The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 15, 2001- 9A
iUrgency'
ineffect
for Blue
Ryan C. Moloney
iy Sports Writer
A decidedly more jovial Michigan
hockey team took the ice for practice
this week. Fresh off of two convincing
victories against Ferris State this past
-weekend, a little more jump in the
j$ates is natural.
The Wolverines played their best
hockey in over a month against the
hapless Bulldogs, but it wasn't acci-
ental.
The buzz word amongst the team -
urgency. The sense of duty that seems
to creep into every player's approach
when the reality of a one-game season
replaces the security of after-loss
clich6s like "there's always next week-
'It was a mentality more than any-
thing else," assistant coach Billy
Powers said. "You saw a hungry team
alizing that one goal against can end
your season - that sense of urgency
has to continue."
The desperation of Michigan's
hockey trickled down to some areas of
recent concern:
1. Powerplay. The Wolverines con-
nerted 30 percent of their extra-man
chances this weekend, as opposed to
about half that percentage in their pre-
vious two games. The percentage
improvement only accentuates the
ange on the ice.
'Michigan puckhandled and
passed with fluidity against Ferris
State. The goal total on the power-
play might stand at eight instead of
four had goalie Phil Osaer not made
several up-close saves - most
notably in the second game when
Mark Kosick and Josh Langfeld
were both stumped at the doorstep.
"We want to keep their penalty
lling unit going and keep them on
their toes," Powers said. "You do that
by moving the puck."
The move of Mike Cammalleri
from the point to down-low created
several in-close opportunities. Both
Cammalleri and the coaching staff are
happy with the change.
Are you looking for Cinderella?
By Steve Jackson
Daily Sports Writer
Kent State (23-9) - West Region
No. 13
Sorry folks.
This isn't the
Toledo or Central.
Michigan team
you expected to
pick for your upset
this year. But they
did what no one else in the MAC could
do - beat the defending champions,
Miami (Ohio).
The Golden Flashes open against
Indiana, a team which, under Bobby
Knight, often fell pray to the Cinderella
bug.
Hofstra (26-4) - East Region No.
have won 18 in a row.
The Pride may have changed their
mascot (from the Flying Dutchmen) but
they haven't changed their title as
American East Champions.
Their first round opponent, UCLA,
lost three first-round games in the
1990's to 12 and 13 seeds.
Utah State (27-5) - East Region
No. 12
The Aggies repeated as Big West
Mountain West
Conference's only
team in the tour-
ney. Look for the
Cougars' matchup
with Cincinnati to
be a high-scoring affair.
And keep an eye out for Mekeli
Wesley - a 6-9 230-pound power for-
ward who averages 17 points. He can
also hit the three, shooting 42-percent.
Hawaii (17-13) - Midwest Region
No. 12
The Warriors have have won seven
Championships -
something no one
has done since the
glory days of
UNLV (89-91).
The strength of
this team, and the
a'?
< ,
of their last eight
No. 9 seed Fresno
State.
Hawaii is poised
to squeeze another
game out against
Syracuse, espe-
including two over
13
Who boasts the
nation's longest
winning streak?
That's right, the
boys from Hofstra
Y
;
x ; ';
; '? '"
..
:
key for its first-round matchup with
Ohio State, is defense. This year, Utah
State has held its opponents to 38-per-
cent shooting and just 56.8 points per
game.
BYU (23-8) -West Region No. 12
Just four seasons ago, BYU won just
a single game. Now, they are the
cially with Preston Shumpert's shooting
eye a little blurred. The Orangemen's
best player suffered a corneal abrasion
of his right eye Friday in a BigEast
semifinal loss to Pittsburgh.
U U
THIS WEEKEND IN
Presented by
BRAD QUINN/Daily
Jay Vancik and the rest of the Wolverines are now playing with their backs
against the wall, as one loss could mean the end of the season.
MICHIGAN ATHLETICS ..rhr
"I think he can play both - as you
saw, he's dangerous in both situations,
but with a couple of shorthanded goals
coming against us in recent weeks, we
decided to put just defensemen back
there," Berenson said.
2. Intensity. The "parity in the
CCHA" is no longer a convenient cop-
out for Michigan - it's a legitimate
concern.
Bowling Green, the lowest seed
ever to crack the semifinals of the
CCHA tournament after knocking
off Miami and Northern Michigan,
is this year's Cinderella and proof of
the league's growing strength.
Just the same, the Wolverines
played down to the level of many
lesser teams this season, but showed
a flicker of the intangibles against
Ferris State, which could launch
them into April.
"The guys are realizing that we have
a great team and we don't want to
regret something down the road, and
say 'we could have done this, we could
have done that,"' senior forward Bill
Trainor said. "We realize that this is
the playoffs."
The extra mustard on shots and the
extra attention to detail on defense
isn't lost on the coaching staff.
"There's a bit more urgency, like
'hey if we don't get this going we'll be
in trouble,"' Powers said.
Injury Update: Cammalleri has
missed practice the past two days,
while Kosick did not dress yesterday.
Both are battling sickness.
"Cammalleri looked like a ghost
today, Berenson said.
The availability of both players for
Friday will likely be determined by
Whether or not they practice today,
Berenson noted.
Defenseman Dave Huntzicker -
who left Friday night's game and sat
out Saturday night with an injury to
his right shoulder - has reported no
ill effects in practice this week and
should be ready to play against
Nebraska-Omaha.
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
. ..
vs. Virgina Cavaliers
NCAA TOURNAMENT
VS. WEST VIRGINIA
SATURDAY, MARCH 17TH
7PM
CRISLER ARENA
- SENIOR NIGHT
*FREE 2001 TRADING CARDS
TO THE FIRST 1000 FANSI!
ESPN Sat. March
South Bend,
17th, 11am
IN A
"FAN APPRECIATION NIGHT,
vs. MICHIGAN STATE
Friday, March 16th
7pm
CRISLER ARENA
- Senior Night
-Prizes & Giveaways
throughout the meet!!
g., f
rd
"
C(oaches
support
Ellerbe
By Chris Burke
y Sports Writer
The announcement on Tuesday that
Brian Ellerbe would no longer be head
coach of the Michigan basketball came
as little surprise.
)%,3ut that did not soften the difficulty
involved with Ellerbe losing his posi-
tjon. That was evident by the sympathies
t ressed by other Michigan coaches.
I feel bad for 'everybody involved
a1i I feel bad for any coach who does
best and it doesn't work out," said
IlaIgan hockey coach Red Berenson,
w.o was removed from his coaching
piition with the St. Louis Blues of the
NAIL earlier in his career. "I hope it
Wirks out for the best in the interest of
Ociigan and for Brian."
:-Nany of Michigan's other coaches said
th they were involved with their own
tens, thereby limiting personal opinion
i 1he basketball team's situation.
p spite of that, they were aware that
Eperbe was put into a tough situation
atihat his dismissal was hard for him.
°4think that Brian was in a very diffi-
ctsvot' Michigan women's gymnastics
c(*1h Bev Plocki said. "He had to try and
run his team under the whole Ed Martin
spotlight and that was a difficult task."
Un addition to feeling for Ellerbe,
coaies expressed sympathies for
Michigan athletic director Bill Martin's
task.
-Ie's a class guy," said Berenson of
Martin. "I'm sure that this is the hardest
thing he's faced since he's come to
Mishgan. He's well thought of by the
coaches and he's off to a good start, but
thilhas got to be a difficult thing for him,'
Martin has beefnon the job at the
Uriversity for just Aver a year, and the
coclies that were willing to speak about
the"Elerbe matter all agreed that the sit-
n was most likely taken care of as
w as it could have been.
'I'm sure that it was well handled,"
Michigan men's swimming coach Jon
Urblanchek said. "Michigan had to move
on under different leadership."
xespite the positive feelings
expressed towards Ellerbe and towards
.
..
4W
Nei-tker did 1
ou~4t o4P ever~
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