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4B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - January 26, 2004
Friday's game
NhcMGAN WOLVERINES
4
1
Saturday's game
WESTRN MICHIGAN BRONCOS
MIcHIGAN WOLVERINES
0
7
WESTERN MICHIGAN BRONCOS
4
SATURDAY'S GAME
Michigan 7, Western Michigan 0
Westem Michigan 3 3 1 - 7
Michigan 0 0 0 - 0
First period -1. MICH, Brandon Kaleniecki 9 (TJ.
Hensick, Milan Gajic) 09:31; 2. MICH, Mke Brown 5
(unassisted) 13:49; 3. MICH, Hensick 8 (Andy Burnes,
Gajic) 15:57; Penalties - Kyle Bushee, WMU (hook-
ing) 3:58; Mike Jarmuth, WMU (roughing) 5:39; Kale-
niecki, MICH (roughing) 5:39; Kevin Labatte, WMU
(high sticking) 17:28;
Second period - 4. MICH, Kaleniecki 10 (Hensick,
Gajic) 2:17; 5. MICH, Brown 6 (Andrew Ebbet)
17:01; 6. MICH, Ebbet 5 (David Moss, Jason Ryznar)
17:01 . Penalties - Brown, MICH (checking from
behind) 2:51; Vince Bellissimo, WMU (hooking) 4:08;
Michael Woodford, Jr., MICH (slashing) 11:00; Dana
Lattery, WMU (unsportsmanlike conduct) 12:08; Al
Montoya, MICH (unsportsmanlike conduct) 12:08;
Montoya, MICH (interference) 13:22; Jeremy
Cheyne, WMU (elbowing) 13:58.
Third period - 7. MICH, Hensick 9 (Gajic, Kaleniecki)
18:09. Penalties - Cheyne, WMU (roughing) 5:30.;
Eric Werner, MICH (roughing) 5:30; Tim Cook, MICH
(checking from behind) 8:00; Cheyne, WMU (rough-
ing) 11:40; Brandon Rogers, MICH (roughing) 11:40;
Burnes, MICH (holding) 12:49; Paul Szczechura,
WMU (tripping) 17:28; David Rohlfs, MICH (roughing)
18:55; Bellissimo, WMU (roughing) 18:55; Rohlfs,
MICH (10-minute misconduct) 18:55; Bellissimo,
WMU (10-minute misconduct) 18:55; Matt Hunwick,
MICH (roughing) 18:55; Trevor Cook, WMU (roughing)
18:55; Hunwick, MICH (10-minute misconduct)
18:55; Cook, WMU (10-minute misconduct) 18:55;
Woodford, MICH (fighting) 18:55; Mat Ponto, WMU
(fighting) 18:55; Brown, MICH (fighting) 18:55; Kyle
Bushee, WMU (fighting) 18:55; Woodford, MICH (dis-
qualification) 18:55; Ponto, WMU (disqualification)
18:55; Brown, MICH (disqualification) 18:55; Kyle
Bushee, WMU (disqualification) 18:55.
Shots on goal: MICH 13-11-11 35; WMU 2-7-21 30.
Power plays: MICH 1 of 5; WMU 0 of 5. Saves -
MICH, Al Montoya (15-6-1) -30; WMU, Scott Fos-
ter (10-8-3) - 18; Eric Marvin (no decision) - 10.
Referee: Kevin Hall.
At: Yost Ice Arena
Attendance: 6,812
FRIDAY'S GAME
MichIgan 4, Western Michigan 1
Michigan 0 1 3 - 4
Westem Michigan 0 0 1 - 1
First period - No scoring. Penalties - Paul Szczechu-
ra, WMU (roughing) 1:56; Andy Burnes, MICH (rough.
ing) 1:56; Brandon Kaleniecki, MICH (roughing) 4:49;
Ryan Mahrle, WMU (holding) 9:48; Dana Lattery,
WMU (tripping).
Second period - 1. MICH, Milan Gajic 7 (Brandon
Kaleniecki) 17:39. Penalties - Lattery, WMU
(checking from behind) 2:59; Jason Ryznar, MICH
(roughing, cross-checking) 13:34; Paul Davies, WMU
(roughing) 13:34.
Third period -2. WMU, Brent Walton 10 (Vince Bel-
lissimo, Mat Ponto) 4:05; 3. MICH, Jason Dest 1
(Dwight Helminen, Jeff Tambellini) 5:59; 4. MICH,
David Moss 3 (Helminen, Eric Werner) 12:43 (pp); 5.
MICH, Kaleniecki 8 (Werner) 17:05. Penalties - Lat-
tery, WMU (charging major) 8:30; Moss, MICH
(boarding) 9:09; Kyle Bushee, WMU (roughing)
10:30; Matt Hunwick, MICH (roughing) 10:30; Gajic,
MICH (delay of game) 12:14; Lucas Drake, WMU
(delay of game) 12:14.
Shots on goal: MICH 18-7-10 35; WMU 10-8-4 22. Power
plays: MICH 1-5; WMU 0-2. Saves - MICH, Al Mon-
toya (14-6-1) - 21; WMU, Scott Foster (10-7-3) -
31.
Referee: Matt Shegos.
At: Lawson Arena
Attendance: 4,575
Photos by DANNY MOLOSHOK/Daily
Right: Freshman Mike Brown lands a punch on Western Michigan's Kyle Bushee in their fight at the end of Saturday night's game. Left: Bushee ducks for cover as Brown continues to land crushing blows.
Weekend of hostility culminates in all-out brawl
By Brian Schick
Daily Sports Writer
Toward the end of the third period Saturday night, frustration was
clearly on the minds of the Western Michigan players on the ice.
Michigan scored 11 goals in the series to secure a sweep of the
Broncos, who had been the hottest team in the CCHA entering the
weekend. Western Michigan had thrown anything and everything at
goaltender Al Montoya in the third period, but the sophomore turned
all 21 shots aside.
With 1:05 left in the game, the frustration reached a boiling point.
Freshman Mike Brown skated into a corner of the Michigan zone,
and he was tied up by Western Michigan defender Kyle Bushee.
Both players were battling for possession, with Brown trying to
move the puck out of the zone. Michigan junior Michael Woodford
came into the corner to help and was met by Western Michigan's
other defenseman, Mat Ponto. As all four players tried to move the
puck, the physical play in the corner exploded into a scuffle between
the two Wolverines and two Broncos. Michigan coach Red Berenson
felt that the fight could have been prevented had the referees stepped
in earlier.
"I'm a big believer that anytime the puck is frozen on the
boards, blow the whistle," Berenson said. "Blow the whistle
because something is going to happen. Players keep pushing
and shoving and pretty soon, something starts. And that's what
happened."
By the time Bushee and Ponto began to take out their rage on
Brown and Woodford, respectively, eight of the ten skaters on the ice
were involved in various levels of fisticuffs.
"You gotta do what you gotta do," Brown said. "They were getting
a little out of control and they were talking last night too. (It was)
getting out of hand. So I'm just taking care of business."
Brown held nothing back as he fought with Bushee, landing sev-
eral hard blows. At one point, Bushee stopped throwing punches and
covered his head as Brown continued to land haymakers.
As the fight between Brown and Bushee was being broken up by
the referees, Woodford and Ponto's bout picked up in intensity. Skat-
ing toward center ice, both players fell to the ice surface and wrestled
with each other.
"It's pretty intense," Woodford said. "Thirty seconds of just
throwing all out. You just try to hold on to (the other guy's) dominant
hand, which is usually his right, and just keeping throwing the other
right and just keep throwing."
Both Brown and Woodford will be suspended for at least one
Player
Hensick
Ebbett
Kaleniecki
Gajic
Tambellini
Helminen
Werner
Nystrom
Moss
Rogers
Brown
Hunwick
Ryznar
Rohlfs
Henderson
Martens
Dest
Woodford
Kautz
Cook
Burnes
Ruden
Wyzgowski
Montoya
TOTALS
Player
Montoya
Ruden
Mayhew
TOTALS
'M' STATS
GP G A Pts +/-1
24 9 18 27 6
24 5 13 18 5
24 10 7 17 9
21 7 9 16 3
20 9 6 15 -2
22 7 8 15 E
23 6 8 14 -1
24 7 6 13 -3
19 3 8 11 -5"
24 3 8 11 3-
24 6 3 9 4
22 0 9 9 6
17 2 6 8 5
24 4 1 5 3
11 2 2 4 2
17 1 3 4 E
23 1 3 4 6
22 0 4 4 -5
5 1 2 3 3
19 0 1 1 7
20 0 1 1 6
5 0 1 1 -
3 0 0. 0 -2
22 0 0 0 -
PIM
12
28
28
20
10
0
20
36
8
30
35
40
12
20
8
24
17
24
4
22
18
0
4
16
Sht
79
59
81
56
96
62
36
47
38
46
61
26
23
34
17
18
11
31
8
12
12
0
2
0
BRONCOS
Continued from Page 1B
Foster with a high slapper from the top
faceoff circle. Halfway through the per
converted another breakaway chance, be
stick-side with a post-deke backhand.
Andrew Ebbett finished the period with
sive individual effort as he skated acros
and chipped a backhand into the left side
In the third period, Hensick added a
goal, but the story of the period was ae
tussle.
With just over a minute left in the gan
end of emotions flared and a brawl of W
tions ensued. Referees handed out 16 p
ejected four players, including Michael
and Brown from Michigan.
On Friday, Michigan traveled to Kal
defeated the Broncos 4-1. Down 1-0e
third period, Western Michigan (9-8-
scored its only goal of the weekend. Vinc
shot a heavy wrister that Michigan goa
toya redirected with his right leg. Thin
possession of the puck, Montoya sat out
and left the net wide open for a Brent W
from the left faceoff circle. The fluke goa
toya's lone blemish on the weekend, as he
of Western Michigan's 52 shots over both
"Originally it got deflected," said Mon
lissimo's shot. "It hit my knee, so I
game of next weekend's series against Lake Superior for fighting.
Teammate Brandon Kaleniecki felt that fighting is a way of portray-
ing team unity in tough situations.
"When something like that happens, it's good to see that (Brown
is) willing to stand up for his teammates," Kaleniecki said. "I think
everybody on our team would be willing to do it. But it's good to
see - it's kind of a team-building thing - when you see things
are getting rough out there and he goes out there and takes care of
business."
Woodford added: "We don't go looking for fights. The guys on
my team respect what Brown and I did tonight, and hopefully we'll
build off that, and hopefully the guys will build off that for next
weekend."
Some of the frustration was left over from the previous night's
game in Kalamazoo. Montoya and Western Michigan captain Dana
Lattery had exchanged words all night, and Lattery crashed into
Montoya as he tried to play the puck behind the net. From that point
on there was a lot of heavy hitting on both sides.
"There was a lot of chirping last night (during) the game," Wood-
ford said. "When Lattery ran at Montoya last night, you kind of take
exceptions to that.
"They got what they deserved."
thought it was underneath me."
Michigan retook the lead with a controversial goal
less than two minutes later. With a defender draped
p of the left all over him, Eric Nystrom crashed to the net, and
riod, Brown ran into Foster. Freshman Jason Dest quickly recog-
ating Foster nized the open net and fired a shot inside the left
Sophomore post just before the goal was dismounted from its
an impres- pegs. The home crowd wanted an interference call
s the crease on Nystrom.
of the net. "I like to drive the net," Nystrom said. "I was tak-
apowerplay ing my 'D'-man with me and I kind of got twisted
eight player around and, incidentally, I made contact with the
goalie. I just kind of tangled into him."
me, a week- Seven minutes later, Bronco forward Dana Lattery
WE propor- earned a five-minute major penalty for checking
enalties and Montoya behind the net, and Michigan junior David
Woodford 4 Moss lit the lamp on the subsequent powerplay. With
Western Michigan in the middle of a line change in
amazoo and the 18th minute of the third, Kaleniecki snuck behind
entering the everyone and scored an easy breakaway goal, putting
2, 13-10-3) the finishing touch on the Wolverines' 4-1 victory.
e Bellissimo The weekend sweep puts the Wolverines in second
lie Al Mon- place, one point behind CCHA-leader Miami -
king he had which has played two more conference games than
I of position the Wolverines. Currently riding a five-game win
alton slapper streak - not including a 5-3 exhibition victory over
al was Mon- the U.S. National Team Development Program
e stopped 51 Under-18 team - Michigan's confidence is soaring.
games. "I think it's more of a statement like nobody (in
ttoya of Bel- the CCHA) is going to beat us, and we're going to
felt it, so I keep going," Brown said.
GP
22
5
1
24
83 127 210 50 443 855
GA Avg Svs Pct Mins
48 2.23 512 .900 1292:32
7 3.09 57 .891136:08
1 3.54 12 .923 16:56
56 2.42 581 .912 1447:48
DANNY MOLOSHOK/Daily
Freshman T.J. Hensick "posterizes" Western Michigan's top defender Mike Jarmuth with an
outstanding move, en route to his first of two goals.
4
CCHA Oerall ' M'trio makes constant
Team
Miami
Michigan
Michigan State
Alaska Fairbanks
Ohio State
Northern Michigan
Western Michigan
Notre Dame
Ferris State
Bowling Green
Lake Superior
Nebraska-Omaha
W L T
11 5 2
11 4 1
11 6 1
11 9 0
10 9 0
10 10 0
9 8 2
8 8 2
7 10 1
5 10 3
4 9 3
4 13 3
Pts
24
23
23
22
20
20
20
18
15
13
11
11
W L T
14 9 3
16 7 1
1512 1
1212 0
15 12 0
1211 1
1311 3
12 9 3
1211 3
7 13 6
6 11 5
6 16 4
T
3
1
1
0
0
1
3
3
3
6
5
4
line changes worthwhile
Saturday's results:
MICHIGAN 7, Western Michigan 0
Michigan State 3, OHIO STATE 0
NORTHERN MICHIGAN 1, Notre Dame 0
MIAMI 7, Nebraska-Omaha 1
ALASKA-FAIRBANKS 3, Bowling Green 2
FERRIS STATE 0, Findlay 0
Providence 3, LAKE SUPERIOR 1
Friday's results:
Michigan 4, WESTERN MICHIGAN I1
Bowling Green 6, ALASKA-FAIRBANKS 2
Michigan State 4, OHIO STATE 2
MIAMI 2, Nebraska-Omaha 2
NORTHERN MICHIGAN 4, Notre Dame 3
FERRIS STATE 4, Findlay 2
By Sharad Mattu
Daily Sports Writer
When Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson
rents a movie, he must wish for a sneak peek of all
the flicks he may consider renting in the future.
That's what he is trying to do
with his team's lines - see every
possible combination on the ice O -
before it's tournament-time. 0 1
Sometime it's to re-energize a
player and other times there's an
injury. Sometimes there's no rea-
son aside from the fact that he felt it was time to try
something new.
But now closing time is rapidly approaching, and
Berenson must soon make his final decisions.
This weekend, the trio of Milan Gajic, Brandon
Kaleniecki and T.J. Hensick made its case for why it
should be a unit that sticks around.
The three combined to score six of the Wolver-
ines' 11 goals in the pair of games, and also had
seven assists against the Broncos.
Hensick and Gajic have a similar style of play,
and they have found a way to play well together.
Both are creative with the puck and share excellent
goal Friday, makes the unit complete with physical
and opportunistic play. While his linemates circle
around the perimeter looking for lanes to fire the
puck, Kaleniecki is the one throwing his body into
the fray in front of the net.
"They move the puck well," Berenson said.
"That's the big thing. They're starting to find each
other on the ice in the offensive zone and they're
passing the puck well.
"These are dangerous players. Hensick is, one-
on-one, as good as anybody and (Kaleniecki) is a
sniper. Gajic is a smart playmaker - he can score."
MONTOYA'S WILD THIRD: The first two periods of
Saturday's game were a cinch - Montoya turned
away all nine shots he had faced. And the Broncos
had given him no reason to believe the next period
would be any tougher.
Yet somehow they managed to turn things
around. Suddenly they were able to rattle off shot
after shot. All period long Montoya was scrambling
from side to side and sprawling along the ice to pre-
serve the shutout.
He stopped all 21 shots in the period, conserving
his fourth shutout of the season, and at times left
goaltending coach Stan Matwijiw in awe.
"He was unbelievable in the third period," Beren-