4B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - February 5, 2001
Shouts from the point
"We took it to them tonight like they
took it to us last night."
Michigan freshman defenseman Andy Burnes explaining
the diference between Friday's 4-1 loss and Saturday 4-1
victory against Nebraska-Omaha.
FRIDAY'S GAME
Michigan 1
Nebraska-Omaha 4
SATURDAY'S GAME
Michigan 4
Nebraska-Omaha 1
Key play
Saturday, 19:04 left in first
Rouncing back fivm Friday night's loss,
ammaulleri picks up a rebound off of a point
shot from JefJillson and scores a powerplayv
goal 56 seconds into the game.
THE DAILY'S STARS
The Michigan Daily hockey writers'
picks for Michigan's three stars of the
weekend.
JOSH LANGFELD
RIGHT WING
Langfeld continued his impressive play
by notching his 60th career goal on
Friday night, and was called "the best
forward we had all weekend" by coach
Red Berenson.
JOSH BLACKBURN
GOALTENDER
In steering aside 40 shots over the
weekend, Blackburn played a huge fac-
tor in both games.
MAR KosiCK
CENTER
Kosick notched two points, including
the game-winner on Saturday while
being moved up to the first line.
'M' SCHEDULE
This week:
Friday vs. Northern Michigan,
_Saturday vs. Northern Michigan
Friday: at Yost Ice Arena, 7:35 p.m.
Saturday: at Yost Ice Arena, 7:05 p.m.
Michigan fans get their first look
this season at Northern Michigan.
The two teams played a series in
Marquette on Dec. 1-2, with the
Wolverines taking three out of four
possible points.
HoW THEY FARED
No. 1iMichigan State (21-2-4) lost to
No. Michigan 3-2, def. No. Michigan 2-1
No. 2 Boston College (19-6-1) def.,
Mass:-Lowell 4-3
No. 3 North Dakota (18.5-5) def. Minn.-
Duluth 6-2, def. Minn.-Duluth 4-3.
No. 4 Colorado College (19-5-1) def. St.
Cloud 5-3, lost to St. Cloud 7-5.
No. 5 Michigan (1964) lost to Nebraska.
Omaha 4-1, def. NebraskaOmaha 4-1.
No. 6 St. Cloud (19-61) lost to
Colorado College 5-3, def. Colorado
College 7-5.
No. 7 Minnesota (187-2) def. Michigan
Tech 8-3, def. Michigan Tech 5-1.
No. 8 New Hampshire (16-7-5) tied
Merrimack 5-5, lost to Maine 3-2 OT.
No. 9 Western Michigan (16-6.5) lost to
Miami 4-1, lost to Miami -3.
No. 10 Denver (14-10-3) lost to MSU-
Mankato 3-1, lost to MSU-Mankato 6-3.
FRIDAY'S GAME
Nebraskamaha 4, Michgn11
Opponents' physical play stifling 'M'
By Ryan C. Moloney
Daily Sports Writer
OMAHA - If one guideline arose from
the Michigan hockey team's weekend set
with Nebraska-Omaha, it's a spin on a
spaghetti Western cliche.
Walk softly and carry big elbows.
The Mavericks dominated the
Wolverines in the first half of Friday
night's game with good, old-fashioned
forechecking, then held off a resurgent
Michigan team in the third period for the
4-1 win. On Saturday, Nebraska-Omaha
failed to duplicate its Friday night ferocity
and was paid in like, losing to Michigan 4-
1.
If it wasn't obvious after earlier losses to
Ohio State and Michigan Tech, it is now as
attention-grabbing as a Mike Tyson low-
blow. Opponents can beat Michigan by
beating upon them.
"They ran at us pretty good and did a
great job of finishing their checks,"
Michigan defenseman Jeff Jillson said
about Friday night's game. "We just sat
back on our heels and waited for some-
thing to happen."
The tone for Friday night's contest was
set in the first five minutes, as Nebraska-
Omaha pressured Michigan with disci-
plined body-checking and suffocating
attention given to Michigan's best puck-
handlers.
In turn, Michigan defensemen Dave
Huntzicker and Andy Burnes took
umbrage, then took penalties resulting in a
Nebraska-Omaha 5-on-3. The Wolverines
killed off Burnes' penalty, but the
Mavericks scored 28 seconds into
Huntzicker's holding penalty for the 1-0
lead.
Nebraska-Omaha maintained its physi-
cal fervor in the second period, culminat-
ing in a bone-jarring check of Andy
Hilbert into the Michigan bench's boards.
Hilbert toughed it out, but was not the
same for the rest of the game and neither
were the Wolverines. Hilbert's 17-game
point-scoring streak would die that night.
"We weren't working hard enough -
they seemed to want it a little more
tonight," Mike Cammalleri said.
That became the weekend's dominant
statement, as when Nebraska-Omaha
coach Mike Kemp was asked on Saturday
whether his players had eased off of their
hard-checking ways on the night after one
of their biggest wins of the season.
"One of the keys was, we didn't have the
same jump," Kemp said. "We were back
on our heels and Michigan kicked it up a
notch."
Meaning, the Wolverines were left alone
from circle to circle and allowed to take
advantage of it.
Michigan's first three goals Saturday
night came as a result of the absent physi-
cal presence of Nebraska-Omaha's defense
in front of goalie Dan Ellis. Michigan's
third tally of the game, a wraparound by
defenseman Mike Komisarek, left the
strongest impression.
Komisarek usually hovers around the
blueline, reliant on his hard shot and
defensive responsibilities to temper
thoughts of up-close scoring attempts. But
on this night, the holes around Ellis were
too lip-smacking big for Komisarek to
ignore.
As the schizophrenic nature of
Michigan's offensive attack this weekend
illustrated, the lack of correlation between
the Wolverines' offensive performance and
their physical tolerance is an easy problem
to spot, but a difficult one to solve.
Jillson described the solution to
Michigan's trouble with physical play in
two parts - number one, constant absorp-
tion of hits can cause an unwillingness to
play creative offensively, a lull that must be
guarded against, and two, the Wolverines
must mix some toughness with their obvi-
ous offensive flare.
"Tonight we tried to be the aggressor"
he said after Saturday's win.
Like fine china, Michigan is a team to
be admired for its beautiful artistry. But
also like fine china, that artistry turns to
ruin when the earthquake sets in.
As the CCHA regular season reaches its
remaining four weeks, the Wolverines will
need to remember to take what opposing
teams give, then return the favor if they
plan to be the last men standing.
ALYSSA WOOD/Daiy
Mark Kosick plays victim to the Mavericks' tenacious forechecking overthe
weekend. Michigan's weakness in physical play is its biggest concern.
Line changing success for Blue icers
By Jon Schwartz
Daily Sports Editor
OMAHA - Michigan coach Red
Berenson's mind is always ready to tinker.
Instead of dwelling on the Wolverines' 4-1
loss to Nebraska-Omaha on Friday night, the
coach was devising a plan to get back at the
Mavericks on Saturday.
Michigan's starting
game of the weekend
was announced as
senior Mark Kosick at
left wing, sophomore
Andy Hilbert at right
wing and sophomore
line for the second
HoCaEY
Notebook
Mike Cammalleri at
Shouneyia.
"I thought our lines played well," Berenson
said after the game. The coach was not
pleased with the efforts of some of his players
after the loss on Friday night, which led to
Saturday's lineup shuffling. He also moved
Josh Langfeld to the Mink and Shouneyia
line and captain Geoff Koch played with just
about every line at one point in the night.
"We've been changing lines here all four
years I've been here," Kosick said. The
coaches "obviously know what they're doing
in that regard."
Koch was particularly disappointed with
his play on Friday night. The senior - who
usually plays left wing alongside Cammalleri
and Hilbert on the top line - felt compelled
to place the blame for the loss on his shoul-
ders.
"I personally let the team down," he said.
"I'm really disappointed with how I played."
WHO SAID WHAT?: In a weekend full of
bizarre penalties, none was more so than the
bench minor that Michigan got called for at
19:55 of the second period on Saturday night.
After the Mavericks' Greg Zanon got
called for unsportsmanlike conduct, referee
Maik Wilkins was suddenly carting off
Michigan's Joe Kautz, as well.
Berenson recounted the situation to the
best of his ability: "I don't know what hap-
pened. He heard a voice. The referee had just
called a penalty on them and he heard a voice.
I did not hear a voice.
"He claims it was our trainer and our train-
er claims it wasn't. I'm not happy with the
fact that there's a voice on our bench that
doesn't need to be talking to the referee.
"The two benches are close together. It
could have been the other team's trainer who
was leaning out. I couldn't get a straight
answer from him."
ALL GOOD THINGS... : Besides Michigan's
five-game unbeaten streak, another mark was
a casualty of Friday night's loss.
Andy Hilbert's 16-game scoring streak fell
by the wayside as the Wolverines could only
muster a Langfeld goal in the game.
"It doesn't matter to me," Hilbert said with
a smile. "I don't care."
Hilbert bounced back on Saturday night
with an assist on Cammalleri's goal.
SCHWARTZ
Continued from Page 1B
Michigan 0 0 1
NebmsakaOmtm 1 1 2
1
4
center.
Three players who have, at one point this
season, centered a line. Three players known
for their abilities to put the puck in the net.
Three players put together to exact revenge
after a surprise loss.
The move appeared to be pretty successful.
Cammalleri scored 56 seconds into the game.
Kosick also scored a goal, but it was on the
powerplay, assisted by Mark Mink and John
listpedod- 1. UNO, Zaon 7 (Smith,8nisson)11:21(pp)
Penales-UNO,Smith, (high stickirg) 8:20; UM,Jilson
(hokiig the stick) 9:14; UM, Huntzck (obsructioix"d
irg) 10:53; UNO, Yuecko (hodirg)13:11; UM, Hibert (10
minute misconduct) 13:11; UM, Murray (trippirg) 20:00
Second peod - 2. UNO, Worg 8 (Scribner, Gabinet) 2:30
(PP).
Pe.tes -UM, vancik (checkrg from behind) 145; UM,
Mink(10minute misconduct) 3:29; UNO, Gabinet (interfer-
ence)13:40; UM, Mink (crossckeckirg) 15:17; UNO,
Zanon (sashirg) 15:17; UM, Koch (inerference) 16:38.
%W daod --3. UM, Langed 11 (Kick, Carnalleri)
743(pp). 4, UNO, Yurecko 1( Noe8emier, Chalmers)
16:25.5, UNO, Fohr 2 (unassiste)19:29 (empty net)
Pede- UNO, Gow(checkirg from behind) 2:17;
UNO, Jaworski (holdirg the stick) 7:23; UNO, Jaworski
(obstructionbokirg)11:33; UM, Matzka(1Ominute miscm
duct) 14:34
Shoaongo-UM74-1435; UNO 9-5620.
P4Wer PFays -UM 1 of6;UNO 2 of5
Pnaties: UM 9 (42mn); UNO 7 (14min).
Sians-UM, Blackbum19shots-16 saves; UNO, Elis (35
s~ins -34 saves)
Reiere-Mark Wilkins.
Liusmen - Jeff Ou*)ayJstin Morrson
Jt Omaha Civic Auditonurn. Attendance:8,314.
SATURDAY'S GAME
MkchIgm 4,NebrskaOmaha 1
ALYSSA WOOD/Daily
Like several players this weekend, Michigan's Josh Langfeld
found himself playing on a new line Saturday night.
Michigan 2 0 2
NebraskaOmaha 0 1 0
4
1
Fist peod - 1. UM, Canalleri 20 (Jilson, Hubert),
0:56(pp).2, UM, Kosick10(Mink,Shouneyia),16:0O(pp)
lanaUlaes -UNO, Brinson(trippirg),0:09; UM,Bumes
(interference), 6:25; UM, Huntzicker (roughing), 13:19;
UNO, NoelBemier (crosscheckirg), 14:26; UM, Kautz
(interference), 16:31; UNO, bench (too may on ice),
9:22; UM, Lafeid (unsportsmaike conduct), 19:55;
INO, Zanon (unsportsmanlike conduct), 19:55;
Second peod -3, UNO, Smith 5 (Chalmers, Brisson),
t8:11 (pp).
1' wdties - UM, Camalleri (roughing), 3:53; UM, Murray
(high-stickirg),14:31; UM, Koch (chargirg), 17:46; UNO,
Zanon (obstructionholding),19:35; UM, bench (minor
p lt), 19:35.
TlM prod -4, UM, Komisarek 5 (Trainor, Matzka),
2:36.5. UM, Trainor 2 (unassisted), 19:24 (EN).
Penalties - UNO, O'Keefe (obstructionh1olng), 5:23;
UNO, Hoggan (roughing), 6:22; UM, Murray (crosscheck-
irg), 9:49; UJNO, D. Sauelsson (holdng), 1326; UNO,
Chalmers (checkig from behind), 16:25.
Shots on al- UM, 1544039; UNO 1210325.
P m Flas - UM 2 of7; UNO 1of 6
Saves - UM, Blackbum 25 shots24 saves; UNO, Ellis 38
shots,35 saves
Referee - Mark Wilkins
Leten -Jeff Dubay, Justin Mormson
At Omaha Civic Auditoriun Attendane:8,314
Another
split feor
hockey
team
MAVERICKS
Continued from Page 11B
ing powerplay before the first
minute wound down. Andy Hilbert
won the faceoff in the offensive
zone, tapping the puck back to Jetl
Jillson at the point. Jillson sent a
slap shot at Nebraska-Omaha net-
minder Dan Ellis.
Ellis steered the puck right to
Mike Cammalleri, who flipped the
errant rebound past the freshman
goalie to give the Wolverines a one-
goal lead.
"It was huge," said Michigan
coach Red Berenson, who men-
tioned how important it was when
the Mavericks scored, the first goal
in the previous night's game. "We
needed to score the first goal of the
game. As the game went on, I
thought we could have had four or
five goals. Ellis played well and kept
the game close."
Following his impressive 34-save
performance on Friday night, Ellis
helped the Mavericks weather the
storm in the first ten minutes of
Saturday's game when the
Wolverines were peppering him
with "golden" scoring chances.
But the masked man at the other
end of the ice was even better.
As Nebraska-Omaha gathered its
seniors are going to have to bend down
a little bit and allow their teammates to
climb onto their shoulders.
The seniors need to lead by example.
Players like Langfeld and Kosick need
to keep coming up with goals in clutch
situations. The Bill Trainors and Dave
Huntzickers of the team need to keep
finishing their checls and breaking
down powerplay units in stride.
Players and coaches are all throwing
around the notion that the team can't lose
another game, making the entire home
stretch seem like a playoff situation.
And these seniors know a little some-
thing about success in the postseason.
They know about a team from which
few people expected much noise. They
know about coming to Michigan the
season after one of the most talented
teams in school history fell to Boston
University in the semifinals. And they
know about shoving championship
rings in the faces of all the naysayers.
This team is certainly talented
enough to send the seniors out the way
that they came in. Matzka called it the
most skilled team he's seen since com-
ing to Michigan. He also said that this
team is capable of getting back to the
promised land.
"We've been around the block a few
times'"said Huntzicker, one of the
team's assistant captains. "Seniors
should be leading the way. We've got to
do whatever we can."
The senior class that graduated after
the 1998 championship game left
Berenson two pieces of the most
sought-after hardware for his office.
This year's seniors can do the same.
But the clock is ticking.
Jon Schwartz can be reached at
jlsz@umich.edu
0
ALYSSA WOOD/Dail
Mike Komisarek celebrates his wraparound goal In the third period of Saturday night's game against Nebraska-Omaha. Goalie
Dan Ellis looks on in disbelief as a puck that he saved bounced off teammate Adam Smith into the goal for the fluke score.
bearings and put the pressure back
on the Wolverines, Michigan goalie
Josh Blackburn stepped up for
another solid showing.
And in a 180-degree twist from
Friday's game, undisciplined penal-
ties did the Mavericks in instead of
the Wolverines. After Mark Kosick
notched the Wolverines' second
powerplay goal late in the first peri-
od, Nebraska-Omaha picked up
numerous penalties, including four
in the third period alone.
We kept "shooting ourselves in the
foot time and time again," said
Nebraska-Omaha coach Mike
Kemp.
The Mavericks' lone powerplay
goal came with just two minutes
remaining in the second period, but
it wasn't enough.
Michigan put a damper on
Nebraska-Omaha fans' "We believe"
and "Beat Michigan" signs with two
third-period tallies, including an
empty-netter by Bill Trainor.
Friday night's loss was reminis-
cent of prior defeats at the hands of
seemingly inferior teams, including
setbacks to Alaska-Fairbanks, Ferris
State, Michigan Tech and Ohio
State.
"I don't know," Andy Hilbert said
about his team's struggles to sweep a
weekend series. "It's something we
obviously have to overcome. We can
say it all we want but we have to do
it and learn how to become a two-a-
weekend team."
AROUND THE CCHA
In a tough grind-it-out weekend
series in Marquette, Michigan
State snapped its longest Fosing
streak ofthenseason with a 2-1 win
over Northern
Michigan on
Saturd av night.
I
,:. .