The Michigan Daily - Tuesday, December 14, 2004 - 13 'M' looking to return to GLI glory ----- ,, By Gabe Edelson Daily Sports Writer From 1987 to 1997, the Michigan hockey team compiled a 20-game winning streak in the Great Lakes Invitational, a holiday-season tournament held in Detroit every year since 1965. The Wolver- ines won nine straight GLI titles from 1988 to 1996. But Michigan hasn't taken home the tournament trophy since the final year of its improbable streak. It's been seven fruitless years, but Wolverines coach Red Berenson hopes to turn things around when No. 3 Michigan (11-1-0 CCHA, 13-4-1 overall) faces Michigan Tech (1-13-0 WCHA, 1-14-1 overall) on Dec. 29. The following day, the Wolverines will play either Michigan State or No. 6 New Hampshire. Michigan tied New Hampshire, 4-4, at Yost Ice Arena in October. In mid-November, the Wolverines earned their first win at Michigan State's Munn Ice Arena in nearly five years and completed their week- end sweep two days later. "A few years ago, it was our tournament to lose," Berenson said of the GLI. "Now it's our challenge to go in there and try and win that tournament - espe- cially for the seniors." If Michigan finally comes away victorious this year, it will have to do so without some key ingredi- ents to the team's success thus far. Forwards Kevin Porter, Mike Brown and T.J. Hensick will accom- pany defenseman Matt Hunwick and goalie Al Mon- toya in North Dakota and Minnesota to represent the United States in the 2005 IIHF World Junior Cham- pionship from Dec. 25-Jan. 4. "We're losing one line," Berenson said. We're los- ing some key players but we'll have 'a good team. We're the only team to lose players, (but) I still like our chances." Junior goalie Noah Ruden will step in for Mon- toya as he did last year when Montoya was backstop- ping for the U.S. team. Ruden allowed four goals in a loss to Boston College a season ago but rebounded nicely in Michigan's 6-2 victory over Michigan Tech in the second game of the 2003 GLI. Despite Michigan Tech's lowly record, Beren- son refuses to take the GLI opener lightly. It will be Michigan's first game in more than two weeks, and players may find it tough to jump right back into full-speed hockey after taking a holiday break. "The first game is the toughest game because of conditioning," Berenson said. "Even if you skate every day when you go home, it's not the same as being on the ice with these players and these coach- es. You never know what you're going to get when (the players) come back." Berenson and his coaching staff have scheduled a final practice today and open ice for indepen- dent skating until Friday to shorten the physical layoff as much as possible. The players will begin leaving for home tomorrow, but will be back at practice on Dec. 26. "We're practicing to stay sharp and to work on some things that we need to do better," Berenson said. "When we get back together, we don't need a lot of dialogue about what we have to do and how we have to play." The Wolverines have been hot lately, sweeping conference opponents Notre Dame and Bowling Green in back-to-back weekends. But with so much time before the team's next game, Berenson is con- cerned that any competitive advantage will be nulli- fied in the interim. "Everybody starts off on a clean slate when you go to the GLI," Berenson said. "Your record really doesn't matter that much. You've been off the ice for two weeks. Your players come back, and they're all fired up. So it's not like they're looking over their shoulder at losing the last two weekends or winning the last two weekends. They haven't played the last two weekends. "They really don't have a lot of momentum one way or the other, and I think that can hurt a team like us. Michigan Tech could go down there and save face for the first half of the season by beating Michi- gan." NOTES: Sophomore forward T.J. Hensick and sophomore defenseman Matt Hunwick both received CCHA Player of the Week honors yesterday. Hen- sick was named Offensive Player of the Week, while Hunwick completed Michigan's awards sweep by taking home the defensive honor. RYAN WEINER/Daily Michigan hasn't won the Great Lakes Invitational since 1996. The Wolverines will play Michigan Tech in the first round on Dec. 29. Cagers' season has plenty of upside despite youth MATT SINGER ON WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Weeks before the Michigan women's basket- ball season began, coach Cheryl Burnett set the bar extremely high for her young team. "Our expectations will always be - and con- tinue to be - get into the NCAA Tournament," Burnett said. "That's what our program will have. We won't go above that. We won't go below that." For Burnett's squad, there would be no excus- es. Playing in an extremely difficult Big Ten con-, ference? Didn't matter. Coming off a 14-17 season? Didn't matter. Returning just three players?1 Didn't matter. Now, with almost a third of a season in the1 books, the early returns are in. And while a 4-4 record might not have been exactly what Burnett envisioned at the beginning of the season, one thing is clear: At the very least, these Wolverines1 can hang with the big dogs.I From the get-go, Michigan embarked on anI early-season schedule that would be daunting1 for any squad - no matter how experienced. Of Michigan's first eight opponents, six played post- season ball last season and three are ranked ini the top40 of the current RPI ratings.I The Wolverines began their sea- son in Tuscaloosa, Ala., where they L took a tough Alabama team to over- time before suffering a two-point loss. Michigan's first win came against Washington, which was fresh off a victory against a team that reached the semifinals in last year's NCAA Tour- nament . There was no opportunity for relaxation on Thanksgiving weekend, as the Wolverines flew out to the West Coast and broke UC-Santa Barbara's 12-game winning streak in the Thun- derdome. Even Michigan's biggest losses - a 13-point defeat at Charlotte and a nine-point loss to East- ern Michigan - were far from blowouts. Despite their ups and downs on the offensive end, the Wolverines' defense has kept them competitive against any opponent. Burnett preaches a tough man-to-man defensive strategy, and Michigan buys into it. The evidence: Opponents have shot only 38.4 percent from the field, including a gro- tesque 24.6 percent from beyond the arc. Of course, more than just good defense is needed for wins - Michigan needs to put points on the board. Not surprisingly, the Wolverines have turned to tried-and-true scorer Tabitha Pool to lead them offensively. At 6-foot-1, the senior forward is an impressive athletic specimen. She has the height to take on most post players, the athleticism to play on the perimeter and the jump shot to be a serious threat from the outside. Pool is almost averaging a double-double, scoring 15.6 points and pulling down 9.4 boards per game, both team highs. While Pool's scoring numbers have been remarkably consistent - she's scored between 11 and 21 points in every game this season - the rest of the team's offensive output has fluctuated wildly. Too often, the Wolverines look lost on the offensive end, dribbling the ball around the perimeter until the dwindling shot clock forces them to hoist up a low-percentage shot or rush into a turnover. In situations like these, the onus is on Mich- igan's few experienced players to make things happen. The Wolverines are at their best when Pool and sophomore Kelly Helvey are using their athleticism to penetrate and draw defenders into the lane. When its offense sputters, Michigan should be looking to get the ball to these two, who must be aggressive and take the ball to the rim. If the Wolverines want to compete with its Big Ten foes in the coming months, they must avoid falling asleep at the wheel offensively. Although the offense still has kinks to work out, Burnett's first recruiting class is filled with outstanding ballplayers. Becky Flippin is an excellent ball-handler who has emerged as a trust- worthy pass-first, shoot-second point guard and a strong on-the-ball defender. Freshman Krista Clement is a natural leader who has shown an uncanny touch from beyond the arc. Katie Dier- dorf and Ta'Shia Walker provide a strong pres- ence in the post, while Janelle Cooper's slashing, hustling play has carried Michigan through some rough offensive stretches. With such an impressive nucleus of young players, the Wolverines undoubtedly have a bright future ahead under Burnett's leadership. But the question remains: Is the future now? Against a tough non-conference schedule, Michigan's inexperienced roster has endured a trial by fire. And the Wolverines have not been overwhelmed. Regardless of the competition, they have hung right with their opponents. But by dropping close games to Alabama and Drake, Michigan wasted early-season opportunities to bolster its resume. Now, with the Big Ten season fast approaching, the margin for error will only decrease. It remains unclear how the Wolverines' young- er players will react to the grind of a 27-game regular season, and the possibility of an injury looms large for a team with just 10 players on the roster. Despite Michigan's outstanding tal- ent, quite a few questions remain. Finishing the season with a record above .500 and earning a WNIT berth would be an impressive accom- plishment for this year's Wolverines. But Burnett set her sights high, and she doesn't plan on lowering the bar for her team. "Going by experience, we have had teams accomplish things that only the coaches and players thought were possible," Burnett said before the season. "I am a dreamer. I believe anything is possible and you do not limit your- self. I feel that if you work hard, it pays off. So yes, every year I believe we should be and could be in the NCAA Tournament." ALEXANDER DZIADOSZ/Daily Even with a 44 record, Michigan coach Cheryl Burnett expects to end up in the NCAA&Toumament.