4B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - February 2, 2004 I Friday's game LAKE SUPERIOR STATE LAKERS MICHIGAN WOLVERINES Saturday's game 1 5 LAKE SUPERIOR STATE LAKERS MICHIGAN WOLVERINES 0 4 4 SATURDAY'S GAME MIchigan 4, Lake Superior State 0 Lake Superior 0 0 0 - 0 Michigan 1 2 1 - 4 First period-1, MICH, Nick Martens 2 (Andrew Ebbett, Brandon Rogers) 4:11. Penalties - Eric Werner, MICH (holding) 3:28; Dominic Osman, LSSU (elbowing) 3:28; Matt Hunwick, MICH (tripping) 9:42. Second period - 2, MICH, Milan Gajic 8 (T.J. Hen- sick, Ebbett) 5:04; 3, MICH, Brandon Kaleniecki 13 (Hensick, Rogers) 10:16. Penalties - Ryan Reid, LSSU (slashing) 3:37; David Moss, MICH (slashing) 3:37; Chris Peterson, LSSU (holding the stick) 4:56; Ebbett, MICH (hooking) 5:10; Steve McJannet, LSSU (Interference) 8:44; Werner, MICH (interference) 15:40. Third period --4, MICH, David Rohlfs 5 (unassisted) 9:50. Penalties - Mike Adamek, LSSU (checking from behind) 2:49; Eric Nystrom, MICH (roughing dou- ble-minor) 3:27; Ryan Reid, LSSU (roughing double- minor) 3:27; Reid, LSSU (hooking) 20:00; Hensick, MICH (slashing) 20:00. Shots on goal: LSSU 3-5-513; MICH 9-17-2 28. Power plays: LSSU 0 of 3; MICH 2 of 7. Saves - LSSU, Matt Violin (4-9-3) -33, Jeff Jakaitis -12; MICH, Al Montoya (17-6-1) - 13. Referee: Matt Shegos. At: Brett Klosowski Attendance:6,841. FRIDAY'S GAME Michigan 5, Lake Superior State l Lake Superior 0 0 1 - 1 Michigan 0 2 3 - 5 First period - none. Penalties - John Booras, LSSU (interference) 13:58. Second period -1, MICH, Brandon Kaleniecki 11 (TJ. Hensick) 9:38; 2, MICH, David Moss 4 (Andrew Ebbett, Jason Ryznar) 12:39. Penalties - Kaleniec- ki, MICH (hit after whistle) 7:20; Alex Dunn, LSSU (hit after whistle) 7:20; Matt Hunwick, MICH (hooking) 14:58; Eric Werner, MICH (hit after whistle) 16:34; Derek Smith, LSSU (hit after whistle) 16:34; Jason Dest, MICH (cross-checking) 19:58. Third period -3, MICH, Kaleniecki 12 (Ebbett, Milan Gajic) 6:16; 4, MICH, Eric Nystrom 8 (Dwight Helmi- nen, Jeff Tambellini) 9:33; 5, MICH, Moss 5 (Ryznar, Brandon Rogers) 10:51; 6, LSSU, Jeffrey Rainville 1 (Trent Campbell, Ren Fauci) 11:52. Penalties - Kory Scoran, LSSU (interference) 4:10; Mike Adamek, LSSU (roughing) 11:21; Rogers, MICH (roughing) 11:21. Shots on goal: LSSU &4-618; MICH 7-9-13 29. Power plays: OSU 0 of 2; MICH 0 of 2. Saves - LSSU, Matt Violin (4-8-3) --24; MICH, Al Montoya (16-6-1) - 17. Referee: Brett Klosowski. At: Yost Ice Arena Attendance: 6,829. In new spot Moss excels By Sharad Mattu Daily Sports Writer David Moss doesn't think it's a big deal, but he can't deny that it has made a difference. Since mov- ing from center to right wing, the junior has taken off.> Until the change two weeks ago, '..... . this season had been a frustrating ? and disappointing one for Moss. After scoring 14 goals and 17 assists as a sophomore, expecta- tions were high. Through Michi- gan's first 15 games this season, he had just two goals and six assists, and then he suffered a high ankle sprain on Dec. 6 against Michigan State that kept him out for over a month. But since his return, Moss has already notched three goals and two assists in just six games. He was particularly effective on Friday against Lake Superior State, when he notched a pair of goals in Michigan's 5-1 win. The coaches had hoped the move to wing --alongside center Andrew Junior David Moss h Ebbett and winger Jason Ryznar - JunioreAvdrosE would get Moss more chances. And it has worked wonders. Playing with a is constantly o center who has good vision like causes the defer Ebbett, Moss' role in the offensive to move from sid zone is entirely different. In the past, holes to open u when he was a center, Ebbett's current Subsequently, op role was his. themselves. "In their zone, (the coaches) said "The key to ou to get more shots and just get the of them have p puck to the net more and see what know how to happens," Moss said. around," Ryznars "I think Ebbett is a great play- Moss' role ha making center. When he gets me the defensive zon the puck in spots where I've got "Center is a li an opportunity, I've got to just Ryznar said. "Int shoot it." you have to doa Puck movement has also been It's more physica key in the line's strong play. Hav- ner. A winger ju ing two players on the line with a and tries to block center's mentality means the puck Moss played LAKERS Continued from Page 1B corner, then moving it to sophomore Andrew Ebbett, who found Kaleniecki in front of the net again. Kaleniecki scored what was possibly his easiest goal of the season. "We have it set up where T.J. usually draws it right back to me and Gajic just kind of tries to pick that guy and it's been working out; the goalie can't really see it," Kaleniec- ki said. "If it's on net, it's got a good chance." While Kaleniecki continued his scoring streak, junior David Moss broke out of a scoreless slump. Both players, who hail from Livonia, had two goals in Friday's win. Scoring just once in his last 11 games, Moss had bounded around between different lines and battled injuries earlier in the season. After tallying 14 goals last season, he found the scoring touch from last year, scoring twice on Friday night. Paired with fellow big man Jason Ryznar, the 6- foot-3 forward appeared to return to form. "He is a different player than he was, even before he got hurt, and I can't tell you whether it was a change to the wing or just confidence that he's getting by scoring, but he's starting to play his best hockey," Berenson said. In addition to Moss starting to play his best hockey, the Michigan defense might have had its best series of the FILICE Continued from Page 1B This mix-and-match strategy has- n't been unique to Michigan's first line. Extensive changes have occurred on every line because of injuries, World Junior Championship absences and Berenson's desire to discover the perfect mixture. Lately, he's found it. "It's nice to see some momentum and some confidence and some chemistry starting to flow on those lines," Berenson said. "And we're not just a one-line team - on any given night, any line can step up and make the difference. We feel good about them right now." Each line contributed mightily against Lake Superior State, as they all notched at least one goal. Recently, all 12 Michigan for- wards have made significant contri- butions, and the four lines have created individual identities. Michigan's premier scoring line - Brandon Kaleniecki, Milan Gajic and Hensick - has experienced frightening success in opponents' zones. Dubbed "the Costco Line" because it scores in bulk, the line has produced 10 goals in the last two weeks. Nystrom says this trio is "as good as any line in college hockey right now." After struggling at center earlier this season, David Moss has flour- ished at right wing - on a line with Jason Ryznar and Andrew Ebbett - scoring two goals on Friday. This is Michigan's most versatile line, com- bining the finesse of Ebbett and Moss with the power of Ryznar. Generously listed at 5-foot-9, 170 pounds, Ebbett expresses joy in finding a home between two big bodies. "I call them the twin towers," Ebbett said of 6-foot-4 Ryznar and 6-foot-3 Moss. The starting line of Nystrom, Helminen and Tambellini has strug- gled to score but has created numer- ous opportunities. This is Michigan's most experienced line, and it usually faces off against the opponents' finest. And then there's the line com- prised of David Rohlfs, Woodford and Brown - "the banner line." Yes, they're "outstanding," but it's a dif- ferent meaning of "banner." This line earns the title through its innate abil- ity to hit hard and provide opponents with an unwanted back-to-the-ice view of Michigan's nine national title banners that hang from the ceiling. Every line is clicking, and every forward seems ecstatic about his role on the team. It seems that bar- ring injury, Berenson's lineup is basically set. If Michigan's forwards continue to gel and play like they have been in the last month, one phrase will be voiced from Ann Arbor to the rest of the CCHA in regard to the league title: "NO SOUP FOR YOU!" Gennaro Filice can be reached at gfilice@umich.edu >: C, :;V /./ A NICK AZZARO/ Daily as enjoyed his move onto a line with junior Jason Ryznar and Ebbett. Player Hensick Ebbett Kaleniecki Gajic Tambellini Helminen Rogers Nystrom Werner Mass Ryznar Brown Hunwick Rohlfs Martens Henderson Dest Woodford Kautz Burnes Cook Wyzgowski Montoya TOTALS Montoya Ruden Mayhew TOTALS 'M' GP 26 26 26 23 22 24 26 26 25 21 19 25 24 26 19 12 25 23 6 22 19 3 24 26 GP 24 5 1 26 STATS G A Pts +/- PIM Sht 9 21 30 8 14 85 5 18 23 9 30 62 13 7 20 10 30 91 8 10 18 5 20 61 9 7 16 -2 10 107 7 8 15 E 0 71 3 12 15 4 32 49 8 6 14 -2 40 50 6 8 14 1 26 38 5 8 13 -2 10 45 2 8 10 7 12 25 6 3 9 5 35 63 0 9 9 9 44 30 5 1 6 4 20 36 2 3 5 2 24 21 2 2 4 2 8 18 1 3 4 6 19 14 0 4 4 -4 31 31 1 2 3 3 4 8 0 1 1 7 18 14 0 1 1 7 22 12 0 0 0 -2 4 2 0 0 0 - 16 0 92 142 234 77 477 933 GA Avg Svs Pct Mins 49 2.08 542 .9171412:32 7 3.09 57 .891136:08 1 3.54 12 .923 16:56 59 2.26 611. .915 ±597AS n the move. This nsemen and goalie de to side, allowing up in the defense. portunities present ur line is that both layed center and move the puck said. s also changed in e. ttle more skating," the defensive zone a little more work. al work in the cor- st sits at the point shots." wing during his freshman year as well as in juniors, and these experiences at the posi- tion are a large reason the transition has been seamless. "He's playing very well right now," Ryznar said. "All it took was a week in practice. He's doing fine; getting chances and converting." Moss felt so comfortable on the ice that, with both he and teammate Brandon Kaleniecki on the ice with two goals as the game closed on Fri- day, he called for the puck and got it from Kaleniecki. Moss is usually reserved, but this time he wanted the glory for himself. "Kal's got enough hat tricks; I don't have any yet," the Livonia native joked. season as well. In the six periods of action this weekend, the Lakers top shot total in one period was just eight. The Wolverines held them to under five in two periods. The defense blocked almost as many shots on Saturday (nine) as the number of total shots on Montoya (13). "I thought our defense did a great job of finding the forwards or finding each other and carrying the puck and making good decisions with the puck," Berenson said. "Lake State challenged us with the trap and I think it was good for our defense, they had to learn to play through that." Lake Superior State (4-11-3, 6-13-5) was frustrated all series, as Lakers head coach Frank Anzalone felt the way to pull out a victory was to limit Michigan's offense and get lucky on a few of its scoring chances. But Michigan's defense closed the door on any chance of the Lakers pulling out a victory. "We're like a middleweight that has no right beating up the heavyweight," Anzalone said. "You've just got to keep climbing back into the ring and keep learning and grow- ing and lifting weights and getting stronger and doing your road work. And then maybe one day, when that heavyweight's not expecting it, maybe you'll be good enough to go 15 rounds at them. And if you do, maybe you'll get a point." CCHA STANDINGS Team Miami Michigan State Alaska Fairbanks Western Michigan Notre Dame Ohio State Northern Michigan Ferris State Bowling Green Lake Superior Nebraska-Omaha CCHA W L 1 13 5 11 89 11 10 : 10 9 9 8 : 10 9 C 10 10 C 8 11 : 5 10: 4 11< 4 13 Pts 28 27 23 23 22 21 20 20 17 13 11 11 Overall W L T 16 9 3 18 7 1 1514 1 1213 1 1412 3 13 9 4 1512 0 1311 2 1312 3 7 13 6 6 13 5 6 16 4 TONY DING/Daily Brandon Kalenleckl leads Michigan with 13 goals this season. He's scored six In the last two weeks. Saturday's results: MICHIGAN 4, Lake Superior 0 Miami 3, MICHIGAN STATE 1 WESTERN MICHIGAN 3, Ferris State 2 Alaska-Fairbanks 2, NOTRE DAME 2 Ohio State 4, BOWLING GREEN 3 Northern Michigan 3, ALABAMA-HUNTsvLLE 3 Friday's results: MICHIGAN 5, Lake Superior 1 Miami 2, MICHIGAN STATE 1 NORTHERN MICHIGAN 4, Notre Dame 3 FERRIS STATE 4, Western Michigan 1 Northern Michigan 3, ALABAMA-HUNTSVILLE 2 UP NEXT Martens game-winner a first By Michael Nisson hockey fan might point out that the Michigan hock- Daily Sports Writer ey team has been anything but cold. The Wolverines have been perfect in the month of For the second straight week, the Michigan hock- January, winning all six of their conference games ey team won a game based on the offensive ability of by an average margin of 4.17 goals. Overall, 12 dif- one of its defenders. ferent Wolverines have found the back of the net dur- Junior Nick Martens notched his second goal of ing the month. Defensively, the Wolverines have the season in Michigan's 4-0 victory over Lake given up more than one goal only once, a 3-2 victory Superior State on Saturday. At the 4:11 mark of the over Ohio State on Jan. 9. Goaltender Al Montoya first period, Martens beat Lake Superior State goal- also posted two shutouts last month. tender Matt Violin with a crisp shot into the left side "In the past we have been a second-half team and of the net. The tally was the have been able to make a move in the standings here Wolverines' first of the night, and prepare ourselves for the tournaments," Martens and proved to be all the offense 0 said after Saturday's game. "Everybody is excited, the team needed to defeat the we're playing well - we're starting to feel like it's Lakers. that time." The score was the first TAMBELLINI'S STRUGGLES CONTINUE: While game-winning goal of Michigan has been on fire in recent weeks, one Martens' career. It also ended a 10-game score- of its best players has seen his struggles contin- less streak for the junior. ue. Sophomore forward Jeff Tambellini, Michi- "A lot of the time the play is down low and the gan's leading scorer last year, has not scored a defensemen are open," Michigan coach Red Beren- goal in his last 12 games. The drought dates all son said. "We get it back to them - if they can get a the way back to the Wolverines' Nov. 8 game puck though once in a while, it's a real bonus." against Ferris State, when Tambellini scored In Martens' case, it was a bonus. The Ann Arbor 1:34 into the third period to lift the Wolverines native has fought for playing time with freshman to a 3-2 victory. defender Tim Cook for much of the season. After being scratched from the lineup last weekend against Western Michigan, Martens returned to action on Friday night, but he appeared rusty. He looked uncomfortable in the Michigan zone and was beatenBE FILE PHOTO