Friday March 24, 2006 sports.michigandaily. com sports@michigandaily.com PmRiftogattSBaitg 8 ICers face road test in tourney opener Get off your asses - and go to the Fish By James V. Dowd Daily Sports Writer They're already good enough at neutral sites, but imagine what Duke might do if it played its first- and second-round games of the NCAA Tournament at Cameron Indoor Sta- dium, its home floor. It wouldn't be a pretty sight. This would never happen in the the home team is going to handle the pressure." Michigan does have history on its side. It defeated New Hampshire in Manchester, N.H. at the Northeast Regional in 2004. Captain Andrew Ebbett said he believes that, like they did in Manchester, the Wol- verines must begin the game on the right foot to have any hopes of stay- ing in thec basketball tourna- ment, but the hockey selection committee often puts teams in their own home for the regionals. And when the bracket came out, the 12th-ranked Wol- verines drew the host. Michigan will face off against North Dakota in Grand Forks, N.D. tonight at 9:30 p.m. TONIGHT No. 12 Michigan at No. 6 North Dakota 9:30 p.m. Ralph Engelstad Arena ESPNU contest. "We had a good start in the game, and that was huge for us," Ebbett said. "We had two goals in the first couple of minutes, and that didn't really give the crowd a chance to get in the game. It's always huge on the road to keep the fans out of it." Quick starts have The Fighting Sioux finished their league playoffs strong, winning the WCHA title over St. Cloud State after knocking off former No. 1 Wisconsin. North Dakota's final record was 27-15-1, but the wins were loaded heavily in the latter part of the season. "North Dakota has a big advan- tage in this scenario, coming off of a playoff championship," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "They've had a terrific run, they're playing at home. We're a three seed, and they could've been a No. 1 seed. They're a top team right now, as good as anyone playing at home." But the responsibilities North Dakota faces by playing in its home arena might outweigh their obvious advantages. "Let's face it, there's a lot of pres- sure on the home team," Berenson said. "Home teams don't always win regionals. But you never know how helped Michigan all year long. It's 14-4-2 when scoring the first goal of the game. But when the Wolver- ines can't knock one in first, they're just 7-10-3. Scoring won't come easy dur- ing tonight's game. The Fighting Sioux's Jordan Parisi has established himself as one of nation's premiere goaltenders. He went 22-8-1 with a 2.12 goals against average this sea- son. Leading the charge for Michigan will be Ebbett, who boasts a nine- game scoring streak. In that span, he has notched five goals and nine assists. Ebbett's line, which also fea- tures fellow senior Brandon Kalen- iecki, is the most experienced on the team, giving Ebbett the chance to continue his hot streak, even against the Fighting Sioux's stingy defense. Should the Wolverines knock off North Dakota in the first-round game, they will play the winner of tonight's Minnesota-Holy Cross Baseball fans, do me a favor. If you're home now, stop reading this column. Go dig out your baseball mitt, put it right near your face and breathe in deep. Sniff it good. Then, come back. If you're like me, taking in that leathery smell brings back a host of baseball memories: throwing the ball around in the backyard with Dad, heading to the ball- park and hoping to catch a foul ball, playing second base and letting the ball go through your legs to lose a little league game (Okay, maybe that one's just me)., At 3 p.m. today, just a short walk down State ~ Street, the opportunity to M create new baseball mem- SIN ories beckons. It's Open- ing Day for the Michigan SPitti baseball team, the most underappreciated team on campus. A small, dilapidated old structure calls out to you. "I AM THE FISH," it cries. "I have been hosting Michigan baseball games since 1923, and today, I ask - nay, implore - that you drop whatever you are doing and watch America's pastime right here in Ann Arbor." Not convinced by the Fish's val- iant plea? Let me argue on its behalf. Here are my top 10 reasons to get your lazy ass out of bed and watch Michigan baseball this afternoon: 10.) The ping. Close your eyes and picture it: a fastball, right down Broad- way. A quick, non-steroid-induced swing slicing through the batter's box. PING! The beautiful sound of alumi- num hitting the ball at precisely the right moment. Ahhh... 9.) Because the Fish is so small, you can pick up on all the on-the-field chatter. Just sit behind a dugout and keep your ears peeled. 8.) Chicks dig baseball. Accord- ing to the dating service "It's Just Lunch," more than 65 percent of women say baseball games are good for dates (I read this in an airplane magazine). So take the apple of your eye to the Fish. Snug- gle up under a blanket, impress her with your extensive (but not exces- sive) baseball knowledge and kick your game as best you can. If the ballgame date doesn't work out, no worries. Dancing up on random drunk girls at Skeeps or Rick's is still an option - the game should be over by 6 p.m. 7.) I covered the team last year, and I can tell you, the baseball play- ers are a bunch of cool, fun-loving, down-to-earth guys. And, word on [A vG the street is that they throw some pretty sweet parties. 6.) Michigan's at-bat music is clas- sic. Last year, for example, the PA played "Apache" by the Sugarhill Gang every time Eric Rose stepped to the plate. Needless to say, Mich- igan's fans couldn't help but "jump on it" prior to each at-bat. 5.) It's free for students. 4.) Going through afternoon-drinking with- drawal after St. Patty's Day? Michigan baseball is a perfect excuse to start your weekend early. With forecast temperatures in the high 30s, you could probably use a little extra alcohol-induced warmth. TT I particularly recommend 3ER spiked hot chocolate. (Note: Drinking is not allowed at the Fish. Don't say I didn't warn you.) 3.) Michigan coach Rich Maloney is the man. First of all, he's a great coach. Michigan's program has done a 180 since he took over in 2003, culmi- nating in last season's NCAA Region- al berth. Plus, when his team does falter, he's straight up with the media. He doesn't hide behind clich6s like so many other Michigan coaches. And, finally, he's generally an easygoing guy, which makes his rare blow-ups at the umps especially entertaining. 2.) The Fish's small size, sparse attendance figures and limited security presence provide a perfect opportunity for heckling. "Spike" from Theta Chi knows what I'm talking about. During last year's. Iowa series, he spent an entire nine innings yelling at Hawkeye players, visibly annoying a few of them. 1.) The Fish is old school. The Michigan Athletic Department claims the stadium has been renovat- ed seven times since its construction in 1923, but it's hard to believe it was much different back in the day. The wooden benches are splintered and worn, the only bathrooms are located outside of the ballpark and there are no reserved seats, luxury boxes or advertisements. In short, it's the per- fect place to watch Michigan's oldest sport (The Wolverines have played ball since 1866). For me, those factors add up. I'll be at the Fish at 3 p.m. tomorrow, with my blanket, hot chocolate and scorecard in hand, ready to cre- ate some new baseball memories. I expect to have some company. - If anyone actually goes on a date at the Fish, Matt Singer wants to know about it. He can be reached at mattsing@umich.edu. I RODRIGO GAYA/Daily Goalie Noah Ruden and the Wolverines will take on North Dakota in the first round of the NCAA Tournament. game. Barring a great upset, the Golden Gophers will win their first game, making a Michigan run to the Frozen Four almost inconceivable. Minnesota defeated Michigan, 6-3, during the College Hockey Showcase in November behind Hobey Baker candidate Ryan Potulny's hat trick and two goals from freshman Phil Kessel. Although Minnesota's shadow looms large, Michigan is focused solely on North Dakota. "North Dakota is a pretty good team," Ebbett said. "They've played well recently. We're just going to focus on them for now. Once we get that game, we'll move onto the next. The NCAA Tournament is just one game at a time. We'll focus on that second one after, hopefully, having won the first one." 0 Jeans Tanks Tops Shorts Pants Sweaters Outerwear Accessories from $16.99 $5.99 from $7.99 from $7.99 from $12.99 from $12.99 fr.m $24.99 from $0.99 I\ ^ J 11 If you are energetic, have excellent communication skills, and like to have fun, you would fit right in the Classified Department. Stop by The Michigan Daily at 420 Maynard to pick up an application and schedule an interview. Deadline to apply is A 4- - 1 -- A 1-__l #~flIlji U - - - __ - U N - - L X= wk M At I