The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - October 23, 2000 - 3B
A nother milestone for Berenson
DAVID
DEN HERDER
By Joe Smith
Daily ports Writer
BOWLING GREEN -- In his last col-
legiate hockey game as a player, Red
Berenson led the Michigan Wolverines
past St. Lawrence in the 1962
National Consolation Game - in
doing so, he ended the season of Saints'
plaveron Mason.
Nearly four
decades after that
night in Utica, NY, the
two former players are
still often mentioned
in the same breath, as
they stand alone as the
two most successful
coaches in CCHA
history. Berenson
Further evidence of
this came last night, as Berenson became
only the second coach to reach 300 career
CCHA victories in Michigan's 4-3 win
over Bowling Green. The only man with
more is Mason, w/ho has 460 conference
victories and is in his 22nd year at the
helm of intrastate rival. Michigan State.
Each general has brought a mediocre
hockey program in the state of
Michigan to national prominence -
while taking separate paths along the
way.
Even with the milestone victory,
Berenson remains modest and tries to
focus on what he could take from his lat-
est game against the Falcons.
"I've been here a long time," said
Berenson, who is in his 17th season as
Michigan coach. "I'm the coach here.
I',m not keeping track of wins and losses,
but I am keeping track of the way we
play."
Berenson became the first collegiate
player to immediately jump into the
NHL, spending 17 seasons with four dif-
ferent teams, including the Montreal
Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings. He
then had a brief coaching stint in St.
Louis before landing the position as the
coach of his alma mater in 1984.
Mason didn't play in the N-IL, but
accepted his first coaching job just two
years after graduatingsfrom St. Lawrence.
He made two stops, at Lake Superior
State and Bowling Green, along the way
before accepting the job at Michigan
State in 1979.
Five years later, Berenson started his
quest to put a struggling Michigan pro-
gram back on the map and take on
Mason's CCHA powerhouse, Michigan
State. It took six years, but Berenson took
the Wolverines from a ninth-place finish
in 1984 to second place - garnering
national respect in the process in reach-
ing the NCAA Quarterfinals.
Since then, no one has been able to
touch Berenson, as he has won more
games than any other coach in Division I
hockey in the 90's, while taking control
of the conference. Michigan has finished
first in six of the past nine seasons,
including four CCHA Tournament titles
- with a 17-14-4 record in that time
period against Mason's Spartans.
When Berenson took the reigns in
1984, his mission was to model the
Wolverines in the image of the great
Montreal Canadien dynasty of the 1970's
from which he played - not only in
terms of championships, but the rich tra-
dition, prestige and respect that the NH L
club was associated with.
The alum surely hasn't disappointed,
garnering much national respect in his
tenure. This includes two national titles,
six Frozen Four appearances. Michigan's
10 consecutive appearances in the
NCAA Tournament is the longest active
streak in Division I.
Even with all the success and tri-
umphs, Berenson is never satisfied.
"I always think that you're never good
enough," Berenson said. "I want this
year's team to prove that they can live up
to that reputation. But they have to earn
it."
This year's Wolverines are off to a 4-0-
2 start, including wins in their first two
conference games -- but there's still a
long road ahead.
Berenson has built the Michigan pro-
gram to where he feels it should be -- at
the top. But he feels he is only a small
piece of the rich history and tradition
Michigan hockey claims.
"Now I'm just a small part of that,"
Berenson said. "Before I came here there
were great coaches and there will be
great coaches in the future. But I just
hope that in my time we should get it to
where it should be. It is then the players
got to keep it there."
As evident not only his records, but the
way his team plays - when
Berenson's days as coach are through,
whoever has to fulfill the legacy he has
put in place will have hefty shoes - or
skates - to fill.
Four in a row: Daily
outmuscies State News
Bowling Green hockey
doesn t compare to M'
I
By Ryan C. Moloney
Daily Sports Writer
BOWLING GREEN - The road
trip down to Bowling Green, a school
with at least two factual inaccuracies
in its name, should be standard prac-
tice for anybody who calls themself a
Michigan hockey fan - not just
because there were plenty of pump-
kin-colored bleachers to go around
this weekend, but also because it's nat-
ural to become fat, sassy and unappre-
ciative when you grow accustomed to
the best.
And make no mistake, Yost Arena is
the best.
Believe it or
not, the Bowling HOCKEY
Green hockey Commentary
experience
matches Michigan's in many respects.
Both hockey teams boast a faithful fan
base of retirees, alumni and students,
both count the incomparable Mr.
Spot's as sponsors and the cheers con-
cocted by each student section are
strangely similar.
But while the set up at Yost is major
league Detroit. Bowling Green's is
class A Favettcville.
To be fair, Bowling Green's student
section was able to hold a candle to
Yost's in the beginning of Friday's
-amne, with a clever introduction cheer
for Michigan players and their own
version of "C-va." But when the game
started to get out of reach, fair-weath-
erness set in. The ultimate low -- as
goaltender Tyler Masters flailed
around for the puck, down 5-1 with
Michigan threatening to score again,
the students began cheering. Someone
jr Bowling Green p.r. started chuck-
itig hotdogs at the suddenly invigorat-
,.n4 students - one got the feeling that
,it ,as a fairly standard down-by-four-
-;oals ritual.
ri n tihe period Intermissions On
~iathe falcon faithful were "enter-
tained" by a supposedly grown person
wearing a falcon costume who, by all
indications, had never skated before
that night. The falcon ankle-skated
around, at once trying to rile the
stands without falling down. At one
point, for reasons unfathomable, the
falcon began full-body smacking into
the boards. "Smack, smack," this hap-
pened about five or six times -
maybe it was prognosticating how
many goals Michigan would end up
w ith.
The symbol of Bowling Green's
ineptitude nearly ran into Josh
Blackburn as he attempted to leave
the ice. Blackburn knocked the stick
out of its hands, and having lost its
means of support, the falcon nearly
toppled over while trying to pick it up.
"It was invading my space,"
Blackburn later said.
The falcon's display would terrorize
most small children, but it elicited
mostly yawns -perhaps they've
grown used to it.
But Bowling Green does line up
with Michigan in one area - the
resilience of its die-hard fans. On the
opposite side of the player's benches
sat people who have made Bowling
Green hockey a part of their life's fab-
ric.
Maybe that's a testament to the
game itself, as Bowling Green's
national prominence more or less
evaporated after Rob Blake left in
1990.
When Bowling Green scored its
first goal, the section burst into thun-
derous cheering -- though Michigan
had already scored four times.
One woman was asked how long
she had watched Bowling Green
hockev.
"About twenty years," she said
without a hint of sheepish hesitation.
Even on this particular weekend.
Michiga nfans can take their hats off
to that kind of dedication.
FA LCONS
Continued from Page 1
behmd, spending the game clawing
back from early deficits. In first peri-
ods this season, Michigan had been
outscored 8-5.
But as conference play started, the
Wolverines wanted to establish
themselves early and play with a
lead.
While they certainly did that,
Michigan could not claim as much
success last night in finishing off the
Falcons as they had on Fridav night.
Michigan's defense suffered a let-
down, despite leading 3-I at the start
of the third period. The Wolverines
allowed Bowling Green center Greg
Day to complete his hat trick for the
night and tie the game at 3-3 with
5:03 remaining in the final stanza.
Berenson was not pleased with
how his team finished the game.
"I thought we got sloppy and
maybe overconfident," he said. "We
just got into a bad funk. I'd like to
leave here thinking that we made a
bigger statement than we did.''
What precluded them from leav-
ing on better note was the impressive
play by Bowling Green goalie Tyler
Masters. In the final two periods,
Masters stopped 24-of-26 shots.
It was a far more impressive show-
ing than the six goals that he gave up
on Friday night, and with an offen-
sive attack to back him up last night,
he came very close to being the story
of tie game.-
Langfeld, along with linemates
Andy Hilbert and Scott Matzka
made Masters work hard. The line
scored three of Michigan's four
goals, including the game-winner at
18:42 of the third period.
Langfeld buried two of his four
shots on the night, his first 28 see-
onds into the game. His second came
much in the same fashion as the first,
this time 23 seconds into the second
period and put the Wolverines ahead
3-h.
But after Langfeld's second tally,
Bowling Green seemed to take over
the game. The Falcons were far more
intense and had the Wolverines
offense quieted for most of the sec-
ond half of the game.
"I think we just kind of shut it
down," Matzka said. "That was the
biggest problem with our team. They
capitalized on all their chances, but
we gave them a lot of chances."
Still, when it looked like Bowling
Green had the momentum that
would push it over the edge, the
Wolverines rallied behind the vocal
Michigan fais in the building, fans
that would have "The Victors" echo-
ing throughout the building when
Matzka put Michigan ahead for
good.
For both weekend games, the
Wolverines were without team cap-
tain Geoff Koch. He missed practice
all week due to a right ankle injury as
well as a death in the family. He
expects to start practicing again early
this week.
t was an otherwise ordinary
night in Ann Arbor this past
Friday - the air damp with
anticipation for Saturday afternoon's
festivities, the bars slowly filling to
their usual weekend hum.
But under the lights at Elbel Field,
the Michigan-Michigan State rivalry
was already boiling over.
The State News, Michigan State's
student newspaper, had descended
on South Campus to do one thing.
No, there were no riots to cover or
highly touted hoopsters to watch.
The State News had come to
defeat The Michigan Daily in an
annual game of "touch" football, and
snap its three-year losing streak.
But as the minutes rolled careless-
ly into hours and dusk gave way to
the pitch of night, the lights above
Elbel could reveal only one thing.
Another weekend of broken
hearts, and another year of quasi-
bruised egos at The State News.
Daily Editor-ln-Chief Mike Spahn
caught the game-winning touchdown
pass on fourth-and-goal to secure
The Daily's fourth-straight victory
over The State News - a streak that
began during Michigan's undefeated
national championship season of
1997.
"Four years ago I traveled to East
Lansing to help begin this streak,
and this was a fitting end to a domi-
nant era in journalistic football,"
Spahn said. "There was never any
doubt who would win this one."
The Daily never trailed in the
game, but bruised its way to victory,
10 touchdowns to 8.
Daily sports writer and team cap-
tain Dan Williams, who had three
interceptions before going down
with a severe ankle sprain, said that
injuries may have kept the game
close, but could not stop the momen-
tumll.
"The fanatics on this team began
focusing on this game and operating
as a football unit since early in the
summer. Expectations have been fes-
tering for a long tie, and it's satis-
fying to see our team make the kind
of gale-changing plays that are nec-
essary to maintain a four-year win-
ning streak."
Junior sports writer Jeff Phillips
had been sidelined three weeks with
torn ligaments in his left ankle, but
hobbled on to keep the game-win-
ning drive alive with a 20-yard
reception up the near sideline. Laid
out by a teammate accidentally and
left gasping for air early in the game,
junior Geoff Gagnon returned to join
senior Chris Duprey for impressive
performances at wide receiver.
Duprey led the team with three
touchdowns.
"We were so amped up before the
war, we were hitting each other,"
said Daily junior Rohit Bhave, who
anchored the defensive line.
Freshman Steve "Action" Jackson
led the Daily's defensive backfield,
which stonewalled The State News
in the second hour of play, allowing
the Daily to open up a slight lead.
Sports writer Shawn Kemp's
touchdown reception capped a long
drive that put the Daily up 8-5, but a
quick answer and recovery of the
ensuing on-sides throw brought The
State News within a touchdown.
But Daily arts editor Chris Kula
was seen "doing the robot" on the
sideline as the Daily defense stopped
the State News on the goalline.
That was all the battered
Wolverines needed to push them
through the final two drives.
"I had so many bruised ribs by the
time this thing was over, I needed
seven Motrin just to fall asleep," an
unidentified Daily sports editor said
after the game.
Spahn's game-winning catch
inspired the Daily bench to rush the
field and chant "Four! Four! Four!"
while jumping frantically.
Daily Arts Editor Gabe Fajuri,
who played the final play wearing
jeans and hiking boots, was partic-
larly emotional.
"I don't own active wear," he said.
Fajuri then joined his blood-
stained colleagues in a rousing cho-
rus of "The Victors," which officials
are calling the loudest, proudest ren-
dition ever sung by student-journal-
ists on Elbel Field - a venue fit-
tingly named after the composer
himself.
- David Den Herder could use
some more Morin. He can be
reached at dden @un mich.edu.
WHY HAS THE
UNIVERSITY
OF MICHIGAN
FAILED ITS
STUDENTS?
For some answers see:
www.universitysecrets.com
I
Bo.
REC
SPOTS
INTRAMURALS
The University of Michigan
Department of Recreational Sports
INTRAMURAL SPORTS PROGRAM
WHAT'S
HAPPENING
Michigan 2 1 1-4
Bowling Green 1 0 2 - 3
First period - 1. UM, Langfeld 5 (Jillson), :28; 2.
UM. lillson 3 (Cammaller Hibert), 7:08 top); 3.
BGSU. Day 1 (Fultz), 17:17 Penalties - 8GSU,
Bieksa (cross checking), 7:00; BGSU, Eaton
(checking from behind), 13:00; UM, Langfeld (hit'
ting after whistle, 16:43; 8GSU, Statkus (hitting
after whistlet, 16:43.
Second period - 4. UM. Langfeld 6 (Hilbert), :23
Penalties - BGSU, Moore (ten-minute miscon-
duct). 2:10; UM. Hilbert (roughing), 4:07: BGSU,
Wiliams (hooking). 6:34: UM, Komisarek {interfer-
encet. 8:24; UM, Burnes (obstruction-hooking),
14:02; CM, Vancik (unsporismanlike conduct),
16:47; BGSU, Wires (slashing). 16:47; BGSU,
Bieksa troughming. 17:24; UM. Kosick (hooking),
18:59; BGSU, HewSon (high sticking, 19:43
Third period- 5. BGSU, Day 2 rValentine;, 4:18
(sh): 6. BGSU, Day 3 (Moore, Valentine, 14:57: 7.
UM, Mattka 2 fHilbert, Langfeld). 18:42 Penalties
- BGSU, Wires {hooking). 3:47; BGSU, Masters
(hitting after whistle), 16:10; UM, Cammalleri (hit-
ting after whistlet, 16:10: UM, Huntzicker (holding,
18:54.
Shots on goal - UM, 20-9-15 --44: BGSU, 4-5.9
18
Power Plays - UM, 1 of 6; BGSU, 0 of 5
Saves - UM, Black bur 3-5-7 - 15; BGSU,
Masters188 $4 - 40
Referee- Mark Wilkins
Unesmen - Bria WTroester, Dean Sanborn
At: BGSU Ice Arena. Attendance: 1.975
Michigan
Bowling Green
2 2 2 -6
0 1 o -a1
Fist period- 1. UM. Mink 1 (Shoneyia, Kor sarek).
10:29 tpp); 2. UM. Mat zka 11SLangeld, Trainor), 13:38
Penais - UM, Hunticker (interference), 1:00; UM,
Wyzgowski (croscheckingj. 3:46: BGSU, Williams (rough-
Ing after the whistle), 7:29; BGSU, Mass troughing), 8:30;
UM. Largfeld (tnpprg), 11:23; BGSU, Hewson (slashing,
12:12: UM. Roerrensrky (holdirgi 12:45; BGSU, Escobedo
(interference), 17:54
Second pericd - 3. UM. Mink 2 (Showeya). 2:23; 4.
UM, Cammallen2(Ortmeyer),14:59 (sh); 5. BGSU,
McConvey 1(Mrphy), 15:36 (pp Penalties- UM,
Vancik (obstructionriooking). 2:51; BGSU. Hewson
(obstructior4rippingl 701; UM, Showaeyia (slashing,
10:25; BGSU, Leonard (roughing after whistle). 13:43:
BGSU, Williams (roughgg after wistle), 13:43; UM, Jilson
(roughing after whistle). 13:43: UM, Kautz (roughing after
whistle), 13:43; UM, Mink (interference, 14:40; BGSU,
Hewson (slashing) 17:25; BGSU, Mass (interference,
183:16; CM, Matzka (roughing). 20:00
Thkd period -6. CM. Jilson 2 (osick, Carmnmaleri, 521
(pp); 7. UM, Shouneyia 3(Mink, Konisarek),18:55
Penales- BGSU, Hewson (high sticking), 4:36; BGSU,
McConvey (slashing), 4:36: UM, Hilbert (roughing), 4:36;
UM. team (too many on ice), 10:10: UM, Cammaleri
(holding the stick, 13:17; BGSU, Breksa (holding), 15:49;
BGSU, Bieksa (roughing), 18:55: BGSU, Beksa (cross
hecking, 18:55; BGSU, Bieksa (ten-minute misconduct),
1855
Shots on goal - UM, 17-13-17-- 47; BGSU, 3.168 - 27
Power Plays-- UM, 2 of 9: BGSUl of 10
Saves -CUM, Blackbum 3158 - 26; BGSU. Masters 15
11-15-41.
Referee -- Steve Mclrchak
Unewmen - Crag Usko, Tim Katrinak
At :GSU Ice Arena Attendance: 3,007.
N N
Net
Intramural Flag Football
Officials Needed!!
o Experience * Get a Free
cessary T-Shirt
REC
SPORTS
/llcials are INTRAMURALS * Flexible
d for All Hours
mes Worked
Training Clinics Continue
a
Pai
Ga
Team
Northern Michigan
Michigan
%Alot rnAsihi n
CCHA Standings
W
2
2
'1
L
1
0
n
CCHA
T Pts GP
1 5 4
0 4 2
1 12 ')
GF
13
10
'1
GA
11
4
Q
OVERALL
W L T
2 1 2
4 0 2
7 1 1
WEEKEND RESULTS
Friday's games:
MICHIGAN 6, BowuNG GREEi
N. Mich. 4, FERRIS STATE 3 (ot)
Nnh.-Omaha 2. MICH. STATE 1
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