Across the Big Ten
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michigandaily.con /sports
PORTS
FRIDAY
OCTOBER 27, 2000
10
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Run
for
it
BRANDON SEDLOFF/Daily
Michigan coach Red Berenson said he wants better production on special teams. The Wolverines are only plus-1this season.
Against Miami, icers
need convincing wins
Sy Ryan C. Moloney
bads Sports Writer
The Michigan hockey tear; took two
rom Bowling Green last weekend, but
The serious demeanor of the team in the
piactices following might suggest oth-
rwise.
The Wolvennes nearly succumbed to
a mid-game slumber last Sunday as the
ialconsecame back from a 3-I deficit to
ven the score with a little over five
iinutes left in the third period. Scott
Matzka saved the bacon with a late
nal, but the team did not feign relief
fterward, just disgust.
Michigan's focus going into their
-weekend home series with Miami isn't
just winning - but winning convinc-
ingly.
"We can't play passive (with the
lead)," senior forward Josh Langfeld
said. "It's like the NFL - teams go into
a prevent defense and they always seem
to give up all the points."
In a team meeting Monday, coach
Red Berenson stressed the importance
of hammering on teams even when a
multiple goal lead has been established.
ala the trademark of the 1996 national
champion team.
"We've got a lot of guys who can
score goals here, we should have the
mentality of Brendan Morrison's class
where five guys scored 20 goals,"
Langfeld said. "When we get some-
THIS WEEKEND
YOST ICE ARENA
Who: No. 3 Michigan (40&2) vs. Miami (1-2-0)
When: 7:30 p.m. tonight, 7:00 p.m. tomorrow
Injries: Captain Geoff Koch (ankle), defenseman
Brad Fraser (knee) - both out for weekend.
Tickets: Plenty of tickets still available.
body down we need to keep them down
and dig them deeper in the hole."
That opportunity should present
itself this weekend, as the RedHawks
were picked by the CCHA coach and
media polls to finish in the lower half of
the conference. Second-year coach
Enrico Blasi's team boasts an intact
defense from last season as well as
three proven CCHA scorers - Pat
Leahy, Gregor Krajnc and Jason
Deskins.
Leahy led the team in scoring last
season with 38 points in 36 games
while Krajnc and Deskins sat out near-
ly all of last season with injuries.
Deskins led the CCHA in goals two
See REDHAWKS, Page 11
BIG TEN CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS
SUNDAY, 11:45 A.M. MADISON
Women hope to
upset Badgers
By Rhonda Gilmer
Daily Sports Writer
This weekend the Michigan women's cross country
team will battle it out at the Big Ten's annual war. The
five-kilometer matchup begins this Sunday at 10:45
a.m. at the Yahara Hills Golf Course in Madison, Wis.
The fight for the Big Ten team title may be between
the Wolverines and Badgers since both teams are
ranked higher than the rest of the competition.
Wisconsin is ranked No. 3 while Michigan is currently :
ranked 12th. "There is a lot of competition in the Big 28
Ten as always "Wisconsin is our main competitor
and we just have to be ready to race as best we can,""
senior Katie Jazwinski said.
The Wolverines are sending nine harriers to represent
the Michigan squad. Jazwinski is looking to repeat her
past success with a big finish.
"My expectation is to win - I want to win every race
that I run," Jazwinski said.
The Wolverines have one advantage. Going into the
lineup are seniors Julie Froud, Lisa Ouellet, Katy ><
Radkewich, Katie Ryan, and Erin White. "We've got
some people that have been to the war before - in the
Big Ten War," coach Mike McGuire said.
Sophomores Katie Easton and Jane Martineau are
also looking to run their share at Big Tens. Both run-
ners have experience running competitively at past
meets this season.
Preparing for Big Tens meant a change up in the
usual practice session.
We're tapering a little bit-cutting back our work-
out volume," Jazwinski said. "We're just trying to fine- .
tune ourselves - and come together as a team."
Keeping with this team spirit, McGuire viewed the BRENDAN ODONNELL/Daly
upcoming meet with some high hopes for teamwork Katie Jazwinski has a shot at winning Sunday. Three of her
and effort. times thus far this season are in the top 10 of the conference.
Pilja fore to take No.1title
0
0
Swimmers open season at home
By Steve Jackson
Daily Sports Writer
Now that NBC has completed its delayed coverage of
the Olympics, live swimming returns tomorrow at the
Canham Natatorium. The Michigan women s swimming
team and its freshman gold
Medalist, Samantha
Arsenault, open the new sea-
son with a home meet against
Iowa and Wisconsin tonight.
The biggest race of the day
will feature a rematch of the
U.S. Olympic Trials between
Arsenault and Ellen
Stonebraker of Wisconsin.
The two will faceoff in the
200 meter freestvle. Arsenault
took third place in this event at
TODAY _
CANHAM NATATORIUM
Who: Michigan vs. Iowa and
Wisconsin
When: 3 p.m.
Latest: The Wolverines have a
4-1 record versus Iowa.
Michigan (8-4 overall last sea-
son) finished second in the Big
Ten and 14th at NCAAs.
the trials en route to a gold
lecting a second-place finish in the Big Ten last year. Iowa
and Wisconsin finished eighth and fifth respectively in the
conference. But, the Wolverines are certainly not looking
past these two.
The Badgers ( Ith) actually finished ahead of Michigan
(13th) at the 2000 NCAA Championships.
The Hawkeves are also fielding a much-improved squad
under the direction of new coach Garland O'Keeffe.
Iowa's All-Big-Ten selection, Melissa Loehndorf, will
head the Hawkeyes' charge.
In addition to Stonebraker, the Badgers will field a very
tough group of backstrokers.
"There is definitely some excitement starting off the
year at home against Big Ten opponents,, Michigan coach
Jim Richardson said. "In some of these races, we will need
a good showing just to stay competitive."
The Wolverines are lead by their two All-American
seniors captains, Missy Sugar and Jennifer Crisman, as
well as fifth-year senior Jennifer Arndt, who has returned
this year after shoulder surgery.
"Leadership is not an issue on this team," Richardson
said. "We have some great girls. This team is physically
See OPENER, Page 11
medal in the 800 relav. Stonebraker finished eighth and
was sent home. But she does boast five All-American hon-
ors and the Wisconsin school record for the event.
Michigan is looking to open the season strong after col-
By Shawn Kemp
D.Ily Sports Water
After running for 153 consecutive
days leading up to the meet, junior
Mark Pilja will lead the men's cross
country team to the Bit Ten
Championships Sunday in Madison.
Pilja dedicated himselfto being a bet-
ter runner after his unsatisfactorv track
season last year. His hard work has paid
off, with three individual invitational
titles already this season.
Michigan coach Ron Warhurst dis-
cussed the relationship between Pilja
and Mike Wisniewski, who was an All-
American last year but is red-shirting
this season. Wisniewski trains with the
team every day, and, he and Pilja push
each other in workouts.
"It takes the right combination of per-
sonalities for this success" Warhurst
said.
Within the past five years, Michigan
has thrived off such All-American pairs
as Kevin Sullivan and John Mortimer
(1997) and Jay Cantin and Steve
Lawrence (1999) training together and,
consequently, running faster to benefit
the team.
With Pilja at the forefront, the
Wolverines will field a very youngteam
at the conference meet. Freshmen Tom.
Greenless, Dave Sage, Mason. Ward,
John Hughes, Ryan Hesselink and
Andy Martin, along with sophomore
Dave Cook and junior Nate Hoffman,
should provide depth for Michigan.
Warhurst knows that Michigan is
heading into the meet as an underdog
with No. 6 Wisconsin, No. 16 Michigan
State, No. 18 Penn State and No. 24
Indiana all nationally ranked - which
the Wolverines are not.
"Pilja will probably win the meet,"
Warhurst said. "There's no pressure on
the freshmen. Nobody expects anything
out of them but themselves and I."
"Wisconsin's definitely the favorite"
Greenless said. "But we've been run-
junning for victory.
Since Kevin Sullivan did it in
1997, no Michigan runner has
won four consecutive meets
Mark Pilja can
match that mark
this weekend.
Pilja has run the
three fastest
times for the --
Wolverines this
season and
hopestto lead
them to victory Pilja
I.
i
ning hard all the way,
and now we're
starting to relax and peak for Big Tens.'
Michigan will have to finish in the
top three at either Big Tens or the
NCAA Regional to go to the NCAA
Championships.
With that in mind, Warhurst expects
the harriers to run their best race all
year. And for Pilja, his 154th consecu-
tive day of running may bring him his
fourth invitational title of the season.
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