0 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
Monday, January 22, 2007 - 3B
. Hensick snaps
skid with hat trick
By IAN ROBINSON
Daily Sports Writer
FAIRBANKS - It showed both jubilation and
relief.
After netting his third goal of Friday night's
6-2 win for his first career hat trick, Michigan
senior T.J. Hensick raised
his hands in the air and NOTEBOOK
covered his face.
"Just saying, it's about time," said Hensick,
describing the emotion. "It's just a good feeling
to get that out of the way and not have to worry
about it now."
And, for a moment, the Howell native stood by
himself in the middle of the Alaska zone, wait-
ing for his teammates to join in the celebration.
After, junior Chad Kolarik, who scored back-to-
back hat tricks earlier this season, asked the ref-
eree for the puck as he pulled it out of the back
of the net.
Before Friday, Hensick had been in the midst
of a nine-game goal drought, dating back to Nov.
25 at Minnesota. He might lack goals, but his
unselfish play-making skills (he has tallied an
NCAA-best 31 assists) are the primary reasons he
has been mentioned as a contender for the Hobey
Baker Award.
"He could lead our team in goals just as easily
as he does in assists," Michigan coach Red Beren-
son said. "It's good to see him getting chances.
It's good to see him shoot the puck."
The alternate captain busted out of his goal
slump in the first period by depositing a rebound
behind Alaska goalie Wylie Rogers to put Michi-
gan up 2-0.
He added another in the second period by tip-
ping in a cross-crease pass from Kolarik.
"I think my little sister could put that one in,"
Hensick said.
The final marker came on the power play at
the beginning of the third period. It was the goal
r that most displayed his unique play-making abil-
ities. Hensick skated around the Nanook net and
found space in the circle where he fired a wrist
shot past Rogers, giving Michigan a 5-1 lead.
INJURY UPDATE: Hensick's Friday night offen-
sive production was contrasted with an injury
that prevented him from playing in most of Sat-
urday's game.
"He's got a lower-body injury," Berenson said.
"It's not an injury, but it's just a condition. Hope-
fully it's just a bruise."
His status for next week's games is uncertain.
He first left the ice in the middle of the first
period of Saturday's contest. Although he
appeared in the second period, his playing time
was limited. He didn't play in the third.
Defenseman Steve Kampfer didn't travel to
Fairbanks this weekend because of a knee injury
that Berenson described as "at least the 10-day
variety." He hopes that Kampfer will return for
next week's games against Ferris State.
FULL DISCLOSURE: At Yost Ice Arena, the crowd
quickly files out of the building after the game.
At the Carlson Center, the fans file from the
stands to Alaska coach Tavis MacMillan's post-
game press conference, where they can listen to
the coach's thoughts on the game and ask ques-
tions of their own.
"I know there are alot of coaches in our league
who think I am nuts for doing this," MacMillan
said.
A few minutes after a game ends, about 100
Nanook aficionados gather in a room off the rink.
Whether it's a 6-2 loss to Michigan or a win over
intra-state rival Alaska-Anchorage, the crowd
always welcomes the players and coaches with
a standing ovation. MacMillan offers an open-
ing statement and opens the floor to the media's
questions, which is the standard post-game pro-
cedure at any arena.
But after media queries the floor is opened to
the fans to ask anything they want to the play-
ers.
Following Friday night's game, when Nanook
senior Curtis Fraser scored his 100th career
point, a small child asked why Fraser was not
participating in the press conference. MacMil-
lan told him Fraser was receiving some well-
deserved rest and asked the youngster if Fraser
was his favorite player. In a squeaky voice, he
responded that Fraser is his mother's favorite
player. Everyone enjoyed a good laugh.
Even after the press conference ends, MacMil-
lan hangs around to schmooze.
MacMillan said the press conferences are the
brain-child of Alaska's former assistant athletic
director Kip Harmon and hockey coach Guy Gad-
owsky, who started the tradition five or six years
ago.
"There's no communications class that our
players can take that will prepare them for some-
thing like this," MacMillan said. "This is as good
a test for them when they have to go out there in
the real world."
MacMillan added that the hockey program is
such an embedded part of the community that
this allows the fans to get a glimpse inside the
team.
"When you talk about the program, you are
talking about the community," MacMillan said.
Senior Brian Hung war bath his douhies matches this weekend, as the Wolverines claimed victories over Marqoette ad Butler.v
Dominant dual opener
for highlyi ran ked Netters
By SCOTT KANOFSKY
For the Daily
Carrying its highest national rank-
ing in recent memory, the Michigan
men's tennis team is under pressure
to perform well in every match.
And the 32nd-ranked Wolverines
did just that Saturday at the Var-
sity Tennis Center, sweeping their
doubleheader in convincing fashion.
Michigan defeated both Marquette
and Butler, 7-0.
In the first match of the day -
which was also the first dual match
of the season - against Marquette,
Michigan quickly took the doubles
point, with wins in two of three
matches. The doubles bill was high-
lighted by a strong 8-2 win by senior
Brian Hung and junior Matko Mara-
vic, the second-ranked tandem in the
nation.
The Wolverines were even more
dominant in the singles portion of
the dual meet. All six matches were
straight set victories. Freshman Mike
Sroczynski earned his first career
dual match victory (6-1, 6-1) over
Marquette junior Greg Sirotek.
The nightcap against Butler was no
different.
Michigan coach Bruce Berque
mixed up the lineups, giving some
inexperienced members of the team
a chance to prove themselves against
worthy opponents.
"I didn't think it was worth it to
risk injury," Berque said. "Also, there
are plenty of guys on this team who
practice well and are always ready
to play. I have a lot of confidence in
everyone out there."
Sophomore Mike DePietro, who
didn't see action during the afternoon
match, took advantage of the promo-
tion. DePietro paired up with fellow
sophomore Andrew Mazlin for an 8-2
victory. Shortly after the conclusionof
Mazlin and DePietro's contest, fresh-
man George Navas and Sroczynski
defeated their opponents, 8-4, ensur-
ing the doubles point for Michigan.
Although the point was already
secure, there was still a great battle
going on in the final doubles match.
The dynamic duo of Hung and Mara-
vic climbed out to an early 5-2 lead
HAWKEYES
From page 1B
pommel horse record with a 9.1,
and sophomore Ralph Rosso posted
a sparkling 9.7 to break the previ-
ous high mark on rings. Junior Dan
Rais and sophomore Joe Catrambo-
ne won vault and high bar, respec-
tively, both posting 9.0 scores.
On the parallel bars, senior co-
captain Andrew Elkind executed a
near-flawless routine, earning him
a score of 9.8 and the Newt Loken
Award for best performance of the
meet.
"I've-done a couple of those in
practice,butuntilyoudoitinameet,
it's not as pure of a feeling," Elkind
said. "It was great. I had trouble on
other events, and by the time we got
to (parallel) bars, I was like, 'The
team has got my back. The team is
doing this, and I just gotta get my
COLVIN
From page 1B
-- -------- -
In the midst of this grand hockey
analogy I was concocting in my
head, one of our guides snapped
me out of it when she shared a
great play on an old clich6: You're
only as fast as your fastest wheel
dog.
As played out as it sounds, it's
true. Heading into these final
months of the season, the differ-
ence is going to be how the Wol-
verines' blue liners and goalie play.
I have great faith that Michi-
gan's offense will continue to do
what it has done all season; score
lots of goals.
Now it's on the guys at the back
9 of the pack. The spotlight is on the
defensemen, who have so much
talent and potential that hasn't
yet been fully tapped this season.
Behind them is the other focus,
part in.' So that's what I did:"
Michigan set the tone for the
whole meet with its very first event,
floor exercise. Every gymnast
posted a score of 9.0 or higher, and
by the end of the first rotation the
Wolverines already had a sizeable
six-point lead. As Iowa struggled,
Michigan continued to excel, never
allowing the Hawkeyes within
striking distance. Rather than feel-
ing pressure from the boisterous,
larger-than-normal crowd, the
Wolverines seemed to feed off the
electrifying noise.
One of the most astounding per-
formances of the night came from
Justin Laury. The fifth-year senior
did his first rings routine ofthe year
in practice on Thursday, and by Sat-
urday, he was in the starting lineup.
He nailed his routine as if he'd been
practicing for months, notching a
9.35.
Even though Iowa was not the
Billy Sauer, who hasn't been the
consistent force between the pipes
like many had hoped he'd be at the
beginning of the season.
They have to be the wheels of
the team if Michigan wants to
push for a prominent spot in the
CCHA.
Talking with senior defenseman
Jason Dest after Saturday's game,
it seems like they're aware of that.
"It's more of a focus on us now,"
Dest said. "We see what we have to
do and guys are starting to buy into
it. When guys buy into it, you see
the results and you start winning
games."
Coach Red Berenson was rav-
ing about his defensemen after
the weekend sweep, and he said
Sauer had a statement game. Sauer
and the blue liners have kept their
goals against down in 2007, allow-
ing two or fewer goals in the last
five games. Compare that with
4.75, their goals against average
from Thanksgiving to the
toughest opponent the Wolverines
will face this year, the win was an
important one for Michigan. Two of
the most challenging dual meets of
the season are approaching quickly.
Next Saturday, the Wolverines
take on two-time defendingnation-
al champion Oklahoma in Ann
Arbor. The following weekend they
travel to Penn State to take on the
top-ranked team in the Big Ten.
For the Wolverines, sustaining
their momentum and fine-tuning
their routines will be key to success
in the next two weeks, especially
when it comes to holding strength
skills on rings.
"I think that with OU's talent,
we're going to have to go even high-
er (than 217.8)," Rosso said. "Most
of them have a national champion-
ship ring or two, so they all know
how to compete. ... We need to get
ourselves ready. We want to beat
OU bad."
end of the year, and maybe Dest is
right.
It may have taken a long trip to
Alaska for the team (and myself)
to realize it, but the Wolverines
have a chance to pursue some-
thing greater in the postseason
than lastyear's one-and-done
fiasco - they just have to get their
wheels rolling.
- Colvin would like to thank
Patrick and Collin f rom Michigan
Sports TV for carting us around, the
great people at Paws for Adventure
for teaching us about dog sledding
and most of all her beatmates for
making this a great trip. She can be
reached at ambermco@umich.edu.
NANOOKS
From page 1B
Miller and Naurato teamed up
again one minute and 39 seconds
later, this time in reverse order.
Miller fed a puck from behind the
net to a wide-open Naurato, who
easily beat Johnson. At 4-1, and the
Wolverines were raking it in.
All three goals came with Mich-
igan's point leader T.J. Hensick
on the bench with a lower-body
injury.
Early on, Michigan's prospects
weren't as promising.
Unlike Friday, when Michigan
(12-6-0 CCHA, 17-9-0 overall)
killed off an early five-on-three
disadvantage and scored quickly
thereafter en route to a 6-2 win,
the Nanooks took the upper hand
Saturday.
Forward Curtis Fraser's five-on-
three goal put Alaska (5-10-3, 7-13-
4) up 1-0,just over halfway through
the first period.
Just as they had during the pre-
vious Saturday's 2-1 loss to North-
ern Michigan, the Wolverines
struggled to move the puck through
the neutral zone, and when the rare
offensive chance developed, the
puck never found the net. It began
as the same, sorry Wolverine Satur-
day, just four time zones away.
"We got fed up with being a .500
team, winning a game and then los-
ing the next night, or vice versa,"
senior defenseman Jason Dest said.
"That's not the way Michigan hock-
ey is supposed to be."
Michigan (12-6-0,17-9-0) turned
its frustration into energy and kept
digging for goals.
With a little luck, the Wolverines
found one.
From just inside the Alaska
blue line, Naurato directed a pass
toward the net, as sophomore
Andrew Cogliano drove hard to the
far post.
"I didn't think (the pass) was
going to get through," said Coglia-
no, who has a point in eight straight
games, with goals in seven. "I threw
my stick out there, and (Naurato)
made an exceptional pass. It just
kind of got on my stick, and I just
put it in the open net."
The goal came with fewer than
four minutes to go in the second
period, and allowed Michigan to
retain some confidence going into
the third period. After the game,
both players and coaches doubted if
the team could've come back with-
out the Cogliano goal.
against Butler's James Low and Ben
Raynauld. They soon saw their early
advantage slip away as the Bulldogs
put the match back on serve at 5-5.
The vocal Maravic and the
reserved Hung seemed to have met
their equals. But the team persevered
and squeaked out a victory in a tie-
break, 9-8(2), avoiding a tremendous
upset in their quest for the No. 1 dou-
bles ranking.
"They're so good at winning close
matches," senior tri-captain Ryan
Heller said. "They have been playing
together for awhile, and have devel-
oped a strong positive mentality even
when they're down."
With momentum coming off that
dramatic win, Michigan took all six
singles matches with ease against the
overmatched Bulldogs. Berque decid-
ed to give Hung the night off after his
doubles win and created a new lineup
that produced the same results.
Sophomores Scott Bruckmann and
Peter Aarts were among the new sin-
gles starters for the night match, and
each showed confidence and passion
in their respective wins.
Easily forgotten in the offensive
explosions was Billy Sauer's fifth
straight solid game. The sopho-
more goalie stopped 32 of 34 shots
he faced. The performance was
especially impressive coming on
Olympic ice, a larger-than-normal
surface that previously befuddled
Sauer.
"(Winning twice) made me feel
really confident, especially with the
Olympic ice," Sauer said.
Michigan worked hard for its
treasured sweep, and the Wolver-
ines are hopeful their newly earned
capital can carry them through the
remainder of the season.
"We know if we win a lot of
games, we'll have a good chance of
being inthe top three in the league,"
Cogliano said. "So this was defi-
nitely a good start that we needed
to get the ball rolling."
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