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)ffense ignites hockey for weekend sweep
Y Stephanie Offen
aily Sports Writer
Although fans may not have realized it, Yost Ice
rena was on fire Saturday night.
The fire alarm which blared during Saturday night's
ichigan victory over Nebraska-Omaha may have
a false alarm, but it signaled that something else
as ablaze.
The Michigan hockey team reignited a fire this
eekend as it pulled off its first home weekend sweep
nce the Wolverines faced their first home opponent of
e season, Massachusetts-Lowell.
The alarm started shortly after Josh Langfeld scored
e first goal of the game. Langfeld, who hasn't scored
goal in almost a month, started the flames when he
ok a pass from Mark Kosick and flipped it over
yaska-Omaha goalie Rodney McLeod for the
ner play goal.
And as the lights flashed and the sirens sounded,
Michigan's third line of Langfeld, Kosick and Scott
Matzka was on fire.
At the same time the lights from the alarm shut off,
the red light went on.
Langfeld and the third line had scored their second
goal of the night just six minutes into the game.
"I told Kosick he scored it," Langfeld said. "I went
over to the ref and he said that their guy shot it in the
net. It was another good break that I got. The last thing
I remember doing was the goalie was on it and I just
kind of lifted him up and I took a swipe at it."
The third line remained scoreless in the second peri-
od as Andy Hilbert led the offensive surge to put
Michigan up 4-0 going into the third.
But once again a flame was lit under that third line,
as Kosick took a pass from his fellow linemates to score
with less then a minute gone in the third.
Kosick also scored Michigan's last goal of the
evening, giving Michigan a 6-0 lead 10 minutes into the
third period, and giving his line four goals on the night.
Goalie L.J. Scarpace looked to be on his way to the
first shutout of his career at Michigan when the
Mavericks got their first and only goal of the night as
the clock wound down to one minute left in the period.
Seconds after an incredible save by Scarpace,
Nebraska-Omaha freshman David Brisson recorded his
fifth goal of the season.
But Brisson's goal was forgotten almost as soon as it
went in the net. Scarpace may not have received the
shutout, but his performance, and that of the third line,
sealed the weekend and the first half of the season on a
high note for the Wolverines.
"If we had lost the games this weekend we would
have shot ourselves in the foot;' Kosick said.
A victory in Friday night's game has been what the
team has been striving for all week. The Wolverines had
not started off a home series with a victory in more than
See MAVERICKS, Page 4S
SARA SCHENCK/Daily
Nebraska-Omaha's John Chalmers gets acquainted with Michigan goalie L.
Scarpace, who held the Mavericks to just three goals this weekend.
Duke 104, Michigan 97
Back
to
Earth
Blue Devils bring
much-needed lesson,
adversity to freshmen
W DANA LINNANE/Daily
ichigan ... or Alabama? OK, with a photo it's easier to see
e differences between the two programs.
irror images
o meet in
y Rick Freeman
aily Sports Editor
Their in-state rival (which they usually beat) hates
em, citing arrogance. They won a whole mess of
ational titles way back when, and managed one this
de, too. They have a legendary, one-name coach in
past.
They wear Nike. They have a slick new Website named
r their traditional cheer. They have a beefy line opening
oles for a bruising, workhorse tailback. They have an
mbarrassing loss to a weak opponent this season.
hey're very particular about their colors.
"They" of course, would be everyone associated with
e Alabama football program. But all of those facts hold
ue for Michigan, too.
Auburn or Michigan State. 1992 or 1997. Bear or Bo.
goblue.com or rolltide.com. Take your pick.
e universities might not be particularly similar as
stitutions of higher learning, but let's face it, the
range Bowl, in which the program in Crimson and
hite is an early two-point favorite, is not about educa-
on.
On the field, of course, a lot of the similarities just
on't matter. Alabama's offense opens it up. Michigan's
ffense ... doesn't as much.
"It's definitely a different offensive philosophy at
labama," Michigan coach Lloyd Carr said. "I saw
in s I've never seen an Alabama offense do."
ilback Shaun Alexander, who leads the nation in
uchdowns this season, is the obvious threat. But receiv-
r Freddie Milons might be even more dangerous. He
ften lines up at tailback, where he is the Tide's third-best
sher with 178 yards. He's also the Tide's leading
ceiver, with 733 yards this season.
"Our defensive coaches will have a lot of sleepless
ights," Carr said.
ichigan's second-leading rusher, David Terrell, is a
ceiver, too but most of his yards came on a 45-yard
verse that went for a touchdown against Wisconsin.
speaks more to Michigan's lack of depth at tailback.
ich explains why Milons would be third on
ichigan's list, behind David Terrell, who leads the
7olverines in yardage (888), and Marcus Knight, who
ads in touchdowns (six).
Offensive coordinator Mike DeBord, who will be call-
g plays in his last game at Michigan before taking the
ead coaching job at Central Michigan, has been forced
go to the air more often. He will probably do the same
his farewell party, although Anthony Thomas will cer-
inly get his carries. DeBord could have had Alexander.
igan recruited the Kentucky native, too. Instead,
exander has helped revive his coach's career.
Amid a sexual harassment scandal that would not die
own, Mike DuBose's job seemed in jeopardy earlier this
eason, especially after a last-second loss to Louisiana
ech. But now, with two victories over Florida and a
outheastern Conference title, his position seems more
ecure.
amal Crawford's eyes said it all.
Gone was that trademark twin-
kle and the look of an 19-year
old satisfied with his game that day.
Knowing Crawford, though, it'll be
back tomorrow.
In Michigan's first six games,
Crawford was a god. But on
Saturday, for the first time, he was
just a man - a grown man who is
now a bit more seasoned on the ups
and downs of being a player. Life
isn't always game-winning 10-foot-
ers, one of many
lessons .i
Crawford and his Chris
teammates Duprey
learned against-
Duke.
From the other
lockerroom,
Shane Battier -
himself an
expert on tough
debut outings in DUPE'S
a Michigan- ScooP
Duke game -
offered some
consolation to his young opponents.
"Store it in the back of your mind,"
he said, referring to the emotional
wringer the Wolverines were endur-
ing after the final horn.
Battier added that he used his and
his team's dismal performance in
1997 against the Wolverines as
motivation for Saturday. Likewise,
Michigan's freshmen must use
Saturday's game as motivation for
themselves - not for future
matchups with the Blue Devils, but
for the rest of the season, whenever
they face adversity.
There is no one to shield them
from the tough times. There is no
one to soften the blows. The fresh-
men must accept something they've
never really had to deal with as prep
stars: tough losses.
At the start of this season; Ellerbe
had hoped that Peter Vignier and
Josh Asselin's frontcourt know-how
would be the force carrying the
Wolverines. He cautioned everyone
against putting pressure and expec-
tations on his top-five recruiting
class.
Lately, Ellerbe's tune has changed.
After a sloppy two-point win over
Kent this past Wednesday, a frustrat-
ed Ellerbe said "you can only say
we're young for so long," implying
that he was no longer hoping the
freshmen would pitch in. He was
relying on it.
So is everyone else. A raucous
student section didn't just show up
to see a ranked opponent or to get a
free fraternity-party-style fishing
hat. Lost in the excitement was an
underlying feeling: Michigan and its
fans expected to win the game.
Last year in Durham, there was no
chance. And in hearing the "experts"
this September and October, this
"lucky-to-be-.500" team should have
been satisfied beating the smaller
schools on its schedule. Forget about
beating Duke.
After pushing the Blue Devils to
the brink, there's no doubt these
freshmen can take the reins of this
team. These aren't 21-year old pitch-
ers who need to be brought along
slowly. They are thoroughbreds,
pure athletes. Let them run. Let
them off the hook for this loss, too.
In March, when this season is
entering its crucial stretch, everyone
will have disposed of Saturday's
memory. Forgotten will be the
image of Jason Williams to Carlos
Boozer for thundering dunks over
and over again. Forgotten will be the
poor box-outs and lost loose-ball
battles that plagued Michigan's
afternoon.
-Today this team is a little older,
very much wiser and a lot less per-
fect - and that's not a bad thing.
- Chris Duprey can be reached via
e-mail at cduprey@umich.edu.
LOUIS BROWN/Daily
Post picyers Chris Young and Josh Asselin stand behind Michigan coaches Brian Elierbe (left) and
Scott Trost in the waning minutes of Saturday's loss to Duke. Asselin had fouled out.
Women's hoops isfires
By Arun Gopal
Daily Sports Writer
Trips to Louisiana are supposed to be fun,
aren't they? The food, the culture, and the
nightlife usually combine to make the Bayou
a popular tourist trap.
Try telling that to the Michigan women's
basketball team. Unlike many northerners,
the Wolverines were not given a warm recep-
tion by No. 15 Louisiana State on Saturday in
the Big Ten-SEC Challenge.
Aided by some home cooking at the Pete.
Maravich Assembly Center in Baton Rouge,
not to mention a team-high 20 points from
floor."
Even though Michigan was able to win its
first seven games, it was apparent that the
Wolverines had some serious flaws.
Michigan continually shot poorly and turned
the ball over repeatedly, but was able to win
by playing good defense against mediocre
opponents.
The last two games, this approach has
failed. Vanderbilt and Louisiana State repr'e-
sented a major upgrade in competition, and
the Wolverines have not responded well.
Against the Tigers, Michigan shot 34 percent
from the floor and committed 22 turnovers,
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