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SPORTS


WEDNESDAY
DECEMBER 6, 2000

8

michigandaily.com/sports


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Tankers to work on
tans, strokes in Hawaii

Disappearing defense

By Kristen Fidh
Daily Sports Witer
Located in the city of Wiamea, the
Hawaiian Preparatory School lies on the
edge of the Ironman Triathalon's bike
path. Next to the plush rainforest, each
morning greets students with misty rain,
foilowed by warm sunshine.
Taking a break from the gray weather
and the monotony of Canham
Natatorium, the No. 9 Michigan men's
swimming team will travel to the prep
school for two weeks following finals.
"It is very remote with only sheep and
cattle on this island, not much popula-
tion at all coach Jon Urbanchek said.
"It will be nice for 23 college-age men.
No women --- the only females they will
probably find are cattle or sheep."
The two-week stretch will be the last
time the team will have an opportunity
to put in focused, uninterrupted training
before its hectic schedule resumes.
"We will be able to spend a lot more
time on hard training, with some fun and
th, beach mixed in there," assistant

coach Eric Namesnik said. "The number
one reason you go away is to get a
change of scenery where you can focus
in and group everybody together."
So far this season, the swimmers have
worked solely on stamina and maintain-
ing a high endurance level. With that
accomplished, the Wolverines are now
ready to fine-tune skills of racing such
as relay exchanges. starts and turns.
"We will get a lot of swimming, a lot
of surfing, a lot of sunning, and it will
give the boys a nice break," Urbanchek
said.
Due to injuries, sophomore Garrett
Mangieri and junior Jeff Hopwood
missed the competition against No. I
Texas this past weekend. Mangieri is
struggling with inner-ear infections
which prevented him from being able to
travel on the plane.
Hopwood injured his groin early this
season and hasn't competed in a single
meet. Namesnik said the muscle is badly
strained and on the verge of tearing.
The team hopes that the Hawaiian sun
See HAWAII, Page 9

Like last year, when the Wolverines
unexpectedely lost three defensemen'
at the start of the season, Michigan
again has a seriously shorthanded
defense. A look at the past two years:
1999.00
Lost from the start: Mike Van Ryn
(left for Juniors), Scott Crawford
(transfer), Matt Bannon (ineligible)
Injured: Dave Huntzicker for both
games of the NCAA Tournament
2000-01
Injured: Dave Huntzicker (shoulder),
Brad Fraser (shoulder)
Playing for USA Junior Team: Mike
Komisarek (will miss both games of
Great Lakes Invitational, Dec. 29-30)

BRANDON SEDLOFF/Dad
Mike Roemensky has been keeping pucks away from the Michigan goal all season.

Roemensky's 'D'flling Blue void


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No

By Jon Schwartz
*iuly Sports W,\tVr
Since joining the Michigan hockey
team in January of last season, Mike
Roemensky has been working to find
his role on the team.
Over the past few weeks he has
proven an important point: lie has
exactly what Michigan needs right now.
Playing for an injury-depleted
defense, Roemensky stands as one of
Michigan's most solid and capable
defensive defensemen.
"You can't beat him one-on-one,"
said John Shouneyia, a teammate of
Roemensky's on the ('ompuware
Ambassadors before the two came to
Michigan.
Roemensky possesses an ability to

block shots that few on the team can
parallel. He stands unfazed as oppo-
nents enter his zone and gets down on
the ice to knock away pucks and protect
Michigan goalie Josh Blackburn.
"I take pride in my defensive play;,
Roemenskv said. "If I'm out there and
they score a goal, shame on me. I like to
be aware of my defensive play and
make sure fim doing my job and getting
the puck out and blocking shots and
doing all of the things that make me a
good defensive player.,
A look at the sophomore's stats for
his Michigan career hardly raises eye-
brows. In 36 games. so far, he has one
goal and six assists. But like another
Michigan defenseman. Dave
IIHuntzicker, Roemensky proves that
there is more to the game than putting

points on the board -it's just as impor-
tant to keep them off.
"I just think we're the same type of
plaver" said the assistant captain
Huntzicker, one of Michigan's three
injured defensemen. "He was my part-
ner last year and we worked a lot
toyether. It's not like I was the teacher
and lie was the student - he was con-
tributing to my game as much as I was
helping his game."
Like Huntzicker, Roemensky shines
in the most defensive ofstatistics-- the
plus/minus category. Roemensky has
been leading the team all season long
and currently holds a +14, four better
than his nearest teammate, Mike
Cammalleri.
The statistic accurately displays
See ROEMENSKY, Page 9


C

New lineup
quite comfy
for women
By David Horn
lDily Sports Writer
At the end of the day on Nov. 24,
the Michigan women's basketball
team had fashioned a record of 1-2
with seven games left to play befpre
the Big Ten season began. Today, the
Wolverines are 5-2, having cruisd
to four straight victories by an aver-
age margin of 26.5 points per gat
What has been the difference?6
answer that question, simply start4
the beginning - the beginniig'
tie game. On Nov. 25, coach Sue
Guevara sent freshmen Stephaniq
Gandy and Jennifer Smith to start ii
place of junior Heather Oesterle and
sophomore LeeAnn Bies. .,,
The young guns have not disaps
pointed. Smith has averaged 19.,
points and eight rebounds per gai.1
since being included in the startixg
lineup. Gandy has produced as well
contributing 7.3 points, fi
rebounds and 1.3 steals in her foLu
starts. But the displaced Oestrlej
and Bics have not been banished, to
the bench permanently. They havi
contributed a combined 18.5 points
and 12 rebounds per game off tha
pine.
Michigan plays twice this week,-
tomorrow at home against Syracuse
and Sunday in Milwaukee again
Marquette. Guevara doesn't expe
to change the lineup again. Both sh
and the team are enjoying the effor
from the veterans off the bench.
"I feel like we're getting a lot f
confidence right now," senior cap,
tain Anne Thorius said after this past
Friday's victory against N -
Hampshire. "We have a lot players:k
come off the bench to produce.
"As soon as people get con fo-
able with their roles, that's som
thing the team can only benei
fromnn."
The most troubling drawback of
the new lineup has been the
Wolverines' halftime leads. In thre'
of these last four games,the lead hs
been fewer than 10 points - hardly
an indication of what the difference
in tie final score would be.
Michigan took five-point leads
the lockerroom against Weste
Michigan and Northern Illinois and
a six-point lead into halftime against
New Hampshire.
Guevara cites the team's failure to
knock down shots and the tendecy
of her post players to find thii-
selves in foul trouble early.
"I think if our shots would have
gone, it might have been a 10- or 12-
point lead," Guevara said. Against
Western Michigan, "Bies took thr'
fouls, Smith had two fouls, Rai
(Goodlow) was I-for-5. With those
three players not knocking doivn
some shots early, we're still up fiv:"
There are now three games left
until the Big Ten season begins. If
Smith and Gandy continue to pf-&=
duce and Bies and Oesterle are com-
fortable off the bench, Guevara rray
have found the team that will play in
the conference opener Dec. 28
Illinois.

J


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