B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - December 6, 1999
Puck talk
II
There's always been a volatile
relationship between the teams. T
bring out the worst in each other.
- Michigan coach Red Berenson on his
team s rivalry with Bowling Green.
Bowling Green 4
Michigan
3
Key Play
Saturday, 18:39 into the first period.
Michigan s Mike Comrie scored a short-
handed goal to put the Wblverines ahead
2-0. This score proved to be the game-
winning goal as Michigan won 3-.
I~ Michigan
2
/( Bowling Green
1
Marked Comne sparks Blue A
The vicniganDaiynoaey writers
picks for Michigan's three stars of
the weekend.
- L J. SCARPACE -
GOALTENDER
The junior goalie salvaged the
weekend with the win on Saturday.
Scarpace had 33 saves, including,
16 in the first period.
- MIKE COMRIE -
CENTER
The sophomore tallied the game-
winning goal Saturday and assisted
on Michigan's first score Friday.
- THE YOST FANS -
SEVENTH MAN
The most intelligent, creative fans
in college hockey, put together
one of the best slow waves ever.
By Geoff Gagnon
Daily Sports Writer
Mark the date and time, it was an
important one.
For maybe the first time all season, a
defenseman lost sight of Mike Comrie,
Michigan's speedy scorer who's raced to
a team-best 12 goals this season.
Michigan's Jeff Jillson in addressing
the media after Saturday's 3-1 win over
Bowling Green, praised the play of the
sophomore forward, as Comrie quietly
stepped in the room.
"The first person a team will isolate is
the best offensive player and with a
great player like Comrie, they're going
to target him," Jillson said as the door
behind him shut.
With a laugh from those in the room,
a smiling Comrie found his seat next to
his teammate after listening for a
moment over the defenseman's shoul-
der.
If Jillson didn't notice Comrie last
night, he's certainly in a minority.
Comrie took the ice Saturday night the
way he's come into every conference
match-up this season - his number 39
a virtual bulls eye on his chest.
"Every team we play is just naturally
going to key in a player like Mike,"
Freshman forward Mike Cammalleri
said. "We expect that, and I know he
expects that."
Saturday though, that added attention
forced Comrie to inject a bit of rarely
seen physical play into his game, as
Bowling Green did its best to antago-
nize and intimidate the forward at all
ends of the ice. Comrie's response didn't
surprise his coaches or teammates,
though his 12 penalty minutes may have
surprised fans more used to Comrie
finding the net, not the penalty box.
"He was protecting himself out there
tonight," Michigan coach Red Berenson
said. "They're in his face, there's a lot of
talking going on out there and he pro-
tects himself. He's not afraid."
Nor is he foolish. As the team's lead-
ing scorer and most threatening offen-
sive weapon, the Canadian knows he's
needed on the ice despite what his oppo-
nent attempts to incite.
"We just deal with that sort of thing
like we expect it and then move on,"
Comrie said. "The important thing is to
keep your head."
And that's a mind set that Berenson
said all great players have to develop
"It takes a lot of self-control and dis-
cipline. Brendan Morrison went through
that for four years and now Comrie is
going through it."
Like Morrison, who went on to lead
Michigan to the 1996 NCAA
Championship en route to a Hobey
Baker Award, Comrie has been able to
excel despite the best efforts of oppo-
nents to stifle his contributions. With his
first-period shorthanded score last
night, Comrie tallied his 27th point of
the year, and showed Bowling Green
what they already knew - that he's a
goal scoring threat whenever he's on the
ice.
"Players like Mike find a way to get
the job done no matter what you do to
them," Cammalleri said.
"You can try to rough him up or get
him in the box, but he's always just
going to bury it on you when you give
him a chance."
And as long as he continues to do
that, every defenseman in the CCHA
will continue to take note of his every
move - except maybe Jillson.
a
6
Bowing treen 4, Mvnhigan
Bowling Green 0 2 2 -4
Michigan 1 1 0 -2
Fast period -1. UM, Ortmeyer 4 (Comrie, Kosick)
13:44 (pp), Penalties .- 8GSU. Hiewson (slashing),
:41; UM, Jilson (Slashing), :41, UM, Koch (interfer
ence), 3:06: BGSU, Hewson (high sticking), 8:4;'
BGSU, Edinger (obstructionooking), 12:01; BGSU,,
Moore (tripping), 17:40. Second period -1. 8GSU,
Edinger 3 (de Luis, Moore), 11:25 (sh). 2. de L.uis 4
(Barlow, Edinger) 15:18.2. Cammalleri 7 (illson),
18:15. Penalties - UM Shouneyla (Interference),
125; UM Peach (high sticking), 2:07; BGSU,
Murphy (roughing after the whistle), 3:37: tUM,
Huntzicker (roughing after the whistle), 3:37: SGSU,
Williams (slashing), 5:01; BGSU, Williams (rough.
ing), 10:37; ThIrd period -3. BGSU, Knight 3
(Edinger, de Luis), 3:37:4. BGSU Hewson,
fDesiarlals), 18:49 (enet) - Penalties - BOSS.,
Jones (interference), 10:19 BGSU, Murphy (rough
ing), 19:45; BOSS, Murphy (fighting), 19:45: BOSS,
Murphy (game disqualification). 19:45; BGSU'
Murphy (high sticking) 19:45; BGSU) Jones (third
man in). 19A5; BGSU, Jones (game dls uaificb-
tion); UM, Swistak (roughing), 19:45; UiM SwIStali
(fighting) 19'45; UM Swistak (game dlsquaunca
tiori), 19:45.
Shots on god -BGSU, 2-13-9 --24; UM, 13.8-10
-31.
Power Play -BRGSUIof 7; UM, 0of 3
Saves - BGSU, Masters 127429 : UM, O'Maley
217 -20..
Referee -Jim Sotiroff.,
Linesmen -John Edwards, Butch Friedman.
At: BGSU Ice Arena. Attendance: 4,248.
SARA SCHENCK/Daily
Josh Langfeld celebrates after Mark Kosick scored the first goal of Saturday
night's win. The score was Kosick's eigth on the season.
New 'M' nvalry brings out intensity in players and fans
6
Michigan 3, Bowling Green 12
Bowing Green 0 1 0 --1
Michigan 2 U 1 -- 3
Flrst period -1. UM. Kosick 8 (Shouneyia) 17:37.
2. UM. Comrie 12 (Ortmeyer)18:39. Penalties -
UM, Jilson, (roughing after the whistle) :09; BGSU,
Adams (roughing after the whistle) :09; BS)G, de
Luis (obstruction-holding) 4:46 (Vp): UM, Ortmeyer
(Elbowing) 14:13; UiM, Kosick (checking from
behind) 17:53 (pp); BGSU, Shueller (roughingafter
the whistle) 20:00; UM.Comrie (roughing after the
whistle) 20:00; BGSU, Adams (roghing after the
whistle) 20:00; UiM, Gassoff (roughing after the
whistle) 20:00. Second period - 1. BGSU, Barlow
2 (Knight) M3. Penalties - BGSU, Adams (hook-
ing) 3:20 (pp); UM, Comde (10-minute misconduct).
3:20; BGSU, Valentine (cross-cnecking) 14:13.
TiMd period - UM, Jillson 5, 13:26. Penalties-
Hbet (charging) 11-37; BGSU, Adams (cross-
checking) 13:47; BGSU, Williams (10 minute mis-
conduct) 13:47; UM, Peach (10 minute miscon-
duct)13:47; UM, Koch (checking from behind)
17:21; UM, Koch (10 minute game misconduct)
17:21.
Shots on goal t-UM 12-10-9.-31; BGSU 16-7-11
-34,
PowerPlays - UM, Oof 4; BGSU 0 of 4.
Suves UM, Scarpace 16-6-11 -33 ;tUW,
masters 10-108 -28.
Referee - Steve Mclnchak
Unesmen - John LaDuke, Pat Bracco
At: Yost Ice Arena. Attendance: 6,380
By Stephanie Offen
Daily Sports Writer
After the Michigan hockey team's 4-
2 loss to Bowling Green Friday night,
the opposing fans ran through the hall-
ways singing about how they "didn't
give a damn about the whole state of
Michigan."
But sentiments were a little different
in the Bowling Green lockerroom after
the victory. After the first victory over
the Wolverines in his career at Bowling
Green, senior center Adam Edinger
selected Michigan as the state and team
that the Falcons have marked as their
most important conference foe.
"We tied them my freshman year and
I think that's as close as we've come to
beating them," Edinger said. "They're
are biggest rival. I know they love play-
ing us, and we love playing them. It's a
great feeling when we beat them."
And whether or not the Michigan
fans took note of this heated rivalry
before this weekend, they certainly did
afterward. After the conclusion of the
two games, fans realized that there is
more then one team coming out of the
state of Ohio that the Wolverines will be
gunning for in the future.
The emotions were running high for
both teams at the end of Friday night's
game, as the Falcons were about to run
away with their first win against the
Wolverines in 14 tries.
So it was pretty obvious to the
Wolverines that the Falcons would be
out for blood Friday night: In one of
Michigan's most physical games of the
season, three players were given a total
of nine penalties with 15 seconds to go
in the third period and were disqualified
for Saturday's game.
And both teams were prepared for
more of the same the following night.
"We know the fans up there are pret-
ty rowdy and we're looking forward to
playing in their barn," Edinger said.
Since Saturday night's game was the
Falcons' last until after Christmas, the
drive to end the semester with a win
intensified the rivalry.
The pushing and shoving started
early in Saturday's game. Nine seconds
into the matchup, defensman Jeff
Jillson and Bowling Green defenseman
B.J. Adams were whistled for roughing
after the whistle.
And the period ended just as it had
started, with four players having to be
restrained as the whistle blew to end the
period.
"Typically they're going to try to play
physical against Michigan," Michigan
coach Red Berenson said. "Since we're
smaller and seemingly more skilled, you
typically get that kind of game from
some teams, and we saw some of that
aware of Bowling Green's style on
Saturday night. The Wolverines did
their best not let the physical play affect
them in the victory, as Bowling Green
only had four power-play opportunities.
The Falcons didn't convert on any of
them.
"Bowling Green plays the type of
game where they try to get under the
opponents' skin," Jillson said. "The
most important thing that we can do is
not to lose our cool, because that's what
they want to happen. They want us to
get in the box so that they can have
some power-play opportunities."
And the Michigan fans seemed to
emulate the Bowling Green faithful of
the night before, as the chants and jeers
became louder to emphasize this new
rivalry.
Students used everything from the
opponents brown uniforms to the
Bowling Green players' vocal parents in
order to enhance the intensity in the
arena.
Bowling Green will return to Yost on
March 4, when the two teams have
another home-and-home series. And the
fans in the two rival states can be sure
that the intensity of their respective are-
nas will be at a high point once again.
"It's always been sort of a volatile
relationship," Berenson said. "The two
teams seem to bring out the worst in
each other."
SARA SCHENCK/Daily
Defenseman Bob Gassoff draws one of six roughing after the whistle penalties handed
to Michigan on Saturday. Both teams were out for blood in this weekend's games.
this weekend."
The Michigan
players were more
Scarace should start in net for Blue icers
NEXT WEEKEND
Friday: Nebraska-C
7:30 p.m.
Saturday. Nebraska
pm.
Michigan welcomes the Mave
Yost ice Arena for the first tim
2mh
Omaha
A
7
ricks to
e.
No. IMaine (8-3-1) lost to Northeastern i-
3; lost to Northeastern 3-6.
No. 2 North Dakota (11-2-1) def Minn:-
Duluth 6-3; def. Minn.- Duluth 5-4.
No. 3 Wisconsin (13-3) de . Colorado
College 4-3; dlef. Colorado Colege 4-1.
No.4 New Hampshire (13-4-0) def. Mass.
toweg, 3-2; clef. Mass. towel 4-2.
No.5 Michigan State (12-5) lost to Notre.
Dame, 1; def. Notre Dame 4-.
No.6 Michigan (12-5) lost to Bowing Green,
2-4 clef Bowling Green, 3-1.
No. 7 Colgate (9-20) lost to Yale, 0-2; lost
to Princeton 1-5.
No. 8 Renssalaer (11-3) def. Harvard 3-2;
cle. Brown, 5-2.
No.9g Northern Mic iWa (13-3-1) clef. Lake
Superior Stae 3-2.klost to Lake Superior
State, 1-4
No. 10 boston UnIversty (11-3-2) def.
Mass Amherst 2-1; def. Mass Amherst43
OT.
By Chris Grandstaff
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan hockey team is 2-3 in
its last five games - 0-3 in games start-
ed by netminder Kevin O'Malley and 2-
0 when L.J. Scarpace guards the
Wolverine crease.
Last weekend, after upsetting No.
3 Wisconsin at Yost Ice Arena.
Michigan coach
Red Berenson HOCKEY
told reporters that
he would "play Commentary
the hot goalie, I " -----------
always have and I always will."
That goalie would appear to have been
Scarpace, who made 15 saves on 16
shots against the Badgers. The win
earned Scarpace first star of the game
honors and ended a three-game losing
streak in which the Wolverines had been
outscored 13-3.
But on Friday night in Bowling Green,
Berenson opted again for O'Malley.
Berenson made the move because
Scarpace has never started a game in
another opponent's rink, and Bowling
Green is not exactly the most friendly of
venues for a Michigan netminder.
O'Malley stopped 17 of 20 shots, and
the shots that he let by would have been
difficult saves. The Wolverines lost the
game 4-2 after the Falcons added an
empty net goal with just over a minute
left to play in the game.
On Saturday night, the series changed
venues to Ann Arbor, and Berenson
changed goalies to Scarpace. The junior
transfer from Western Michigan was
outstanding - stopping 33 of the 34
shots that he faced.
"I thought L. J. was a big factor in the
game," Berenson said. "No question, he
made some big close-in saves, he made a
couple of backdoor saves, he made all
the saves he should have made, and kept
us in the game when we were reeling."
Most importantly he got the win, and
while the burden of the Wolverines late
struggles should not be placed solely on
O'Malley's shoulders, the simple fact is
that he has been unable to record a vic-
tory in the last two weeks.
And Scarpace has.
Scarpace has made the big saves
when the Wolverines have needed them
in the big games. His two victories are
arguably the two most important of the
season. And Scarpace did it on an
admittedly bad night for the Michigan
defense.
"We didn't really come out like we
wanted to," Michigan defenseman Jeff
Jillson said. "We weren't playing as well
as we did last night, but thanks to this
guy (pointing to Scarpace), who played
outstanding, we got the win. If it weren't
for him the game could have been a dif-
SARA SCHENCK/Daily
Junior goalie LJ. Scarpace made 33 saves-on Saturday night, salvaging the week-
end for the Wolverines as he led his team to a 3-1 victory.
FALCONS
Continued from Page1B
"L.J. was outstanding," Michigan
goalie coach Stan Matwijiw said.
"There's some really little things that
we've been working on since I got here.
L.J. has bought into the system and it's
really starting to show. The coaching
staff couldn't be happier for him."
Scarpace stopped 33 shots and made
two great backdoor saves on powerplays
to dissuade the Falcons.
For Michigan, center Mark Kosick
kicked off the scoring with a goal 17:37
through the first period. Kosick's goal
came after a scramble around the net
which was indicative of the hard-nosed
play that was prevalent all weekend.
"We got goals when we needed
them,' freshman Mike Cammallen said.
"(Friday) night we didn't get the goals
when we should have. Saturday we got
the momentum and got the crowd going,
and we didn't give them a chance.
Momentum was a huge factor in both
games. Case in point: Friday night,
Michigan outshot the Falcons 18-3 in
the first period en route to ,a 1-0 lead. At
the start of the second, the tide turned
when Edinger lofted the puck past
Michigan goalie Kevin O'Malley for a
shorthanded goal. The Falcons never
looked back.
"Both teams are battling," Berenson
said. "There's a fine line between getting
the momentum and losing the momen-
tum. (On Friday) we had thetmomentum
in the first period. Then when they*
scored the shorthanded goal they had
the momentum. (Saturday) it was
important that we scored first, that was a
huge goal."
In contrast, in Michigan's victory it
was again a shorthanded goal that made
the difference in the game.
ferent story." }
But the story is this: Scarpace, up to
this point, just finds a way to win. He has
done a better job of adapting to new
goalie coach Stan Matwijiw's system.
For the season Scarpace also holds the
statistical edge over O'Malley.
Scarpace is 2-1 on the season, with a
1.60 goals-against-average and a save
percentage of .933.
O'Malley is 8-4, giving up 2.65 goals
per game with a .880 save percentage.
Scarpace is the Wolverines hot goalie
right now, and if history holds true
Berenson should start him in favor of
O'Malley this weekend. So far though,
that decision has yet to be made.
The Wolverines will take the day off,
from practice on Monday, but when they
get back together Tuesday afternoon a
decision has to be made about who will
start in goal against Nebraska-Omaha.
That decision, for now, should be
Scarpace.
Lakers split UP battle with Northern
Team
Michiaan State
w1
11
L1
30
CCHA
rPts GP
3 20 13
GFGA
48 17
OVERALL
WL T
12 5 0-
From staff and wire reports
With the strength of a two-goal perfor-
the Wildcats at 12:42 in the final frame as
Northern fell to 12-6 on the year.
bring the score to 3-1.
Jean-Francois Dufour scored what would