The Michigan Daily - Thursday, December 1, 2005 - 9A
Berenson shakes up lines to boost offense
By James V. Dowd
Daily Sports Writer
After notching 12 goals in a home-and-home series
with Notre Dame almost one month ago, Michigan's
offensive production has consistently fallen each week-
end. The fact that competition has become increasingly
stiffer has almost certainly been a factor, but the Wolver-
ines know that it won't get any easier when they face the
CCHA's best in Miami (Ohio) this weekend in Oxford.
In an effort to close the gap between the Red Hawks
a " and the Wolverines, Michigan's coaches have decided
to switch up their forward lines, hoping to create more
scoring chances.
"I think we've gone with certain lines for a period of
time and tried to make things work," associate coach
Mel Pearson said. "But every once in a while you have
to mix things up a little to give the boys a little bit of a
spark. We're just trying to put a little spark in our lines
and improve our chemistry because we've been playing
OK, but this will help us."
Some changes are based on empirical evidence - such
d as the improved play of freshman Tim Miller last weekend
when senior Brandon Kaleniecki was out due to injury.
"We had Kaleniecki out (last weekend) so we had
an opportunity to try a couple of things," Pearson said.
"One of the things we noticed was that we liked Ebbett
and Miller playing together. Miller was able to get his
first goal, and we want to get some of the younger kids
going like that."
Other changes are based entirely on gut feelings.
"Sometimes coaches are just going on hunches,"
STEVEN TAI/Daily Pearson said. "There's no scientific method to it, or no
Freshman Tim Miller will be paired with Andrew Ebbett this weekend. reasoning. We're just going on hunches."
ZONE
Continued from page 5A
track. They continued their zone defense
- switching to a 2-3 setup from time to
time - until the final buzzer.
Sophomore Ta'Shia Walker, whom
the Wolverines have looked to through-
out the season for offensive productiv-
ity, struggled against the zone for the
first time this season. She didn't attempt
a shot from beyond the arc and shot just
3-for-10 from inside the paint. Central
Michigan's zone disabled the Wolver-
ines' offense from all angles, allowing
just two players - Walker and Clem-
ent - to score in double figures. Min-
nfield, who has been rendered powerless
against the zone all season, was again
completely eliminated from the Wolver-
ines offense. Minnfield failed to score a
single point all night while she was also
unable to create shots for others, rack-
ing up just one assist on the night from a $
pass to Helvey for a lay-in while turning
the ball over three times.
"There's no question that, statisti-
cally, when we're playing against a zone
and we're turning it over 24 times and
we're really trying to work hard to get
the basketball in and once our post play-
ers are receiving it they're not breaking
the zone down to get some good outside
looks," coach Cheryl Burnett said.
HUNTER
Continued from page 5A Ringtnes for $29 TDat woe to 30
in the game. Five minutes into the sec-
ond half, Harris spun along the baseline TdtOdS
and dropped it to Hunter, who finished
the play with a two-handed dunk that syed Peas 141
electrified the Crisler Arena crowd.
"The crowd was great (Tuesday)," stlr's mblton -50 Cot 141002
Hunter said. "The atmosphere, that's
what we're trying to build. Everybody Stay Fly - Fall Out Boy 141003
came out and supported, and I think
that definitely gave us a lot more energy Run It! - Chas Brdwn 141004
tonight on the defensive end."
NOTHING MORE THAN SPILT MILK: Lester Hre We Go Again (feat Kelly Rowland) - Trina 141005
Abram - who sat out most of last year
with a shoulder injury - gave the fans We Be Burnin (Legalize ) - Sean Paul 141006
in Crisler Arena a small scare Tuesday
night. I'm prung - T-Pain 141007
Five minutes into the first half, Abram
went up for a layup on a fast break, only Girl Tonite (feat. Trey Songz) - Twista 141008
to come down limping, forcing him to
exit the game. But after stretching on Don't Cha - Pussycat Dolls 141009
the sideline, Abram re-entered the game
just minutes later and proved to Michi- Play - David Wrier 141010
gan fans that they could exhale.
His first play back, Abram scrambled im a King (feat.I. and Ul Scrappy) - P$C 141011
for a loose ball on defense to cause a
jump ball. On the ensuing Wolverine Reggaeton Latino - Don Omar 141011
possession, Abram received a pass on
the wing and leapt to the basket to draw Sugar, We're Going Down - Fall Out Boy 141012
a foul, putting to rest any fears that he S
was injured. Soul Survivor - Young Jeezy 141013
"I just kind of hyperextended my
knee going up for that layup," Abram Gold Digger Kanye West 141014
said. "Nothing serious, it doesn't hurt
anymore. Just kind of surprised me." Presidential - oungbloodz 141015
THE BEST THINGS IN LIFE ARE FREE: The
Michigan athletic department pulled out Hung Up 0 Can't Keep Wang Fr You) Madraa 141016
all the stops to increase attendance for
the first nationally televised game of the Welcome to Jamrock - Damian Marley 141017
year.
It allowed students to print vouchers
that, when presented with an M-Card, Jesus of Suburbia Green Day 141018
allowed for free admission. It ran extra Lighters U - L11' Kim 141019
buses to Crisler Arena before and after L
the game and sent two e-mails, one Back Then - Mike Jones 141020
signed by Amaker, encouraging stu-
dents to show up.
The plan seemed to work. Back in Black -AC/DC 141021
Although official attendance num-
bers did not include the number of stu- - Shake It Off " Mariah Care 141022
dents admitted for free (the total, 8,257,
was actually the lowest this season), the Stewie's Sexy Party - Family Guy 141023
upper bowl seemed noticeably more full
.than it was in either of Michigan's first Slow Wind - R. Kelly 141024
,two games.
Some students said that although they } I'm N Luv (Wit a Stripper) - T-Pain 141025
One such change is pairing sophomore Kevin Porter
with freshmen Andrew Cogliano and Brandon Naurato.
All three have played a significant role in Michigan's
attack this season, and head coach Red Berenson is hop-
ing the chemistry between the three is right.
"We're putting Porter on right wing," Berenson said.
"And Cogliano is a left-handed centerman, so hopefully
they can get something going. (Brandon) Naurato is a bit
of an opportunist, and both Cogliano and Porter make
good plays. So hopefully they can find Naurato and
complement each other."
After practicing together this week, Porter and
Cogliano are confident that they can throw a log onto
each other's offensive, fire, helping to add to their 30
combined points. Cogliano looks forward to playmak-
ing opportunities that he will get with Porter and Nau-
rato on the ice.
"I have Porter and Naurato on my line and they are
both two snipers who like to get open for the shot,"
Cogliano said. "I think we will work well because I like
to distribute the puck to those guys for shots."
Porter is optimistic about the trio's scoring potential
because each of the three forwards has a diverse and
unselfish style of play.
"If you have three shooters then there is no one to
go in the corners and get it out to those guys," Porter
said. "I think Cogliano and I can play in the corners, and
Naurato can too. We can all shoot pretty well, so if one
or two of us get in the corner and one of us is in the slot,
we should be able to beat the defense pretty easily."
Michigan's coaches will also be looking for increased
production from their power play unit this weekend.
Through the first 13 games of the season, the Wolverines
own the nation's top-rated power play, but their success
rate has dropped from 33 percent to 26.5 percent since
the Notre Dame series.
Though he hasn't announced specific plans yet, Beren-
son acknowledged that there are changes in the works
for the power play unit.
"I think we're going to tweak the power play a little
bit," Berenson said. "We're not sure if we'll make any
major changes, but we have to keep changing, it seems.
Everyone is so prepared for you and knows exactly what
you've done, so you have to tweak it from time to time."
Even though there are so many changes in the for-
ward lines and special teams, the defensive pairings are
not changing. After juniors Tim Cook and Jason Dest
found themselves with a minus-five rating several weeks
ago, Berenson talked about changing the pairings. But
in recent games, they have raised their rating to minus-
two. Pearson is happy to see increased offensive produc-
tion while the pair is on the ice.
"They should be plus-players," Pearson said. "They're
both juniors, and they've both played a lot of hockey
games. I think they were disappointed, as was the
coaching staff. But they have played better - each one
of them has upped their game."
NOTES: The Los Angeles Kings recalled former Michi-
gan alternate-captain Jeff Tambellini from the American
Hockey League's Manchester Monarchs. In 18 games this
season for the Monarchs, Tambellini leads the team with
goals (14) and points (25). His goal total is good for sec-
ond in the AHL, and he is sixth overall in points. Tambel-
lini will join the parent club for tonight's game against
Chicago ... Jed Ortmeyer, who captained Michigan from
2001-03, has family obligations to tend to and was grant-
ed non-roster status by the NHL. The right-winger can
return to his team on Sunday, Dec. 3.