The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, December 9, 2003 -11 International play snatches 'M' duo By Michael Nisson SDaily Sports Writer Over the next three weeks, the Michigan hockey team will play two important series, and it will do so shorthand- ed. Forward Jeff Tambellini and goaltender Al Montoya - both sophomores - will miss action to play for their coun- tries, while junior forward David Moss is out with an injury Tambellini was the only U.S. college hockey player invit- ed to attend Canada's junior national team tryouts, which commence this weekend. His absence will hinder the Wolverines' effort this week- end when they travel to Omaha. The two-game series against Nebraska-Omaha is pivotal for the Wolverines, who have slipped to fifth in the CCHA after splitting a pair of games with Michigan State this past weekend. If Tambelli- ni does not make Team Canada, he will rejoin Michigan at the Great Lakes Invitational. Michigan coach Red Berenson noted that although Tam- bellini may be in a slump (he hasn't notched a point in six games), losing him will hurt the Wolverines because he's still their leading goal scorer and is always one of Michi- gan's most dangerous scoring threats. Berenson also noted that Moss would not see action this weekend because of a high-ankle injury sustained in Fri- day's 2-0 victory against the Spartans. Montoya will miss the GLI at the end of the month to play for the U.S. National Junior Team in the International World Junior Championships held in Finland. In his absence, the Wolverines will probably start sophomore Noah Ruden. Ruden, a Bloomfield Hills native, has seen action in two games this season and five games over the course of his career. Ruden downplays the rare opportunity to relieve Mon- toya. "That's (the backup goalie's) job," Ruden said. "It's no different than if (Montoya) were to get hurt or something Opposites abound in Blue defeat By Daniel Bremmer Daily Sports Writer Last year, two keys to the 2-6 Michigan basketball team knocking off a 6-2 Vanderbilt squad were stop- ping Matt Freije and controlling the glass. Unfortunatly for the Wolverines, the things that they did well in last year's win were the same things that they struggled with this weekend. o ff o° RYAN WEINER/Daily Junior David Moss badly sprained his ankle last Friday and will sit out this weekend. (else) were to happen (to Montoya). I know about (it) a few weeks down the road, so it helps in terms of mental prepa- ration." Ruden's businesslike approach doesn't mean that he's not happy for the chance to play. "It's going to be fun to play in a big venue like Joe Louis, (against) the best team in the nation, and it's an opportunity to show the coaches and everyone else that I am good enough to be out there." The "best team in the nation" that Ruden is referring to is Boston College, which is currently the No. 2 squad in the country according to USCHO.com's rankings released yes- terday. The Wolverines face the Eagles on Dec. 27 in Detroit and then will take on either Michigan State or Michigan Tech the following day. The story of both Vanderbilt games was rebounding - in both cases, the team that won the battle on the boards also won the battle on the scoreboard. Last year, Michigan controlled the glass by a 36 to 28 margin in a 70-66 win at Crisler Arena. But Saturday, the Wolverines were dominated inside by a 42-24 margin en route to an 83-63 loss in Nashville. "That is the most telling statistic of the game," Vanderbilt coach Kevin Stallings said. "(Michigan is) an athlet- ic team, and I was just hoping that we'd be able to outrebound them. That really attests to our effort." Michigan was also unable to control Freije, whom they had kept in check in last year's victory. The senior struggled on Dec. 22, 2002, in Ann Arbor, connecting on just 3-of-9 field-goal attempts to finish with a lackluster nine points and four rebounds. This year, things were different for the 6-foot-10, 249-pound senior. Freije struggled with his jumper in the first half on Saturday, but he managed to hit all four of his field goals in the second half en route to 22 points. The SEC Preseason Player of the Year, Freije was able to get to the free-throw line 10 times, hitting on seven. "He's a great player, but great play- ers are going to miss shots some- times," said Michigan center Graham Brown of Frieje's first-half struggle. "We were trying to get there on defense, but he got open looks off screens, and he knocked them down in the second half." PET-WAY ABOVE THE RIM: Michigan freshman Brent Petway exhibited his amazing, jump-straight-out-of-the- gym leaping skills again in Nashville, Tenn. But this time, it was Petway's shot blocking, not his dunking, that caught everyone's attention. Petway was credited with three blocked shots in the game, including a stuff of 5-foot-10 guard Mario Moore's driving layup in the first half. Petway - who had previously recorded four blocks on the season - got up so high on the play that he almost hit his head on the backboard in the process. Then, late in the second half, the high-flying freshman sent back 7-foot- 2 Vanderbilt center Dawid Przy- byszewski's dunk attempt. Off an inbounds play, the Commodores passed the ball to guard Russell Lakey just outside the 3-point line. Michigan guard Dion Harris was guarding the ball, and forward J.C. Mathis ran out to the perimeter to set up a double team, leaving Przybyszewski open to slip to the hoop. Lakey dropped the ball off down low, where Przybszewski had what looked to be an open layup, but Petway came from the weakside to come up with an impressive stuff. As a player who usually uses his dunking to get his team fired up, Pet- way said he was trying to do the same with his blocks. "That's what I'm here to do: bring some energy to the court," he said. "I was just trying to get our team ener- gized to help us play harder." BRETT MOUNTAIN/Daily Freshman Brent Petway had three spectacular blocks against Vanderbilt. O'NEILL Continued from Page 10 become exceedingly efficient at it. The function of the One is now to return to the media, allowing them to ask the most repetitive of questions so that the One may show them falsely that every- thing will be better the next time around. After which you will select from the BCS eight individuals: six champions, two at- larges to rebuild college football. Fail- ure to comply with this process will result in a cataclysmic system crash killing everyone connected to the BCS, which, coupled with the extermination of college football, will result in the extinction of the entire human race. You won't let it happen. You can't. You need human beings to survive. They pay for your endorsements to live. And I doubt the BCS could actu- ally kill us ... I think. There are levels of survival we are prepared to accept. No there aren't. Without the general support of fans and the media, you last out your contract. We buried the XFL for lessuthan this, and we'll certainly bury you as well. The BCS isn't col- lege football. It never has been, and it never will be. You can load it up with fancy formulas and high-tech lan- guage, but in the end you're taking away from what college football has always been: football played on some variance of turf. If we wanted comput- ers to determine our national champi- on, we'd let EA Sports do it with actual graphics and a virtual team that would never get injured or have the imperfec- tions or emotions of a human. Now I realize that there is no easy answer to any of this. But there are better options than the BCS, and no matter what they are, we should take them. If I were you, Mr. Architect, I would hope we don't meet aga n. We won't. Now you're making sense. Kyle O'Neill can be contacted at kylero@umich.edu. JOBS!!! Winter Term Apply now at the Law Library- Enrolled students only Minimum pay is $8.50 per hour! Apply at the hiring table outside room S-180 in the Law Library's underground addition. AAIEOE Spring Break in Panama City Beach, Florida! 800 feet of Gulf Beach Frontage " 2 Large Outdoor Swimming Pools Sailboat, Jet Ski & Parasail Rentals " Lazy River Ride & Water Slide Huge Beachfront Hot Tub " Volleyball . Suites up to 12 people World's Longest Keg Party " Live Band & DJ Wet T-Shirt, Hard Body & Venus Swimwear Contests w t BOOK EARLY # z S___ AVE $$$ 40 eol" Sell Your Books Now! + Michigan Book & Supply and Utrich's Bookstore want to make you"! © Spin the Wheel for Cash & Prizes! © Get BONUS BUCKS when you sell your books. 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