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 P9WOMO 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. m