The Michigan Daily - SportsWednesday - October 16, 2002 - 3B Early penalties cause fatigue for Wolverines By Dan Rosen Daily Sports Writer BUFFALO, N.Y. - Penalty killing might have 4 inally caught up with Michigan. Saturday, after the Wolverines gave up two goals in the final three minutes against North Dakota, associate coach Mel Pearson felt that the team might have worn itself down earlier in the contest. "No question we took too many penalties, especial- ly early in the game," Pearson said. "What happens is, you might get through it initially, but it wears on you so that later on in the game those kids have spent a lot of energy killing penalties." Michigan took nine whistles for a total of 18 minutes, including a game-high four in the first period. That is two penalties more than the season average last year. One of the most costly penalties came when Michigan was already shorthanded. Midway through the first period, defenseman Brandon Rogers was called for slashing just 42 seconds into a North Dakota powerplay - giving the Fighting Sioux a five-on-three advantage. Just a minute later, sophomore Nick Fuher tallied the first goal of the game for North Dakota on a wrist shot to the upper-lefthand corner of the net. Of its five goals on the night, North Dakota scored just one when both teams were at even strength - Zach Parisse's tally that cut Michigan's lead to 4-3. The rest were scored on four-on-four situations, short- handed or on the power-play. David Lundbohm's game-winning goal in overtime came on a four-on-four after Michigan sophomore Milan Gajic and North Dakota freshman Matt Greene were both called for roughing. SATURDAY'S GAME Ii* STEVE JACKSON Saturday showed the true BRENDAN O'DONNELL/Daily Eric Nystrom was one of the few Wolverines not penalized Saturday night in Michigan's 5-4 loss to North Dakota. After the game, Lundbohm agreed that his team had forced the Wolverines to expend a lot of energy. "I felt we were just wearing them down all night," Lundbohm said. "We did it in the third. We kept going and we got the puck in their end the whole time." Friday night was similar for Michigan. Even though. the Wolverines defeated Niagara 3-0, Michigan coach Red Berenson said that his team took too many penal- ties for his liking. In that contest, Michigan accumulated eight whis- tles for a total of 16 minutes. But Niagara managed just three shots on the powerplay during the game and Michigan escaped with a win. "I thought the difference.in the game was our pow- erplay," Purple Eagles coach Dave Burkholder said. "We just looked so disheveled on our breakout, we couldn't get the puck into their zone." Burkholder felt that the outcome would have been different if his team could have taken advantage of those chances. Berenson sounded like he would probably agree with that assessment. "This team hit us, they skated with us and they moved the puck," Berenson said of Niagara. "For my money, I thought they were the better team." After Satuday's loss, Pearson was optimistic that the team would learn from its mistakes over the weekend. "We've got to get better, but it's early in the season," Pearson said. "We're still finding out what they're going to call." potential of ti Last week, Michigan Drum Major Matt Cavanaugh wrote a letter to the University community calling for better crowd participation. "I figured that if I was going to ask more of the crowd, I would have to ask more of myself too," Cavanaugh said. Saturday, Cavanaugh bent over back- wards, touching the ground in traditional fashion, but this time he accomplished it without the aide of his oversized hat. Likewise, the rest of the Michigan faithful need to follow his example by creatively finding new ways to "bend over backwards" and quell the negative image of Michigan Stadium fans. The*Big House is recognized nation- ally as one of the best college venues for its classic structure, long-standing tradi- tions and dynamic pregame environ- ment for tailgaters. But its fans have often been accused of being remarkably languid and quiet for a crowd of more than 110,000 people. "If there's one area Somewhere al where Michigan falls the same p shy, it's the intimidation factor on the field," demanded e Matt Hayes of The from the Mal Sporting News wrote in started to his description of Michigan Stadium, mediocre pel which he ranked the from their f No. 7 stadium in the country overall. Fortunately, the Penn State game showed America another side of the Big House. From the moment that Ronald Bellamy and Bennie Joppru led their team out of the tunnel and onto the field, it felt like a different aura was sur- rounding the stadium. Throughout the exciting second half against the Nittany Lions, Michigan supporters rocked the Big House with spirited cheers. Even when Penn State took the-lead in, the fourth quarter, the fans helped push Michigan and quarterback John Navarre to a dramatic tying score. After-throwing him a chorus of boos in the Utah game, the crowd finally trusted the junior sig- nal caller, and Navarre responded by turning in his best performance to date. The student section was clearly visi- ble' on TV thanks to the "Maize Out" - a practice that doesn't change the game dramatically but still ought to be made a permanent tradition. And when the overtime struggle finally ended on Chris Perry's three-yard touchdown run, the players met the students to celebrate the victory together. ij 16 e. i2 0 'r °e ie Big House There was a lot of excitement in the air on Saturday, but much of that was the result of a very tight and dramatic game. As much I as I would like to think that our fans are getting better, the real challenge is finding a way to maintain that fervor week after week. I still think that Iowa could jump out to a 14-0 lead in two weeks and kill the spirit of the Big House again. But if nothing else, the Penn State game was a step in the right direction. When students are confronted with the bland image of Michigan fans, they often blame the stereotypical alumni that sit and watch the game with a cell phone in one hand and a cane in the other. But some of those same students will grow to see football games as social events rather than sporting events later in life. Somewhere along the line, the same people that demanded excellence from the Maize and Blue started to accept mediocre performances ong the line, from their fellow fans. eople that The Nebraska and Tennessee alumni are excellence famous for their pas- ze and Blue sion, but both students accept and alumni at Michigan spend too much time rformances working on the wave ellow fans. (which should only be done during the inter- mission between the third and fourth quarters) and clapping, when the situa- tion really calls for screaming. How do we transform the "symphony crowd" into raucous and passionate fans? It won't happen overnight, but there are some steps that can be taken in the short term. The band should play some inspira- tional music each time the defense takes the field. The football players should make a tradition out of meeting the fans after the game, and each and every one of the people in the bleachers should come to the game and make a conscious effort to live up to the high expectations they set for the players on the field. Our stadium has capacity of 107,501; our fight song is the best in country; our boys in the winged helmets have won more Division-I games than anyone else, including 11 national titles, 40 Big Ten titles, three Heisman Trophies and 27 straight bowl appearances. So there is no excuse for us not having the best fans in the nation as well. Steve Jackson can be reached at sjjackso@umich.edu. North Dakota 5, Michigan 4 *(OT) Michigan 211 0 -4 North Dakota 112 1--5 First period - 1, UND, Nick Fuher 2 (Zach Parise, DaivdLundbohm) 11:30 (pp); 2, MICH, Eric Nystrom 1 (Dwight Helminen, Jed Ortmeyer) 14:36 (pp); 3, MICH, David Moss 1 Eric Nystrom, Charlie Hender- son) 19:26. Penalties - David Moss, MICH (inter- ference) 1:44; ZachParise, UND (o) 5:39; Dwight Helminen, MICH (High Sticking) 9:53; Brandon Rogers. MICH (slashing) 10:35; Andy Schneider, UND (oi) 14:04; Nick Martens, MICH (interference) 20:00. Second period - 4, UND, Zach Parise 4 (Quinn Fylling) 4:21 (sh); 5, MICH, Mark Mink 2 (Michael Woodford, Al Montoya) 18:59. Penalties - Ryan Connelly, UND (tripping) 3:25; Jed Ortmeyer, MICH (holding) 9:11; Charlie Henderson, MICH (oi) 14:11; Kevin Spiewak, UND (oi) 15:43. Third perod-6, MICH, Jeff Tambellini 2(MilanGajic, Eric Nystrom) 15:02; 7, UND, Zach Parise 5 (Brandon Bochenski, Quinn Fylling)16:46; 8, UND, Brandon Bochenski 2 (Zach Parise) 17:29. Penalties - TEAM, MICH (protocol violation) 0:00; TEAM, UND (protocol violation) 0:00; David Lundbohm, UND (roughing) 16:59; Dwight Helminen, MICH (elbowing) 16:59. OT period -1, UND, David Lundbolm 1 (Andy Schneider) 3:27. Penalties - Milan Gajic, MICH (elbowing) 2:46; Mait Greene. UND (roughing) 2:46. Shots on goal - MICH, 7-&4-0 -19; UND, 12-7-9-2 -30. Power Plays - MICH, 1 of 4; UND, 1 of 6. Saves - MICH, Montoya 1-1-0 - 25; UND, Josh Siebida 1-0-0 - 23 At: HSBC Arena, Buffalo, N.Y. Attendance: 2,740. FRIDAY'S GAME Michigan 3, Niagara 0 Z510 'ux freshman dominates 'M' By Kyle O'Neill Daily Sports Writer BUFFALO, N.Y. - When Sports Illustrated ranked North Dakota's freshman Zach Parise as one of the nation's top amateur athletes in last year's swimsuit edition, the editors probably had no idea that Parise would become the hottest item in the magazine. It's doubtful that anyone could have predicted the start that Parise had last weekend against Canisius and Michigan - HOCKEY five goals and three assists in his Notebook first two collegiate games. Parise had a hand in four of the five goals in the Fighting Sioux's 5-4 win over the Wolverines. "We knew he was a good player coming in," North Dakota coach Dean Blais said. "We just didn't know he was going to get three goals and one assist (against Canisius) and two (goals) and two (assists) against Michigan. There are a lot of expecta- tions, but he was in Sports Illustrated for a good reason." There were a few, simple factors that led Parise - a Min- nesota native - to choose North Dakota as his new home. He loved North Dakota's new multi-million-dollar arena and the relationship he formed with the coaches. "The kid looked at about five or six different things, and we were lucky to get him," Blais said. Unlucky would only begin to describe the teams that didn't lure Parise to their school. Unluckier could describe the teams who have to play him now. "Zach Parise is one of the top rookies that you'll see this year," said Michigan associate head coach Mel Pearson - coaching in the place of head coach Red Berenson, who was attending his father's birthday. "We tried to recruit Zach. He was the most highly sought after recruit last year. "You have good players, very good players and difference- makers in special players. He is a special player and he's a great person off the ice. He's the whole package." THE LONE COWBELL: Since Buffalo, N.Y. is very close to the Canadian border and because the city is known for supporting the NHL's Sabers well, it was believed that the Xerox Punch Imlach College Hockey Showcase would be well-attended. But with just 2,740 fans showing up for the title game between Michigan and North Dakota, it was safe to say that this year's site of the Frozen Four fell a few thousand short of what it had promised. "Well, I think we're disappointed (in the turnout)," Pearson said. "When we originally signed on for the tournament, we were a lot more optimistic for what the crowds would be." Pearson also noted that Niagra and Canisius were both strong local teams, yet not much interest was raised. "Unfortunately a lot of people missed some good college hockey," Pearson said. One fan with a cowbell did make it into HSBC Arena and led chants for the Wolverines the best he could. Michigan Niagara 1 2 0 -3 0 0 0 -0 First period - 1, MICH, Eric Werner 1 (David Moss, Michael Woodford) 5:45 (sh). Penalties - Jed Ort- meyer, MICH (interference) 4:04; Brian Hartman, NU (hook- ing) 7:05; Eric Nystrom, MICH (hooking) 7:19; Andrew Lackner, NU (tripping) 12:51. Second period - 2, MICH, Mark Mink 1 (Michael Woodford, David Moss) 4:50. 3, MICH, Jeff Tambelli- ni 1 (Jed Ortmeyer, Eric Werner) 12:58. Penalties - Michael Woodford, MICH (holding) 2:41; Team, MICH (too many on ice) 8:39; Matt Ryan, NU (inter- ference) 10:52; Eric Werner, MICH (interference) 15:51; Brian Hartman, NU (tripping) 18:41. Third period - None. Penalties - Milan Gajic, MICH (tripping) 0:08; Hannu Karru, NU (hitting from behind) 9:19; Michael Woodofrd, MICH (tripping) 11:22; Chris Welch, NU (slashing) 17:14; Jeff Tam- bellini, MICH (interference) 18:44. Shots on goal: MICH 11-10-9 30; NU 8-9-12 29. Power plays: MICHOof 6; NUOof8. Saves - MICH, Montoya 1-0-0 - 29; NU, VanNynat- ten 1-1-0 -30-27 At: HSBC Arena, Buffalo Attendance: 2,981. HOW THEY FARED No.1 Minnesota (10.0) def. Ohio State 7-2 No. 2 Denver (2-0-0) def. Nebraska- Omaha 3-2, def.,No. 7 MiChigan State No. 3 Michigan (1-1-0) Lost to No. 13 North Dakota 5-4 (ot), def. Niagara 3-0. No. 4 New Hampshire (140) def. Vermont 10-0. No. 5 Boston University (1-0-1) def. Renssel- er 5-1, tied Northern Michigan 4-4. No. 6 Maine (1-0-0) def Lake Superior State 8-1. No. 7 Michigan State (1-1-0) def. Col- gate 2-1, lost to No. 2 Denver 5-0. No. 8 Cornell (0-0-0) did not play No. 9 Boston College (1-0-0) def. Massa- chusetts 6-0 No. 10 Colorado College (1-1-0) lost to Massachusetts-Lowell 4-1, def. Massa- chusetts-Lowell 6-4. CCHA ROUNDUP Friday's games: Denver 5, Michigan State 0 Nebraska-Omaha 6, Colgate 5 Michigan 3, Niagara 0 Boston University 4, Northern Michigan 4 Alaska-Anchorage 4, Alaska-Fairbanks 2 St. Cloud State 2, Ferris State 1 Lake Superior 2, Quinnipiac 1 Miami 5 St I awrence 2 Sioux Continued from Page 1B the Wolverines in the end of the period. "I think we got a little too over- confident and we didn't start pay- ing attention to our own zone," Tambellini said. "We were focusing too much on the offensive zone and that really hurt us. It's just that split second. They got the 4-3 goal and then they got the emotion coming right back with them and they just built off it." Despite the third-period collapse, associate head coach Mel Pearson - who filled in while head coach Red Berenson attended a family event - liked the intensity of the game, and thought the overtime was good for the young Wolverines. "It's going to be a growing process for these young guys, espe- cially for the sophomores and fresh- men, but they're getting thrown into good opportunities, good situations at this time of the year," Pearson said. "Hopefully that will pay off down the road." Pearson said he thought Michigan played better against North Dakota than it did in its 3-0 win over Nia- gara the night before. Tambellini, Mink and junior defenseman Eric Werner all scored in the penalty-riddled contest against Niagara. Werner knocked in a rebound for a short-handed goal in the first period, and Mink and Tambellini padded the lead in the second period. The Purple Eagles attacked offen- sively, and out-shot the Wolverines in the third, but they couldn't find the back of the net. Montoya stopped all 29 shots he faced to earn the shutout in his first collegiate game. The freshman goaltender impressed Niagara coach Dave Burkholder. "He was making everything look easy," Burkholder said. "He's going to be a big timer. 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