Daily forum Is something about Michigan's hockey team bothering you? Are you disappointed by your favorite team's coverage? Just plain bored? 'stop yelling from the sidelines. Speak your mind at ' uichigandaily.com/forum. We'll see you there. "- ichigandaily.com/sports ]P()[di&m ~~ TUESDAY MARCH 20, 2001 Irish insurmountable Women fall to Notre Dame, could use a little r..* By David Horn Daily Sports Writer NoNOTRE DAME Two days after St. Patrick's Day, Notre Dame didn't need any luck to finish off the underdog Wolverines by a count of 88-54 last night in the second round of the Midwest regional. i :; There was nothing lucky about Notre Dame's All- >'< America center Ruth Riley's 21 points, a game-high - 'j. or Michigan's29.7-percent shooting in the second half. Senior captain Anne Thorius' decorated Michigan career came to an end at the hands of the second-ranked Fighting Irish. But in her finale, Thorius played all but two minutes against Notre Dame. The Wolverines exit the NCAA Tournament after an impressive run to the postseason and first-round victory over Virginia, but showed last night that they are yet a few years and a few players away from being a national contender. "Let's just give Notre Dame a great deal of credit," Michigan coach Sue Guevara said. "They just had too much, too quickly, and we just didn't have enough. I think that you try so throw everything that you possibly can, and they responded to everything we threw at them." r:1;r Michigan started the game wel before a hostile Joyce - MRORIE MARSMHLL/Dail Center crowd of 9,597 - much as they did against Big Michigan coach Sue Guevera (left) didn't have many reasons to smile yesterday as Ten champion Purdue in West Lafayette. Sophomore the Wolverines fell to the second-ranked Fighting Irish on the road, 88-54. LeeAnn Bies was busy as a bee, matched against the 6- Thori"us finishes granld caireer on down note By Benjamin Singer and missed opportunities." country. Anyone who looks back on the Daily Sports Writer The unquestioned leader of the team could Wolverines' history will dismiss this game for not rise up against the almighty Fighting Irish. what it is - an understandable loss. NOTRE DAME - This was not a story- She could not lift her teammates or herself, And anyone who looks back and remem- book ending. With 37 seconds left on the with one of her poorer outings of the year. bers Thorius will recognize what she has truly clock, senior Anne Thorius - her career at The 32.9 shooting percentage for Michigan meant to the Michigan program. Michigan already effectively over with Notre was in part due to her 2-for-9 performance, "She's had some very good games for us Dame leading 86-54 - was called for a dou- mustering just five points. Although she can and she's been a great building block for us," ble-dribble. smile at her six assists, her seven turnovers Michigan coach Sue Guevara said. "I feel bad When she slammed the ball down on the didn't help the Wolverines' ball control. for her. We got drilled and sometimes that's court in knowing-frustration, it was an excla- "If you have to look at it from the positive the last thing you remember - and you can't mation point on a disappointing game for the side, I had the opportunity to play my last think about that. Think about all the good Wolverines. game at Michigan against the number-one things that you've accomplished" "I don't think that is something that shuld team in the country," she said. Before the point guard traveled to Michigan happen considering how long I've played," But this loss will not be her legacy. from her home of Horsholm, Denmark, the Thorius said. "It just kind of concludes what Michigan came in as heavy underdogs Wolverines finished eighth or lower in the Big happened in the entire game - our turnovers going into the home of the No. 2 team in the See SENIOR, Page 12 luck for future foot-4 Riley. The Irish's biggest gun was held to a quiet 10 points in the first half, but as Thorius and other Wolverines collapsed to help Bies, Notre Dame's long threats wore loft wide open. Guards Alicia Ratay and Jeneka Joyce each shot 3-5 from behind the arc in the first half, and combined to shoot 50 percent on the night. "Double teaming is something I have faced a lot this year," Riley said. "I did not expect them to triple team me with all the talented players we have on the court: The Wolverines were as cold as the Irish were hot in the first frame, as their starters shot a combined 10-29 from the field. Bies did not convert a field goal all game. "I knew it would be tough (to be defended by Riley), and I got a lot of good shots that just didn't fall," Bies said. But despite the poor shooting in the half and the overwhelming Notre Dame offense, Michigan found itself down just 13 with 12 seconds left before halftime. A last-second three by Joyce upped the count to 16, ominously foreshadowing the next half. "At that point, I didn't think we wore playing very smart' Guevara said. "You can't leave people like Jane- ka Joyce and Alicia Ratay open. You have to make it very difficult for them to get a shot off. That was kind of a 'gotcha' right there." Michigan has rebounded from poor first halves before. See IRISH, Page 12 Andy Hilbert is one of the finalsts for the Hobey Baker as a scoring leader SopholmoreA stars ke to NCAA fte By Joe Smith Daily Sports Editor There are not many secrets to solv- ing the Michigan hockey team. Its top scorers, sophomores-Mike Cammalleri and Andy Hilbert, rank in the top six in the nation in scoring, while accounting for 30 percenr of the Wolverines' offensive output. Simply stated, as Hilbert and C& malleri go, so goes Michigan. "You know that they're a big part of our team," Michigan coach-Red Berenson said. "And you know that everybody else knows that too." Many coaches around the CCHA insist that the key to stopping Michi- gan consists of shutting down its two main stars. Such a containment can be accomplished by simply beatin them up in an attempt to get them off r games. Most coaches send' gri y checking lines to shadow Hilbert and Cammalleri's every stride. "You just have to work hard and be See STARS, Page31l One final drive for the road for senior Anne Thorius, who played her final game in a Michigan uniform yesterday. w heartBREAKeRS You are invited to a Special Advance Screening of heartBREAKeRS Sponsored by Date: Thursday, March 22, 2001 Time: 8 p.m. Location: Natural Science Auditorium Brought to you by iV Admission is free! Please arrive early! Seating is available on a first-come, first-served basis with pass holders admitted first. Students may pick up passes at 4002 Michigan Union. I