Wednesday
PO* R TScigan Baiig
sports.rmichigandaily.com
sports@michigandaily.com
9
Cagers and 'Canes
clash for NYC bid
Sophomore Chad Kolarik and the Wolverines aren't expected to win this weekend.
Underdog role
perfect for Icers
DANIEL LEVY
ON HOCKEY
North Dakota is ranked sixth in the
nation. Michigan is ranked 11th.
The Fighting Sioux are the No.
2 seed in the West Regional of the
NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines
are the No. 3 seed.
North Dakota is the host team for
this regional, meaning Friday night's'
game will be played on its home ice at
Ralph Engelstad Arena. Michigan put
up an unimpressive 5-6-3 record on
the road this year.
The Wolverines have had trouble
getting off to quick starts, and the
Fighting Sioux hold a 21-3-1 record
when scoring first.
Any way you want to look at it, the
Michigan hockey team doesn't seem
to stand much of a chance to advance
past the first round of this year's NCAA
Tournament.
But maybe that is just what this team
needs. To be counted out.
"We know the pressure is square on
(North Dakota)," senior goalie Noah
Ruden said. "They're playing at home,
they just came off a big win in the
WCHA (playoffs), and they're a higher
rank, so we know all the pressure is on
them to perform "
This season of up and downs has
held one constant: Michigan has been
the favorite to win almost every time
it stepped out on the ice. The excite-
ment and intrigue of the freshman
class - and an early marquee win
over Boston College - had experts
drooling over this year's Wolverines
and their 9-1-1 start. The team earned
the No. 1 ranking in the nation on
Oct. 28, and, even though it fell off
after that, voters were hesitant to drop
Michigan too far down the polls.
So when the struggling Wolverines
took the road in December to face a
hot Miami RedHawk squad, the rank-
ings (Michigan was ranked fourth at the
time and Miami eighth) still suggested
Michigan should come away with at
least a split. Instead, the Wolverines
were swept away, a result not surprising E
now given Michigan's inconsistent play
throughout the rest of the season.
Despite the highs and lows, the pres-
sure remained on the Wolverines. They
stayed in the top 10 for most of the year
even though they went three months
without sweeping an opponent. They.
were the hunted, not the hunters.
It was not until last Friday's CCHA's
semifinal game against then-No. 5
Michigan State that Michigan played
the role of underdog. But the neutral ice
of Joe Louis Arena and the Wolverines'
convincing sweep of Ferris State the
week before took away any real feeling
that the Spartans were the heavy favor-
ites to win.
The team - in particular the
See SIOUX, page 10
mer and coach Eric Namesnik, who
passed away Jan. 11 following a car
accident. The Butler, Pa. native won sil-
ver medals in the 400-meter individual
medley at the 1992 Barcelona Olympic
Games and the 1996 Summer Olympics
in Atlanta. Donations can be made to
the Snik's Kids Trust Fund by send-
ing checks to Snik's Kids, c/o United
Bank and Trust, 2723 S. State St., Ann
Arbor, MI 48104. Make checks payable
to Snik's Kids or the Eric Namesnik
Memorial Fund.
By Kevin Wright
Daily Sports Editor.
He lay sprawled out on the court,
faced etched in disbelief.
With Michigan clinging to a one-
point lead at 0:27 in the second over-
time against Notre Dame
on Monday night, senior
Chris Hunter had just
fouled out.
The 6-foot-li senior i
was forced to watch from
the bench as Dion Harris
hit a desperation 3-pointer
that propelled the Wolver-
ines to an 87-84 victory.
"It was tough, but I
had confidence in (sopho-
more) Brent (Petway) when he came
in," Hunter said. "I told him to go in
and win it for us, and he definitely did
his job."
Although Hunter left the outcome of
what could have been his final game in
the hands of his teammates, he made
his presence felt.
The Gary, Ind. native scored 15
points in 35 minutes, but his greatest
impact came on the defensive end.
With three minutes left in regulation
and Notre Dame leading by two, the
Irish's Torin Francis found himself on
the baseline with an open lane to the
basket. As he rose for the dunk, Hunter
sprinted down from the top of the key
to swat the ball out of Francis's hands.
"I thought I had a chance (to block
the shot)," Hunter said. "I definitely
didn't want to give him an easy two, so
I just wanted to go up and challenge it.
Luckily, I got it cleanly, and we came
up with it."
After a disappointing loss to Indiana
on Senior Day, Michigan coach Tommy
Amaker said he had hoped his seniors
would take the opportunity to play at
home in the NIT as a second chance to
jog off the Crisler Arena court on the
right note.
Now, Hunter and the other Michigan
seniors will have one last shot to leave
Crisler with a victory when they take on
Miami tonight at 8 p.m.
"It will feel good (to step onto Crisler
tonight)," senior Graham Brown. "I
thought it was my last time before, but
I'm grateful to have another chance.
Hopefully we can get it a win to end my
career with a win."
Miami defeated Oklahoma State
in the first round of the NIT before
topping Creighton, 53-52, on Mon-
day night to advance into the third
round. The winner of tonight's game
moves on to play in the semifinals, to
be held at Madison Square Garden in
New York.
one-point victory over Creighton.
"They're going to be tough," Hunter
said. "We played a good game against
them the first time. They're a great
team. They have great guards and good
inside guys. It's going to be a tough
game."
In both of Michigan's NIT games,
Amaker has used a starting lineup com-
prised solely of seniors.
One beneficiary of that move has
been senior captain Sherrod Harrell.
After seeing limited action throughout
the season, Harrell has started the last
two games for the Wolverines, bringing
extra energy to the team.
"Defense is the No. I priority for
me," Harrell said. "We got scorers.
We got people who are offensive guys.
Coach is looking for me to defend and
rebound and to find the open guy at the
right time." Senior Ch
Procrastination Station
Miami 100, Michigan 68
* Play of the game - Prior to
tipoff, Michigan decided to stick
with Kevin Wright as its coach. Any conf
talent he had oRnthe court would
be trumped by his inexplicable Michiga
inability to coach. There was no "It's mo
semblance of organized defense, I wish Iv
offense or fashion sense from the
Michigan sideline. "Honest
" Player of the game - Miami coaching
SG #13: He had game-high totals happenec
in points (35), assists (10) and
amounts of steals that caused "Yeah, I
coach Wright to kick trash cans (1). midwayt
The Wolverines (20-10) have already
enjoyed success against the Hurricanes.
They defeated Miami handily during
the ACC/Big Ten Challenge early in
the season.
But since that game, Miami (18-15)
has grown
~mi at
chiun
p~m
~r Arena
PNU
into an exciting team to
watch. In the Hurricanes'
second season in the ACC,
they pulled out victories
against North Carolina in
Chapel Hill and Florida
State in Tallahassee.
Miami is led by the
guard duo of junior Guill-
ermo Diaz and senior
Robert Hite. The two
combined to score 26
points in the Hurricanes'
RODRIGO GAYA/aily
hris Hunter blocks Notre Dame's Torin Francis in Monday's win over the Irish.
jv
Press
ference quotes:
n coach Kevin Wright:
ments like these that
was back at Duke."
ly, I didn't think I would be
g in this game after what
ed against Notre Dame."
kicked a trash can
through the second half.
Looking at the tape, I stand by
my decision. What you would
you have done differently?"
Miami coach Scott Bell:
"I decided to be the bigger
man and get all of my starters
in double figures, unlike Notre
Dame's classless coach Singer."
"Were the two intentional fouls down
the stretch necessary? Absolutely,
I needed to score 100 points."
"Athletic director Jack Herman is
standing by coach Wright and still
supporting him, but he's looking a
little foolish now. What progress?"
0 6A7 ff
NOTE
Charity bar night in
memory of Namesnik
The Snik's Kids Trust Fund will be
holding a charity bar night at Rick's
on Tuesday, March 28. All proceeds
from the cover fee will go toward the
Namesnik Memorial Fund. The fund is
in memory of former Michigan swim-
MEN'S GOLF
Rain puts
damper
on golfers
chances
By Dan Feldman
Daily Sports Writer
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After posting a season-high score
of 316 in the first round of the Indi-
ana-hosted Pinehurst Intercollegiate
on Sunday, the Michigan men's golf
team sat in last place in the 17-team
tournament.
So it had seemingly nowhere to
go but up.
This was especially true of soph-
omore Tim Schaetzel - Michigan's
second-best player this spring -
whose opening-round 81 was a per-
sonal season-high.
But unlike the rest of his team-