4B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - February 13, 2006 HITTING AFTER THE WHISTLE ICE HOCKEY PLAYER OF THE WEEK Brandon Kaleniecki Michigan The senior forward had two first-period goals in Saturday night's 4-2 win over the Lakers. He notched the second one while falling down, after tripping over himself. NOTABLE QUOTABLE "It's like trying to catch a feather in the air, and you are grabbing it here and there, and once you get it you've got it. And you think why is it so hard, it's so light. That's like a power play. It's so fragile." - Michigan coach Red Berenson on the conundrum that is the Wolverines' power play. BY THE NUMBERS Friday's Game LAKE SUPERIOR STATE 3 - MICHIGAN 2 (OT) Saturday's Game MICHIGAN 4 - LAKE SUPERIOR STATE 2 Splitting Headache Senior goalie helps to relieve teams woes By H. Jose Bosch Daily Sports Writer Marty Turco. Josh Blackburn. Noah Ruden? He may not have had as illustrious a career as former Wolverine legends Turco or Blackburn, but Michigan senior goaltender Noah Ruden may 4 6 Consecutive weekend series in which the Wolverines have failed to sweep the opposition. Number of power play goals in their last 71 chances for the Wolverines. This weekend Michigan was a disappointing 0-for-8 with a man advantage. have just enough to accomplish what the other two did in their senior seasons: lead a freshman-laden team to the national title game. Spending his first a a° j' . SATURDAY'S SCORING SUMMARY Michigan 4, Lake Superior State 2 Lake Superior State ............................. 2 0 0 - 2 Michigan........................ 4 0 0 - 4 FIRST PERIOD 1. MICH Brandon Kaleniecki 12 (Andrew Ebbett) 3:49. 2. MICH Bran- don Kaleniecki 13 (Andrew Ebbett) 11:42. 3. MICH Andrew Ebbett 10 (Brandon Kaleniecki, Jason Dest) 14:28. 4. MICH Tyler Swystun 2 (Danny Fardig) 17:31. 5. LSSU Kory Scoran 5 (Steve McJannet, Jeff Rainville) 18:29. 6. LSSU Dan Eves 6 (Derek R. Smith, Nathan Ward) 19:03. Penalties - Mark Adamek, LSSU (hooking) 19:11. SECOND PERIOD No goals. Penalties-Mark Mitera, MICH (cross-checking) 2:02; Matt Wheeler, LSSU (tripping) 4:47; Mark Adamek, LSSU (slashing) 8:22; Matt Hunwick, MICH (interference) 16:23. THIRD PERIOD No goals. Penalties-Team, LSSU (too many on ice) 10:12. Shots on goal: LSSU 7-9-4-20; MICH 12-9-3-24. Power plays: LSSU 0-for-2; MICH 0-for-4. Saves - LSSU Jeff Jakaitis (8-9-3) - 20; MICH Noah Ruden (5-9-4) - 18. Referee: Steve Piotrowski. Attendance: 6,759. 'M' STATS Player GP G A Pts +1/-. PIM SH Hensick 32 13 30 43 +3 24 97 Kolarik 32 10 18 28 +9 28 84 Porter 30 16 15 31 -1 30 77 Ebbett 32 10 21 31 +11 23 80 Johnson 29 7 20 27 +8 129 80 Cogliano 30 11 14 25 -3 32 95 Hunwick 32 7 16 23 +14 54 67 Kaleniecki 27 13 9 22 +8 36 73 Turnbull 32 5 9 14 0 53 50 Miller 32 4 10 14 +8 40 39 Naurato 28 7 3 10 -2 8 50 Rohlfs 31 2 7 9 +8 39 43 three seasons as "Al Montoya's back- up" and having just one career CCHA start entering this season, Ruden was expected to fill a similar reserve role for incoming goalie Billy Sauer. But due to the freshman goalie's inconsis- tency, Ruden got an opportunity to be in a position he wasn't used to - that of an everyday starter. It may have taken a while - 28 games, to be exact - but Ruden has started the last four games in a row, and it doesn't look like he'll be relinquishing the No. 1 spot anytime soon. "You can ask Billy (Sauer), you can ask Al Montoya, anybody," Ruden said. "If you don't get constant work, it's tough to keep sharp. You can do what you can in practice, but game sit- uations are completely different from practice. The more games (you play), the more you can hone yours skills at a higher level, and I think that's what is going on. I am learning a lot more by playing more." According to Ruden, he didn't feel at his best this weekend, but the Wol- verines were more than willing to take what he gave them. The senior allowed just five goals and turned away 42 shots in the two-game series. And despite the overtime loss on Fri- day night, Ruden kept Michigan in the game numerous times. "We were getting some good chanc- es, and Noah was giving us a chance," Berenson said after Friday's game. It appears Ruden's starting spot is safe for another weekend, but, even if it wasn't, the Bloomfield Hills native wouldn't be too worried. He just wants to lead his team through the playoffs. "That's what I want to give this team' Ruden said. "(To be) someone who has been to these road barns and someone who has been to the (NCAA) Tourna- ment. And someone who can lead this team on the ice and, hopefully, off the LAKERS Continued from page 1B a wicked slapshot over Jakaitis's left should from just inside the blue line to give the Wo verines a 3-0 lead. "That's about a one-in-a-thousand shot Ebbett said. "That won't happen again." Trailing 4-0, Lake Superior State (11-9-4 15-9-6) tried to get back into the game, ta. ing advantage of two defensive lapses by th Wolverines to cut the score to 4-2 at the en ice. If I get my chances and we keep winning, hopefully I can fill that roll." PATIENCE IS A VIRTUE: At the beginning of the season, freshman Tyler Swystun could claim to be an everyday skater, but inconsistent play forced Beren- son to switch up the lines, causing the Alberta native's playing time to dimin- ish. But over the weekend, Swystun earned back-to-back starts, notching two points in the process - including a goal Saturday. "Well, it's been a while," Swystun said of his goal. "You kind of forget what it feels like (to score). It's great to have a good weekend like this, and, hopefully, I can keep it up and contribute." Despite irregular playing-time as of late, Swystun has continued to keep his head up and work hard in practice. The results were obvious over the weekend, when it seemed like he was everywhere on the ice. Swystun's work ethic hasn't gone unnoticed, and he received praise from Berenson after Saturday night's game. "It was nice to see him get a goal," Berenson said. "A kid like that, he's working, and he's been frustrated (and) it's been a tough season for him. But we're seeing glimpses of why we recruited him." NOTES: Two more potential goals were reviewed using the newly-installed overhead cameras during the weekend. Both affected Michigan's score and, in both instances, the original call of no goal was upheld. Berenson wasn't upset with either call, but instead praised the officials for their efficiency: "If we're going to add these cameras to all the rinks in our league, then they should be run right and they're doing a good job." ... An unlikely group made an appearance at Yost Ice Arena on Fri- day night. The mascots for the Toledo Mud Hens, Plymouth Whalers and Sar- nia Sting joined Big Boy, Bd's Mongo- lian Barbeque's "Mongo Man" and the Keebler Elf in a game of broomball during the first intermission. The Sar- nia Sting mascot and Plymouth Whaler each notched a goal, but the highlight of the evening was the fight that broke out between the Keebler Elf and the much bigger Mongo Man. The Keebler Elf won. The Mongo Man couldn't be reached for comment. ... Rarely do the opposing team's parents do much when the student section chants "Ugly parents." But the Lake Superior State parents' section became the first to fire back at the students, albeit modestly. On Saturday night, after the first Laker goal, a mother stood up and held a sign that read "Rude Students." Security was TOP not called in to remove the sign. ABO of the first period. But that was as close as the Lakers would come. Senior goalie Noah Ruden rebounded from a frustrating Friday to preserve the two-goal margin. er The action slowed down after the first )- period, as the Wolverines continued to strug- gle on their power play. Michigan looked out ," . of place with the extra man, going 0-for-4 on the night and generating only three shots in 4, those four chances. k- "It was just about a blessing we didn't get he too much time on the power play," Berenson id said. "We weren't in sync." 0 0 Mitera Bailey Dest Fardig Swystun Cook Dunlap Fragner Montville Ward 30 0 9 9 +9 43 T____ -- I- i4- i 4 22 32 29 27 5 2 4 2 2 6 3 2 7 8 7 4 -1 -1 +3 -10 45 37 30 10 33 23 26 40 28 18 2 0 1 0 __ + -+ 9 i + 1 4 31 3 2 11 3' 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 +2 -1 33 2 15 0 0 CAITLIN KLEIBOER/Daily : Ruden Is quickly emerging as this season's No.1 goalie at just the right time for the Wolverines. OVE: The Keebler Elf wasn't backing down against the bigger and more physical Mongo Man. Power play is man disadvantage gfor M THE 'RED' LINE In a system named for legendary coach Red Beren- son, the Daily hockey writers grade the Wolverines on their performance in each of four areas. (Graded out of 4 pucks) Mark Giannotto OFFENSE The six goals this week- end is a little bit mislead- ing. Besides the first period of Saturday's game, when the Wolverines notched four goals, the offense was held at bay by the Laker defense. DEFENSE Normally second or third line defensemen, juniors Jason Dest and Tim Cook played well all weekend. In all, the blue liners were in the right position more often and gave up fewer odd-man rushes. GOALTENDI NG Noah Ruden earned himself three pucks this weekend. The modest Ruden claimed he didn't have as good a weekend as his statistics may indicate, but it looks as if we may actually have a No. 1 goalie. That is comforting. 1191@ 1. Minnesota (19-6-5) The Gophers won three games on a four-game road trip, solidifying their position atop the national rankings. While they only managed a draw with lowly Michigan Tech Saturday, their sweep at Wisconsin one week prior marked them as the team to beat. 2. Boston College (19-6-2) Boston College earned two more vic- tories this week, knocking off North- eastern in the first round of the Beanpot tournament before burying Providence 8-3 on Friday, Tonight's Beanpot cham- pionship game against Boston Univer- sity is a big one, as the Terriers have been fairly hot themselves. Having lost to Boston University one month ago, this game is a must-win for the Eagles. CCHA STANDINGS 3. Boston University (17-8-2) The Terriers have jumped up into the Daily Power Rankings for the first time this year, having won 10, count them, 10 games in a row. During this past week, they have downed Har- vard and Massachusetts. If they can knock off Boston College tonight, they will finally receive the national respect they deserve. 4. Wisconsin 20-7-2 Without goaltender Brian Elliott, the Badgers have struggled in recent weeks. Elliott was unable to return for this past weekend's showdown with Ohio State at Lambeau Field in Green Bay, Wisc. The Badgers came out on top, 4-2, but have won just two of their last four. AROUND THE CCHA Thursday's results: Pts Michigan State 4, OHIO STATE 3 DAILY POWER RANKINGS When Yost Ice Arena public address announcer Scott Spooner stated his usual, "Lake Superior State returns to full strength" on Saturday night, I half expected the Michigan stu- dent section to give the Lakers a standing ovation. This weekend, Michigan went an abysmal 0-for-8 on the power play and managed just eight total n shots on those chances. No goals? Eight shots? Isn't this the Michigan team that led the nation in power play efficiency . through the first half of the season? JAM Up until Jan. 2, the Wolverines sat atop the nation, converting 26.1 DC percent of their chances - almost Jame two-percent better than any other team in the country. But since the New Year, Michigan has gone just 6-for-71 with a man advantage, good for a whopping 84-percent conversion rate. It's become so bad that I find myself wishing the ref- erees wouldn't call penalties on opposing teams. In Saturday night's game, Michigan notched four even-strength goals in the first period, but cooled off significantly after that. When asked what the difference was for the offense between the first versus the second and third periods, cap- tain Andrew Ebbett pointed to the power play, calling it a momentum-killer. And he was absolutely right. For some com- pletely inexplicable reason, Michigan fared significantly better during five-on-five -play. It created much better chances and prevented Lake E yes, can the Wolverines do in the meantime? Alternate captain Matt *Hunwick believes the key lies in getting the puck down into the opponents' zone. He thinks that if Michigan can dump the puck into the zone, its speed will give the team a chance to set up their power play. But why the Wolverines can't seem to get it into the zone to begin with boggles my mind. During the early parts of the season, Michigan was easily able to set up its power play, almost regardless of the oppo- nent. And while I know teams S V. watch film and learn Michigan's set plays, I want to believe that wDthe Wolverines' talent should be On... enough to win battles for the puck in the offensive zone. Ebbett and Hunwick both said that the team will focus on the power play during this week's practices before it heads to Omaha next week- end. Whether or hot these practices can help the power play unit congeal might be a deter- mining factor in how the CCHA playoff race sorts itself out. Nebraska-Omaha will certainly be out for blood next weekend - the Mavericks sit in a fourth-place tie in the league standings. That fourth spot is key, since the top four teams get a first-round bye and home-ice advantage in the second round of the CCHA playoffs. Should Nebraska-Omaha and Lake Superior State falter this weekend, Ferris State might have a chance to steal the fourth spot in their home- and-home with the Wolverines during the fol- James V. Dowd H. Jose Bosch Team CCHA Overall i i 1. Miami- 17-4-2 20-5-4 36 Friday's results: