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michigandaily.com/sports
sportsdesk@umich.edu
WEDNESDAY Q
OCTOBER 17, 2001
Mink anxious to get
back on ice for Blue
Senior leaders set an
example for spikers
By Steve Jackson
Daily Sports Writer
Mark Mink proudly displays his
misshapen finger.
After breaking it several years ago,
he allowed the injury to heal on its
own, rather than seek medical atten-
tion. He can take it; he's a hockey play-
er.
The junior forward has been out of
action so far this season because of a
broken hand. This injury didn't have
him especially worried, either.
"There wasn't a whole lot of pain,"
said Mink, who had competed in 86
consecutive games before this season
began. "It swelled up a bit, but I still
had some movement."
With the swelling subsided and the
pain almost completely gone, Mink
will return to action for the Wolverines
this weekend.
"I hope that (Mink's return) will
mean a lot to this team," Michigan
coach Red Berenson said. "We need all
the experience that we can get on those
forward lines."
But the journey back to the ice was a
struggle for Mink.
Shortly after the cast was removed
but before the swelling had gone down,
he tried to convince Berenson that he
was healthy enough to play in the
"Cold War" against Michigan State.
"Coach shook my hand ," Mink said,
"and he almost broke it again."
After this experiment, the coaching
staff opted to sit Mink during the big
game.
"Obviously, I really wanted to play
(against Michigan State), but I just
wasn't ready," Mink said.
He returned to practice last week
with a new resolve, but his body just
wasn't prepared for the grind.
Mink was left off of the traveling
roster for the Maverick Stampede this
past weekend in Omaha.
"It was my call," Mink said. "It was
borderline, and I wanted to go on the
road. But we decided that it would be
best for me to rest it and be ready for
the CCHA season."
While his teammates were traveling
to the land of cornfields and Big 12
football, Mink and just three other
teammates were left in Ann Arbor.
Mink followed the action in Omaha
by listening to the radio, but during the
third period on Saturday night, his
reception went out.
"The last I heard it was 2-2 and we
were doing well," Mink said. "So when
I looked on the internet later (the 3-2
loss to Minnesota-Duluth) was kind of
disappointing.
One Wolverine will be especially
glad to see Mink return - forward
John Shouneyia.
"It's a great feeling to have him back
out there," Shouneyia said. "He is
excited to be back on the ice and I am
excited to have him back on my wing."
By Charles Paradis
Daily Sports Writer
This weekend, the Michigan volley-
ball team (5-3 Big Ten, 9-6 overall) will
face its greatest challenge at home this
year. But the Wolverines will be in
good hands - when they take on No.
10 Ohio State and No. 11 Penn State,
they will be led by their senior co-cap-
tains, Annie Maxwell and Shannon
Melka, who both know what makes a
good captain.
"Some good qualities are confidence,
level-headedness, a good communica-
tor and a very hard work ethic," Melka
said in reference to what characteristics
a captain should have.
Confidence is a major issue for
Michigan this weekend. The unranked
Wolverines must have confidence as
they face two ranked opponents at Cliff
Keen Arena. Fortunately, both captains
recognize the importance of a confident
leader and neither lacks confidence in
themselves or their teammates.
The Wolverines' co-captains may be
different in their styles of leadership,
but the team benefits greatly from both
Maxwell and Melka.
"We have two captains and I think
that is really important to our success,"
Maxwell said. "It allows each captain
to be good at what they are good at."
Maxwell is and has always been an
emotional player. She considers herself
a very fiery player and uses this energy
to lead the team. Melka, on the other
hand, is very cool-headed. In her role as
setter, she tries to keep a calm head to
keep the offense running smoothly.
"I can't get all fired up and sporadic,
because that's going to affect my job
and affect five hitters around me,"
Melka said.
While the two seem like day and
night where emotion is concerned, they
both agree that the most important
thing a captain must do is lead by
example. To that end, both captains try
to work hard no matter what the cir-
cumstance.
"My main focus of my whole entire
career has just been to go hard for
every single ball, whether it is in double
days of practice or it's the end of the
season at the NCAA Tournament on
the court,' Maxwell said.
This work ethic has earned the co-
captains the respect of both their team-
mates and their coach.
"I think both of them have been great
leaders," Michigan coach Mark Rosen
said. "I think they have really helped
the transition of the younger players."
In particular, Melka has had a major
impact on the team as of late. After
returning to a starting role midway
through the season, she has been a sta-
bilizer and a motivator for the Wolver-
ines.
"(Melka) leads by example and the
team really responds to that," Rosen
said. "They play really hard for her."
A
DANNY MOLOSHOK/Daily
Junior forward Mark Mink is eager to return to the ice for Michigan.
The two juniors have been playing
hockey together for seven years. Dur-
ing their time at Michigan, Shouneyia
estimates that they have been on the
ice together at least 75 percent of the
time.
"I've definitely missed him a lot,"
said Shouneyia, who has just one point
this year after finishing third on the
team in scoring last season. "We really
know where each other are on the ice."
In addition to the sixth sense the two
forwards have developed, their styles
also match up well.
"Mink is pretty much a shooter, and
I am pretty much a passer," Shouneyia
said. "We work well together. If I can
find him, I know that he'll bury it."
vii
a
After difficult losses,
Wolverine
By Rohit Bhave
Daily Sports Writer
With a tough Big Ten game against
Wisconsin (0-2 Big Ten, 6-5-1 overall)
Sunday, the Michigan men's soccer
team needs a productive week of prac-
tice.
The Wolverines (1-3, 7-4-1) have
struggled recently, going 0-3-1 in their
last four games. This includes losses to
Big Ten leader Indiana and third-place
Michigan State.
Although the recent losses have
dropped Michigan to fifth in the Big
Ten, the tough matches against quality
competition have taught the Wolverines
a great deal about the team's strengths
and weaknesses.
This week, coach Steve Burns is pri-
marily concerned with his team's health
and overall fitness.
"This is the time of the season when
the starting unit is very fit but also very
banged up," Burns said. "This is a time
when the reserve players do not have the
same fitness level but are very healthy."
s regroup
Against Michigan State, the Wolver-
ines fell prey to many breakaways.
While the Spartans' strategy may have
played a part in generating scoring
chances, the Wolverines' heavy legs
may have also contributed.
"When fitness goes, the mind goes
with it,' Burns said. "This is most evi,
dent on the defensive side of the ball
and in transition from attack to
defense."
While Michigan runs itself into shape
in practice, it will also work to imple-
ment a three-forward look. The Wolver-
ines are blessed with three strong
attackers in forwards Jody Keeling and
Robert Turpin and midfielder Mychal
Turpin. Burns will use Mychal Turpin
the rest of the year to take advantage of
his dazzling array of ball-moves.
"By moving Mychal Turpin up front
into one of the three forward positions, I
feel we may be better using his explo-
sive attacking nature and not exposing
ourselves as much defensively," Burns
said.
While putting Mychal Turpin in bet-
ter position to score, Burns is also call-
ing out Keeling and Robert Turpin. In
recent games, both have had decent
scoring chances, but have failed to cash
in at crucial moments.
"Both (Keeling and Turpin) need to
0
a
ALYSSA WOOD/Daily
Robert (No. 15) and Mychal (No. 9) Turpin will need to start scoring more if the
Wolverines want to end their four-game winless streak.
find their form and start putting the ball
into the old onion bag," Burns said.
On defense, the coaching staff
believes placing Matt Niemeyer at
defensive midfield will give the Wolver-
ines a player who can read plays and
disrupt offensive attacks. This move will
further strengthen the defense by shift-
ing Kevin Taylor back to sweeper, his
natural position.
While Burns may be displeased with
his team's recent defensive lapses and
missed offensive opportunities, he is
certainly proud of his team's cohesive-
ness and competitiveness.
"First and foremost," noted Burns,
"this is a team that will stay together and
pull'for one another."
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School of Public Affairs
Meet us at the Michigan Graduate Recruitment Fair
October 24, 3 p.m. - 6 p.m.
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Blanchard
a Naismith
candidate
LaVell Blanchard is one of 30 pre-
season candidates listed for the. Nai-
smith Award by the Atlanta Tipoff
Club.
Last season
Blanchard led
Michigan in threen
categories as a
sophomore. He
averaged 17.8
points and 8.4
rebounds per :
game, and also
led the Wolver-
ines by making Blanchard
40 percent of his three-pointers.
Earlier this year, Blanchard was
named to the Playboy preseason All-
American team.
Blanchard earned All-Big Ten sec-
ond-team honors for the 2000-01 sea-
son and was Big Ten Freshman of the
Year in the 1999-00 season.
Duke junior point guard Jason
Williams was listed as the top presea-
L-
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