01 10 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 18, 2002 CCHA hurt b departures By Kyle O'Neill Daily Sports Writer 'M' hopes to make name for itself DETROIT - It took less than half a year for new Michigan State hockey coach Rick Comley to experi- ence what football coach Bobby Williams and basketball coach Tom Izzo have been enduring for the past few sea- sons: Players leaving early for the pros. Recently departed Michigan State goaltender Ryan Miller puts his name next to Marcus Taylor, Jason Richardson, Zach Randolph, Plaxico Burress and T.J. Duckett as a high-profile player who did not finish his four seasons with the Spartans. Defending CCHA champion Michigan also took its hits when top scorer Mike Cammalleri and top defenseman Mike Komisarek left the Wolverines to go on to the NHL. While this leaves holes in the top two CCHA teams' lineups, it shows the strength of the league by being able to supply the NHL with so much talent. "Certainly it does send the message that the quality of the league is there, so much that players do have that opportunity to go pro," Bowling Green coach Scott Paluch said. "I think our league and college hockey in general provide such a wonderful opportunity and some- times you hope that players aren't leaving that experi- ence too early. Obviously, we need to take a hard look sometimes at whether, individually, the players are mak- ing the right decision moving on.". Recruiting can therefore be a two-faced beast, as a coach doesn't know whether he is getting a highly talented player for four years or just for one and done. But that doesn't mean that coaches have backed down from going after players who may not see their junior year of college. "If you get the opportunity to get the right kid in with the right character and he plays one year, I'm going to take that chance," Ohio State coach John Markell said. "I think if they want to come in and prove themselves, they have the arena to do it in the CCHA. He's rolling the dice, too." The one thing that concerns Markell and other coaches is free agency in the NHL. Free agency comes unannounced as undrafted players will leave school without the warnings that come with being drafted. Markell has recently endured losing one Buckeye to free agency. First team All-CCHA goalie Jeff Maund left after his sophomore year and signed with the Chicago Blackhawks in 1999. "Most of the time, you know they're going to leave - MEDIA DAY Continued from Page 9 or four games without winning. It just puts you back in the pack, and you're looking up and there's no way out." Last year saw Alaska-Fairbanks emerging from its seven-straight losing seasons with a 15-10-3 mark in the CCHA (22-12-3 overall). This season, Notre Dame, Western Michigan, Ferris State, Miami, Bowling Green and Lake Superior State make up the bottom half of the rankings. But that doesn't mean other coaches aren't taking them seriously. "This year you have to watch teams like Miami and Lake Superior because they can do a lot of damage," Ohio State coach John Markell said. "Lake Superior By Mustafizur Choudhury For the Daily This Saturday, the Michigan women's cross country team will be looking to stay undefeated in the 2002 season at the Sundodger Invitational in Seattle. It will be a regional battle as the SEA Wolverines will face tough competition from Texas A&M and host Washington. Who: Michigan (1 Ranked No. 21 in the nation, Texas invitational A&M is a powerful team with a talented when:1:15 p.m. All-American in Melissa Gulli. The Latest: The Wo Aggies have looked very impressive thus Lindsey Ga n far, and they are expected to stir up some Michigan's topr trouble for the competition. of its six races- The Huskies aren't as highly ranked as run against nat the Aggies, but they have the advantage Washington an of running on their home turf and they also have the nation's best high school runner from 2001 in Alison Tubbs. "We've beaten (the Huskies) and they've beaten us," Michi- gan coach Mike McGuire said. "Washington will be running at home, so they could be the team to beat." The Wolverines will be counting on freshman Rebec- ca Walter, sophomores Andrea Parker and Ana Gjesdal and junior Lindsey Gallo, who are the top runners from the first two meets. AT 1-1 Ave ,ud -W ru a- ion id T "I'd definitely like to get a personal best time," Parker said. Out of the top-12 runners who will participate this week- end, Parker had the best individual performance at the Detroit Mercy Invitational with a time of 18:17. Michigan is not nationally ranked but has " £shown a great deal of potential. !LE "I like where we're at," McGuire said. "I feel we're improving on a weekly basis. We ) at Sundodger need to work hard and feed off of each other, but I think we'll be equal to the challenge." rines send The Sundodger is a geographically ding junior diverse race with Michigan representing ho hasbeen the Midwest, Washington representing nner in each the northwest and Texas A&M represent- to Seattle to ing the southwest. The team is excited naI powers about traveling to Seattle, as it will be exas A&M. their only airplane trip this season. "Seattle's a neat place, so there's a little more anticipation and focus," McGuire said. Unlike the first two races, the West Coast weather is expected to be cool and crisp, perfect conditions for a cross country race. Although defending national champions Brigham Young and No. 5 Colorado won't be in attendance as was anticipated, the race is expected to be very exciting. If the Wolverines run well, they may gain national recognition. But nomatter what, this race will be a good indicator of whether or not the Wolverines are serious contenders in the NCAA. DANNY MOLOSHOK/Daily Players leaving early for the NHL, like ex-Wolverine Mike Konisarek, was the hot topic at the CCHA's media day. you get a kind of an inkling they're going to leave," Markell said. "The hard part of the whole thing is when you have free agents old enough to receive an offer. That's decimating. When they're drafted it's different, because you can kind of plan for (their possible early departure). With absolute free agents - they sign in June an'd July - you won't recover, at least not for a year. But Markell did bring up that the trend of leaving early may cease if the money isn't there -.a possibility as the NHL may go on strike if there isn't a new collec- tive bargaining agreement by Sept. 15, 2004, the day the old agreement expires. Until then, collegiate hockey will have its ups and downs with losing top recruits early, and although teams like Michigan State have lost players like Miller, it has made the Spartans even more attractive than before. "I think you understand when people like Ryan Miller are offered big contracts, they will go," Comley said. "It never makes (coaching) easier, but it probably helps you entice kids to come to your school." took Michigan to three games in the first round last year. They may be one team that may rise above what's going on there. Just watch the trainers, as they may be the most important people in the league. Watch the injuries, because if certain players go down, teams may drop." Though the polls don't mean much right now, one coach had a special thanks when he saw the rankings for the first time. "This is a big day for (Alaska-Fairbanks), as I see this is the first time ever, UAF has not been picked by the media dead last, so I want to thank you all for that," Alaska-Fairbanks coach Guy Gadowski said. Alaska-Fairbanks was sixth in the polls following a Super Six appearance in the CCHA postseason. Clarett has surgery on knee, now questionable COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) - Ohio State freshman tailback Maurice Clarett had arthroscopic surgery on his right knee yesterday but still might play Saturday at Cincinnati. Dr. Chris Kaeding, a team doctor, said it was "unlikely but not outside the realm of possibility" that Clarett could play this weekend. Clarett was injured in the first quarter against Washington State last Saturday, coach Jim Tressel said. Despite the injury, Clarett ran for 230 yards and two touchdowns as the sixth-ranked Buckeyes beat the Cougars 25-7. Clarett had an MRI over the weekend and was on crutches fol- lowing the surgery. He could return to practice by Thursday. "The way our physicians explained it to me, we had four or five guys who had it last year," Tressel said. "It could've been an old injury that he might've gotten further banged on." Clarett was scheduled to rest his AP PHOTO Freshman tailback Maurice Clarett underwent surgery yesterday and is now listed as questionable for the weekend. Clarett rushed for 230 yards last weekend. knee yesterday and then begin rehab today. "We anticipate a complete and very quick recovery," Kaeding said. Clarett was the first true fresh- man to start at tailback for Ohio State in a season opener. He ran for 175 yards and three touchdowns in a 45-21 victory over Texas Tech on Aug. 24. Either Lydell Ross or Maurice Hall would start in Clarett's place. I U small-company environment big-company impact Wednesday, September 18, 2002 Time: Who says you have to choose? Johnson & Johnson, the world's most broadly based manufacturer of health care products, is visiting your campus. Come discover how our small-company environment, combined with our big-company impact, can open the door to a world of career opportunities. Look deeper at the Johnson & Johnson Family of Companies. find more 4:30 PM Location: Business School Wolverine Room