4B - The Michigan Daily - SportsTuesday - January 22, 2002 Slap shouts "He's a good goalie - he's not God." - Michigan forward John Shouneyia talking about Michigan State goalie Ryan Miller after Miller made 42 saves, including 15 in the third period, as the two teams skated to a 1-1 tie on Saturday night. SATURDAY'S GAME Michigan State 1 Michigan 1 (OT) Key play :30 left in the third After a Josh Blackburn misplay, defenseman Andy Burnes dove on the puck and threw it out of the zone, preventing the oncoming Michigan State attackers from scoring into the gaping net. al THE DAILY'S STARS The Michigan Daily hockey writers' picks for Michigan's three stars of the week- end. Dwight Helminen Center The freshman ended an evening of frus- tration for the Michigan offense, beating Michigan State goalie Ryan Miller on a wrist shot to tie the game with 6:37 remaining in the third. Eric Werner Defenseman Werner assisted on Helminen's game- tying goal and created several chances while logging a lot of minutes on the pow- erplay and penalty kill. Josh Blackburn Goalie Blackburn made several dazzling stops on his way to 20 saves and kept the Wolverines in the game. 'M' SCHEDULE This week: Friday vs. Bowling Green Yost Ice Arena, 7:35 p.m. Saturday vs. Bowling Green Yost Ice Arena, 7:35 p.m. Michigan will try to avoid another let- down at home (442 this season) as it hosts Bowling Green. The Falcons have struggled all year, and are cur- rently in 11th place in the CCHA. Michigan swept Bowling Green 61I and 43 in the teams' only two meet- ings last season. How TE TOP 10 FARED No.1 Denver (22-2-0) def. Bemidji State 6-2, def. Air Force 2-1 No. 2 St. Cloud (2041) lost to Brown 4-1, beat Providence 5-2 No. 3 Massachusetts-Lowell (16-5-1) lost to Northeastern 5-3, lost to Northeastern 5-1 No. 4 New Hampshire (1742) def. Massa- chusetts-Amherst 5-1, def. Massachusetts- Amherst 6-1 No. 5 Minnesota (174-4) tied Alaska-Anchor- age 3-3, def. Alaska-Anchorage 5-2 No.6 Michigan State (17-5.3) tied Michigan No. 7 Boston University (145.2) def. Boston College 2-1, def. Boston College 3-1 No. 8 Michigan (13-7-5) tied Michigan State 1-1 No. 9 Northern Michigan (157-2) def. Wayne State 6-3, def. Wayne State 4-1 No. 10 Colorado College (14-8-2) def. North Dakota 6-5, def. North Dakota 1d SATURDAY'S GAME Michigan 1, Michigan State 1(OT) Rivals not at full strength in duel By Seth Klempner Daily Sports Writer Prior to Saturday's 1-1 tie against Michigan State, Mike Cammalleri stepped into the lockerroom in street clothes to say goodbye to teammates before heading back home to Ontario for two weeks to recuperate from his mononucleosis infection. There would be no "win one for the Gipper" speeches or any tears shed. Instead the team just focused on the task at hand - a game for possession of first place in the CCHA. Cammalleri, who had been feeling sick all week, was report- ed to have mono on Thursday afternoon. He will be out indefi- nitely. Playing without Cammalleri is nothing new for the Wolver- ines. The junior had missed five games over the winter break, during which the team went 2-1-2. But more importantly, Michigan increased its goal output with Cammalleri out of the lineup to four goals per game. Without Cammalleri's 15 goals on the season, everyone in the Michigan lockerroom knew the importance of elevating their performance in place of their leading goal scorer. "He is a really good goal scorer and a really good all-around player," freshman Eric Werner said. "(His absence) made everybody on the team step it up a notch, and I felt that every- body did step up and it really showed. We didn't have (Cam- malleri) out there scoring the goals, but we could have used him." Werner was not the only player disappointed to be without Cammalleri. Michigan State goalie, Ryan Miller, against{ whom Cammalleri has scored five career goals against, was also disappointed. But even without Cammalleri, Michigan was able to get off 43 shots against the CCHA's stingiest goal- 0 Michigan goaltender Josh Blackburn kept his team throughout the game, stopping 20 Michigan State shots on the evening.. tender. Miller holds a .943 save percentage and a 1.56 goals against average in CCHA play. "I always like to play against the best that a team has to offer, but I think the rest of their team stepped up," Miller said. "With Cammalleri in the lineup, I think they would have had just as many shots. I think they came out hard, stepped up and played well." But Michigan State had it's own problems with injuries - its players were dropping faster than shares of Enron. Forwards Lee Falardeau and Steve Jackson both injured themselves dur- ing last Tuesday night's game against Ferris State. Then senior defenseman Andrew Hutchinson suffered a neck strain late in the first period against Michigan. He would not return to the game. "Unfortunately we lost Hutchinson to an injury in the first period, and we got down to five defensemen," Michigan State coach Ron Mason said. "(The defen semen) got pretty tired because Michigan was forechecking pretty well and crashing the net. We had to put different combinations together, and they struggled with their timing." 0 SPARTANS Continued from Page 11B The goal came as a blow to the Wolverines, who had thoroughly controlled the game up till that point. But they would not let up: "I let them know that it was a long game," Michigan captain Jed Ortmeyer said. "We had a lot of time left, it was a bad break, but we couldn't worry about the mistakes. We had to move on and keep working." But nothing could be done in the second, and Michigan headed into the lockerroom trailing by one. At that point, frustration began to settle in. "I think (Miller) was good and he was lucky," Michigan freshman Milan Gajic said. "There were a couple of times that he didn't even see the puck, but it ended up in his glove or off his head." Said Helminen: "On another night, some of those shots would have gone in, and we would have won." In the third period, the Wolverines finally broke through. With 6:37 remaining, fresh- man Eric Werner got control of the puck inside the Michigan State zone. He skated in and sent a pass across to Helminen, who blew a wristshot over the shoulder of Miller for the goal. "The play started when I took a pretty good hit into the boards," Werner said. "I got on my feet and saw the puck lying there. I saw Dwight coming from the right side, so I kind of dished it over there." It was the first and only goal Miller has allowed at Yost Ice Arena in his two games. The crowd of 6,986 erupted, finally getting something to cheer about after 50-plus min- utes of nerve-racking hockey. "That was the loudest I have ever seen (the crowd) since I've been here," said the junior Ortmeyer. Said Gajic: "When we skated back to the bench, it was so loud I couldn't even hear myself think." The night gave the Wolverines a major confidence boost. For the second time this season, they tied a higher-ranked Michigan State team, and this time without Cammal- leri. "We outplayed them the whole night," Michigan junior John Shouneyia said. "We know as a team that the puck isn't going to go in every night, and (Miller's) a good goalie. But we know we should have won." M' keeps Spartans on heels. Blackburn solid again in front of rowdy Yost crowd By Chris Burke Daily Sports Writer Michigan State Michigan 0 1 Q 0,.-1 0 o 1 0 -1 Rt~ peod- Pe.aite- MSJ, Etraa (roxENrg), 3:58; UM,Bunes(ash;g),3:58; MSU, Insna(roughinr), 7:56; UM, Rogers(hookirg), 14:51. Second peudod-1. MSU, Lalonde 6 (Goldie,Fast), 12:59. Penalties- UM,Vancik(checkirg from behind), 3:52; MSU, Fast (hit after whstle), 6:48;UM, Kautz(hit aerwhistle), 6:48; UM,Vancik(roughirg), 9:43; MSU,Slater(highstickirg),9:43; UM, Shounyia (hooking), 14:29; UM,Komisarek(roughng), 14:49; MSU, Maloney (roughirg),14:49; MSU, Goldie (hocking), 17:17; MSU, Insana (rughing), 18:35. 7M peiod - 2.iHelnrien 8m(Werner, Ortneyer),13:23. Penalties- UM, Burnes(slashirg), 126; UM, Wemer (ro gh- irg),18:20; MSU, Maloney (slashirg), 18:20. Ovrtie-None Sholsongoal--UM, 914-164 -43; MSU, 8$32-21. PowerPlays-UM,Oof 3; MSU,0of4. Saves-UM, Blackburn-20-21; MSU, Miller -42-43. Referee- Mak Wilkins Lhesm- IKevin Lagseth, Toy Molina At Yost Ice Arena, Am Arbor. Attence6,986. CCHA ROUNDUP Friday's games: Miami 2, Lake Superior 0 Alaska-Fairbanks 2, Western Michigan 2 Nebraska-Omaha 3, Notre Dame 2 Ohio State 3, Yale 2 RPI 3, Bowling Green 0 Northern Michigan 6, Wayne State 3 Saturday's games: Michigan 1, Michigan State 1 Alaska-Fairbanks 6, Western Michigan 3. Lake Superior 6, Miami 3 Nebraska-Omaha 4, Notre Dame 2 RPI 2, Bowling Green 2 Northern Michigan 4, Wayne State 1 Saturday's games: Yale 6, Ohio State 2 MICHIGAN LEADERS Through Jan. 20 - all games Livin' in the past Michigan and Michigan State have dueled in some classic battles over the years. Beginning with the "Cold War" this past fall, here are five games that show how fierce and tight the rivalry has become. Oct. 6, 2001- Michigan 3, Michigan State 3 (OT) at Spartan Stadium - To kick off the 2001-2002 season, the Wolverines and Spartans took their rivalry to the football field when they faced off in the "Cold War" in East Lansing. A back-and-forth game ended in a tie after Michigan State's Jim Slater scored with 47 seconds left in the third period. Jan. 27, 2001- Michigan 4, Michigan State 3 (OT) at Joe Louis Arena - Down 3-2 heading into the third period, the Wolverines tied the game on a goal by Mike Cammalleri and then won it when Andy Hilbert made a spectacular individual move to beat Michigan State goalie Ryan Miller in over- time. Jan. 7, 2000 - Michigan 2, Michigan State 0 at Munn Ice Arena - y After missing 19 consecutive games with a foot injury, Michigan goalie Josh Blackburn returned in style, stopping 23 shots to give the Wolverines their first win over Michigan State since a 2-1 win on Nov. 20, 1998. Jan. 30, 1993 -Mlichigan 11, Michigan State 1 at Joe Louis Arena - The two teams had split two games earlier in the season before the Wolverines trounced the Spartans in the rubber match in Detroit. Jan. 25, 1985 - Michigan State 11, Michigan 2 at Munn ice Arena - In Michigan coach Red Berenson's first season at the helm, the Spartans beat the Wolverines four times, including this rout. Hilbert Entering Saturday's game without its second leading scorer, Mike Cammalleri, and having to face a vaunted Michigan State defense led by standout goalie Ryan Miller, Michigan had to wonder how its offense would perform. But the normally steady Michigan State defense was Hockey nowhere to be found in theN 1-1 tie. Michigan fired 43 Notebook shots on Miller, controlling the tempo - and the puck - for the majority of the night. "The first game I played against them (on Oct. 6), I was like 'Wow, these guys are good,' Michigan freshman forward Michael Woodford said. "But tonight, we could wheel and deal out there. We had them on their heels the whole game." Michigan State senior defenseman Andrew Hutchinson left the game at the end of the first period due to an injury and did not return, further weakening an already strug- gling defensive unit that finally allowed a goal with 6:37 remaining in the third period to tie the game. "I knew they'd throw the kitchen sink at us in the third period," Michigan State coach Ron Mason said. "We tried to protect a one-goal lead more than we should have." FULL HOUSE: Saturday's crowd of 6,986 set a new record for the largest crowd at Yost Ice Arena since it was renovated in 1997. Not only was the crowd large, but it was raucous for the annual "Maize Out" - all fans were asked to wear a maize shirt. The noise levels at Yost reached a limit not heard since Michigan hosted the 1998 NCAA West regional. "It was unbelievable - unreal. I've got the (Vancouver) Canucks back home and even when it was sold out it wasn't like this," said British Columbia native and Michigan forward Milan Gajic. "It was good to see - a lot of games aren't like that, but it was Michigan State, so they all go nuts for that." After Michigan dominated play in the first two periods but was unable to score, the crowd erupted when Dwight Helminen tied the game with 6:27 remaining in the third period. "From warm-ups on, the crowd was going crazy," Michigan forward John Shouneyia said. "It's a great feeling once you step on that ice. You get shivers because the crowd is behind you and is as intense as you are." JUST JOSH-IN': Ryan Miller's 42 saves again stole the spotlight from Michigan goalie Josh Blackburn. But the senior continued his recent string of excellent netminding, turning aside 20 shots. The only shot to get past Blackburn was Mike Lalonde's tip-in with 7:01 left in the sec- ond period, but it came after a Mike Roemen- sky turnover, when Blackburn was helpless to make a save. On several occasions, Blackburn made cru- cial stops. His best save of the game, and pos- sibly the season, came just a minute into the second period. Michigan State created a 3-on-2 chance, and Brian Maloney eventually found himself in alone on Blackburn. Maloney deked to his backhand, but a sprawling Blackburn some- how managed to get his glove on the puck, turning it aside and keeping the game tied at zero for the time being. But a bad bounce nearly ended the game in disappointment for Blackburn and his team- mates, though. With 30 seconds left in the third period, a Michigan State dump-in along the boards took a bad hop into Blackburn's skates as he attempted to corral the puck behind the Michigan net. The puck then popped out in front of the open goal, where Michigan defenseman Andy Burnes improvised by sprawling on the ice and clearing the puck from danger with his hand. "The puck took a funny bounce off the boards and (Blackburn) lost it in his feet," Burnes said. "At that point in the game you're just trying to do whatever it takes to keep the puck out of the net, and I just dove and put my hand on it and tried to swat it out of there." Player 1. Shouneyia 2. Cammalleri 3. Ortmeyer 4. Komisarek 5. Nystrom 6. Ryznar Gajic 8. Woodford 9. Werner 10. Helminen 11. Murray 12. Moss Goals 7 15 7 6 8 8 5 5 1 8 3 3 Assists 20 11 13 9 6 5 8 7 11 3 6 5 Points 27 26 20 15 14 13 13 12 12 11 9 8 PERSEVERING Continued from Page 11B losing four of their top players to the World Junior Championships over win- ter break and beginning the season with 12 players who had never played a col- legiate game, Michigan -just like Werner - climbed back up and found a way to succeed. Prior to last Saturday's loss to Alas- ka-Fairbanks, the Wolverines had been undefeated in their last 11 CCHA con- tests (9-0-2) since their embarrassment against the Wildcats. Without its four stars, Michigan gained depth and increased its confidence over the break. But just when everything seemed to have fallen into place for Michigan and its CCHA title hopes, Mike Cammalleri - its most prolific goal scorer - went down with mono last Thursday. Cammalleri isn't just a goal scorer. He's a captain, a leader and the team's lifeblood - a player who takes the team on his back in crunch time. Once again, fate frowned on the Wolverines and gave them another chance to flounder - to fall down and never get back up. And with No. 6 Michigan State coming to Yost Ice Arena Saturday and leading Michigan by two points in the CCHA standings, the Wolverines could have easily lost their confidence without Cammalleri in the lineup and fallen prey to a disci- plined Michigan State defense and an All-American goaltender. But instead of playing the game wish- ing for Cammalleri to join them on the ice, the Wolverines proved to the Spar- tans and to their fans that they aren't a one-man team. They disproved the "As Cammalleri goes, so go the Wolverines" theory by outshooting Michigan State 43-21 (16-3 in the third period). Michigan State's traditionally hard- nosed defensive unit spent the entire contest on its heels, as Michigan fired on Miller time after time. The Wolver- ines did anything they wanted against the vaunted defense, giving them a "We outplayed them and outshot them the whole game and we got some confidence out of it, but we know we should have won," Michigan junior John Shouneyia said. Unfortunately for Michigan, knowing that it should have won and actually win- ning are not the same thing. Saturday's 1-1 tie marked the second time this sea- son that the two arch-rivals finished in a tie. The Wolverines were 47 seconds away from upsetting then-No. 1 Michi- gan State in Spartan Stadium earlier this season, but Michigan State freshman Jim Slater scored to tie the game. With the two CCHA games between the teams in the books and the Wolver- ihes trailing the Spartans by two points with 10 games left to play, Michigan doesn't have time to dwell on its missed opportunities. The Wolverines need to duplicate their intensity level from Saturday night's game during every single minute down the stretch and use their success at creating scoring chances against Michigan State to build confi- USCHO Top 15 Team Record 1. Denver (40) 22-2-0 Points 600 (Y 4 A QTA NT mr . i E w .:... : _..