10 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, November 19, 1999

Hockey
returns


to

Yost

Team
Michigan State
Michigan
Northern Michigan
Western Michigan
Fenis State
Notre Dame
Nebraska-Omaha
Miami
Bowling Green
Lake Superior
Alaska Fairbanks
Ohio State

w
10
7
6
5
4
3
2
2
3
3
2
1

CCHA
L T
0 0
1 0
1 1
5 2
6 0
5 2
3 3
3 2
4 0
3 0
8 0
9 0

Pts
20
14
13
12
8
8
7
6
6
6
4
2

GP
10
8
8
12
10
10
8
7
7
6
10
10

W
10
10
8
5
6
4
2
5
3
3
3
2

OVERALL
L T GP
1 0 11
1 0 11
3 1 12
5 2 12
6 0 12
6 2 12
3 3 8
4 2 11
6 0 9
5 0 8
9 0 12
10 0 12

HOCKEY'
Continued from Page 9
are hal stingy defensively," Berenson
said,"Last year they won two out of
the three games we played against
them so we expect to be challenged."
That challenge, as Berenson sug-
gests, will likely come in surmounting
the Lake Superior defense - one of
the leagueis best. Returning all eight
defensemen from a year ago, coach
Scott Borek's blueline unit is anchored
by veterans Blaine McCauley and
Ryarn Knox. -
Conversely, its Michiganis high
octane offense that has given the
Wolverines the edge in the early going
this season as Michigan has outscored
opponents 55-23. Leading the way,
sophomore Mike Comrie is also lead-
ing the league - in overall scoring.
Tallying points at a near dizzying pace
the speedy forward headlines a group
of four Wolverines among the top 10
in league scoring with 23 points
already this season. Meanwhile as a
team the Wolverines are in the
league's third position in goals per
gam" with just over 2 and first in the
conference in power-play percentage.
Those are the type of offense creden-

Today'sGames
Lake Superior at Michigan, 7:30 p.m.
Michigan State at Miami
Nebraska Omaha at Ohio State
Ferris State at Bowling Green
Northem Michigan at Michigan Tech

Tomorrow's Games
Lake Superior at Michigan, 700 p.m.
Michigan State at Miami
Michigan Tech at Northern Michigan
Nebraska Omaha at Ohio State
Ferris State at Bowling Green

CCHA Standings

Women's hoops heads west'

By Arun Gopal
Daly Sports Writer
John Denver once wrote a song titled,
"Rocky Mountain High." That phrase
accurately describes what the Michigan
women's basketball team hopes to be
feeling on Sunday night, after they have
completed their season-opening week-
end trip to Colorado.
The Wolverines kick off the 1999-
2000 campaign with a pair of tough
games in hostile environments. First,
they take on the Colorado State Rams in
Fort Collins on Friday night. Then,
Michigan will head down the road to
Boulder to clash with the Colorado
Buffaloes on Sunday afternoon.
The Rams and Buffaloes present dif-
ferent challenges for the Wolverines.
Colorado State is coming off of the best
season in school history, when the Rams
went 30-3 and advanced to the Sweet
Sixteen.
Despite losing consensus all-
American Becky Hammon and second-
leading scorer Katie Cronin, the Rams
will remain formidable, thanks largely to
junior forward Heather Haanen, who
scored 25 points and grabbed II
rebounds in the Rams' last outing.
"Colorado State likes to spread the
floor and shoot the three," Michigan
coach Sue Guevara said. "Against them,
field-goal defense is going to be very
important for us."
Colorado provides a stark contrast to
the run-and-gun Rams. The Buffaloes
are huge, with several players who are 6-
3 or 6-4. Also, while the Rams field a
veteran roster loaded with upperclass-
men, Colorado is young, with a number

of freshmen and sophomores dotting the
lineup.
The Buffaloes' charge is spearheaded
by a strong inside-outside tandem,
sophomore guard Linda Lappe and
junior center Kammi Carman. In
Colorado's last exhibition game, Lappe
poured in 19 points, while Carman
chipped in with 18.
"Colorado is a lot big - _ _
ger than Colorado State .
is, and they really get on
the boards," Guevara -...........
said. "The key for us is to Who: Mih
limit them to one shot. Colorado Stat
We also will have to be Colodo
good in our transition Whem
defense." o
"We played them last cola
year, and they have a lot
of the same players," Whe: Toda
assistant coach Eileen Sundayat 2:(
Shea added. "They went The Latest:I
to the NIT last year, so women open
they're a quality oppo- 2000 season.
nent."
The Wolverines head into this road
trip on a bit of a down note after falling
to Soproni-Postas, a Hungarian club
team, 81-79 last Friday night in Crisler
Arena. Michigan led the game at half-
time by 14 points but faltered down the
stretch. However, bouncing back from
a tough loss is the hallmark of a good
team.
"I thought that the response after the
loss was pretty good," Guevara said.
"The girls looked at what they could've
done to change the outcome. I told
them, 'Look, we scored 79 points, and
Anne (Thorius) and Stacy (Thomas)

JBc
,(01

didn't play their best games', so that
was something positive for us.
As if the hostile fans and the powerful
teams in Fort Collins and Boulder won't
be bad enough, the Wolverines will also be
fighting Mother Nature. The high altitude
and thin air will be an added opponent for
Michigan, especially during the latter
stages of games when fatigue sets in.
"We've been telling
them not to drink too
EKED much carbonation and to
-. stick to watcr' Shea said.
i at "It's always been an issue
and for gaines there, and it's
going to be the same for
us. We're going to have to
substitute a lot to keep our
players fresh for the end."
The Wolverines' diffi-
t 700 pm, cult non-conference
pi schedule does not let up
e Midigan after this trip. Michigan
e1999- still has road games at
Louisiana State and
Louisiana Tech, plus home
contests against Vanderbilt . and
Cincinnati, all potential NCAA
Tournament teams. Guevara seemed
unfazed in the face of this impending
gauntlet.
"These two games we'just played were
two of the toughest exhibitions that we've
ever played," Guevara said. "But I sense
that this team wants to be challenged.
"If we kill our first two opponents,
then that doesn't really get us ready for
what's ahead. I hope that these exhibi-,
tions prepared us for our nonconference
schedule, and that our nonconferenc,
games prep us for the Big Ten."

tials that it likely take the Wolverines
to best the defensive effort of the
Lakers.
"They are a good team. They are a
physically mature team," Berenson
said. "They're an older team with a lot
of experience and a strong senior class.
They'll be a challenge for our team."
Being back at home may help ease
that challenge after a pair of tight
games a week ago in Ohio. Though
they managed to carve out a 4-3 win
last Saturday against Miami, the game
was in doubt for Michigan through
three periods before the Wolverines
added the game-ender in overtime.
"We thought Miami was going to be
the toughest team that we had faced,"
Berenson said. "I think they were. We

were fortunate to find a way to win
both games last weekend."
Now Berenson says his squad is for-
tunate to come home.
While the road weary Wolverines
return to Yost for only the second two-
game home series of the year, the
Lakers venture from the confines of
Taffy Abel Arena for only the second
road series of their season.
TiHIS WEEKEND
Who: Michigan vs. Lake Superior
Where: Yost Ice Arena
When: Tonight, 7:30 p.m.,
tomorrow, 7:30 p.m.
The Latest: Michigan
comes off a poor defensive per-
formance in two games last
weekend. efenseman Bob
Gassoff'remains questionable.
The Lakers took last season's
series, two games to one.

U of M
4 .
11'

SDance Club~

Men's hoops begins youthful year'

Sunday, November 21

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7.00-8:30
8:30-10:00

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HOOPS
Continued from Page 9
that' said Ellerbe, with respect to
Oakland's size. "They're a veteran team.
We've got to do a good job of putting on
pressure defensively."
Michigan will probably ignore any
size advantage and run the Grizzlies into
hibernation tonight, because that's the
game plan for the season. And if the
young Wolverines aren't ready for
Division I basketball yet, then they'll
never be.
"I would like to have another month
with these guys, but so be it,' said
Ellerbe. "They're anxious to play and
compete. Hopefully they realize just how
hard it is to execute and do things the
right way in a college basketball game."
Though their slate is officially clean,

the Wolverines could be considered to be
riding a winning streak, after playing
well in a 101-74 exhibition victory over
Team Prestige this past Sunday.
In that tune-up; the all-important
backcourt proved it could run the game
tempo at breakneck speed without turn-
ing the ball over too often, committing
only nine miscues compared to a whop-
ping 28 against the California All-Stars
on Nov. 10.
The performances of freshman guards
Kevin Gaines and Jamal Crawford, who
compiled 28 points and 12 assists in
helping Michigan top the century mark,
gave Ellerbe faith in starting a small,
quick lineup.
"The guys are chomping at the bit a
little more because this one's for real,"
said Ellerbe about his team's perfor-
mance in practice during the past week.

TONIGHT
Who: Michigan vs.Oakland
Where: Crisler Arena
When: 7:30 p.m.
The Latest: Michigan opens its
season against Oakland, which
begins its second season of
Division { eligibility Tickets are
available ($6, $12 and $15).
Student season ticket holders can
also pick up their Maize Rage T-
shirts at the game.
Tonight, and in the coming months,..
the young Wolverines will prove whether
all the speculation regarding their talen4
is true, or whether they'll wilt like dying
plants under all the light.

Location: Union
Pendleton Room
Hotline Schedule:
763-6984

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