The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday -- March 19, 2001- 5B . . .. . . . . Jeff Panzer North Dakoia The WCHA Player of the Year; Panzer led the nation in scoring with 50 assists and 74 points. Brian Gionta, Boston College A three-timhe Hobey Baker finalist. Gionta led the nation in goals this season and scored five times in a game against Maine. Hobey Watch AV, v Here are the Daill hockey writers' favoritesfir the 1 Hobe Baker Award, given to colle >:ti hockeis est play~er Andy Hilbert, Michigan Hilbert led all sophoniores in scoring with 60 points and wVaked havoc on opposing goaltenders with a lethal wrist shot. Ryan Miller Michigan State ,'iller recorded a shuwout in over 30 percent of his starts, giving Michigan State a No. I ranking for the patol fr months. 'M' nominees shut out on CCHA's big night By Jon Schwartz Daily Sports Fditor DETROIT - The Academy Awards may not be for another week, but this past Thursday night at the Fox Theater, the CCHA put on a show with all of the glitz of the Oscars. At the CCHA Awards, players and coaches from the conference were recognized and rewarded for a season full of HOCKEY rd work and heated competi- ion in a night that kicked off the Notebook CCHA Championship Weekend. For the Michigan players, the evening brought no new accolades, as the only recognition that the Wolver- ines were in awards announced earlier in the week. Defenseman Mike Komisarek was named to the All-Rookie team and Jeff Jillson to the All-Academic team. Jillson was also named to the All-Conference first team, along with sophomore forwards Andy lbert and Mike Cammalleri. Goalie Josh Blackburn s named to the second team. "It's such a great honor to be there with those.plav- ers and be in the same company as those players," Hilbert said. "Those are some great players up there and I was just really honored to be up there." While no Wolverines won awards, several were nominated. Komisarek was a candidate for Rookie of the Year, Jillson up for Best Offensive Defenseman, Mike Roemensky for Best Defensive Defenseman and Hilbert for Player of the Year. For Roemensky, the nomination was special since he was first added to the team at midseason last year. "It was a huge honor for me," Roemensky said. "I was a bit surprised. Nobody ha told me I was up for that honor. I take a lot of pride in playingdefense and that was a nice way of telling me that I'm doing well. Hopefully I can keep it up during these playoffs." BAD MEMORIEs: The ghost of Lake Superior almost haunted Michigan again Friday night, when officials reviewed what they thought was a goal after the goal judge hadn't indicated it as such. This time, though, unlike Feb. 22 at Lake Superior when the goal was counted, replay proved inconclusive and the score stayed as it was. "That wasn't a goal," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "It was ridiculous to even think about reviewing it. There was nothing to review." INJURV BUG STINGS AGAIN: As has been the case all season, Michigan was hounded this weekend by untimely injuries. In his first shift on Friday night, defenseman Andy Burnes took a hit to the head that knocked him down and sent him to the showers. He was diagnosed with a mild concussion. "Especially with an injury to the head, you don't want to mess around with it," he said. "I've had a his- tory of concussion'problems so I'm just taking precau- tions. "I've still got a pretty good headache right now." Burnes did not dress for Saturday night's matchup with the Spartans. Senior Josh Langfeld, one of Michigan's most solid wingers lately and a renowned playoff performer, rein- jured his knee on Saturday night. The knee was first hurt on Feb. 17, in a game that was also at Joe Louis Arena and against Michigan State. He played the first period but missed the next two. Still, Berenson expects him to be ready to play against Mercyhurst on Saturday. Michigan appeared to be hampered by the injuries. "Langfeld's definitely a huge part of the team," John Shouneyia said. "Burnes is too. He's one of our best defenseman and not having them hurts our team." East ehan e'. ' . Reg os Reglonals' Semifinals Fit Marh 23-24 March 24-2 " April 5 Ap East Region B ) boston Co. 4) Minnesota 3) Michigan 6) Mercyhurst> West Regional 2 St. Coud East Regional 2) North Dakota 3 Cokrado Col. 6) St Lamrenc @4) WIsconsin - ' 5) Providenc~e West Regonal i)MIchigan State rhf 7 . . . .. . ........... chaf l *110 Miml .i t ll ,..____..T_-- And you thought the CCHA was confusing! bracket The NCAA, using its typical backwards logic, creat- ed a bracket that makes very little sense. instead of the two regions meeting only in the finals, the East No. 1 is slated to meet the West No. 2 in the semifinals, and vice versa, barring upset.s. This makes it possible for an East team to meet. another East team in the finals, creating the potence ti M for a Michigan-Michigan State championship; game, More playground pains for the Wolverines DAVID ATZDIIy CCHA All-Rookie team selection Mike Komisarek sticks it to Nebraska-Omaha's James Chalmers in Michigan's 3-2 victory Friday night. THE 2000 SEASON - PROMISE, INCONSISTENCY, HOPE STRONG START The Wolverines begin the season on a high note, capturing the Johnson-Nissan Classic in October on their way to a No. 1 ranking in the polls on Nov. 4. Facing a difficult nonconference schedule, # Michigan swept the College Hockey Show- case over Thanksgiving, beating two then- top 10 teams in Wisconsin and Minnesota. 9 Confidence was high as Michigan headed__ into Christmas break at 13-3-3. 0ANN MLCsHoh/Dly G.L.I. BLUNDERS With leading scorers Mike Cammalleri and Andy Hilbert and defenseman Mike Komis- arek representing their countries at the World Junior Championships in Russia, Michigan suffered a major bump in the road. " At the Great Lakes Invitational, Michigan lost to Michigan Tech (7-3) and Boston Col lege (&5) to take fourth place in the tour- ney. MARJORIL MARSHAL /Ddily BEAT STATE Following several weeks of inconsistency, Michigan hit the high point of the season by knocking off No. 1 Michigan State in an overtime thriller at Joe Louis Arena, 4-3. This brought Michigan to within three points .* <' of the conference leading Spartans, giving the Wolverines a glimpse of hope for a first- round bye in the NCAAs with a strong finish. BRAD QUINN Daily SEASON LOW With Michigan controlling its own destiny for first place in the CCHA and a possible first-round bye in the NCAAs, Michigan ended the season on a six game skid - going 1-4-1. That included a 4-4 tie to Notre Dame and f a 21 loss to then-last place Lake Superior in Sault Ste. Marie - sending Michigan to______ its worst finish since the 1980-81 season. BRENDAN o DCNNELLDady SWEEP! Michigan finally started to come together and produced its first weekend sweep since January 7th against Lake Superior - and it came at the right time. The No. 3 seeded Wolverines took care of 1,: : No. 8 Ferris State in the first round of the CCHA playoffs, sending them to Joe Louis Arena in their quest for a tournament crown. BRAD QUINN/Dady SAME OLD, SAME OLD Michigan got the game it wanted in the CCHA title game - a rematch against Michigan State. But the Spartans proved superior once again, shutting out the Wolverines, 2-0 and hoisting their banner for the second straight year at Joe Louis. Michigan State owned the Wolverines this season, going 4-1 in the teams' five meetings. DAViD ATZ/Dao y By Ryan C. Moloney Daily Sports Wnter It's a playground fight, really. It makes no difference where on the playground - the monkey bars at Munn Arena, the jungle gym at Yost, slide at Joe Louis Arena -- the bully, Michigan State, stares little Michigan down and pounds its fist in anticipation. Time for the HOCKEY inevitable. S o m e t i m s, Commentary Michigan scrai pi- ly battles back; occasionally managing to get a few licks in. It even won once, Jan. 27 at Joe Louis Arena in what ght have been Michigan's best game of the year. When Andy Hilbert scored the overtime winner, it was for the underdogs - the smaller kid can come out on top sometimes. But that only got the bully more worked up. On Mar. 1, the bully handed Michi- gan a little payback to the tune of a 3-1 score. Afterward, the ever-graceful-in- victory Ryan Miller called Mike Cam- llcri's goal "a gift" and made fun of sophomore center's fall during player introductions. Michigan came out to meet its nemesis on Saturday night, prepared to go down swinging - the chance to bounce Michigan State for the CCHA playoff title could never fail to bring about Michigan's best effort, and it didn't. Problem was, Michigan was looking 0 the haymaker -- the play that would open the floodgates on a seem- DAVID KATZ/Daily Brad Fast and the Spartans' defense made qdick work of Michigan's offense for the fourth time this season, Saturday. ingly impenetrable goalie. Michigan State stuck to dancing and quick jabs. "We couldn't generate that goal we needed early in the game" coach Red Berenson said. Michigan is such a loaded team, strong in every area, it's easy to blame losses on poor effort - against Michi- gan State, this wasn't the case. Twice, Cammalleri weaved to the front of the Michigan State crease for tip-shots, only to be denied by the flawless Miller. At one point, Hilbert whistled a blue line drive up high on Miller- the net- minder froze gingerly, unaware of where the puck ended up. The Spar- tans' defense, steady as usual, quickly cleared it away. Afterwards, Berenson expressed a sincere belief in the closeness between the two teams That might ring true, except on the scoreboard. Sad as it is, over the past four years, the Wolverines are 4-11-2 against Michigan State. The heart goes out to a team like Michigan - the discouragement of losing to such a hated rival regularly only stokes the coals of frustration. But Michigan will bear the scars of the Spartans' abuse going into the NCAA tournament, and who knows? Maybe the bully and bullied will meet again, this time on a special play- ground - Albany. West Regional Van Andel Arena, Grand Rapids A :*rr"rsY x - ..~ I / ., _ _