The Michigan Daily - Thursday, March 27, 2003 - 9A CHA behind Warriors in first run By Kyle O'Neill Daily Sports Editor The Wayne State hockey team will be traveling the least out of the three visiting teams going to Yost Ice Arena this weekend. But its journey means so much more. For the first time ever, College Hockey America will be represented in the NCAA Tournament, and the . 5 Warriors are now carrying the bur- den of proving that the CHA belongs. With the expansion of the tournament to 16 teams this year, the CHA Tournament winner is now given an automatic bid. In the past, CHA teams have not been ranked high enough in the Pairwise Rank- ings to ever be considered for a NCAA bid. "This is the first time their con- ference has been represented in the tournament -- there's a lot of pride on the line," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. And though the fight for that lone bid was very competitive, now that the tournament spot has been given to Wayne State, other CHA coaches are rooting for the Midwest's No. 4 seed when it goes up against possi- bly the best team in the nation in Colorado College. "I will be cheering for the War- riors," Findlay coach Craig Barnett said. Along with rooting for them, Bar- nett knows that Wayne State can give Colorado College problems as a lower seed. The Warriors were the No. 3 seed in the CHA Tournament before upsetting No. 1 Alabama- Huntsville in the CHA semifinals and beating Bemidji State to earn the bid. "Wayne State has a few things which could help them advance," Barnett said. "One, the experience of head coach Bill Wilkinson. A vet- eran coach - (he spent) 17 years at Western Michigan - does a great job with adjustments when needed, and has his team playing a simple but effective system. Two, the play- ers. This is a veteran group - 12 seniors - of players that know each others' tendencies and have won some big games in their four years together. And three, goaltending. Dave Guerrera is a very solid goalie. He is not flashy and keeps things and movements to a mini- mum, but if he's on early, he can win a game by himself. In these sin- gle elimination games, that is dan- gerous." Barnett also said that if the War- riors' powerplay - led by seniors Jason Durbin and Dustin Kingston and freshman Derek MacKay - can get on the scoreboard, things will be going in Wayne State's favor. But as much as Wayne State may be able to play spoiler, Colorado College is still Colorado College. "(The Warriors) lack the depth that a Colorado College team has," Barnett said. "Wayne State's top two lines can play, but their third and fourth lines aren't as skilled as Col- orado College's." Also, if Wayne State is on the penalty kill a lot, don't expect the Warriors to be walking out of Yost as winners. Wayne State gave up 20 powerplay goals in 111 attempts this year (just fourth-best in the CHA). Despite the unlikeliness of its vic- tory this weekend, Wayne State is still making steps for a pretty much unknown conference, and that, in itself, is a victory. "They won when they had to, so they deserve to be there represent- ing the CHA," Barnett said. AP PHOTO Colorado College goalie Curtis McElhinney has been solid all season - 2.34 goals allowed per game - and is going to be the main obstacle in Wayne State's way. TIGERS Continued from Page 8A "They only have one class and one book to take with them, so they don't have to shift gears as much. So it's kind of a plus," Owens said. Taking the block plan are some of the best players in the nation. Junior forward Peter Sejna - a straight-A mathematical economics major from Slovakia - is one of the leading can- didates for the Hobey Baker Award after putting up 35 goals and 44 assists in 40 games. Fellow Hobey Baker finalist Tom Pressing, a senior defenseman, is the highest-scoring blueliner in the WCHA with 22 goals and 26 assists. Senior forward Noah Clarke, with 20 goals and 45 assists, combines with Sejna to make the most powerful for- ward tandem in college hockey. Sejna, who Owens coached in the United States Hockey League in the 1998-99 season, has scored 90 goals in 124 career games, but has yet to be drafted by an NHL team. NHL scouts think the 23-year-old is a little under- sized, but Owens believes he has the "will and desire" to make it to the next level. "He's a fierce competitor," Owens said. "He's so strong protecting the puck, and he has that NHL shot and passing (ability), so his potential and possibilities are good." Sejna could lead the nation's top powerplay against the nation's second best penalty kill this Sunday against Michigan, but it first has to face a vir- tual unknown in Wayne State. "We've had to scramble for infor- mation on them," Owens said. "We had to make many phone calls. They don't have a tradition, they've only played four years, but you have to respect them." Facing an unknown opponent in the first round can be dangerous, as Michigan found out two years ago when it played Mercyhurst and trailed going into the third period. If the Tigers get by Saturday, they could go up against Maine, a team they beat 3-0 in October in Alaska. Or they could face a Michigan team that has won six straight NCAA Tournament games at home dating back to 1991. No matter what happens, Owens says this is the best season he's had up in the Rockies, and that it's not done yet. "For me, this is the best team talent- wise, and the chemistry has been out- standing," Owens said. "I think we have everybody on the same page. This has been a low-maintenance sea- son. And I don't think anyone wants it to end." - Daily Sports Editor Courtney Lewis contributed to this report. .1's'J I Rev.fDr. Roger Iresoni WILL BE SPEAKING ON THE NEEDS AND ISSUES OF TODAY'S GENERATION OF COLLEGE STUDENTS. REV. IRESON IS A - - - ~--- ~-- -- - -