Tuesday
April 18, 2006
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Red re-ups with
three-year deal
This isn't your
run-ot the-mill
By Mark Giannotto
Daily Sports Writer
It may have been a disappointing
season on the ice for the Michigan
hockey team, but it's so far, so good
when it comes to the off-season.
Saturday night, at the annual end-
of-season hockey banquet, Michi-
gan Athletic Director Bill Martin
announced that coach Red Berenson
had agreed to a three-year contract
extension. The deal puts Berenson at
the helm of Michigan hockey through
June 30, 2009.
Salary figures for the new deal
have not been determined, but Beren-
son made approximately $170,511
this past season in base salary and
another $144,000 for television,
radio, Internet and apparel sponsor-
ships, among other things, according
to documents obtained through the
Freedom of Information Act. Beren-
son also had a stipulation entitling
him to additional compensation for
reaching the NCAA Tournament and
the Frozen Four.
The new contract will go into
effect July 1.
"I think it gives us our staff and
our team the feeling that there are no
question marks," Berenson said. "In
recent years, I would get the question
about whether I would be back, and I
just wanted to make it clear that I feel
good about ... our stability and our
direction."
This past season was Berenson's
22nd, but it didn't live up to the lofty
standards he set in previous years.
The team finished with a 21-15-5
record and lost in the opening round
of the NCAA Tournament to North
Dakota, 5-1. It was the worst season
for the Wolverines since the 1988-89
campaign, when they also finished
with 15 losses.
Prior to the current deal, Berenson
and Martin agreed to contracts on a
year-to-year informal basis. Now,
like most college coaches, Berenson
operates under a multi-year contract.
Whether or not this is his last contract
extension is up to Berenson.
"(The athletic department) has
made me feel like I can coach here as
long as I am comfortable," Berenson
said. "They know that I won't hesitate
to retire when I think it's in the best
interests of the program. We have a
good understanding that if I want to
stay longer, I can stay longer, and if I
don't, I won't."
NEW CAPTAINS NAMED: With the
graduation of senior captain Andrew
Ebbett and senior alternate captain
Brandon Kaleniecki, the Wolverines
needed a new set of players to lead
the team.
One of last season's alternate cap-
tains, junior defenseman Matt Hun-
wick, will step into the captain role
for the 2006-07 season. As a junior,
Hunwick was the de facto leader of
the defense because there were no
senior defensemen on the team.
"Matt Hunwick was already play-
ing like a senior last season," Beren-
son said. "He got the experience of
being a go-to player on the ice, and he
showed leadership off the ice. I can't
say it was an easy choice, but, for me,
it was the right choice."
Junior forward and leading scorer
T.J. Hensick remains an alternate cap-
tain. Joining him will be junior defen-
seman Jason Dest, whose hardworking
style of play drew comparisons to the
departing Kaleniecki.
"I think Dest has the blue-collar
work ethic," Berenson said. "The
team looks up to him in the locker
room, as well as on the ice."
The new captains will have to
adjust to the team's changing dynam-
ic. The team will no longer rely on a
y .
::' ' .
i
.
z
::
Matt Hunwick was named captain for the 2
group of 1I freshmen, who have never
been through the grind of a college
hockey season. Instead, a group of 11
sophomores will be key cogs in turn-
ing around Michigan's fortunes.
"We won't have to babysit them as
much," Hensick said. "That year underi
their belt is huge. ... You are aware of
what's around you, and you know what
to do and what is expected of you."
WELCOME BACK: With Hunwick
and Hensick returning to leadership
roles for next season, it seems to con-
STEVEN TAI/Daily
2006-07 season.
firm that that every non-senior from
last year's squad will be back for the
2006-07 season.
Hunwick was a seventh-round pick
of the Boston Bruins in 2004, and
Hensick was selected in the third
round of the 2005 NHL draft by the
Colorado Avalanche.
Several weeks ago, freshman
defenseman Jack Johnson appeared
to be on the verge of signing with the
Carolina Hurricanes, but eventually
decided to stay at Michigan.
What does Ferris Bueller say?
"Life moves pretty fast.
If you don't stop and look
around once in a while, you could
miss it."
Well, that's kind of how
I feel about college and
working at the Daily. Four
years at the University and
three years of working
here at the paper went by
quicker than I ever thought
possible. So here I am now k
with my last piece of "jour- 1 K
nalistic" writing, wonder-
ing what happened to my
undergrad years. M
Chances are you've seen VENI
way too many of these
goodbye columns before. The
You probably think you
know how they go, at least for people
leaving this specific paper. And, if I
was doing one of those, I would proba-
bly talk about how much the Daily has
meant to me over the past three years.
How I've met so many good friends
and people that I never imagined
meeting when I first dragged myself
into the Student Publications Building
in the fall of 2003.
I would talk about all the interest-
ing, completely unusual moments
I've gotten to cover and take part in
by simply being a "reporter for The
Michigan Daily." I could talk about
road trips, almost getting fired after
the Madison game, nightsides, unbe-
lievable games and all kinds of stuff,
but I don't want to do one of those
"glorify Daily Sports" columns.
Or, I could do one of those columns
where I thank lots of people that helped
me get where I am today, for better or for
worse. I would have to start with my par-
ents, since they've been, by far, the most
influential people in my life and have
footed the bill for out-of-state tuition
that everyone and their dog knows isn't
worth the money. Yet, they paid that
student account balance every semester
and didn't complain too much. Oh, and I
would definitely have to thank them and
my sisters (Kristen, Andrea and Erin)
for putting up with my complaining and
general annoyance the past four years on
top of their own problems. With all that,
I would have to say how I couldn't think
of a better parenting job and a better
family. But that type of column has been
done before too.
I could talk about all my friends
back home who are still my closest
buds even though I became a traitor
by coming to Michigan. Items that
would need to be discussed include
infamous places and events like:
The Cabin, The Office, The Bus,
1880/2112, The Bandana Massacre,
Itchykoo Park and a plethora of other
things we've done. But at the end, I
would just have to say that they are
the best guys (Rick, Brustuen, Moj,
Tim, Mo, Larp, Hups, Bubba and all
the other STA friends) a dude could
hang out with, always willing to do
something fun even if it's against bet-
ter judgment at times.
But, if I did that, I would feel
guilty about not including other close
friends. I would have to thank Jenny
for putting up with more crap than
.A
IE
Bc
anyone should possibly have to deal
with and still sticking by me. And
even finding time to take a couple
trips (Madison, Chicago, etc.) and
bringing me to her house for a couple
holidays or just for a break
from the University.
I would also have to
thank Jack and Ian for being
two of the best MSEs the
Daily has ever seen. Jack
for providing some of the
funniest moments of college
and Ian for being the best.
journalist (note: no quotes
around that) and good friend
TT that I've had the pleasure
of working with here. I'd
GONI have to thank many others I
a1s worked beside: Ali, Brady,
Gennaro, Burke, Bremmer,
Bob, EA, Sharad, Schick, Gabe, Wein-
er, Megology, JVD, S. Dot and basi-
cally everyone on Sports that I didn't
mention by name. But that's too trite;
that's been done enough times.
I could just do a straight-up
"remember when" column that
involves stuff my friends at school
would get. In doing one of those, I'd
have to mentioned as many of my
roommates and friends in the last four
years: RO, Gonz (even with the not so
good), Flaze, Billy (Tough Tommy),
Sarah, Josh, Will, Phil, Tim, Summer
408 E. Jefferson, Andy, etc., and even
you Neal, despite the fact that I hated
living with you freshman year. But
you were a nice guy and bought me a
shot on my birthday.
I'd have to talk about endless games
and nights of beer pong, the banana
bunch night, the David Lee Roth, the
Law library, beer Olympics, bathroom
time, bottle toss, the "javelin," pulling
the trigger, "high school" parties and
tons of other memories that no one
would want to hear about.
I could also take a different route
and talk about certain events that
have happened to me since I've
worked at the Daily. I would talk
about a certain high-profile coach
supposedly calling me a word that
rhymes with trucker in practice for
reasons that still mystify me.
But in the end, I would like to impart
the little bit of advice I can give: Take
advantage of every opportunity and look
around a little bit in college, because it
goes by quicker than you'd like.
But what do I really know? I'm 22
years old, and my life plan isn't much
clearer than it was almost four years
ago. All I can do is thank everyone
that's been a part of the undergrad jour-
ney, even the people that e-mailed me
with nasty comments and some teach-
ers that didn't know their ass from a
hole in the ground. Although I wanted
to leave this school two years ago and
was basically out the door, I came back,
and I'm happy with that decision. Sure,
there have been more ups and downs,
but it's still been a life experience that
I gratefully received, because I learned
more than I thought I would when I left
good ole' Minnesota.
- Maize Rage: Ian never called
you boners, I did. Sorry. Matt can
be reached at mvgoni@umich.edu.
q
4
Wolverines looking for offensive spark
By David VandeVusse
Daily Sports Writer
After a 12-game winning streak that lasted the better part of three weeks, the
Michigan softball team looked like it was on a mission.
But after losing two of their last three contests, its clear the 12th-ranked Wol-
verines are still searching for consistent offensive production.
In Iowa City on Friday, Michigan (6-2 Big Ten, 26-11 overall) appeared to be
on its way to a prolific weekend at the plate after posting three runs in the first
inning. But the Hawkeyes went on to hold the Wolverine bats at bay, leaving the
Maize and Blue scoreless for the rest of the weekend.
"We just weren't bringing in the runs,' senior co-captain Stephanie Bercaw
said. "We were seeing the ball well and getting good hacks at it, but we just
weren't getting the hits."
After the trip to Iowa, Michigan's team batting average plummeted to a season-
low .264. Senior Becky Marx and sophomores Alessandra Giampaolo and Saman-
tha Findlay remain the only Michigan players who still boast averages above .300,
leaving it up to senior pitcher Jennie Ritter to keep Michigan in close games.
Michigan hopes to awaken its offense and give the pitching staff more run
support in a non-conference doubleheader against Central Michigan (4-4 Mid-
American Conference, 13-19) today at Alumni Field.
Last season, then-No. 1 Michigan faced off against the Chippewas in a double-
header in Mount Pleasant and was stunned 5-4 in game one. The team rebounded
with a victory in the rematch.
Neither team has performed as strong as they did last season, but both sides
retain crucial members from last year's squads. The Chippewas used pitchers
Jessica Garvin and Jill DeRoche to defeat Michigan last season, and both hurl-
ers return as upperclassmen this year. Junior Lorilyn Wilson saw action in both
games last year for the Wolverines and will likely put in work today as well.
But offensive improvement remains the focus.
In Sunday's game at Wisconsin, which was cancelled because of rain,
Michigan coach Carol Hutchins looked to sophomore designated player
Michelle Weatherdon for a spark. Weatherdon isn't normally a part of the
starting lineup, and Hutchins hoped the lineup shift would tip the scales in
Michigan's direction.
"We're just looking for some production," Hutchins said. "She puts the ball in
play, and maybe she gives us a little fire."
Weatherdon will likely get a chance to strut her stuff in at least one of today's
two games.
Fortunately for Michigan, today's games are ripe for an offensive surge see-
I
MIKE HULSEBUS/Daily
Sophomore Alessandra Glampaolo is one of just three Michigan players with a
batting average over .300.
ing that Central Michigan has given up 10-plus runs in five different games this
year. Also, Michigan boasts a 5-1 record against teams from the Mid-American
Conference this year.
But Michigan won't depend on statistics in its effort to win.
"We're looking forward and trying not to concentrate on the past," Bercaw
said. "We're just looking to improve and taking that for what it's worth."
Said Hutchins, "We certainly need some punch in our lineup. We need some
people to string things together."
DON'T STOP READING!
I
TURN TO PAGE 16 TO READ ABOUT
SOFTBALL CATCHER BECKY MARX, WHO
TRANSFERRED FROM LOYOLA TO PLAY A
KEY ROLE IN MICHIGAN'SNATIONAL TITLE.
APRIL 30, 2006
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