SPORTS michigandaily.com/sports FRIDAY OCTOBER 12, 2001 9A Amaker poised for tonight's first practice By David Horn Daily Sports Writer There was an easiness and familiarity in Crisler Arena yesterday - one that has not been present there for some time. Gone are the loom- ing questions about firing coaches, off-court mischief and on-court failure. Instead, yester- day's Michigan basketball media day was a chance for a fresh start for a team with recent difficulties, and a clean slate for the relationship between the local media and the Wolverines' new head coach, Tommy Amaker. "I'm not privy to all of the things that may or may not have transpired," Amaker said. "I've talked to our kids from day one -- we start now. It's a good time to-start fresh, to start (with) a clean slate." Amaker spent a little less than an hour fielding questions from reporters, ranging from his prog- nosis of Big Ten powers to the welcome he has received in Ann Arbor. The new coach was calm and confident, but was hesitant to make too many broad predictions on the potential success of his team. He talked instead of his excitement at beginning anew, and the anticipation of the fast-approaching season. "Certainly we're very excited about the prospects of our basketball team finally hitting the floor," Amaker said. "We feel very good about the progress of our program, and we're looking forward to putting the next phase in, which is to start officially (practicing), which will start for us (tonight)." Amaker went on to discuss problems facing his team. The lack of depth in the Wolverines' frontcourt was a reccurring question yesterday, and will likely remain so all season. Amaker was not clear as to how that challenge would be resolved. "We've tried to identify some strengths and some weaknesses of our team," Amaker said. "Right now we are not as deep up front - we have a ways to go with our frontline. We need to make sure that Josh Moore and Chris Young are healthy, which right now, they aren't completely 100 percent. They need to be healthy and we need to keep them out of foul trouble, and I think that's going to be one of the keys for us - how our frontline can stay healthy, and stay on the floor." When asked whether sophomore Bernard Robinson might support his teammates by play- ing up front during the season, Amaker was care- ful not to say what would necessarily be his offensive plan of attack. He stressed the impor- tance of Robinson's health (the guard contracted mono this past summer), and said that the offense would start with sound defense. "I think this ball club will be a team where we're going to try to start on the other end of the floor - with our defense," Amaker said. "We're going to try to be a halfcourt, man-to-man defen- sive team. If we can strive to have that identity, I think our offense will flow. "I think our margin for error is going to be very small." Amaker and his players were happy to talk about not only on-court strategy, but their enjoy- ment of this "new leaf" in the program. Senior Chris Young, who will experience the change for his final year, was excited for and supportive of the change. "There is such a renewed enthusiasm for everything that we do," Young said. "I definitely think there's a renewed interest among the stu- dents. "The change was definitely needed - we weren't having any type of success (in previous years). And now, with coach Amaker, we're going to have tremendous success." MARJORIE MARSHALL/Daily Michgan's new coach Tommy Amaker has instituted some new changes in the basketball program in an attempt to revive the Wolverines. Football Saturday '01: No. 12 Michigan mV No. 16 Purdue TOMORROW, 12:05 P.M., ESPN 1 a fro Tav rch. :.. 3 Deeign s ee F n o t symPuduafe r stga yeagr'spect Pudu ine4-0 thiet esvea, btehas nthaednee. opnet Theseekense WPerdesand Joiller barsoughtlefsrwtdeopnspyo tonthe Big Teni 99- Find out how new quarterback Brandon Hance fits into the system. I As always, Football Saturday contains matchups, a preview of the game and recaps of the teams' efforts last week. That and more in this week's Footba// Saturday. So if you haven't found it yet, look down, it is probably at your feet. If it isn't there you can also pick one up at Michigan Stadium tomorrow. Enjoy! 'M' heads west for wide-open tourney By Seth Klempner Daily Sports Writer This weekend the Michigan hock- ey team is forming a posse and heading out west to play in the Mav- erick Stampede tournament in Omaha. Michigan will face Hockey East preseason favorite Providence in tonight's game. In its second game of the event tomorrow, Michigan will either face WCHA cellar- dweller Minnesota-Duluth or CCHA rival Nebraska-Omaha. Providence, ranked No. 5 in the nation, has a fast style that typifies East Coast college hockey. The success of Michigan will depend on Mike Cammalleri, its John Wayne, to carry the offense. Cammalleri - with his quick shot and pinpoint accuracy - can force teams to play Michigan honest, keeping its defensemen back. In last week's Michigan-Michigan State game, Cammalleri had two goals against Hobey Baker Award winning backstop Ryan Miller. This performance added to his growing reputation as the best offensive play- er in college hockey this year. Cammalleri missed practice the week before the "Cold War" and took the early part of this week off to rest his hip. With him back in the lineup, Michigan is a much more threatening team with a first line Falcons u By Rohit Bhave Daily Sports Writer that is both fast *and physical. Another key for Michigan this weekend will be the play of its blue- line. Mike Komisarek will continue to be a force for the Wolverines, but it is unclear with whom he will be paired. The 6-foot-4 defenseman has lined up with three other defenders this season -- senior Jay Vancik and freshmen Brandon Rodgers and Reilly Olson. Komisarek teamed with Olson in Tuesday's U.S. National Develop- ment Program exhibition game, and both seemed to thrive. Olson netted his first goal of the season on a slap shot from the point while making smart plays on the defensive end. Providence is an offensive jugger- naut and will play at Michigan's pace. Its run-and-gun offense will open things up on the ice. The Friars finished second in Hockey East behind eventual nation- al champion Boston College last season, scoring 3.17 goals per game in conference play. The Friars also return 12 forwards from last season's team and five of their top scoring forwards. Among them is Devin Rask, who had more than 50 points last year. Also shoring up Providence is All- American goalie Nolan Schaefer, who had a 2.47 goals against aver- age to go along with a .915 save per- DAVID KATZ/Daily Captain Jed Ortmeyer and Michigan will be challenged by No. 5 Providence as the Wolverines head to Omaha for the Maverick Stampede. centage last season. But a depleted blueline will hurt the Friars and Schaefer's stellar numbers. After losing their top two defenders from last season (Matt Libby and Jay Leach), Providence has a huge void to fill.' "Jay and Matt played an awful lot of hockey for us last year," Provi- dence coach Paul Pooley said. "They kind of led the way, so guys have to step up their year. We don't have a choice." Pooley stressed the need for his team to play intelligent defense and create odd-man rushes off of oppo- nents' mistakes while avoiding those same mistakes on its own end. "I think we need to continue emphasizing defense as a team and create some good offense from play- ing good team defense," Pooley said. "If we don't do that, then it is going to be a wide-open hockey game and we are going to get in a shoot out." )set M' soccer 1-0 in downpour PLYMOUTH.- Playing in a downpour at Salem High School's soccer field, Bowling Green (4-4-1 overall) held off Michigan's (1-2 Big Ten, 7-3-1) numerous offensive forays, then pounced on its own golden scoring opportunity with just under 20 minutes left in the game. Off a seemingly harmless one-touch pass from the right sideline, Bowling Green midfielder Matt Leardini attacked a crease in the Michigan defense and drilled a hooking shot from beyond the penalty box. The sizzler curved away from diving Michigan goalkeeper Joe Zawacki into the upper right corner of the goal, lifting the Falcons to a 1-0 win over Michigan. Given the slippery, muddy field conditions, the Fal- cons' one-goal lead appeared impenetrable. Yet, the resilient Wolverines, playing without sweeper Kevin Taylor (red card), would not lose without battling back. Shortly after Leardini's goal, Michigan generated scor- ing opportunities, but could not finish.' With 18 minutes left, forward Jody Keeling gath- ered a long cross-pass, streaked up the right side, then shot a threatening ball just over the goal post.'Keeling's opportunity would not be Michigan's last. With less than 15 minutes left, defender J.J. Kern headed a cross from the middle of the goal box that beat leaping Bowling Green goalkeeper David Degraff, but sailed over the cross bat. In this defensive struggle, Degraff did an admirable job negotiating the slippery conditions to control the space in front of his goal. With an ominous mud pud- dle about 10 feet in front of his goal in the second half, Degraff still managed to find the footing to harmlessly bat away every difficult shot he faced. Perhaps his most crucial save came on a breakaway from Knox Cameron. Slicing through themiddle seam of the Bowling Green defense, Cameron juked several defenders. From the top of the penalty box, he fired a hard shot that Degraff punched out of harm's way. With time winding down, Degraff's teammates joined him in choking off any substantial Michigan chances in the last five minutes, occupying the ball in the Wolverines' end and bleeding the clock. Although his team was shut down in the rain, Cameron's offensive play was not unnoticed. Follow- ing the game, a drenched Steve Burns pointed out that Cameron's teammates are starting to learn how to ben- efit from his play-making skills. "Knox had a special game, he almost made the dif- ference tonight," Burns said. . As the Wolverines lick their wounds from last night's defeat, they know that this Sunday's game against third-place Michigan State will hold a greater significance in the Big Ten race. "Michigan State is playing real well right now," Burns said. They "beat Ohio State, so the door for third place (in the Big Ten) is open." Michigan "is a confident team period. We realize Michigan State is not Indiana or Penn State," Burns said. "The longer it can go scoreless or tied, the better chance we have." E wE - ..k 3 / .; ' ow. t