10 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, March 11, 2005 Icers refuse to look past visiting Irish By Gabe Edelson Daily Sports Writer 29-6. If all the Michigan hockey team's games against Notre Dame this year were rolled into one, this would be have to start from scratch. (Notre Dame) is no longer in last place. The only thing they have is a chance to sal- vage their season. They have nothing to lose and every- thing to gain. We have everything to lose." To play the type of winning hockey that Berenson has emphasized all year, Nystrom knows that any and all the final score. But despite the fact that the fourth-ranked Wolverines (23-3-2 CCHA, 26-7-3 overall) thoroughly outplayed the Fighting Irish (3-20-5, 5-25-6) during the regular season, Michigan players and coaches are not taking Notre Dame lightly entering the teams' best-of-three first- round CCHA playoff series this weekend at Yost Ice Arena. Michigan is the No. 1 seed in the conference tournament, while last-place Notre Dame is slotted twelfth. "I think (Notre Dame) is a sleeping ::,;;f%::: " po.. N c s3' ::if: improvements the Wolverines make will have to start on the defensive end. "I think we can play better defen- sively and limit the chances (Notre Dame) gets," Nystrom said. "We defi- nitely have the offensive firepower to score goals. Everybody knows that. It's us giving up goals that's a problem. We really need to crack down defensively. (Goalie) Al (Montoya) needs to play well, our defense needs to play well, and our forwards need to come back giant," senior captain Eric Nystrom said. "I see them as a real dangerous opponent." Never mind the fact that a sweep by the Wolverines would mean more Michigan wins against Notre Dame this season than the Irish had against all their oppo- nents this year (5). In the playoffs, anything can hap- pen, and it often does. "It doesn't matter how many goals you scored and RYAN WEINER/Daily how many you gave up (in the regular season)," Michi- Michigan will rely on senior Brandon Rogers and its defense to lead it to gan coach Red Berenson said. "It doesn't matter how victory in its first-round matchup with Notre Dame In the CCHA playoffs. many points you had. It's playoff hockey now, and you MEN S SWIMMING Tar water aims for national tit By Anne Uible Daily Sports Writer The first time coach Bob Bowman saw junior Davis Tarwater swim was in the sum- mer of 1999 at the Junior National swim meet in Orlando, Fla. Tarwater was 15 years old, and Bowman was coaching Michael Phelps at the time. "I remember him clearly because he won the 1,500-meter freestyle and Michael came in second," Bowman said. "I was very impressed and knew he would have a bright future. I was extremely excited when I got this coaching position and knew I would be able to work with his kind of talent." Tarwater began swimming competitively for Pilot Aquatic Club in Knoxville, Tenn., when he was 11 years old. He quickly became one of the top junior swimmers on the team and worked his way onto the national scene. When his senior year of high school rolled around, Tarwater admitted that it was difficult making the decision to leave the South and attend school in Michigan. "I sort of consider myself a native son of the South," Tarwater said. "But Michigan was a great opportunity, and I needed to see a new part of the country." Looking back, Tarwater couldn't more pleased with choosing to swim for the Wol- verines. "I can't even describe in words how great of an experience this has been," Tarwater said. "It almost brings tears to my eyes to think about the people I've met and just being able to have the opportunity to represent this institution. It has been an incredible honor." In Tarwater's freshman year at Michigan, former coach Jon Urbanchek began putting the freestyler in butterfly events. Tarwater had never really specialized in the stroke, but he didn't fight the coach on the technicality. "I was a distance freestyler in high school, so I've only been doing butterfly seriously since my freshman year here," Tarwater said. "At first it was a difficult adjustment. But it was what the team needed, and it let me contribute as a freshman." In retrospect, learning to specialize in the butterfly and utilize his versatility became one of the best decisions that Tarwater ever made. Tarwater has quickly defined himself as the top flyer on the team with team records in both the 100- and 200-yard event. He has also had the opportunity to compete in the events at the World University Games, the Goodwill Games and the Olympic trials. When Bowman took over as coach this sea- son, he was eager to work on Tarwater's events and help him become an even faster swimmer. Bowman changed Tarwater's training program in hopes of developing different aspects of his strengths. "We've treated Davis with a little less mile- age and more speed training," Bowman said. "We've also put him through weight training, and I think its been improving his speed. He has a very strong work ethic and always wants to improve. Instead of just getting in the pool and doing what we tell him to do, hi thinks about it and asks questions. H know the theory behind what he's doir a genuine interest in his training prog Tarwater admitted that it was a change to make at first. But he bel he has responded better to Bowman's than to any other training regimen h in the past. "There was a lot of wear and tear on at first," Tarwater said. "But I've adju seems to be working well." Having already competed well a Ten Championship meet - where hi 200-yard butterfly for the second yea - Tarwater is focusing all of his tra energy on the NCAA Championships take place in two weeks. Bowman i that Tarwater will have a great meet at to label himself as one of the nation' swimmers. "My goal for him at NCAAs is for hi a meet where he does all personal b and where he feels like he has truly m all of his training," Bowman said. "I has a chance to make the World Char team and the next Olympics, and I t championship meet will help him do1 While Tarwater has those same has one other goal in mind. "Since I began swimming here at A I've always wanted an NCAA Cham title," Tarwater said. "Bowman has] a place where I can do that, so I am make a run this year." and give our defense support. It's going to be a col-; lective team defensive effort." Michigan and Notre Dame had plenty of chances to; become familiar with each other over the course of the regular season. The Wolverines swept an early-Decem- ber home-and-home series with 6-1 and 8-0 wins. Just three weeks ago, Michigan racked up an impressive 9-21 win on neutral ice in Fort Wayne, Ind. before return- ing to Ann Arbor for a more evenly played 6-3 victory over the Irish the following night. With so many head-l to-head matchups under each squad's belt, the teams WILDCATS tle Continued from page9 to tie the game after he missed the front a one-and-one free-throw situation. But e actually more Dion Harris could not convert forl e wants to gan, missing the first of his two free thr ng. He has the Wolverines' ensuing possession. rram." "I was really confident when I came difficult the free throw line," Harris said. "I t ieves that that first one was good, but it came up s program Trailing 55-54 with 9.9 seconds left e has had game, Michigan found another wayt its chances of catching the Wildcats.( a my body inbounds play after Harris's second free sted and it Parker snuck behind Michigan's def received the pass around midcourt and st t the Big toward the basket. Senior Dani Wohl wa e won the ing Parker and attempted to foul him r in a row layup, sending Parker to the ground. Wo ining and immediately called for an intentional fo s that will "I was just trying to slap his arm an s hopeful sure he didn't make the shot," Woh nd be able "Obviously, I wasn't trying to hurt the s premier didn't want him to make the shot." Parker converted one of his two freet im to have to boost Northwestern's lead to two poi )est times then hit two more free throws to ice the aximized Parker finished with 15 points, 11 of I think he came in the second half and helped the npionship cats overcome a six-point halftime defic think this "We just fell short," junior tri-captai that." ham Brown said. "You got to give (Nor hopes, he ern) credit. They got a 10-point lead oni fought hard and got back and did whate Michigan, could to get a victory here, but they capi pionships on it." put me in Yesterday's major swing came m going to through the second half. A layup by spurred a 12-0 run by Northwesterni will be hard-pressed to create surprises or throw new wrinkles into game plans for a competitive edge. "(Notre Dame) knows exactly what we do - how we like to (play) on our power play, penalty killing, how we forecheck," senior forward Milan Gajic said. "But then, it's playoff time. When you get to the play- offs, everyone seizes up. It gets pretty tight. You have to pull some things out of your hat, and it won't be any different this week." Nystrom is confident that Michigan has plenty of play- ers on its roster who are capable of rising to the occasion in the postseason. He also recognizes that playoff heroes can be unexpected contributors whose regular-season performances may have gone unnoticed. "Whether you had your best season or your worst season, it doesn't matter, because you could be the dif- ference-maker in the playoffs," Nystrom said. "It could be anybody any different night. It's amazing how some guys just thrive on playing in the big games, and I think we have some guys here who can really step up and play great hockey." Regardless of the weekend's outcome, one thing remains clear: The upcoming games will be Mich- igan's toughest tests of the season to this point. The team recognizes that, from here on out, every game is a must-win. "(Regular season) games don't mean anything now," Berenson said. "They're really like exhibition games compared to the games that count now." under threesminutes, putting the Wolverines on their heels. "You can't give up a run like that," sopho- end of more Brent Petway said. "We were in the lead, sopho- we had control of the game and, the next thing Michi- you know, they go on a 12-0 run like that. It's ows on disheartening." Michigan turned the ball over on three con- e up to secutive possessions during that stretch, due hought in part to Northwestern coach Bill Carmody's hort." decision to press the Wolverines' ballhan- in the dlers. Michigan had 19 turnovers in the losing to kill effort. On the "We had a lot of turnovers," Brown said. "I throw, think I had quite a few myself. That's really enders, hurtful to our team. We can't have those turn- reaked overs and expect to win." as trail- The Wolverines did manage a small come- on the back in the final minutes of the game. Sopho- hl was more Courtney Sims scored 12 points in the )ul. final 12 minutes, anchoring Michigan's rally. d make The center scored a career-high 25 points i1 said. after posting a goose egg in Saturday's loss kid. I to Iowa. "I knew I had to come out and bring a lot of throws energy to our team," Sims said. "I don't think I nts. He did that last game, and that's what the problem game. was." which Yesterday's loss pushes Michigan's Big Ten Wild- Tournament record to 3-7. Its 18 losses are also cit. the most since the 2001-02 season, Amaker's in Gra- first at Michigan. thwest- "For me, personally, sometimes you need us. We to take a step away and let things sink in and ,ver we enjoy things, and then you try and map out a talized new plan," Amaker said. "You try to figure out things of where we want to go and how we're nidway going to get there. I like the nucleus of the kids Parker we have, and I like the kids that we have com- in just ing in." a 0 INE RESEARCH. QUESTIA SE stia is the world's largest online library. With 50,000 books and 900,000 . Academic credibility and easy-to-use tools like auto bibliography creation. re's only one place to go for better research. And you can even wear your pajamas. Not just more sources. 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