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PORTSI'

THURSDAY
APRIL 5, 2001

8Kt.,


ne to remember

Best of the best
Blue returns to Albany for
some unfinished business
Michigan's run at a record 10th
paTional title resumes today against
Boston College in
'he Frozen Four.
Michigan coach
Red-Berenson's
'9 title came
ginst the Eagles in a game that
featred star goalie Marty Turco
(right, holding trophy).
"There are a lot of similarities,"
captain Geoff Koch said of this
year s team as compared to the '98
title team.
The game starts at 7:35 and will
be televised on ESPN2 and broad-
cast on WTKA and WCBN.
See stories, page 10A

JON
SCHWARTZ

Blue needs one more
chance against Spartans

ALYSSA WOOD/Dadiy
Sophomore Mike Cammalleri (left) and freshman Mike Komisarek (right) hope to celebrate the way that Marty Turco did in
1998 -- with a national title.

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LBANY N.Y. - You're not
going to hear this often: I think
t's your duty as a Michigan fan
to root for Sparty this afternoon.
And I mean cheer hard.
Why, you ask? Michigan needs one
more chance to beat Michigan State.
Of course, coach Red Berenson
would never look past Boston College,
the team Michigan will face tonight, but
even he admitted that he would like to
get a chance at the ultimate redemption.
"Yeah, I really would like the opportu-
nity (to play State) because I think with
our team's focus right now and even the
way we played in those games it would
be a great game,"'Berenson said.
Never underestimate Berenson's abili-
ty to underestimate.
It's his job to make sure that the team
doesn't look past the Eagles today. It's
his job to keep his team's focus in check.
It's his job to make sure that his team is
ready to play either North Dakota or
Michigan State in the final.
But I have a hunch that Berenson
doesn't just want to play the Spartans. I
think that he's dying to.
He has every reason to want another
shot. Look at the season - four losses,
one overtime win. And while Michigan
did play well in each game, the record
stands for itself. State's goalie Ryan
Miller was just too good, too often.
Yeah, I know Michigan lost to State
four out of four times during the 1998
title run. But the Spartans weren't on top
of the college hockey world that year.
This year, they've been unstoppable.
Right now, Michigan is playing
arguably its best hockey of the season. It
breezed past Ferris State in the first
round of the CCHA Playoffs, played
well against Nebraska-Omaha in the

semis before losing to - you guessed it
- Michigan State in the finals, had a
good game against Mercyhurst in the
first round of the NCAAs and played
exceptionally against St. Cloud --
Berenson's choice for the best team in
the entire tournament.
Simply stated, Michigan is ready to
make history. The Wolverines are ready
to meet the Spartans for the first time in
the history of the championship game.
"I just want to get into that final game,
but if it was against State, well, that
would be special," Craig Murray said.
Special is right. With apologies to
Berenson, there is no doubt that Michi+
gan State is the strongest team in the
tournament. It has a defense that can't be
broken, and a goalie - the best in the
nation - who only needs to pick up the
few pieces that the blueliners can't stop,
Should Michigan lose to the Spartans.
chalk it up to the nation's best team ,
proving itself worthy. But if the Wolver.
ines win, if they use the pent up aggres.
sion and momentum to sock it to Sparty,
then not only have they beaten the best,
but also, the bragging rights they'd have
to bring up the road to East Lansing
would be unparalleled.
It's like Duke-North Carolina in base
ketball's championship or Florida and 7
Florida State going for the title in college
football. It would be unbelievable.
So I plan on breaking a rule today. I;
you're reading this between the hours
1 and 4 p.m., it's a pretty good bet that
I'm sitting in the stands at Pepsi Arena
and rooting for those damn Spartans.
I hope wherever you are that you're-
joining me.
- Jon Sch wartz can be reached
atjlsz @umich.edu

I

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