10A - The Michigan Daily - Thursday. January 29. 2004
o .. ... . .. .,
i
Goalies draw from
coach Matwijiw's
"savings account
By Brian Schick players and know how to practice, but
Daily Sports Writer he gives them suggestions. Before each
practice, he produces a list of keys to
Goaltender Al Montoya charged work on for the day
from his crease to try and stop a break- "We have a good relationship with
away attempt Saturday night. him," Montoya said. "He told us not
The Western Michigan forward got to overwhelm yourself with 20 things
to the puck before Montoya. to work on, but focus on two key
Michigan goaltending coach Stan things. That's what I've tried to do
Matwijiw said out loud from the press since I've been here, and it's worked
box: out pretty well."
"That's trouble." Said Matwijiw: "I'm someone to
But when Montoya recovered, and talk to when they are having mechani-
the puck had somehow stayed out of cal problems. It's more like being a
:the net, Matwijiw let out a loud cheer support staff for them."
-f approval: During games, he takes notes on
"Wow!" Montoya from the press box. Sometimes
Either from the Yost Ice Arena press it's hard to tell the difference between
box during games or at practices, Matwijiw and a fan, as he lives and dies
Matwijiw (MAH-twiv) always has an with each shot fired on Montoya.
intense eye on all three of Michigan's He folds a sheet of paper in half, and
goaltenders - Montoya, sophomore writes positive aspects on one side and
Noah Ruden and freshman Mike May- negatives on the other. By the end of
hew. As a former minor-league goalie, the game, he will have about 15 to 20
Matwijiw has the insight to pick up on comments on each side. Immediately
the subtle aspects of netminding that after the game, Matwijiw and Montoya
might be lost on most hockey coaches. sit down and go over the game film and
"I don't pretend to be a technical notes together.
goalie coach," coach Red Berenson "After games, we'll sit down and look
said. "If there are certain things that we at tape, and he'll say 'This is what you
notice about how they're practicing, could have done better,"' Montoya said.
we'll tell them." "He's there for a different perspective,
Matwijiw describes his role with as he and I don't see a game the same
Michigan's goaltenders as a "consult- way. He played the game, and that
ant," as opposed to a coach. He recog- makes us better."
nizes that all three are intelligent Matwijiw is in his fifth season as
Burnett hopes Blue
has 'the will to win'
By Ellen Mc~arrity
Daily Sports Writer
The will to win.
Does the women's basketball
team have it? Michigan coach
Cheryl Burnett thought so when she
made that phrase her motivational
"theme" prior to last week's two
road games against Wisconsin and
Iowa.
Burnett counseled the team dur-
ing practices, explaining what the
phrase should mean to an athlete
and how it
can be
imple -
mented on.
the court.
B u r -
n e t t ' s
approach
appears to
h a v e
T ONIGHT
Michigan v&
Ohi* Srate
Cisler Arena
Sophomore Al Montoya makes a glove save. All three of Michigan's goaltenders
receive tutelage from part-time coach Stan Matwijiw.
goaltending coach. Outside of the
Michigan program, he owns and runs a
goaltending school. As a result, he bal-
ances his time between the two institu-
tions and cannot make it to practice
every day. But when he does make an
appearance, he brings his insight and a
excitement for the position. But what
gets him fired up?
"Little things that go undetected by
most are the things that irritate me
the most," Matwijiw said. "Some-
thing that looks routine and doesn't
look like he did much when he actu-
ally did a lot more than he really did
(gets me excited)."
Injured Rudisi impacts 'M' from the sideline
worked -at least for the majority of
last week's action.
Coming off of a 34-point loss to
Michigan State, the Wolverines
(10-10 overall, 3-4 Big Ten)
showed resiliency, stealing a win
from Wisconsin. In Iowa City, the
team managed to keep ahead of the
Hawkeyes in the first half, but
could not sustain the lead after the
break.
Having theme weeks is nothing
new to Burnett, who says that near-
ly every week, she comes up with
some sort of emotional or basket-
ball-oriented focus for her team.
"As a coach, you really try to find
different messages at different
times," Burnett said.
"We will go through offensive
times when we are saying, 'You are
getting points for these post passes
and emphasizing post play' - that
will be the theme of that week, so
they are learning something and
really pinpointing something - I
do the same in terms of motiva-
tion."
When asked what the theme is
for this week - Michigan faces
Ohio State at home tonight, then
hits the road to take on Illinois
Sunday - Burnett admitted that
the focus will not be an emotional
one.
"We have some very specific
things that we need to get better at
- block-out has continued to be a
big one ... stopping a dribble," Bur-
nett said.
Even though Burnett has not cho-
sen a motivational theme for the
upcoming games, the team will
have to deal with the psyches of two
squads that desperately need a win.
The Buckeyes (10-7, 2-4) have
won just two of their last eight
games, while the Fighting Illini (7-
11, 1-6) have dropped their last
five.
Although both teams are strug-
gling, Burnett is aware that these
opponents are just as dangerous as
Penn State or Purdue - who cur-
rently sit at the top of the Big Ten
standings.
"Ohio State's schedule has been
very deceiving," Burnett said.
"They're not a two-Big Ten-win
team. They were projected in the
top 25 early. They are going to be
hungry (for a win)."
Burnett was not kidding when she
referred to Ohio State's tough
schedule. In the last two weeks, the
Buckeyes have lost three consecu-
tive home games.
But the losses came at he hands
of the three best teams in the con-
ference - Penn State, Purdue and
Michigan State. The largest margin
of defeat in those games was just
eight points.
Ohio State also brings three dou-
ble-digit scorers to Ann Arbor. The
trio will test Michigan's 'MV3' -
seniors Jennifer Smith and
Stephanie Gandy and junior Tabitha
Pool - a trio that has scored 75
percent of Michigan's total points
this season.
Michigan's ongoing problem has
been getting production from every
member of its 'MV3' on the same
night. This problem has led Burnett
to look for scoring contributions
from players outside of the team's
dynamic trio.
"It would be wonderful if we'd
have the three scorers being consis-
tent every game and also add more
scoring, and that's our challenge,"
Burnett said.
In the Wolverines' game against
Iowa, junior BreAnne McPhilamy
and freshman Kelly Helvey com-
bined for eleven points. Burnett has
targeted sophomore guard Niki
Reams as a potential scorer for the
team.
With Michigan defending its own
court and Ohio State hoping to
prove they really are top 25 materi-
al, both teams will strive for the
victory. The question is, who will
have the will to win?
By Jeremy Antar coaching staff.
Daily Sports Writer "It was never a consideration not to stick with the
team," Rudisi said.
Senior Alison Rudisi is a cherished member of the Even though she would not be competing, Rudisi
Michigan women's gymnastics team. But her contri- was too close to her teammates to move on and forget
butions are not made on the balance beam or the bars; about the team.
she is an undergraduate coach. Her col-
lege gymnastics career was shattered by
a knee injury that first occurred during
her senior year of high school. Rudisi SAT
tried to compete for the Wolverines but Mid
kept reinjuring the knee. She was advised Michi
during her sophomore year at Michigan E
that it would be in her best interest to Crisli
give up competitive gymnastics.
But Rudisi's dedication to her team-
mates and to the program was unde-
terred. Coach Bev Plocki offered Rudisi a medical
scholarship, meaning that she could keep her schol-
arship and remain with the team as part of the
tIF IAY
lo.' rcn
As a coach, Rudisi basically does
whatever is asked of her. She is not des-
ignated to a specific event, so she helps
out wherever she is needed. Rudisi noted
that the camaraderie of the team makes
coaching much easier.
"I think being close helps us be real
with each other," Rudisi said.
"When somebody needs to hear some-
thing that she might not want to hear, I
think it's easier to come from a friend.
new role on the team. But despite the fact that there is
still a part of her that wishes she could compete, she
said she is happy and comfortable with being a coach.
Rather than dwell on what could have been, she has
made the most of her time at Michigan. Rudisi said
she is appreciative and grateful to be part of the team,
especially since this is her last year at Michigan.
"I definitely acknowledge the fact that we have it so
good here, and I think I have paid attention to it more
because I'm on my way out," Rudisi said.
Plocki said she is very happy that Rudisi was able to
stay with the team despite her injuries, and that she
will definitely be missed.
"When practice is hard, and people are tired, and
coaches are getting on people to work harder, Ali
keeps things light in the gym," Plocki said. "She can
always make somebody laugh. Her smile and her
laughter are very contagious. Having her in the gym
with her positive outlook and her knowledge as anoth-
er coach has been great."
So in that way, I think that we can help each other
more because we're so close."
At first, Rudisi said it was difficult to adjust to her
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