The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 7, 2002 - 15A
With playoffs,
0cers now turn
to Blackburn
By Seth Klempner
Daily Sports Writer
There is no player whose role becomes more impor-
tant to a hockey team during the playoffs than a goalie.
A goalie is capable of catching fire and carrying a
team to a championship or slipping up and causing an
* early exit for his team.
No example is more evident in recent Michigan his-
tory than when senior Marty Turco
took a struggling team to its last HOCKEY
championship when he got in a
groove during the 1998 NCAA Notebook
Championships, in which he
allowed just six goals in four games. The Wolverines
are looking for senior goaltender Josh Blackburn to
give a similar performance this season in his last
opportunity to win an NCAA Championship.
Part of the reason for the elevated importance of the
goalie in the postseason is the existence of sudden-
death overtime - during which any mistake by a
goalie can end a team's season. This makes every save
big and every move critical as a team's season stands
on the brink.
If the pressure of being responsible for the team's
season was not enough, Blackburn will also face the
task of trying to deny the nation's other top offenses.
But the easy-going Blackburn does not appear anxious
about this responsibility nor are his coaches.
"As a goalie, there is no such thing as pressure,"
Michigan goaltending coach Stan Matijiw said. "Pres-
sure is either two things - something you put upon
yourself or something you allow others to put upon you.
With Josh we just try to go out and play every game the
same way. Nothing changes come playoff time."
Matijiw has stopped coaching Blackburn at this
point in the season, instead encouraging him to "go
with the flow and let him do his thing." This seems to
be the best strategy for the easy-going netminder who
traditionally plays his best in clutch situations.
Not only is Blackburn confident in his ability in
Polo expects
Barkley says Augusta
National is a racist club
NEW YORK (AP) - Former NBA
star Charles Barkley is accusing
Augusta National Golf Club of "blatant
racism," saying the reason behind
recent changes to the course was to
keep Tiger Woods from winning the
Masters.
"Jack Nicklaus
won the Masters
six damn times,
and he was hitting
it past everybody
else, and they never
made a change,"y
Barkley said in this
week's issue of
Sports Illustrated. Barkley
"What they're
doing to Tiger is blatant racism."
Augusta National spokesman
Glenn Greenspan said the club had
no comment.
Recent renovations, which include
nearly 300 additional yards, were
announced by chairman Hootie John-
eson the day before last year's Masters
began. Woods won his second green
jacket by two shots over David Duval.
"I spoke to Hootie about the
changes, and the changes are not for
me," Woods said. "They're for the kids
that are coming up in the future. I'm
not that long, anymore. I kind of dink it
around."
Woods became the first black golfer
to win the Masters in 1997. He won by
12 strokes with a 270, breaking by one
shot the 72-hole scoring record held by
Nicklaus and Raymond Floyd.
Every hole at Augusta has been
altered since the course was opened in
1934. Among the more significant
changes was adding a large double
bunker in the landing area down the left
side of the 18th fairway in 1967, the
year after Nicklaus won his second
straight Masters.
Tees have been moved back on eight
holes through the years, and the pond
was added to the left of the par-3 16th
green in 1947.
Barkley said he brought up the alle-
gations because "Tiger doesn't like to
speak out"
"We need black athletes to speak
out," said Barkley, who poses bare-
chested on the cover of Sports Illustrat-
ed appearing to break chains and
shackles. "Michael (Jordan) could do it
and Tiger could do it, but you have to
be willing to be ridiculed. I'm willing
to be ridiculed."
DANNY MOLOSHOK/Daily
Michigan goalie Josh Blackburn has allowed just an average of 1.75 goals in his last four games. The Wolverines
expect great things from him in the postseason, which begins tomorrow with the first round of the CCHA Tournament.
urgent situations, but he also has the confidence of his
teammates, who need Blackburn to be on top of his
game over the next month.
"All of the defensemen are confident in Blackie. He
always seems to play his best at this time of year,"
sophomore Mike Komisarek said. "He has his ups and
downs like everyone else, but he pulls it together come
playoff time.
"I am not sure if we had the team to go to the
Frozen Four last year, but we definitely had the goal-
tender."'
Blackburn has earned this faith from his teammates
with a 2.30 goals against average making him the 12th
best goaltender in the nation. In addition, Blackburn
has saved some of his best performances for last witfi
a 1.75 goals against average in his last four games.
"I don't really know what I do out there," Black-
burn said. "I just try and stay focused and pay atten-
tion to what is going on in my surroundings and
know who is where."
With Lake Superior State, whom Blackburn has
recorded two shutouts against this season, on the slate
for the first round of the CCHA Tournament Black-
burn will look to continue his stellar play and begin
Michigan's campaign for an NCAA Championship.
READY FOR MY CLOSE-UP: Sophomore defenseman
Mike Komisarek knew it had to be good news when
he received a postcard in the mail from the CCHA
informing him to order a tuxedo for the CCHA ban-
quet - he just didn't know for what. But last night
everything became clear when it was announced that
he made the Ali-CCHA first team.
Komisarek, who was Michigan's only member on
the first team, was the top vote getter in the league
with 51 total points and 10 out of the possible 11 first
team votes. He was the CCHA's second leading scor-
ing defenseman in conference games with 20 points
(7-14-21) and top in plus minus rating with plus-19.
Juniors Mike Cammalleri and John Shouneyia
were recognized by being named to the All-CCHA
second team, while Josh Blackburn received honor-
able mention.
:ontinued success in the East
By Daniel Bremmer
Daily Sports Writer
Never has a team so enjoyed seeing
Pennsylvania as a travel destination
as the Michigan water polo team.
The Wolverines are an impressive
8-1 against opponents from the East,
and are the top-ranked team in their
geographic division.
On the other hand, the team is a
disappointing 0-9 against West Coast
opponents this season, including
eight losses during last week's trip
west over spring break.
Michigan coach Amber Drury-
Pinto believes that her team has
played at the same high level
throughout all of its games this sea-
son and that the difference in the
opposing teams accounts for the dis-
parity in records.
"The competition level was differ-
ent (out west)," Drury-Pinto said.
"We were in a lot of close games
against really good, tough competi-
tion, and we took some losses."
On the bright side for Michigan,
most of those losses were close,
down-to-the-wire battles. Losses to
No. 8 California-Santa Barbara and
No. 11 California-Davis came by one
goal apiece. The team would not end
the heartbreakers there, also dropping
two contests to No 9. California-San
Diego by two goals each.
After coming back east on Satur-
day, the team swept three matches at
the Brown Invitational. Michigan
buried Iona 11-1, then got past No.
16 Princeton and No. 18 Brown in a
series of two-goal victories.
The team's effort this past weekend
pleased Drury-Pinto.
"We knew that coming back to the
East Coast, we definitely wanted to
defend our No. I ranking in the East,
and we were able to do that," she
said.
This weekend, the Wolverines
head to Slippery Rock, Pa. to com-
pete in the Southern Division Tour-
nament, their first division
tournament of the season. The team
is looking to add to its three-game
winning streak and should do so eas-
ily, facing Washington & Jefferson,
Grove City, Penn State-Behrend and
Slippery Rock.
"We need to make sure that we
carry through and we remain unde-
feated in our division," Drury-Pinto
said. "Definitely (winning the Brown
Invitational) has given us some
momentum, and we want to keep that
going."
It was hard to find many flaws with
the Wolverines' performance last
weekend at Brown, but Drury-Pinto
GROVE CITY AND SLIPPERY ROCK, PA.
Who: Michigan (8-10) vs. Washington & Jef-
ferson (0-0) and Grove City (0-4) Penn State-
Behrend (0-0) and Slippery Rock (3-5)
When: 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. Saturday and
11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Sunday
Latest: The Wolverines hope to improve upon
their powerplay this weekend.
feels that the team needs to improve
its performance on the powerplay.
After working all week in practice on
that aspect, Michigan will come out
firing when it has the man advantage.
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R 9 9.*
Eating Disorder Awareness Week 2002
Sunday, March 10
" DEFINING BODY IMAGE: an Interactive Exhibition & Time Line
2 locations: Michigan Union and Pierpont Commons (runs through 3-15)
" THE FEMALE BODY, MEDIA & SOCIETY: Confronting a Social Epidemic
Interactive presentation by Alison Brzenchek, MSW, University Health Service
Michigan Union, Pond Room 7-9 pm
Monday, March 11
" KATE DILLON
Presentation by this dynamic fashion model
Michigan Union, Ballroom 7-9 pm
Tuesday, March 12
" "I AM NOT THE AVERAGE GIRL ON VIDEO"
Body Workshop by Stacey Pearson, Ph.D., Counseling & Psychological Services
Michigan Union, Pond Room 7-9 pm
Wednesday, March 13
" EATING DISORDERS: Signs, Symptoms & Support
Panel discussion by the Center for the Education of Women
300 East Liberty, CEW Office 12-1 pm
" HELP! Someone I know has an eating disorder
Presentation by Wendy Campbell, Psy.D., Counseling & Psychological Services
Michigan Union, Pond Room 7-9 pm
Thursday, March 14
* SPEAK OUT
Students in recovery from eating disorders share their stories.
Presented by, SPEAK, a student organzation
Hale Auditorium in Davidson Hall (UM Bus. Sch.), 701 Tappan 7-9 pm
A schedule of events is also
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