10 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, March 15, 2006 Icers maintain must-win mentality IIW SWIMMING AND DIVING Fun and jokes draw Schroeder to divin By Daniel Levy Daily Sports Writer Entering the CCHA playoffs as the three seed, the Michigan hockey team has something neither top-seeded Miami nor second-seeded Michigan State can lay claim to - the Mason Cup, the trophy awarded to the win- ner of the CCHA Tournament. And that is why, despite a rollercoaster season in which the Wolverines failed to produce a single win in four games against the Spartans and two on the road against the RedHawks, they still believe that the road to the title goes through them. "There's the trophy right in there," said Michigan coach Red Berenson while pointing through the door to the Mason Cup on display in the next room. "Until this weekend starts it's ours, and our team would like to bring it back." ' Last year, Michigan rolled into the CCHA playoffs as the No. 1 seed after torching the rest of the league to the tune of a 23-3-2 record and a regular- season conference title. After sweep- ing Notre Dame in the first round, the Wolverines posted wins over Alaska- Fairbanks and Ohio State to take the Mason Cup. This year has proved more difficult. As the three seed, Michigan will have its hands full at Joe Louis Arena. The team went 0-1-3 in four games against Michigan State this season, and got swept by Miami, who faces North- ern Michigan in the other semifinal matchup, in the team's only meeting this year. But senior goalie Noah Ruden played in just two of those six games - a 4-3 loss in Miami on Dec. 3 and a 2-0 loss in East Lansing on Jan. 17. The other games weren't freshman goalie Billy Sauer's fault, but this is a different Michigan squad with Ruden in the pipes than the one that failed to get past Michigan State and Miami during the regular season. Last weekend's effort also has the Wolverines confident heading into the weekend. Besides sweep- ing a team for the first time in three months, Michigan displayed signs' of what it needs to be successful in tight postseason games. The veterans seemingly carried this team for the last few months, and last weekend against Ferris State, they were again the stars. Senior captain Andrew Ebbett notched two goals and two assists, and alternate captain T.J. Hensick chipped in two goals and one assist in the series sweep. But the contributions from the fresh- men - Jack Johnson seemed to be everywhere all weekend, and Travis Turnbull scored with less than four minutes left to seal Friday's game - combined with the team's ability to hold on to a one-goal lead for the final 16 minutes of Saturday's game are very good news as the Wolver- ines try to make a playoff run. "You get confidence after being able to hold that one-goal lead Satur- day night," Ebbett said. "You have us older guys that have been there before, and we led the way. But the younger guys played great, especially Satur- day night." C By Anne Ulble Daily Sports Writer TREVOR CAMPBELL/Daily Senior goalie Noah Ruden has been solid in the net lately for the Wolverines. The team shouldn't need any more motivation beyond playing in the playoffs with a chance for revenge against its in-state rival, but two wins this weekend could give a significant boost to the Wolverines' NCAA Tournament seeding. Although Michigan most likely sealed a bid with last weekend's sweep of Ferris State, it doesn't want to leave anything to chance. The Wolverines have adopted the attitude that Friday's game is a must-win to even make the field of 16. "If we get in the Tournament, it will be because we earn it this weekend," Berenson said. "I'm try- ing to tell our team not to listen to all the speculation or all the what- ifs. The what-if is, 'What if we lose to Michigan State?' Then we don't deserve to be in the Tournament." TICKET INFORMATION: The Michigan Athletic Department has organized a CCHA Student Hockey Weekend bus trip. The trip includes a ticket to Michigan's Friday night game against Michigan State as well as a ticket to whichever game the team ends up playing on Saturday. The bus will run from Yost Ice Arena to Joe Louis Arena and back. Each spot costs $30, and the deadline is Thursday at 12 p.m. Call the Michi- gan Sports Marketing office at (734) 615-2025 to reserve your spot. When freshman diver Kyle Schroed- er was in eighth grade, his friends con- vinced him to join the swim team. He thrived in sprint events, but the mileage Schroeder was expected to swim during practice was not appealing to him, and he considered quitting the team after just one year. One day during practice, Schroeder hopped out of the pool and told his swim coach that he was going to go try diving with his teammates at the other end of the pool. The coach was surprised, but he allowed Schroeder to move over to the diving well. "The divers always seemed to be having fun and joking around at their practices," Schroeder said. "It looked like more fun than what we were doing in the pool. I'd always liked jumping on the board, so I thought diving would be something I'd enjoy." After an impressive showing on his first day, Schroeder was asked back the next two days by the diving coach. By the conclusion of his first season with the team, Schroeder, then a high school freshman, knew that diving would be his sport. "I had a lot of flexibility," Schroeder said. "So twisting and tucking wasn't too difficult for me." Schroeder joined a year-round club team at Eastern Michigan during his sophomore year and began training more seriously. His efforts paid off when he won the Michigan State Cham- pionships in his junior season. "Once I joined the club team and won state, I knew I was getting into div- ing for the long haul," Schroeder said. "Every practice and dive was concen- trated on helping me get to the college level." Schroeder received recruiting calls from several different universities around the nation, but he knew that he wanted to attend Michigan. "I have family here that I didn't want to leave," Schroeder said. "I really liked coach (Chris) Bergere, so I thought this would be a good fit." Schroeder's addition to the team this season has made for an improved diving squad. In his first collegiate meet, the Milan native qualified for the NCAA Zone meet, a feat no Michigan diver accomplished last season. "Kyle is an athletic kid," Bergere said. "He moves well. He has good toe point, and he's pretty flexible. I think he keeps the older guys on their toes and pushes them to perform. I think next year, once he learns the platform, he'll be much more experienced for college diving." Schroeder accounts much of his quick success to junior Kyle Howard. "(Howard) has really helped me out this season," Schroeder said. "He's an amazing diver to watch. When he gets up on the platform, it's like he has no emotions on the board. He's almost like a robot. He just gets up there and jumps off, and his dives are almost perfect. He pushes me every day at practice" Last weekend, Schroeder, Howard and junior Jon Donadee attempted to qualify for the NCAA Championships at the NCAA Zone C meet in Columbus. It was the first zone meet for all three divers. Schroeder competed in both the one- and three-meter events. Howard took the one-meter and platform events, and Donadee was the lone Michigan repre- sentative to dive in all three events. Though none of the three qualified for NCAA Championships, the team's per- formance in Colombus showed promise for next year. S I. I WAWAIM iPod us Video fabulous purchase videos and music at the atunestarp At: U-M Computer Showcase, Michigan Union U-Go's, Pierpont Commons www.apple.com/students cme : ::. _.:. ,::., :.:. r.:::... .: :::. .. n urn *in.,,-M "-...i a m - ..- - - , --ww- _l ....... ..... pe pteti Thy .:... __.( * 6~ 6 6'664644664454.4444(0O(~44"4 I-,J F- e 0.6 4(444' 464 .46 ~ -.-.''- 44' 446( / s (4 6** '~ 65 U -646i6_.6 P-L-fir 64 (444 . ..tuNv.':5' -64 .fiya4 4 bb ,c:.6.:<. N6 Y.:oN6:t'W. 6'u546 < YH ?a 6646-4. ... ' ' .6' . s fk S - .4 '+ *404~~~rwv~~' !+K.w"'+: ..... m . w m,._ , ... .. m , . . .. .... a a 0 wv40 :; _ _ _ CNN senior medical correspondent Dr. San jay Gupta comes to University of Michigan for a discussion about the issues you and your roommates can't stop talking about: Body image. Fighting fat. Turning it around. Living healthy. 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