The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - November 4, 2002 - 3B FRIDAY'S GAME r USNTDP-18 2 Michigan 8 FRIDAY'S GAME Michigan 8, USNTDP U18 2 Gajic returns with a vengeance STEVE JACKSON By Dan Rosen Daily Sports Writer USNTDP U-18 MICHIGAN 0 0 2 -2 2 2 4 -8 First period - 1, MICH, Dwight Helminen (Eric Nys- trom, Jed Ortmeyer) 13:21; 2, MICH Brandon Kale- niecki (Danny Richmond, David Moss) 17:12 (pp). Penalties - Jed Ortmeyer, MICH (slashing) 6:20; Mike Brennan, USA (slashing) 6:20; Adam Pineault, UISA (high sticking) 8:06; Michael Bartlett, USA (interference) 15:54; Milan Gajic, MICH (high stick- ing) 18:38. Second period - 3, MICH, David Moss (Brandon Kaleniecki, Nick Martens) 4:22; 4, MICH, Joe Kautz (J.J. Swistak, Charlie Henderson) 17:18. Penalties- Brandon Kaleniecki, MICH (holding the stick) 12:00; Mike Brennan, USA (slashing) 18:22. Third period - 5, MICH, Milan Gajic (Eric Werner, Danny Richmond) 4:03 (pp); 6, MICH, Milan Gajic (Mark Mink) 7:22; 7, MICH, Jed Ortmeyer (Dwight Helminen, Brandon Rogers) 9:14; 8, USA, Steve Manders (Michael Bartlett, Ryan Suter) 11:24 (pp); 9, USA, Josh Sciba (Ryan Suter) 12:24 (pp); 10, MICH, Brandon Kaleniecki (Michael Woodford, Nick Martens) 13:30. Penalties - Adam Pineault, USA (roughing) 2:05; David Wyzgowski, MICH (obstruc- tion-hooking) 4:27; Eric Werner, MICH (obstruction- tripping) 9:56; Mark Mink, MICH (holding) 10:55; Jacob Dowell, USA (high sticking) 13:47; Andrew Ebbett, MICH (hooking) 16:27; Ryan Suter, USA (cross-checking) 20:00; Josh Sciba, USA (roughing after the whistle) 20:00; Milan Gajic, MICH (rough- ing after the whistle) 20:00; Andrew Ebbett, MICH (roughing after the whistle) 20:00. Shots on goal: USA 2-6-7 15; MICH 8-19-10 47. Power plays: USA 2 of 6; MICH 2 of 5. Saves - USA, Rogers 2, Holt - 27; MICH, Ruden 11, Montoya 2. At: Yost Ice Arena. Attendance: 6,091. HOW THEY FARED No.1 New Hampshire (3-1-2) def. Merrimack 4-3, lost to Boston University 3-2. No. 2 Denver (7-1-0) def. Wisconsin 5-3, def. Wisconsin 5-3. No. 3 Boston College (5-0-1) tied Notre Dame 3-3. No. 4 Minnesota (2-1-2) def. Alabama. Huntsville 12-1, def. Alabama-Huntsville 4-2. No. 5 Michigan (5-1-0) def. USNTDP-18 8-2. No. 6 North Dakota (60-0) def. Princeton 5-2, def. Yale 7-3. No. 7 Boston University (4-1-2) def. Northeastern 7-6, def. Boston University 3-2. No. 8 Cornell (1-0-0) def. Ohio State 3-1. No. 9 Colorado College (5.1-1) def. Michigan Tech 5-1, vs. Michigan Tech. No.10 Maine (5-1-1) def. Mercyhurst 5- 0, def. Mercyhurst 7-0. No. 11 Providence (6-0) def. Massachu- setts 2-1 (ot), vs. Princeton. No. 12 Michigan State (4-2-0) did not play. No. 13 Ferris State (7-1-0) def. Alaska- Fairbanks 5-0, def. Alaska-Fairbanks 5-1. No. 14 St. Cloud (3-2-1) def. Rensselaer 3- 0, lost to Rensselaer 3-1. No. 15Harvard (0-1-0) lost to Brown 4-0. CCHA ROUNDUP Friday's games: Ferris State 5, ALASKA-FAIRBANKS 0 Northern Michigan 3, LAKE SUPERIOR 2 WESTERN MICHIGAN 8, Nebraska-Omaha 2 MIAMI 3, Bowling Green 2 MicriA 8, US Under18 Team 2 (exhib.) Cornell 3, OHIo STATE 1 Boston College 3, NOTRE DAME 3 Saturday's games: Ferris State 5, ALASKA-FAIRBANKS 1 Northern Michigan 3, LAKE SUPERIOR 0 Nebraska-Omaha 2, WESTERN MICHIGAN 0 MIAMI 6, Bowling Green 1 Yesterday's games: OHIO STATE 6, Colgate 2 CCHA STANDINGS His teammates gave him a hard time for his lack of a celebration, but Milan Gajic was too relieved to do any dancing. After the sophomore forward took a pass from defenseman Eric Werner in the opening minutes of the third period of Friday night's exhibition and fired a wrist shot into the top left corner of the net, he could barely crack a smile. The goal, the first of two in the game for Gajic, helped the Wolverines to a runaway 8-2 win over the U.S. National Team Development Program Under-18 Team. After recording nine goals in his freshman campaign, Gajic had yet to find the back of the net this season. In fact, he had just one point in the team's first six games - an assist against North Dakota on Oct. 12. And even though Friday was just an exhibi- tion, Michigan coach Red Berenson hopes that it will be something that Gajic can build on. "You hope there are some players in that lockerroom that got some honest confidence from that game," Beren- son said. "It's good for players like Gajic and it's about time." Before arriving at Michigan, Gajic was an offensive machine. In the 2000-01 season, as a junior player in the British Columbia Hockey League, he set Burnaby Bulldogs records for goals, assists and points in a season (46-52-98). But so far this year, he has had trouble converting on his chances. Early in Friday's contest, it appeared Gajic's frustrations might continue. Just two minutes into the game, the sophomore mistimed his shot on a pass from the corner, and the puck went wide. Eight minutes later, Gajic was stopped on a 2-on-1 when the U.S. Under-18 team defender forced him into a low-angle shot. But after his first goal in the third, the Burnaby, British Columbia native seemed to relax on the ice. According to Gajic, it was about time. "It was always something that came so easily to me, and then I start off the year five or six games without getting a goal," Gajic said. "I've been press- ing a lot, holding my stick too tight." Not many of the Wolverines had trouble scoring on Friday. Dwight Helminen opened the assault with a wrist shot from the point. The sophomore center took a behind-the-back pass from forward Eric Nystrom and found an opening to the right of U.S. Under-18 Team goalie Chris Holt to give the Wolver- ines a 1-0 lead. Forward Brandon Kaleniecki added to the lead less than three minutes later thanks to his scrappy play in front of the net. Freshman defenseman Danny Richmond fired a shot wide left and the puck caromed all the way around to a well-positioned Kaleniecki just to the right of the post. Holt was unable to move across the crease quickly enough, and the freshman forward redirected it into the open net. David Moss and Joe Kautz added goals in the second period to give Michigan a 4-0 lead. The Wolverines led 7-0 in the third before the U.S. Under-18 Team got on the board. U.S. Under-18 Team defenseman Ryan Suter helped his team capitalize on a 5-on-3 advantage by assisting on two goals within a minute. On the first score, forward Steve Mandes took a rebound from Suter's shot from the point and roofed it over backup goalie Noah Ruden. Just 60 seconds later, forward Josh Sciba earned a tally on an eerily similar shot from Suter. Despite the late flurry, Michigan held on for a comfortable 8-2 win. "I think we realized that if you don't play hard, it doesn't matter who you play against," Berenson said. Michigan State rivalry is afamily affairfor many n the autumn of 1948, a sweet young lady in Royal Oak named Margaret Basey was preparing to go to Michigan Stadium for another Foot- ball Saturday with her father. Unfortu- nately, that week he could not take his eldest daughter to see the Maize and Blue. So Margaret went in search of a ride to Ann Arbor. Once she arrived at work, she asked a young World War II veteran named Ralph Jackson that han- dled her supply orders to join her, and he happily agreed. Things went so well that they bought season tickets together in 1949, and they were married before the 1950 cam- paign. Thirty-one years later, their first grandson - Steven James Jackson - was born. So when you think about it, I can thank the I am the pr Michigan Football Sat- the first Ja urday atmosphere for my very existence. attend M This weekend, the perhaps tM story came full circle. for the fami Fifty-four years after she asked my grandfa- ther out for their first date, the rest of my family asked "Grandma Jack" to join us for Saturday's Michigan-Michi- gan State game at the Big House. In the Ann Arbor Pioneer High School parking lot before the game, the sweetest widow in the world retold tales of the fun times she and my grandfather had watching the Wolver- ines drive up and down the field till the band grew tired of playing "The Victors." After the game, she said the 46-point blowout was eerily similar to some of the games on those first dates, but she would have preferred to see a closer game - as would the rest of my family. Although Michigan Stadium may have helped start the Jackson family, it was still a Spartan crowd that accompa- nied me to Section 43 Saturday. My father graduated from Michigan State, and my younger brother is currently studying engineering in East Lansing. There are all kinds of baby photos of me in MSU outfits; I rooted for the Spartans for most of my life, and I never attended a Michigan football game before college. But eventually I was converted, leaving my father with a sizable collection of new Michigan State clothes when I moved into South Quad freshman year. I am the prodigal son - the first Jackson ever to attend Michigan and perhaps the last in line for the family inheritance. ro Ick lic e fy But at least this year I'll have brag- ging rights. I won't have to read "26-24" at the end of every e-mail from my brother, yet I fear the Jan. 26 basketball score may replace it soon enough. My basketball fears, however, pale in comparison to the pregame concerns of my Spartan brother. On Friday, when I was driving him to Ann Arbor, he said, "Honestly, I just hope we come out of this with some sort of dignity." Sorry Dave. Last year, he and I stood in the Michigan State student section during the debacle that took place on Nov. 3. While I'll admit that I would rather sit through one torturous final drive than watch my team get destroyed like the Spartans did Saturday, Mr. Timekeeper certainly spoiled that digal son - family gathering for son ever to me. After T.J. Duckett higan and caught the floater from last in line Jeff Smoker to win the inheritance, game, the raucous Spartan Stadium crowd knocked me off my feet, and pushed my brother (more than 200 pounds of him) several rows down. When I finally located him, just three words escaped my lips: "Let's go NOW!" Then I followed my All-Confer- ence high school center to safety and a Jimmy John's sub, before finally retreat- ing to Washtenaw County. Since he saved me from bodily harm and delivered me safely away from the mob, I'll be nice and restrain myself from mentioning Saturday's final score in this column. In fact, I'll talk about the Spartans' one big suc- cess instead. On its first drive, Michigan State completed a long pass to wide receiver Charles Rogers, and scored three points as a result. This prompted my father (a.k.a. Nostradamus) to take a photo of the scoreboard while it stood at 3-0 MSU. "It might not get much better than this," he quipped. Well put, Pops. After last year's big win, he proudly strolled into church the morning after the game with one of his several Michi- gan State ties. This time around, he chose his outfit differently. "There was really no need for the Spartan tie today," he said with a laugh. "Actually, I wore all black." JASON COOPER/Daily Michigan freshman Brandon Kaleniecki was one of six Wolverines to score, as he lit the lamp twice during an 8-2 swarming of the U.S. National Under-18 Team in an exhibition game on Friday night. Future 'M' icers get taste of college By Bob Hunt Daily Sports Writer Imagine if current freshman quarterback Matt Gutierrez got to duel against John Navarre at Michigan Stadium his senior year of high school, or if Daniel Horton played in Crisler Arena last season against Bernard Robinson and LaVell Blanchard. That may sound impossible, but it happened for two future Michigan hockey players on Friday. As members of the United States National Team Development Program Under-18 Team, Mike Brown and T.J. Hensick went up against their future teammates. Brown, Hensick and Matt Hunwick - who is on the U.S. NTDP U-18 team but did not play because he was recovering from a gash in his leg left by a skate -- have all committed to Michigan next sea- son but have yet to officially sign a letter of intent. So there were some awkward situations on the ice Friday night. "There was a little of 'nice hit,' and 'nice play' and 'we'll see you next year," Brown said. "There was a lot of just joking around." While these players have yet to be officially initiated into the Michigan program, in some ways the initiation began on Friday night. Their squad was blown away by the Wolver- ines' speed and athleticism even though the team tied Yale and lost to Michigan State by just one. "This is the best college team we've played all year," Hensick said. "We thought Yale was pretty good, but these guys were much better and much faster than we expected." But for the U.S. Under-18 Team, everything is a learning experience. Selected as the best players in their age group in the United States, the players in the program move away from home to live with host families in Ann Arbor. As members of the U.S. Under-17 Team last season, all three future Wolverines played in the North American Hockey League against 20-year-olds. This season in the program's U-18 team, they are playing a number of Division I college teams including, Minnesota and New Hampshire. "I consider this year my freshman year," Hensick said. "I've got 28 college games on my schedule, which is huge. Hopefully, I can step in next year and be an impact player." Brown and Hensick also got to play one period against their former teammate, Al Montoya. Montoya played with the U.S. Under-17 Team last season before receiving the opportunity to start in net for the Wolverines this year, so Friday night's game was for some bragging rights. But Team USA was only able to muster two shots on goal before Noah Ruden replaced Montoya to start the second period. "We're going to hear about the shutout for a while," Hunwick said. For now, the three are partaking in the grueling schedule, which includes more than 60 games that they hope will make them ready to make an impact next year. "You come into the season and you're ready to go," Hen- sick said. "Then a couple months go by and you have a practice on a Wednesday that's about four hours long and you're tired and you're grueling and you just don't want to do it. But you know by the end of the season it will pay off, because it will just help you become a better hockey player on and off the ice" Steve Jackson can be reached at sjjackso@umich.edu. M' happy with progress despite a lopsided loss Team Ferris State Miami Michigan State Western Michigan Northern Michigan Notre Dame Michigan Nebraska Omaha Ohio State Alaska-Fairbanks Lake Superior Bowling Green w '3 3 .3 2 2 CCHA N L 1 ' 0 5 1 3 1 C 3 3 3 3 2 2 9 2 0 C 2 2 C 1 0 ) 5 9 ) 4 C ) 6 C Pts 14 10 6 6 6 5 4 4 3 1 0 0 Overall W L T 7 1 0 8 2 0 4 2 0 3 4 1 4 4 1 3 2 2 5 1 0 3 4 0 4 2 1 1 6 1 3 5 0 2 7 0 Field hockey rolls through AC By Brian Steere Daily Sports Writer The Michigan field hockey team showed this weekend that it can dominate other conferences besides the Big Ten. Coming off a heartbreaking loss to No. 1 Old Dominion, the second- ranked Wolverines (6-0 Big Ten, 17- 2 overall) trounced No. 20 Virginia (1-4 ACC, 9-10) 5-0 on Saturday and then concluded the weekend yesterday with a 3-2 victory over No. 11 Duke. The wins increased Michigan's record against ranked opponents this season to 7-1. "We're not afraid of losing," coach Marcia Pankratz said. "We're not afraid to play against the best. That's the only way you get better. I feel really good about the way we're playing right now." Duke (1-4, 12-7) actually sur- prised Michigan by grabbing an early 1-0 lead 10 minutes into the game, when forward Katie Grant deflected a shot in the circle past Wolverine goalkeeper Molly Mal- oney. But that was the last time the Blue Devils would ever hold a lead, as the Wolverines quickly increased their offensive pressure and seized control of the game. Sophomore Adrienne Hortillosa and junior April Fronzoni each notched goals before halftime, and junior Stephanie Johnson connected on a penalty shot within the first minute of the second half to give Michigan a lead that was too much for Duke to overcome. The Blue Devils mounted a seri- ous charge in the final minutes to tie the game. But the Wolverines' defense was phenomenal and pre- vented the Duke forwards from get- ting away any shots inside the circle. "This was a hard game," Pankratz said. "The field was very wet, and the conditions were really messy. Both teams had trouble keeping possession. I was really proud the way our defense hung tough down the stretch." Michigan's defense was even stronger against Virginia, allowing just four shots and helping Maloney earn her ninth shutout of the season - a school record that was previ- ously set last year by Maureen Tasch. "It's a wonderful achievement for Molly," Pankratz said. "She really earned this milestone too because she had to make a brilliant save at the end of the game on a penalty corner to preserve the shutout." The win also allowed new play- Ycountry- ers to contribute to Michigan's offensive statistics. Freshman Lori Hillman recorded her first career point with an assist on junior Jen Zangara's goal at the end of the first half. Zangara's goal was her first since last season, when she scored against Ball State. Michigan will now have a week to prepare for the Big Ten Tournament, which will be held next weekend in Columbus. The Wolverines still have a chance to duplicate their flawless conference run in 2000, when they went undefeated in the conference and captured both the regular season and tournament titles. By Nazeema AIII Daily Sports Writer Despite dropping its second straight meet this past weekend, the Michigan women's swimming and diving team ended its two-day event in Chapel Hill, N.C. with one goal in mind - progress. "At this point in the season we are more concerned with training, prepara- tion and performance," Michigan coach Jim Richardson said. "Winning an event is nice, but our priority is to get some kids to the NCAA Championships." Although North Carolina defeated Michigan 238-132, the Wolverines managed to turn out some impressive individual performances. On day one, Michigan came away with two first-place finishes. Senior Erin Abbey led all competitors in the 100- yard backstroke with 57.27 seconds, and junior Tealin Kelemen topped the 3- meter diving with a score of 303.40. "Annie Weilbacher and Kelli Stein both had good meets"Richardson said. Weilbacher and Stein, along with Abbey and sophomore Amy McCul- lough, helped Michigan secure second place in the 200-yard medley relay on Friday, and first place in the 400-yard medley relay on Saturday. Later that day, Weilbacher took first place in the 100-yard butterfly with a final time of 55.58 seconds, which was good enough to earn NCAA considera- tion. Stein won the 200-yard breast- stroke with 2:17.12, giving Stein her second NCAA consideration time of the meet. The first came on Friday when she finished second in the 100-yard breaststroke in 1:03.86. Kelemen won the 3-meter diving once again, with a score of 273.05. "Carolina always swims fast. We enjoy swimming there," Richardson said. "We have a tough schedule for a reason. We are trying to get our swim- mers to compete with the best swim- mers in the country. North Carolina will definitely have individuals who will qualify for the NCAA finals." No. 15 North Carolina (1-1) took first place in 13 events, causing Michi- gan to fall to 0-2. Harvard and Min- nesota also competed at the meet. But overall, Richardson was happy with his team's effort and progress. "In general, we had a good perform- ance," Richardson said. "Some people could have been faster, but that is what I expect at this point in the season." MrwrIcp . ~ Student Discounts ~ Professional Bartending Training ~ Tips on Finding a Top Paying Job Become a Talented, Socially * Conscious Bartender ~ National Restaurant Association 11 1 - i--~ k A 1-iU [-II 111 i~~ ~ IIIr- i u -tF I i