Daily trivia
Two tickets to the Michigan-Michigan State hockey game
on Feb. 17 will go to the two respondents that answer the
most questions correctly. Send answers to
4ws.contest@umich.edu
ay's question:
Whatis the greatest amount of goals that the Michigan
hockey team has ever scored in a single game?
Yesterday's answer: Jed Ortmeyer
michigandaily. com/sports
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FRIDAY
FEBRUARY 2, 2001
9
I '1
Icers
'staring goals
I1
the
face'
Blue preparing
,or crazy scene
in Omaha series
By Joe Smith
Daily Sports Editor
No one knows better than Michigan forward Jed
rtmeyer about what-the atmosphere will be like in
.Omaha this weekend.
"It's going to be crazy in there," said Ortmeyer
about returning to his hometown. "They're going to
come out and play like it's the Stanley Cup. It's
going to be a really tough place to play."
But Jed's homecoming will remain off the ice, as
he has been hampered by a torn anterior cruciate
ligament in his right knee that he suffered in the
game against Notre Dame nine days ago. While it is
an apparent season-ending injury, Ortmeyer said he
plans to get a second opinion from a trusted family
octor in Omaha before making his final decision
hether to finish the season before having surgery,
or officially hang up his skates for the year.
"I'm kind of hoping but I don't think it's really set
in yet that I can't play the rest of the year," Ortmeyer
said. "I'm still in the shock stage I think."
Although Ortmeyer feels no pain or swelling and
has full movement in his leg, the possible risks of
"having problems the rest of his life," as he said,
stick in his mind.
"It kind of scares me a little bit. (I've) just got to
eigh my options," he added.
Ortmeyer will instead have to watch the
Wolverines battle in their first-ever game at
Nebraska-Omaha, a team which, in its fourth year in
existence as a hockey program, has grown by leaps
and bounds.
Starting literally from scratch, the Mavericks con-
sisted of mostly walk-ons and players who could
only play at Division II or Division III schools.
We were "just a bunch of guys who came togeth-
Mavs a big road
test for Wolverines
By Ryan C. Moloney
Daily Sports Writer
When it was suggested to Red
Berenson that his team's trip to
Omaha this weekend might allow
them to unwind with a change of
scenery, the Michigan hockey
coach scotTed.
"It's not a pleasure or sightsee-
ing trip;" Berenson said. "This is a
serious hockey trip. We are going
there with one thing on our minds
- playing our best hockey. We are
not worrying about having fun -
they can do their school work in
their free time, I want no distrac-
tions."
If there was any question as to
whether Berenson is guarding
against a letdown after last
Saturday's momentous 4-3 over-
time victory over Michigan State,
it was answered convincingly.
Nebraska-Omaha head .coach
Mike Kemp professed some disap-
pointment upon hearing
Berenson's cautionary tone.
"Darn," he said. "I was hoping
they would take us lightly."
In the CCHA picture, Nebraska-
Omaha is worthy of Michigan's
concern. The Mavericks (10-8-2
CCHA, 15-11-2 overall) currently
reside in fourth place with 22
points - just a point back of
third-place Western Michigan.
For Michigan (13-4-2, 19-6-4),
there are no more mulligans. The
Wolverines hold second-place
with 28 points, three back of the
Spartans. In its climb to overtake
Michigan State, Michigan got a
healthy grip on the mountain with
last week's win.
"We know we have the makings
of a great team, it's just a matter of
putting it together every night,"
Michigan senior forward Bill
Trainor said. "We have got :to
build on what we did Saturday and
go from there."
Last year, in only its first season
in the CCHA, Nebraska-Omaha
made it to the finals of the league
tournament. This year, the
Mavericks started a club so elite,
only Michigan has since joined --
they beat Michigan State.
Appropriate, because the
Mavericks are the poor man's
Michigan State. Nebraska-Omaha
wins with a combination of dedi-
cated forechecking and aggressive
physical play. The Mavericks are a
defensive-oriented team with only
one player, David Brisson, in the
top 20 in the league in scoring.
The sophomore winger is seventh'
in the CCHA with 27 points;
including 13 goals.
"Brisson is a guy who stepped
in and contributed," Kemp said.
"He creates opportunities, though
he's not the flashiest player - we
don't have a lot of go-to guys like
Michigan."
Kemp's foremost concern
among Michigan's "go-to" guys is
winger Andy Hilbert. Currently
No. 2 in the nation in scoring with
'See MAVERICKS, Page 11
Jed Ortmeyer won't be in action, but his Wolverine teammates will play in Omaha, his hometown.
er," said senior captain Jason Cupp, a member of the
Mavericks' first class. "Most of us had nowhere else
to go - kind of like the 'Bad News Bears.'
Cupp played three years in the USHL before a
knee injury ruined his scholarship chances with
other schools, but Nebraska-Omaha kept its arms
wide open - and he hasn't regretted it since.
"The fan support here has been unbelievable,"
Cupp said. There's "not as many students, but the
students are still a big part of it. Young and old all
have fun here, with the kids coming over to ask for
autographs all the time - it's definitely a fun expe-
rience."
Nebraska-Omaha players admit that their fans
don't know as much about the game of hockey as
many other more-established followings in the
CCHA, but the dedicated crowd that packs in both
the college and junior league games impresses
everyone.
"If you were at a junior game in Nebraska you'd
think it was semi-pro hockey," said Michigan coach
Red Berenson, who remembers many of the farm
teams that
existed in Omaha when he played in the
See OMAHA, Page 11
M' picking up
pieces in Big, tl
Ten battle
By Dan Williams
Daily Sports Editor
Just when it looked like the pieces might be fitting
together, everything exploded.
The Michigan men's basketball team seemed to be
building towards an impressive finish to the Big Ten,
and then the 91-64 defeat by Michigan State in Crisler
Arena Tuesday seemed to ruin
any progress. 0 0u '
Michigan now has to escape CRISLER ARENA
*week's worth of distractions Who: Michigan (3-5 Big
following such a gory loss and Ten, 9-10 overall) vs.
concentrate on tomorrow's Wisconsin (4-3, 13-5)
opponent, No. 10 Wisconsin. When: 12:17 p.m. tomor-
The Wolverines and the row
Badgers will square off at Latest: Michigan will try
12:15 p.m. in Crisler. to get its bearings back
"You have to let the against the Big Ten's fifth-
Michigan State loss go," iunior place team at Crisler
Leon Jones said. "We have to Arena.
t some new goals for the year and make sure we win
rest of our home games."
For the second straight game, Michigan will face a
team looking to make amends for a disappointing loss.
Michigan State lost to Ohio State last weekend, and
now Wisconsin is coming off a surprise 58-44 loss to
Butler.
The Badgers are a crafty group of veterans, and the
Wolverines have yet to beat a top-10 team this year.
Wisconsin is led by three seniors in leading-scorer
Roy Boone, center Mark Vershaw and defensive spe-
cialist Mike Kelly.
Boone averages 14.3 points per game while Vershaw
*ts 9.4 per game.
But with Wisconsin, defense supercedes scoring. The
Badgers boast the best scoring defense in Division I,
allowing just 56.5 points per game.
A slower tempo may play into Michigan's hands -
the Wolverines have gone 3-1 in the Big Ten when hold-
ing their opponents under 70 points.
Michigan is also looking forward to a less hostile
home crowd, after Michigan State fans filled the upper
bowl of Crisler on Tuesday.
I. I
3-point
fury leads
M1chigan
By David Roth
Daily Sports Writer
To Infini and beyond.
Ask Buzz Lightyear, and he'll tell
you that Michigan's 69-51 victory over
Minnesota was a Trey Story.
W i t h
MINNESOTA 51 guard Anne
Thorius on
MICHIGAN 69 the bench
with a
sprained ankle, Michigan coach Sue
Guevara utilized guards Infini
Robinson, who netted a career-high 14
points hitting four-of-seven from
behind the arc, and Alayne Ingram,
who tied a career high by making five-
of-10 3-point shots.
"I tried to come in and give us a lift
off the bench," Robinson said. "After
every shot I was feeling it."
Robinson's "strength is her 3-point
shooting," Guevara said. "You guys
haven't seen it," Guevara told
reporters, "but we see it in practice."
Michigan (7-4 Big Ten, 14-7 overall)
started its fifth-straight win by rocket-
ing to a 10-0 lead over the Golden
Gophers (1-8, 8-12) thanks to a pair of
triples by Ingram and Heather
Oesterle.
Michigan's trend of triples would
continue and the Wolverines' 10-of-19
shots made from behind the arc would
match an all-time team high.
With LeeAnn Bies giving an unchar-
acteristically poor shooting perfor-
mance and Jennifer Smith struggling
with the physical presence of
Minnesota's 6-foot-7 Kim Bell, the
Wolverines found the long ball to be
their savior.
MACKEY ARENA
Who: Michigan (7-4 Big Ten, 14-7 overall)
vs. Purdue (10-0, 20-3)
When: 1 p.m.
Latest: Michigan looks to avenge its earlier
loss against the best of the Big Ten, No. 6
Purdue. The Boilermakers are currently rid-
ing a 12-game win streak.
"Our post players did a very good
job of getting the ball in control and
kicking it out to me and to other
perimeter players when we were open;"
Ingram said. "I know that Infini is
going to hit the shot if she's open."
Guevara felt her team was well pre-
pared for Minnesota's defensive style.
Minnesota "has played a lot of
zone," Guevara said. "We have been
working all week on our zone offense
of getting it into the post and kicking it
out."
The Golden Gophers gave Michigan
more open looks than it was used to,
and the Wolverines capitalized.
"We haven't yet shot 53 percent
from behind the arc," Guevara said.
After Michigan's quick 10-0 run, the
Wolverines would only manage three
points over the next 6:27 as Minnesota
refused to quit.
Minnesota's peskiness continued
and it finally caught up with Michigan
to tie the game at 36 with 12:21 left.
"Minnesota has been in every single
game that they have played this year,'
Guevara said.
But a pair of Minnesota turnovers
leading to a pair of Michigan triples
proved too costly for the Golden
Gophers to recover.
"We've got to take care of the ball,"
a frustrated Minnesota coach Cheryl
Littlejohn said.
See GOPHERS, Page U
Injured,
Thorius
stll a force
By Benjamin Singer
Daily Sports Writer
The nickname "Notorious" for
Michigan usually means one thing -
Anne Thorius.
Thorius runs the point for the
women's basketball team, making the
offense click, feeding the hot shooters
and emotionally leading the Wolverines.
Last night in Michigan's 69-51 home
win over Minnesota, "Notorious"
meant, quite literally, no Thorius.
For just the second time in her college
career, the senior co-captain did not play
as she sat with an ankle sprain she suf-
fered in Michigan's win over
Northwestern Sunday. The only other
time she missed an entire game was Jan.
6 of last year at Indiana when she suf-
fered a bruised muscle.
"It's definitely an awkward feeling,"
said Thorius, who is day-to-day for
Sunday's game at Purdue. "You have to
look at the game from a different angle,
being more supportive off the bench."
Michigan coach Sue Guevara said she
was a little concerned coming into the
game, especially without her point
guard. The other Michigan guards
answered the challenge.
Infini Robinson enjoyed her best
game as a Wolverine, scoring 14 points.
Alayne Ingram took over at the point
See THORIUS, Page U
MARJORIE MARSHALL/Daily
in order to finish the season on a high note, Bernard
Robinson and the Wolverines must put the Michigan State
game behind them.
"I think it's disappointing that we didn't fill out the
crowd with Maize and Blue, but it's something you just
have to deal with," Jones said.
Brian Ellerbe has said that he thinks even an NIT
berth would be a good experience for his young team.
But if Michigan is going to have any postseason hopes,
it needs to win more than half of its remaining games.
The Wolverines have at least nine Big Ten games
remaining, depending on how far they advance in the
conference tournament.
"We've got to protect our home court now. Definitely
it's going to be hard (to put the Michigan State loss
behind us)," Michigan sophomore LaVell Blanchard
said.
"But we have to do it, we don't have a choice."
BIG TEN STANDINGS
Conference Overall
Team W L W L
Michigan State 6 2 17 2
Iowa 6 2 174
Illinois 6 2 16 5
Adults between the ages of 22 and 39 (non-undergraduates, please)
needed for a study on self-monitoring of blood sugar.
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