The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - November 5, 2001 - 7B BIG TEN Continued from Page 1B After the win versus Northwestern, the Wolverines were looking for revenge against Ohio State, who gave the Wolverines their first Big Ten loss earlier this season in Columbus. The Wolverines felt that they had dominated that game, allowing few scoring opportunities for the Buckeyes. "They scored two goals on two shots" goalie Maureen Tasch said, "They finish every opportunity; we need to start finishing some of our own." The Wolverines dominated the early play, until Ohio State's Vanessa Immordiro scored on a penalty shot which she lifted into the left-hand corner of the goal. The Wolver- ines immediately regained control of the match, until the Buckeyes' Jenee Doto scored on a penalty corner from Lore- na Morgan. The Wolverines began to press offensively, trying to tight- en up the match before halftime. But with the increase in their offensive intensity, the Wolverines allowed Marije van Nouhuys to slip behind the defense to score a breakaway goal to give the Buckeyes a 3-0 lead. "If we let the most dangerous player (van Nouhuys) in the Big Ten have a breakaway we're not going to win," Tasch said. After three goals in just 25 minutes, the Buckeyes were shut out for the remainder of the match, but the Wolverines were unable to capitalize and could not decrease the deficit. The Buckeyes concentrated their attention on defense and forced the Wolverines to shoot through a crowd of players. Ohio State goalie Allison Blanton finished the afternoon with eight saves to Tasch's zero. "They scored three goals on three shots and their goal- tender won it for them today," Pankratz said. After another disappointing loss this weekend, the Wolver- ines are still looking forward to the NCAA Tournament and are optimistic about their play. The tournament brackets will be announced tomorrow. "We're keeping our head up" attacker Adrienne Hortilossa said, "We've got it. We had a lot of passes that connected. We'll get them next time." Aggressive play allowed Hortilossa - who is only a fresh- man - to spend much more time on the field after the Wolverines fell behind early. "She's a pure scorer," Pankratz said of Hortilossa "We were trying to make up three goals." The Wolverines did score two goals in the second half that could have changed the momentum of the game, but both goals were called back. "(The referee) said that they were too high," Pankratz said. "We've had bad breaks all year," forward April Fronzoni said "But, we should of capitalized. We put it all on the line." 1 Icers rebound, sweep pair from Nanooks By J. Brady McCollough Daily Sports Writer This weekend, with its back against the wall, the No. 14 Michigan hockey team (3-3-1 CCHA, 4-4-1 overall) played with desperation for the first time this season. "(Michigan) looked like a team that was pissed off," Alaska-Fairbanks coach Guy Gadowsky said. "It was gritty all six periods. I can't remember any stretch in the weekend where it was a compla- cent hockey team." During their first two conference series, the Wolverines did not play con- sistently. This weekend against the upstart Nanooks (2-4, 6-4), Michigan played 120 minutes of solid hockey,' beating Alaska-Fairbanks by a score of 2-1 on Friday night and completing its first sweep of the young season with a 4-0 shutout on Saturday night. "We've been giving up an average of three goals a game, and coming off the two losses at home, to come up here and take two games against a team like Fair- banks - and they're a real good team now - is a big accomplishment for us," said Michigan coach Red Berenson. Michigan was led by the steady, per- formance of senior goaltender Josh Blackburn. He stopped all 36 shots he faced Saturday night, earning Michigan its first shutout of the season. With the 4-0 blanking, Blackburn is now two shutouts awax from owning the Wolver- ines' all-time record. "He seemed to find the puck all the time," Gadowsky said. "There were bod- ies in front and multiple shots - he did- n't just stop one shot. He was tracking the puck extremely well." Blackburn wasn't alone in keeping the Nanooks' offense grounded. The Wolverines' penalty killing unit - a concern at times this season - didn't allow a powerplay goal all weekend, holding Alaska-Fairbanks to an 0-12 mark with the man advantage. ' "They were extremely aggressive," Gadowsky said. "We had a few chances, but they were very successful. Michigan did a great job of taking ice time away in a hurry, and we didn't real- ly adjust." One of Michigan's problems in its previous series has been its inability to capitalize on scoring chances. The Wolverines outshot their opponents in six consecutive games prior to this weekend, yet only won two of those con- tests. The Nanooks outshot Michigan in both games in the series, but when the Wolverines got a chance, they lit the lamp. "The difference was Michigan did an excellent job on capitalizing," Gad- owsky said. "They didn't have a ton of odd-man rushes, but the ones they had they converted on." The story of the weekend offensively was the play of the Wolverines' fresh- men. Forwards Milan Gajic, Dwight Helminen, Jason Ryznar and Eric Nys- trom all tallied goals for Michigan, and defenseman Eric Werner had two assists. "They're young and there was a lot of energy - a lot of jump," Gadowsky said of the Michigan freshmen. Buried near the'bottom of the confer- ence at the start of the weekend, Michi- gan needed two victories in Fairbanks to propel itself back into the conference race. Even though the Wolverines earned the sweep, Berenson knows there is still work to be done. "I think a lot of people (in Alaska) think that Michigan is a powerhouse perennially, but we're not," Berenson said. "We're a team that's got a lot of young players, and we've got some play- ers that are missing as well. We've had our backs to the wall this year it seems, so this is the best weekend we've had." FRIDAY'S GAME Michigan 2. AlaskaFairbanks I Michigan 1 1 0 -2 Alaska-Fairbanks 0 0 1 - 1 Fst period -1. UM, Gaic 1 (Helminen), 17:16 (pp). Penal ties-UAF, Herman(tripping), 1:57; TEAM UM (too many men on ice), 7:01: UM, Komisarek (roughing), 12:03; UAF, Voros (roughing), 12:03; UAF, Austin (slashing), 17:13. - Second period-2. UM, Ortmeyer3(Srouneyia, Bumes), 0:52.Penalties-UM, Shouneyia (interference), 1:00;UAF, Hickey (tripping), 2:26;:UM, Cammalleri(crosschecking), 4:26. Third period-3. UAF, Voros 4(Carriere, Andrews) 18:59. Penalties- UM, Komisarek (hooking), 3:08; UM, Burnes (cross-checkig), 4:29. Sho oal- UM, 1093-22:UAF,4-11-12-27. PowerPlays-UM, 1oft3;UAF,0of 5. Saves - UM, Blackburn34- 26; UAF, Mayes 2-2-0 - 17. Reree -Kevin Hall Linesmen - Jonathan Morrison, Todd Lacina. At: Carison Center, Fairbanks, Alaska. Attendace: 4,076. SATURDAY'S GAME Michigan 4, AlaskaFairbaiks 0 Michigan 1 1 2 -4 Alaska-Fairbanks 0 0 0 - 0 First period- 1. UM, Helminen 3 (Cammalleri, Werner), 15:40. Penalties-UM, Fraser (high-sticking),6:41; UAF, Rask (boarding). 9:16; UM, Komisarek (roughing), 11:42. Second period-2. UM, Shouneyia(Camrnaller, 18:27 (sh). Penalties- UM, Rogers (holding), 9:31; UAF, Lang (interference), 11:31; UAF, Sylvestre (disqualification), 13:11; UAF, Sylvestre (slashing), 13:11; UM, Ortmneyer (tripping), 16:36; UM, Ortmeer (interferencei, 19:12. Third period-3. UM, Ryznar3 (Shouneyia, Ortmeyer), 3:09;:4. UM, Nystrom 3 (Swistak, Werner), 11:38. Penalties - UM, Ortmeyer (elbowing), 14:07: UM, Cammalleri (roughing), 15:22: UM. Blackburn (rough- ing), 15:22; UM, Blackburn (roughing), 15:22; UAF, Voros (roughing), 15:22; UAF, Voros (roughing), 15:22; UM, Wyzgowski (10-minute misconduct), 15:22. Shots on gal -UM, 10137 -30; UAF, 101412 -36. Power Plays - UM, 0 of 3; UAF, 0 of 7. Saves- UM,Blackburn 441- 36; UAF, McKay 4-2-0 - 26. Referee - Kevin Hall. Linesmen-- JonathanMorrison, Todd Lacina. At: Carlson Center, Fairbanks, Alaska. Attendance:s,'936. LESLIE WARD/Daily Freshman midfielder Katy Moyneur and the rest of the Wolverines lost to Ohio State, 3-0, on Saturday. 'M' struggles to bury its chances Hortillosa, seven other Wolverines named to all-conference teams By Bob Hunt Daily Sports Writer EVANSTON - It seemed as if the Michigan field hockey team had final- ly broken through. With two minutes remaining in the Wolverines' loss to Ohio State in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday, Jessica Rose blasted the ball over Ohio State goaltender Allison Blanton to finally put Michigan on the scoreboard. Or so the Wolverines thought. While both squads were walking back to the middle of the field, the two referees started to converse. All of a sudden, the goal was disallowed. This sent Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz into a frenzy, wondering why the goal was disallowed. All referee Suzi Stammer would tell Pankratz was that the shot by Rose "was too high." Such events have been symbolic of Michigan's struggles against top teams this season. In each of its five losses, each of which were against teams ranked in the top 15, Michigan has outshot its opponent. On Saturday, Michigan had eight shots on goal in comparison to Ohio State's three, but the Buckeyes scored every time it put the ball on net. In Michigan's regular season meet- ing with the Buckeyes, Ohio State's only two shots on goal also went in, resulting in a 2-1 Michigan defeat. In both meetings the Wolverines had at least twice as many penalty corners as the Buckeyes, with 12 corner opportunities to Ohio State's six on Saturday and 14 to Ohio State's three in the regular-season matchup. But the Buckeyes have been able to put the ball in the net when they have had the chance, while Michigan has- n't. "They finish every opportunity they get, and we need to at least finish some percentage of our opportunities," Michigan goaltender Maureen Tasch said. Michigan's bad luck goes beyond Ohio State. In their other Big Ten loss to Penn State, the Wolverines outshot the Nittany Lions 10-7. Earlier in the season against No. 4 North Carolina at the Temple Invitational, the Wolver- ines had 1 1 penalty corners to the Tar Heels' three and out-shot them 10-6 but lost 2-1. In their season opener against No. 3 Wake Forest, the Wolverines outshot the Demon Dea- cons 17-12 but lost in overtime 3-2. "If I had the answer, we wouldn't have done it," -Pankratz said. "Some- times that's a hockey game. Hockey games are that way." It's almost as if the Wolverines only have half the goal with which to work.. According to forward April Fronzoni, the team has had numerous goals dis- allowed for intentionally lifting the ball. But those same high goals seem to be allowed for their opponents. "We've had bad breaks all year," Fronzoni said. Since Michigan is likely to enter the NCAA Tournament with an at-large bid next week, a new season lies ahead. If they can find a way to put the ball in the net, the Wolverines are still very capable of winning Michigan's first national championship in a women's sport. "We're still staying strong. We have our heads up," forward Adrienne Hor- tillosa said. "We still have two weeks to go. We're not done. We're not fin- ished." WOLVERINES RECOGNIZED: Consider- ing all of the talent on the Michigan team and throughout the Big Ten, freshman forward Adrienne Hortillosag did not think she was going to receive recognition at the Big Ten awards bani quet on Thursday. But, she ended up being Michigan's star of the evening. Hortillosa waE named Big Ten Freshman of the Yea4 and was also named to the All-Big Ter second team. "I did not expect that at all. But I'n really grateful for it and really sur-i prised. I'm glad I got it," Hortillosa said. Hortillosa has been a big goal scorer off the bench for the Wolverines this season. The forward from Chula Vista, Calif. was tied for second on the teams in goals during the regular season with eight, including four game-winners. Her game-winning goal in overtimes against No. 6 Michigan State earned; .her Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors. "She has some amazing talent in the circle, and really wonderful skills," Pankratz said. "She was able to finisho a lot of great goals during the season that were game-winners. She was per-# forming in the clutch and deserving of the award." Three Wolverines were named to: the All Big-Ten first team - defend-t ers Kristi Gannon, Stephanie Johnson and Catherine Foreman. "They are the foundation of our; backfield. They are the foundation of our team. I think they are some of the best defenders in the whole nation." Pankratz said. Fronzoni, Rose and Tasch joined Hortillosa on the second team. STANDINGS CCHA Team W L T Pts GF GA .:. ROUNDUP OVERALL warT Michigan State Northern Michigan Miami Ohio State Michigan - Nebraska-Omaha Western Michigan Ferris State Alaska-Fairbanks Notre Dame Bowling Green Lake Superior 5 4 3 3 3 3 2 2 2 1 1 1 2 1 0 2 3 1 3 3 4 2 4 5 11 9 7 7 7 6 5 4 4 3 3 2 30 19 17, 16 18 13 20 14 16 12 15 9 16 13 -12 18 16 6 26 12 20 15 22 23 5 4, 5 3 4 6 3 4 6 1 1 2 21 1 1 21 21 4 1 20 32 30 40 52 52 60 Thursday's game MICHIGAN STATE 6, Bowling Green 3 Friday's games Western Michigan 4, MIAMI 4 MICHIGAN STATE 4, Bowling Green 0 Michigan 2, ALASKA-FAIRBANKS 1 Notre Dame 5, NORTHERN MICHIGAN 4 FERRIS STATE 2, Lake Superior 0 OHIO STATE 1, Nebraska-Omaha 0 Saturday's games: Nebraska-Omaha 4, OHIO STATE 1 MIAMI 5, Western Michigan 2 Michigan 4, ALASKA-FAIRBANKS 0 NORTHERN MICHIGAN 4, Notre Dame 1 FERRIS STATE 6, Lake Superior 2 Wolverines unfazed by defeats in dual meets By Kyle O'Neill Daily Sports Writer Considering the training regimen that the Michigan women's swimming and diving team endures, early success can't be measured by wins or losses - it has to be measured by toughness. Even though their record fell to 0-3 after losses to North Carolina and Min- nesota this weekend, the Wolverines proved to many, including themselves, that they are ready for any difficulties the season may present them. Friday's competition was the harsh- est for the Wolverines as they had just come off a very tough week of practice only to lose two of their best in meet warm-ups. Sophomores Annie Weilbacher (but- terfly) and Kelli Stein (breaststroke) both strained leg muscles before com- petition began and missed Friday's contest. The injuries not only left the Wolverines short in the individual events, but also in the medley relays where Weilbacher and Stein were diffi- cult to replace. "The injuries hurt us a lot in the meet," Michigan coach Jim Richard- son said. "But Saturday we swam a lot better. It was a brand new day." On Saturday. Weilbacher returned meter board, where she finished third. In addition, she and the rest of the divers were without a coach for the second straight day'- diving coach Dick Kimball was in Ann Arbor with the men's divers in their meets. "It's easier to get fired up for the first day," Kelemen said. "There was - some better competition from Min- nesota and North Carolina, which brings out your best. "I've gotten used to (not having Kimball at every meet), but having a coach there gives you an advantage." The Wolverines even got help from a swimmer who-is not usually in the No. 1 position. After finishing eighth in the 100- yard breaststroke on Friday, junior Lis- beth Goebel earned points against a tough field with a fourth-place finish in the 200 breaststroke. "Goebel had a very good day (Satur- day). She did a really nice job filling in for Stein and I liked what I saw," Richardson said. What became apparent to Richard- son were the consistent times from his swimmers, and improved times on the second day. 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