Netters refuse to Her
lose in convincing Can
weekend sweep turn
M EN'S TENNIS 3B T
THE MICHIGAN DAILY
man:
a loss really
i into a win?
SM COLUMN 2B
michigandaily.com
Monday, January 22, 2007
MICHIGAN 5, ALASKA 2
SWEEPING SUCCESS
What dogs
can teach you
about hockey
FAIRBANKS -
I twas our great adven-
ture. Three college kids
traveling nearly 3,000
miles to
cover the
Michigan
hockey
team in a
weekend
series l
against
Alaska. AMBER
Many
people CLVIN
said we
were crazy A Touch of
to go, and Dutch
maybe we
kind of
were - January isn't exactly
a boomingtourism season in
Alaska; look at the thermom-
eter to see why.
But the trip was unforget-
table, and I learned a lot along
the way.
The major highlight was
Saturday, when we wandered
out of the city and into nature
for our real Alaskan experi-
ence: dogsledding.
Town brochures boast
Fairbanks as the "Gateway to
the Arctic Interior," and after
leaving the city and driving
upon two small huts, it was
clear why. The expanse of the
snow-covered wilderness was
beautiful, and we were going
to explore itona sled.
Talking to the people who
run the company, we found
out a lot about dog sledding
before actually climbing in.
We learned all the aspects
of compiling ateam of dogs,
which was surprisingly simi-
lar to assembling any team.
All the dogs have different
personalities and different
strengths.
There are the amazingly
fast dogs at the front of the
pack, called leader dogs.
These dogs establish them-
selves as the leaders with
their speed and intelligence,
giving them the ability to
steer the sled.
In the middle are the swing
dogs. They follow the leader
dogs and provide more power
for the sled.
At the back of the group
are the wheels. These dogs
are strong and steady. They
are the muscle of the team,
the constant force at the back
of the pack that keeps things
running smoothly.
Looking at the different
components of the dog team, I
couldn't help but compare it to
hockey (I'm a hockey writer;
it's what I do).
It was easy to see the con-
nection between leader dogs
and forwards. Think of T.J.
Hensick and Andrew Cogli-
ano. Those guys are swift
on skates, crafting plays and
guiding Michigan's offense.
The swing dogs could be
players like David Rohlfs,
defensive forwards who con-
stantly go battle for the puck
in corners, perfect comple-
ments to the other forwards.
Then there are the wheels.
Of course, the wheels are the
defense and the goaltender,
the last line of the team that
protects the net. Like wheel
dogs compared to leader dogs,
a strong defense may not
attract the awe and attention
that a high-octane offense
does, but it's essential to the
team's success. Score all the
goals you want, but without a
strong backbone behind you,
you're not going to go very far.
See COLVIN, Page 3B
Senior David Rohifs had one goal and an assist in Saturday's 5-2 win over Alaska. It was Michigan's first sweep at the Carlson Center in its last three visits.
Nanooks no -match for Icers
By NATE SANDALS
Daily Sports Writer
FAIRBANKS - It happened as quickly as
the rush that put this former boomtown on the
map. But the nuggets the Michigan hockey team
secured came in the form of goals, not gold.
It took just two minutes and nine seconds for
No. 13 Michigan to turn a 1-1 tie into a 4-1 lead
for an eventual 5-2 victory over Alaska. The win
secured Michigan's first sweep at the Carlson
Center in its past three visits.
Just like the turn-of-the-century prospectors
who came to Fairbanks, the Wolverines didn't find
their treasure in likely places. In fact, the second
power-play unit struck first. Unlikely for a group
whose usual task is to fill the time until the star-
studded top line can get back on the ice.
But when sophomore Brandon Naurato's
slapshot rebounded off Alaska goalie Chad John-
son's pads, Tim Miller had an opportunity to be
more than just a time killer.
Miller's swing hit the puck off a Nanook defen-
seman's stick, sending the disk in a high arc over
Johnson's head and into'the net. With the score
2-1, something was building.
"You have to pay the price, to go to the net to get
goals," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "That
was, I thought, the difference this weekend: We
were going to the net."
With the first success, more Wolverines flooded
to the Nanook goal.
Just 30 seconds later, senior David Rohlfs took
a cross-ice pass from junior Kevin Porter and
deposited the puck through Johnson's five-hole.
After 3-1, the rush was on.
The fourth goal didn't come as quickly, but it
assured Michigan's riches.
See NANOOKS, Page 3B
M' no longer
one-trick pony
t first glance, this year's Michi-
gan basketball team looks a lot
like last year's squad.
Like their 2005-
06 counterparts,
this season's
Wolverines have
started the season
16-4.
Both used two
important confer-
ence wins at home A
to get their record DEM
to 16-4. BROMWICH
And each has
relied on its seniors Broms Away
for success.
But in reality, these teams couldn't
be more different.
The success of last year's team was
dependent on individual performanc-
es. Michigan had three signature wins
last season - consecutive home victo-
ries over No. 11 Michigan State and No.
23 Wisconsin, and another home win
late in the season over No. 8 Illinois.
Against Michigan State, senior Dan-
iel Horton scored 23 points, and fellow
senior Chris Hunter exploded for 13
second-half points to deliver the win.
Against Wisconsin, then-junior
Dion Harris hit five 3-pointers and
exploded for 23 points, his highest
total of the season. Then-junior Court-
ney Sims converted on 8-of-10 field-
See BROMWICH, Page 4B
MEN'S GY' IMASTKCS
Blue proves
it's no fluke
in big win
By COLT ROSENSWEIG
Daily Sports Writer
Records fell right and left on Saturday night at
Cliff Keen Arena.
In its first dual meet of the season, the No. 8
Michigan men's gymnas-
tics team beat No. 7 Iowa MICHIGAN 217.8
by nearly 10 points with NO. 7 IOWA 208
a team score of 217.8. The
performance obliterated last year's record by four
full points.
With their decisive victory, the Wolverines
proved that last Saturday's season-opening perfor-
mance in Chicago was no fluke.
This is a completely different team from last sea-
son.
"It just proves that we're really what a team's
about," sophomore Kent Caldwell said. "We have a
bunch of different people who are all really good at
different things. We're a cohesive unit - we don't
rely on one or two people to carry us."
Before the meet, Michigan coach Kurt Golder
worried his team might not maintain the focus and
intensity that helped it cruise to a Windy City win.
The Wolverines soon put his mind at ease, win-
ning 5-of-6 individual event titles and setting new
records in four (floor, pommel horse, rings and par-
allel bars). A different gymnast won each event.
Sophomore Scott Bregman set a new floor record
with a 9.55 routine - only to see it broken immedi-
ately by Caldwell, who scored a 9.7.
"All the pressure was off," Caldwell said. "(Assis-
tant coach) Scott Vetere told me, 'All you have to do
is have fun.' ... After those first three passes, I could
feel it coming. The stick on the dismount - I've been
working for that so hard.... I could feel it in the air."
Senior co-captain Justin Laury broke the team
. See HAWKEYES, Page 3B
. ..................................... ...... .....................................................
Second-half run
ignites Caers
By MARK GIANNOTTO The Wolverines used a huge spurt to
Daily Sports Writer begin the second half, and pulled away
from Purdue for a much-needed 71-55
It was just a month ago that Michi- win.
gan coach Tommy Amaker sat all five The victory gives Michigan a 4-1 start
of his usual to Big Ten conference play, leaving the
starters for a PURDUE 55 team in a tie for second place alongside
late December MICHIGAN 71 Ohio State and Indiana.
game against - - --- -- The Maize and Blue entered halftime
Army. with a two-point lead due in large part
Slow starts to halves were the reason to a 13-4 surge to begin the game. Fol-
for the demotion. lowing a quick turnover and subsequent
After their performance on Saturday, basket by Boilermaker senior David
starting off strong should no longer be Teague to begin the second half, the
a problem for the Michigan men's bas- Wolverines' offense and defense began
ketball team. clicking on all cylinders.
Senior Lester Abram had 12 points, helping the Wolverines to a much-needed 71-55 victory
over Purdue. Michigan now sits in a tie for second place in the Big Ten.
The 28-10 run that ensued featured "The coaches told me that I haven't
some of the expected and unexpected been particularly aggressive," Har-
for Michigan (4-1 Big Ten, 16-4 overall). ris said. "I was doing a lot of stand-
Senior Dion Harris was his usual-con- ing around early on. I started to move
sistent self, scoring 13 points - includ- around and really hunt shots and my
ing three 3-pointers - and dishing out teammates were finding me."
three assists during the run. In the pro- For the afternoon, Harris had a
cess he ignited the Crisler Arena crowd game-high 21 points and was a solid 5-
after feeding senior Brent Petway for of-7 from beyond the arc.
several rim-rattling dunks. See BOILERMAKERS, Page 4B