the only team left to carry the Big Ten's flag on a national level. The Nittany Lions are practically guaranteed a spot in the Sugar Bowl if they beat the remainder of the Alices in this conference. With Penn State being the only team in the Big Ten that can accomplish anything of note, the rest of the teams should let the Nittanies win out. - TJ Berka really doesn't want Joe Paterno to win a national title - instead he would rather see Bobby Brown make a comeback in the R&B industry. E-mail himt at berkat~a)umich. cdii CHA, -Alaska-Fairbanks was other teams' travel costs to Roselius, the team provides he competitor's players and gives money for lodging. avided everything," Roselius years as an affiliate member eant that we were allowed to ns as we could and play in the ranted that." mber of the conference, the of their games with their mid- ild be correct to assume that -sume the team's budget. das sponsor, Fairbanks relies sors advertising around the ations for these expenses. the extravagant video taping but that doesn't say that we hat we have to get the job t I'm sure it's hard when our d see their players in the nice h, and they don't have that." don't receive the luxuries of n State programs, but neither he league. Nebraska-Omaha, which joined the CCHA this season, has many issues of its own to deal with. In order to join the league, Nebraska had to agree to pay its own way to Alaska. It is the only team in the conference required to do so. Michigan, on the other hand, enjoys the luxury of an inexpensive trip across the continent. "Since Alaska pays for most of the trip it makes it a lot more enticing," Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson said. "Otherwise this trip would be a huge burden." But Fairbanks coach Guy Gadowsky said the costs are a sacrifice the team is willing to make in order to play in college hockey's best conference. So even though one may question the fact that a team from the west, the Far West, is in the CCHA with many midwestern teams, the players from Alaska- Fairbanks know they belong. They may not have the luxuries of the conference's elite squads, but they have learned to work with what they have. And this weekend that seemed to work. "You learn to appreciate things more if you have to work a little harder to get them," Roselius said. "It means a lot to beat a team like Michigan because you have to work a lot harder under a lot harder condi- tions." Jisit to Alaska uch more than just hockey By Chris Grandstaff Daily Sports Writer FAIRBANKS, Alaska - There he stood, duffel bag in tow, at the gates of Fairbanks International Airport set on the majestic Chena River. J .J. Swistak was about to set foot for the first time onto Alaskan soil. Swistak, 8d his teammates had already wit- ssed the breathtaking vistas of the Alaskan country side from the plane, but now, finally, he was about to see it, unin- hibited, with his own eyes. And on this momentous occasion, Swistak's first visit to Alaska, the young freshman's initial thoughts on Alaska's second largest city were, well, not exact- ly what you'd put in a travel brochure. It's kind of dirty," Swistak said. "I ,iought Fairbanks would be bigger than s. It could be a little bit nicer. We flew into Anchorage and it was pretty nice, but everyone told me to get that out of my mind because Fairbanks was not like that at all" For the Wolverines, especially the 1 fresjmen, this was not exactly the ideal Alhkan experience. For the most part the Wolverines were trapped within the confines of The Captain Bartlett Inn, an eccentric timber7 LASKA Continued from Page 1B Mayes was most impressive in the fina ri Mutes of the game, when the Wolverines, with O'Malley on the bench and six attackers on the ice, had several open net opportunities that were stopped by an equal number of miraculous saves. "He stood on his. head, and played e-ry well," Michigan captain Sean Peach said. "He looked really good. He's a 4i ot goalie, and he really carried their team (on Friday)." Mayes' efforts were reminiscent of last season's Wolverines when they were led by Josh Blackburn, their freshman nptminnfnr walled, taxidermist's wonderland. The hotel was just close enough to the Carlson Center so that the team could walk, but enough away to let the players know they were in Alaska. "It's pretty weird, it's the middle of October and they already have a bunch of snow," Swistak said. "We walk to the rink for morning practices. The games are the only time we get to take the bus. "Walking to practice isn't too bad. It's a little cold, but it gives us a chance to stretch our legs and get out of that hotel." The Wolverines did get a chance to see some of Alaska though, well sort of. Michigan coach Red Berenson, and about half of the team made a trip over to The University of Alaska-Fairbanks Museum on Thursday for a lesson in the history of Alaskan culture and a look at some of the state's prominent wildlife. "It was basically just a lot of dead ani- mals, but I thought it was kind of inter- esting," Swistak said. "The tour guy was telling us this story, and it was alright at first, but it got old because we were all freezing." The Wolverines also got a chance to see the famed Alaskan pipeline and a musk ox farm, which probably could have been more exciting, but was a wel- come change from the wildlife they had been seeing. "I haven't seen any live animals real- ly," Swistak said. "Except for the musk ox and reindeer we saw when we were on the bus. But there are dead ones everywhere you look. Everywhere you go you see stuffed bears or whatever." Despite' the fact that the trip was not ideal for Alaskan sightseeing, the trip served as a bonding experience for many of the players - especially the freshman. The Wolverines were forced into close quarters for a half a week, with nothing to do within walking distance and no girlfriends or classes to think about. The Wolverines were left with them- selves for entertainment - something that Swistak and fellow freshman Jed Ortmeyer provided plenty of during one lunch outing. "We were at this restaurant way out in the woods called 'The Pump,"' Swistak said. "And the seniors decided to pull this little joke on Ortmeyer and I. Everybody else usually gets ice cream for dessert, but we got a bowl of butter with chocolate syrup on top instead." So maybe Alaska wasn't the sweetest experience the Wolverines have ever had, but it will go miles toward improving team chemistry. N~~~~e i ah Spring Break 200 StudentCi .com is look- ing for Hig ly Motivated Students to promote Spring Break 2000! Organize a small roup and travel FRE!! Top campus reps can earn Free Trip & over $10,000! Choose: Cancun, Jamaica or Nassau! Book Trips On-Line Log-In and Win Free Stuff. wwwStudentCity rnnt 1-8.00-293-143 JOHN GUESS AGENCY' INSURANCE FOR EDUCATIONAL EMPLOYEES Many UofM employees have saved on insurance costs 6935 Fosdick [Saline] 734.429.2707 734.429.1032 [fax] IF your plans for a December the [SAT, include London........... $341 Los Angeles...$269 Amsterdam....$416 time is running OUT!