SPORTS The Michigan Daily - New Student Edition - Fall 2004 - 7E Despite season ending with overtime loss, cynicism nowhere to be found MANCHESTER, N.H. - Following yesterday's NCAA Northeast Regional final loss, I felt weird. Michigan had just dropped a 3-2 overtime heartbreaker that would bring even Darth Vader to tears (especially since the voice of the Dark One is that of James Earl Jones, a Michigan alumnus), and I felt like I was missing some- thing. It wasn't any of my valued possessions. After tapping both of my front pants pockets, I was assured GENNARO FILICE Nuthin' But a 'G' Thang MARCH 29, 2004 that my keys, voice recorder and phone were present. And my keeled-over walk indicated that my overly-stuffed, "Costanza" wallet wasn't left behind. After I performed a ~head count that would make any first grade teacher proud, I knew that the absence couldn't be credited to a stray Michi- gan Daily employee. No, it wasn't anything of this sort. I was missing a feel- ing, something that had overwhelmed me after every other loss this season: cynicism. Covering a team as talented as Michigan, it is difficult to just accept a loss. And after each of the Wolverines' 13 prior defeats, my postgame thoughts were extremely negative. Man, we got outhustled ... This team's consistency is laughable ... Coming out that flat, do the players even care? ... Is Montoya really worth all the hype? ... These viewpoints and contemplations owned me every time Michigan came up on the short end of the stick. I guess I just believed that Michigan had never faced a team that was truly superior - thus, it shouldn't have lost. But that all changed yesterday. Boston College was the better team. Following Michigan's semifinal win over New Hamp- shire on Saturday, Red Berenson commented on the daunt- ing task the Wolverines had ahead of them. "We know Boston College is a great team," Berenson said. "They're a deeper team than we are. They're quicker, and they probably have more skill." I thought that Berenson was just pulling a Lou Holtz - you know; over-hyping an upcoming opponent for motiva- tional purposes. But Red wasn't kidding. And yesterday, the Eagles lived up to his billing. They were dominant. They outshot the Wolverines 45- 17. When I received the shot chart after the second period - Boston College's most assertive - Michigan's zone was so much more cluttered, I thought that Michigan's shot- charters had run out of ink. But, somehow, the Wolverines stayed in the game and continued to do so until Boston College's Ben Eaves finally broke the tie and notched the game-winner 70 minutes and eight seconds after the puck had initially dropped. The players in maize and blue were scrappy; they were opportunistic and they battled hard. Basically, this youthful squad embodied the style of play that its senior captain, Andy Burnes, had displayed all season. In his four years at Michigan, Burnes has never been a player that lights up the stat sheet. Entering last night, he had accumulated a career total of just 22 points - three goals and 19 assists. The defenseman was never a player that everyone talked about when conversation of the Michi- gan Icers arose. But over his four years at Michigan, the Battle Creek native was consistently excellent in Michi- gan's zone. As one of my friends describes him, "He's five- foot-nothing, 100-and-nothing pounds and he's not too fast. But damn, he's effective on the defensive end." Burnes is the team's lone senior, and he's served as team dad all season long. And last night, he was thrust into the spotlight in what seemed to have the makings of a fairy tale ending. Twelve minutes into the game, Burnes found Mike Brown on the breakaway, and Brown found the back of the net, giving the Wolverines a 1-0 lead. The assist was Burnes's third point of the season. Then, with three minutes left in the second period, Burnes received the puck atop Boston College's left faceoff circle and took advantage of out-of-position Eagles' goalie Matti Kaltiaimen, ripping a slapshot into the back of the net. Netting his first goal since Jan. 31, 2003, Burnes had given Michigan an improbable 2-1 lead. Instantly, the minority Michigan crowd had a new way to express the word, 'what:' Burnes?!? Burnesxthe Hero? It was a title he'd never received at Michigan, but one that he'd earned through four years of roleplaying. But, sports are strange and unpredictable. And, in a regional title that's decided in overtime, only one team gets to enjoy the happy, Disney ending. At the end of the night, Burnes's heroics were erased, his career was over and the seemingly never-ending hockey sea- son - college sports's version of "The Lord of the Rings Trilogy: Director's Cut" - was finished in Ann Arbor. "Just to have your career end like that, in such abrupt fashion is ... you know, that's the way it goes. It's sports," Burnes said with puffy eyes. "Taking off my jersey for the last time was tough. "You're sitting there in the locker room, shedding tears, and the guys come up to you and give you a hug and tell you they love you and that it has been fun, and that's when it hits you (that your career is over). You've shared so many things throughout the year with that group of guys - the ups and the downs and things away from the rink. We're a family - we experience everything together. When some- body's hurting on the team, it affects all of us. Just to not be a part of that on a daily basis, like it has been the past four years - it's going to take some time to adjust to." But Burnes also acknowledges that, until Boston Col- lege's third tally, the game was memorable, especially the high-stress overtime period that should have come with a warning label for those susceptible to heart trouble. "That's what it's all about," Burnes said of the extra peri- od. "There's so much emotion out there. It's fun. "That's why you love sports - that's why you love hock- ey. I'll look back at (yesterday) with fond memories, as unfortunate as the outcome is." And that's exactly how Burnes and the rest of the Wolver- ines should feel. They fought hard and almost stole a ticket to the Frozen Four that they had no business having. Call me soft for not tearing apart a team that fired 28 less shots than its opponent. Call me a sellout for writing positive words about a season-ending loss. Call me cliche for romanticizing a senior captain's last harrah. But don't call me a cynic, 'cause last night Michigan put out an effort that gave me no reason to be one. - Gennaro Filice can be reached at gfilice@umich.edu. TONY DING/Daily FA ystrom hits the Ice during Michigan's 3-2 loss to Boston College In the championship round of the NCAA Northeast ReglonalL. Eagles halt leers' postseason run March 29, 2004 By Shwad Matte Daily Staff Writer MANCHESTER, N.H. - All season long, when the Michigan hockey team was playing at its best, its opponent was irrelevant. The Wolverines would win faceoffs, control the puck and outshoot their opponents. That was their formula for success Saturday in the first round of the NCAA Tournament when Michigan cruised past host New Hampshire, 4-1. But last night, in their 3-2 overtime loss to Boston College in the Northeast Regional final, the Wolverines learned how those teams felt: Even with their best effort, they were ultimately over- whelmed by a more talented opponent. Michigan held 1-0 and 2-1 leads, but the Eagles' unyielding pressure was too much for the Wolverines. Forward Patrick Eaves tied the score with less than five minutes left in the third period, and his brother, captain Ben Eaves, bat- ted in a rebound 10:08 into overtime to send the Eagles (29-8-4) back home to Boston, this year's host of the Frozen Four. The Wolverines finished the season 26-14-2 and did not make the Frozen Four for the first time in four years. Michigan made it into overtime due in large part to goaltender Al Montoya, who saved a career-high 42 shots and was named to the All-Tournament team, along with defenseman Andy Burnes and winger Brandon Kaleniecki. The Wolverines were outshot 45-17 and lost 46 of 76 faceoffs. "He's an unbelievable goalie," said Patrick Eaves, who played with Montoya on the U.S. team at the World Junior Championships in December. "I don't know how to describe how he plays. He's always there anticipating. He's a terrific goalie because of it." Because they struggled ridding the puck from their zone, most of the game was spent in the Wolverines' territory. "They forechecked us hard - real hard," forward Eric Nystrom said. "They were real aggressive and we weren't moving the puck quick enough. Their forwards were fast and crafty. That's why they're heading where they are." The Eagles mostly controlled the puck but were unable to generate any quality opportunities. The Wolverines, however, made the most of their chances. Mike Brown received a pass from Burnes at the blueline and skated along the right boards toward the net. The freshman forward wristed a shot from the right circle. The puck slipped past goalie Matti Kaltianinen and trickled into the net at 12:09 in the first period. In the second period, the Eagles had a pair of powerplays and evened the score on their second opportunity, when Ben Eaves took a puck from behind the net and passed to Tony Voce. Montoya was looking the wrong way, and Voce easily batted the puck into the net. But as the period was winding down, Michigan retook the lead, and the goal came from the last player the team looks to for goals: its senior captain, Burnes, who had just two assists and no goals all season, until yesterday's game. Kaltianinen left the net to get a loose puck, and though he deflected it away, he fell to the ice and failed to make it back. Brown got the loose puck along the boards and flung it towards the crease, where Eagles' defenseman J.D. Forrest stopped it and attempted to clear it. The rebound came to Burnes in front of the blueline, and he slapped the puck back towards a virtually unguarded net for his first and only goal of the season. Boston College's top line struck again with under five minutes to go in the third period. Off a faceoff in the Wolverines' zone, Voce sent the puck out to Peter Harrold, who one-timed a shot from the point. Montoya made a kick save going to his right, but Patrick Eaves corralled the rebound and backhanded the puck over Montoya's right leg. Both teams had chances in the over- time. Michigan had five shots in the period, which equaled the most it had in any other period. Ben Eaves scored the game-winner off another rebound. Patrick Eaves fired a shot from the boards.While Montoya saved the first shot, Patrick's brother, Ben, batted the rebound out of mid-air. Though the Eagles are deep and all four lines successfully put pressure on Michigan, their first line did most of their damage. "Their best players were their best players tonight," Berenson said. "That was the one thing we couldn't nullify. They scored all their goals - they cer- tainly had most of their chances." Hockey Band The tradition continues... C' Ya there! Rehearsals will be on Thursdays beginning at 7:30 PM u Men's Basketball Band Be a part of the Amaker Era... On the road to victory with the Men's Basketball Band. Rehearsals will be on Tuesdays beginning at 7:00 PM Auditions will be held at Revelli Hall Sunday, September 12, 2004 through Wednesday, September 15,2004 Audition will include scales and sight reading. 1 S69 To schedule a time for an audition Women's Basketball Band pleae call 764-0582. - t I