4B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - January 14, 2002

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Slap shouts

"I had a coach once who used to say
'everyone's waiting for George to do it', and
we don't have any Georges on our team."
- Michigan coach Red Berenson after his team was unable
to comeback in Saturday's 3-1 loss to Alaska-Fairbanks.

FRIDAY'S GAME
Alaska-Fairbanks 0
Michigan 7

SATURDAY'S GAME
It! Alaska-Fairbanks 3
Michigan 1

Key play
Saturday, 3:07 into the first
Just 46 seconds after Michigan made it 1-0,
Alaska-Fairbanks' Tom Herman made it 1-1
when he redirected a pass from Jared Sylvestre
over Josh Blackburns shoulder

0


THE DAILY'S STARS
The Michigan Daily hockey writers'
picks for Michigan's three stars of the
weekend.
Josh Blackburn
Goalie
Blackburn earned his 11th career
shutout Friday night, tying Marty
Turco's all-time Michigan record for
career shutouts. He also played well on
Saturday, making 25 stops.
Charlie Henderson
Forward
Henderson had the first multi-point
game of his career Friday night, with a
goal and two assists.
Jed Ortmeyer
Forward
Ortmeyer scored Michigan's final two
goals on Friday night and delivered sev-
eral thundering checks throughout the
weekend.
"M' SCHEDULE
This week:
Saturday vs. Michigan State
Yost Ice Arena, 7:35 p.m.
After having their 11-game CCHA
unbeaten streak snapped Saturday
night, the Wolverines will host the
Spartans in what could behthe most
important game of the year for both
teams. The last time the two met
was in October for the "Cold War"
at Michigan State. That game
ended in a 3-3 tie.
HOW THE TOP 10 FARED
No. I St. Cloud (1931) lost to Minnesota-
Duluth 3-2, def. Minnesota-Duluth 6-1
No. 2 Mnnesota (1643) lost to Wisconsin 8-
3, def. Wisconsin 6-2
No. 3 Denver (20.2-0) def. Michigan Tech 3-
1, def. Michigan Tech 7-4
No. 4 New Hampshire (15-3-2) vs. Provi-
dence unfinished
No. 5 Michigan State (1652) def. Western
Michigan 6-3, lost Western Michigan 2-0
No.6 Massachusetts-Lowell (16-3-1) def.
Boston college 3-2, def. Boston college 8-4
No. 7 Boston University (12-5-2) tied Prov
dence 5-5
No. 8 Northern Michigan (13-7-2) lost to
Notre Dame 4-1, def. Notre Dame 4-0
No. 9 Cornell (9-5-1) def. Vermont 7-2, lost to
Dartmouth 5-3
No. 10 Nebraska-Omaha (9-5-2) def. Alabama-
Huntsville 4-2, def. Alabama-Huntsville 3-2
FRIDAY S GAME
Michigan 7, AlaskaFairbanks 0
Michigan 22 3 -3
Alaska-Fairbanks 0 0 0 - 0
FHst peuod - 1. UM, Cammalleri 15 (Shouneya), 4:07 (pp);
2. UM, Ryznar 8 (Komisarek, Murray), 15:05(pp). Pen es
-UAF, Hickey (elbowing),3:34.
Second peid-3. LIM, Moss 3 (Henderson), 5:10; 4. UM,
Henderson 3 (Shoun a), 15:00 (sh). Penes-UM, Gajic
(tripping), 2:41; UAF, campbell (high sticking), 12:18; UM,
Komisarek(tripping),14:22.
7td peiod - 5. UM, Helminen 7 (Henderson). 10:45; 6.
UM, ortmeyer 6 (unassisted), 11:40; 7. UM, Orteyer 7
s"' (Cammalleri),17:45. Penalties- UM, team(too many men),
1:21; UM, Nystrom (10minute misconduct), 15:24; UAF, Car-
riere (slashig), 17:23.
r SW onon- UM, 15-19-40; UAF, 7-7-8-22.
Pr rPays-UM,2 of3; UAF0of7.
Saves-UM, Blackbum-22-22; UAF, McKay -29-35.
' Ask- Duke Shegos
f Ukwnn e- Ken Landis, Jon Philo
I At Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor. Attendnce:6,684.
SATURDAY'S GAME
Alaska-Fairbanks 3, Michigan 1

Opportunity missed,
State looms for Blue

By Naweed Sikora
Daily Sports Writer
With. four minutes remaining in Sat-
urday night's game against Alaska-Fair-
banks, and with Michigan trailing by
one, the final score from Kalamazoo
was announced at Yost Ice Arena:
Western Michigan 2, Michigan State 0.
The crowd went wild, knowing that
if Michigan could come back from its
one-goal deficit to tie or win, it would
break its tie with Michigan State at the
top of the CCHA and move into sole
possession of first place.
"We heard the score announced, and
we wanted to pull it out really bad,"
Michigan freshman Milan Gajic said.
But the Wolverines were unable to
mount a comeback, missing an oppor-
tunity to gain an edge over the Spartans
before the two clash this Saturday in
Ann Arbor. Instead, Michigan State
now has a chance to take sole posses-
sion of first place before the big game,
as it plays at Ferris State tomorrow
night.
"We weren't on a mission tonight,"
Michigan coach Red Berenson said
after the 3-1 defeat. "We were expect-
ing the game to be easier than it was,
and we missed a great opportunity. It's
tough to lose at home, but this was a
wake-up call for us."
For Michigan, it was the second time
this season it failed to capitalize on a
chance to get a leg-up on its intrastate
rival. Michigan had a chance to beat
the Spartans at the "Cold War" game
to open the conference season, but
gave up a goal with 47 seconds left.
The game ended in a 3-3 tie.
The Wolverines have had difficulty
gaining on the Spartans in crucial situ-
ations, both directly and indirectly, in
recent years as well.
Last season, an undefeated, No. 1
Michigan team hosted the No. 6 Spar-

tans on Nov. 4, but was shut out 1-0. It
was never able to get back to No. 1
after that loss. Then, on Feb. 16,
Michigan had a chance to close the
five-point gap with Michigan State, but
ended up tying Notre Dame 4-4 at
home while the Spartans lost to West-
ern Michigan.
The Wolverines still had a chance,
trailing by four points with two games
remaining against Michigan State. But
they lost both those games, finishing in
a tie for second place in the CCHA and
earning the third seed in the conference
tournament.
Last weekend, when Michigan
moved into a tie for first with the Spar-
tans, Berenson said that his team want-
ed to be in the hunt for the CCHA title.
But in order to remain in the hunt
and avoid last season's fate, it is obvi-
ous that Michigan will have to capital-
ize on its opportunities to move ahead
of Michigan State.
On Saturday night the Wolverines
missed a good one, but they will have a
better one this weekend.
Although each team will have 10
CCHA contests remaining after their
game, there is an excellent chance that
it will be the most crucial battle of the
season for both of them. They will
meet each other just once more after
this Saturday, but that nonconference
game does not count toward the CCHA
standings.
If the Spartans beat the Bulldogs
tomorrow night and then win at Yost
on Saturday, they would hold a four-
point advantage over Michigan, a gap
that would be tough to close. But if the
Wolverines can hold off the Spartans
and win, they would be no worse than
tied for first in the CCHA after the
weekend.
"It'll be a huge game for us," Beren-
son said. "It'll be great for our players,
and it will be great for the fans."

RYN ~vNALDaly

RYAN LEVENTHAL/Daily
Freshman Dwight Heiminen, who skated for Team USA in the world Junior Championships, tallied one goal in Friday's game.
Inconsistent seres for WJC players

Another one bites the dust
In the past year and a half, Michigan has missed several chances to move up
on Michigan State in the CCHA standings, but it has not been able to
capitalize.-
Nov. 4, 2000 - No. 6 Michigan State shut out No. 1 Michigan at home 1-0, knocking
the Wolverines out of the top ranking for good.
Feb. 17, 2001- Four points behind Michigan State in the standings, the Wolverines
were unable to close the gap, losing 4-2 to the Spartans at Joe Louis Arena.
Oct. 6, 2001- Earlier this season in the "Cold War," Michigan held a 3-2 lead over
the Spartans with less than a minute to play, but allowed a game-tying goal and were
unable to win in overtime.

By J. Brady McCofouji
Daily Sports Writer
Mike Cammalleri needed just one shot to notify the Yost
Ice Arena crowd of his return to action Friday night.
The junior center took full advantage of his team's first
powerplay opportunity, receiving a pass from junior John
Shouneyia and whistling a slapshot past Alaska-Fairbanks
goalie Preston McKay to give the Wolverines a 1-0 lead that
they would never relinquish.
Cammalleri - along with teammates Mike Komisarek,
Dwight Helminen and Eric Nystrom -
participated in the World Junior Cham- HOCKEY
pionships over winter break and had not
played a game with the Wolverines in Notebook
more then a month. Cammalleri -
Michigan's leading goal scorer - was named the Top For-
ward of the international tournament, tallying 11 points in
seven games.
Along with Cammalleri's goal and assist in the Wolver-
ines' 7-0 rout of Alaska-Fairbanks, Helninen made his)pres-
ence felt in the third period by scoring Michigan's fifth goal
of the night on a shot from the top of the right circle. Komis-
arek also contributed to the onslaught, assisting on freshman
Jason Ryznar's powerplay goal that gave the Wolverines a 2-0
lead.
"It's a morale boost for our team," said Michigan coach
Red Berenson of the return of the tournament participants. "I
think our team realized that we're good without them, and
we're better with them if we're all playing the way we've
shown we can play in their absence, and that's what you saw
(Friday)."
But Saturday was quite a different story for both the
returnees and the rest of the Wolverines, as they could not
generate enough grade-A scoring chances to rattle the
Nanooks' backup goaltender, Lance Mayes.
Berenson - whose players have competed in the World
Juniors in past years - knew that he couldn't count on the
tournament participants to carry the load in their first series
back. The effects of not playing with the team showed in
Michigan's 3-1 loss to the Nanooks.
"This is a different kind of hockey," said Berenson at
Thursday's practice. "It's more intense, it's more physical, and
everything happens quicker on the ice. We're going to put
(the returnees) back in the lineup, but the guys that are going

to make the difference are the guys that have been carrying
this team - Shouneyia and (captain Jed) Ortmeyer."
MISSING OFFENSE: One of the main factors in Michigan's
lackluster performance in Saturday night's loss was its inabil-
ity to turn good defense into offense with solid passes in tran-
sition. The Wolverines turned the puck over at the blueline
countless times, which kept them from finding a rhythm
offensively.
With a 2-1 lead entering the third period, Alaska-Fairbanks
put the clamps down on defense, taking an ultra-conservative
approach to the final stanza. The Nanooks iced the puck
whenever they could and made no effort to add to their lead.
This defensive style frustrated Michigan and put even more
pressure on the Wolverines to find a way to score.
"They got the puck and just iced it," senior Craig Murray
said. "It's a good point on their part. They're up 2-1, they don't
need any more goals to win and we're pressed (to score). It's a
bit frustrating, but they played well with the lead."
SAME OLD PROBLEM: After Friday's 7-0 romp of the
Nanooks, the Wolverines knew from experience that they
wouldhave to keep their {focus to win again on SaturdayLast
season, Michigan beat Alaska-Fairbanks 8-0 on Friday and
fell to the Nanooks 5-2 the next night.
But the Wolverines didn't learn from history and came out
flat and overconfident in Saturday night's loss.
"The outcome of (Friday) night's game was probably han-
dIed better by their team than our team," Berenson said.
Said Murray: "We talk about it and say don't get too high,
don't get too low, but it's (easier) to say that than do it. You
win 7-0 and it's tough to keep some of those thoughts out of
your mind."
YOU'RE A GOOD MAN: Freshman walk-on Charlie Henderson
continued his emergence as a consistent scorer in Friday
night's victory, tallying a shorthanded goal and two assists on
the evening. Henderson has now recorded seven points (3-4)
in just eight games.
ONE MAN AND A BABY: Alaska-Fairbanks head coach Guy
Gadowsky was missing in action for the Nanooks four-game
road swing against Michigan and Miami, Ohio.
Gadowsky remained home in Alaska with his wife, who is
in the later stages of a pregnancy and expected to give birth
any day.
Had the birth occurred last Wednesday or earlier, Gad-
owsky would have joined his team for the series at Yost.
The Nanooks posted a 3-1 record in Gadowsky's absence.

01

NANOOKS
Continued from Page 1B
through Blackburn during a scrum in
front of the net.
The goal gave the Nanooks a 2-1
lead and allowed them to ice the puck
and play a trapping system throughout
the third period.
Michigan's best chance to tie the
game came with five minutes remain-
ing in the third period when forward
Mike Cammalleri turned a 3-on-1
against Michigan into a breakaway
going the other direction. Often in the

past, this is where Cammalleri would
provide the needed goal for Michigan.
But Mayes made a pad save when
Cammalleri tried backhanding the
puck past him.
With 25 seconds left, Herman
cleared the puck from his blueline into
the empty Michigan net sending the
Alaska-Fairbanks bench into a frenzy.
"I just think we were a step tentative
tonight," Berenson said. "We weren't
as aggressive, we weren't as abrasive,
and we weren't on a mission. We were
expecting the game to be easier than it
was."

0l

Michigan
Alaska-Fairbanks

1 0 0 -1
1 1 1 -3

Fist ped- 1. UM, Murray 3 (unassisted), 16:07; 2. UAF,
Herman 5 (Sylestre, Campbell), 16:53. Penalies - UM,
Werner (high sticking), 2:24; UAF, \bros (charging), 5:54;
UM, Rogers (hooking), 9:52.
Second peiod - 3. UAF, Andrews 6 (Keith, Woros), 16:07.
Pentee UAF, vros (holding), 1:05; UM, Woodford
(interference), 4:14; UM, Cammalleri(crosschecking),6:37;
S hkd pedod-4. UAF, Herman 6 (Grosul), 19:17 empty net;
Pealties- UM, Martens (holding, 9:35.
Shsangad-UM, 812-12 -32; UAF 1008-28.
Pow Plays-UM, 0of2; UAF,0of 5.
Saves-UM, Blackburn 25-27; UAF, Mayes 31-32
Reeree - Duke Shegos
AYseem- Ken Landis, John Philo
At Yost Ice Arena, Ann Arbor Attenance: 6, 684.

Blackburn shines as Turco looks on.


SAUER CALLS IT QUITS
Jeff Sauer, the head coach of Wis-
consin for the past 20 years,
announced last week that this year
would be his final season as a
coach. Sauer, who graduated from
Colorado College in 1965, has been
coaching for 31 years in all. He will
take an administrative position at
the University.

By Chris Burke
Daily Sports Writer
Just over two minutes into the first period
of Friday night's game against Alaska-Fair-
banks, Michigan goalie Josh Blackburn was
unable to make a save on a 2-on-1 break for
the Nanooks. Fortunately for Blackburn, the
shot rang off the crossbar, preserving a
scoreless tie.
From then on, Blackburn was unflap-
pable, turning aside 22 shots - and seven
powerplay opportunities - as the Wolver-
ines smothered Alaska-Fairbanks 7-0,
despite numerous odd-man rushes for the
Nanooks.
Blackburn's shutout tied him with former
Michigan goalie Marty Turco for the
school's career shutout record at 11. Turco,
who attended Friday night's game with sev-
eral Dallas Stars teammates, knows the pres-
sures of being a senior goaltender at
Michigan.
"Josh is such a tremendous athlete - he's
got such a great warrior-like attitude when
he gets out there and all he wants to do is
help his team win," Turco said. "I think
we're going to see something special from
him and he's made a pretty good legacy for
himself. Hopefully it's going to be re-estab-
lished in the second half of his senior year."

Blackburn's Friday night performance
was highlighted by a sprawling save on
another Alaska-Fairbanks 2-on-1 with nine
minutes left in the first period. Then, in the
early moments of the second period, Black-
burn made two point-blank saves on a
Nanooks' powerplay with the Wolverines
protecting a 2-0 lead.
Stopping the Nanooks' offense is not out
of the ordinary for Blackburn, with three of
his career shutouts coming against Alaska-
Fairbanks.
"I've had good success against them,"
said Blackburn after Friday's victory. "I
think tonight I was just really focused and I
followed the puck well."
Said Michigan coach Red Berenson:
"Blackburn earned this shutout and he
earned it in the early parts of the game and
then at different points throughout the game."
Saturday night was more of the same as
the senior netminder was one of the few
bright spots for Michigan, stopping 25 Alas-
ka-Fairbanks shots in a 3-1 loss.
In a weekend that ended with a disap-
pointing split, Blackburn was a standout for
the Wolverines.
"He played unbelievable," forward Milan
Gajic said. "(Friday's game) wouldn't have
been 7-0, but the first part of the game he
kept us in it. And he played great (Saturday

night), too. But you can't expect a goalie to
have two back-to-back shutouts - we've
got to come out and help him too."
Blackburn, although plagued with incon-
sistency at times, had been good enough in
CCHA play to spur the Wolverines to a 9-0-
2 streak prior to Saturday's loss. He has also
been one of the main reasons Michigan cur-
rently has a streak of 25 straight penalty
kills.
In Saturday's game, the Nanooks finally
broke through against Blackburn with 3:07
remaining in the first period when a wide-
open Tom Herman deposited a Jared
Sylvestre pass into the net. The goal
marked the first tally against Blackburn
since Notre Dame's Michael Chin beat him
1:06 into Michigan's 2-1 win over Notre
Dame on Jan. 5, a length of 135:07 in game
time.
But the Wolverines' inability to carry
their momentum from Friday's blowout win
over to Saturday night was too much for
even Blackburn's stellar performance to
overcome.
"(Friday night) we didn't play that well,
and they didn't play that poorly but the puck
went in for us at the right time. Blackburn
stood on his head," Berenson said. "Black-
burn, again, played a solid game (Saturday).
He gave us a chance to win this game."

Is the fourth winningest college
hockey coach in history, with 647
victories.
* Won two national championships
with Wisconsin in 1983 and 1990.

Has made
12 NCAA
Tournament
appearances.
Has won
five WCHA

RYAN LEVENTHAL/Daily
Michigan senior goaltender Josh Blackburn tied Marty Turco's
career shutout record of 11 Friday night in a 7-0 victory.



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