The Michigan Daily- michigandailycom "r sd October 17,2007- 3B * Green, red and Gritty ayellowmake for plays yellow _-- decide I NEED INK? a dreary uay weekend By COLT ROSENSWEIG Daily Sports Writer EAST LANSING - The Michi- gan State men's soccer team barely seemed to notice the downpour as the Spartans swarmed Old College Field after their 5-0 victory Sun- day. The Wolverines and their trav- eling fans, however, felt every mis- erable drop. Coming off a huge 1-0 win over No. 3 Notre Dame Wednesday, unranked Michigan State (2-1-1 Big Ten, 9-1-2 overall) was on a roll. For No. 21 Michigan, the rival- ry game was the last of a grueling midseason swing. The Wolverines (0-2-1, 8-4-1) had played three of their last four games on the road and had won just one. The Spartans put Michigan in a hole almost immediately. At 2:59, a yellow card by junior goalkeeper Patrick Sperry gave Michigan State forward Doug DeMartin a penalty kick. Sperry stretched himselfto his full height, arms extended, ready to leap. But as he dove to his left, DeMartin shot right and scored. "It makes a huge difference when that happens," junior for- ward Jake Stacy said. "Going down a goal (three) minutes into the game on a questionable PK - if that doesn't happen, who knows what could happen." The Wolverines never recov- ered. Though they attacked the Spartan goal repeatedly, all their efforts were rebuffed by fifth-year senior goalkeeper Chris Austin and his defenders. The Michigan offense was also without the cre- ative genius of sophomore forward Mauro Fuzetti because of an inju- ry, which might have helped break through the Spartan line. In the 32nd minute, sophomore defender Julian Robles took a red card in the penalty area. In just one second, Michigan was dealt several heavy blows. DeMartin got another penalty kick, and once again, he didn't miss, putting the Spartans up 2-0. HOCKEY From page 1B allowing Michigan to claw back into the game. The Wolverines gained a little momentum with each big hit, and midway through the period, fresh- man Matt Rust found a rebounded shot in the crease and poked it in to cut the deficit to one. "I thought in the first period, they definitely outplayed us," Rust said. "They outworked us, they out- hit us, and that's how they got all of their momentum. So I felt like, and coach also let us know, that we had to come out hitting and come out working and get some offensive- zone playing and put them back on their heels. I think that allowed us to get that first goal and get things rolling." Slowly, the added pressure the Wolverines put on Minnesota wore the Gophers down, and the gap in athleticism was diminished by Michigan's physicality. But the Wolverines couldn't seal the deal. On three separate occasions, the Wolverines battled back to close the gap to one goal, but each time Minnesota closed the door on the potential Michigan comeback. With two minutes remaining in regulation and the Wolverines down a man because of a Rust holding penalty, the score sat at 4- 3. Sauer was pulled, and a furious attackof the Minnesotanetensued. SANDALS From page 1B would've been easy to pack it in after the first period, but the Wolverines didn't. It would've been easy to resign to a loss when Minnesota went up 3-1 just more than a minute into the third period, but Michigan wouldn't. Playing shorthanded in the final minute, Michigan still fought for the tying goal. Sixty minutes of effort. That's all you can ask. With the heart they showed, these Wolverines are going to surprise, and impress a lot of teams this season. "They're rebuilt and reloaded," Robles was lost for the game, forc- ing the Wolverines to play a man down for 58 minutes. Defender Michael Holody, a co- captain and leader of Michigan's defense, was already sitting out the game thanks to a red card in the loss to St. John's. Robles will have to miss Wednesday's game against Bowling Green. "I'm really perplexed by it," Michigan coach Steve Burns said r of the numerous cards. "In all my years of coaching, I've not seen the kinds of cards that we're getting. I think we are a disciplined team. Unfortunately, we've got to be able to bounce back and show our resil- iency in the face of what we per- ceived as questionable calls." Michigan finished the game with three yellow cards and a red. While the Wolverines could take some satisfaction from the first half - the only two shots to make it past Sperry were penalty kicks - the second half was near- ly all Michigan State. Three times Spartan forwards shed Wolverine defenders and bested Sperry at the goal mouth, building an insur- mountable 5-0 lead. With about 10 minutes left, Michigan finally got a penalty kick of its own. Stacy sent the ball scorching toward the left corner - where it bounced off the post. While the Spartans remained in the middle of the pitch sharing the victory with their fans, most of the Wolverines couldn't leave Old College Field fast enough. On Wednesday, they will return home for a match against Bowling Green, and, they hope, the birth of a winning streak like the one that opened their season. But like every opponent since the start of Big Ten play, Bowling Green won't make it easy. "They've been through their learning curve and now they have an upperclassman-dominated team," Burns said of the Falcons. "They're probably thinking this is a good time to kick Michigan while they're down." Goalie Jeff Frazee was shoved head first into the net with the puck underneath him. It was Michigan's last legitimate scoring opportunity, and Minnesota held on forthe hard- fought 4-3 victory. The win gives the Golden Gophers six consecutive victories over the Wolverines. "We gave up inopportune goals at inopportune times," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "You have to give the other team credit, but we know we can do a better job defensively. Yet I like the way our young team battled back and they got back in the game. We had our chances and we just didn't quite connect." Not all of Michigan's upset dreams were dashed over the weekend, though. Friday night, the Wolverines notched a thrilling 4-3 overtime victory over No. 2 Boston College (1-1). Using the same style of play that helped them climb back into the Minnesota game, the Wolverines came out physical and scrappy, div- ing for loose pucks and defensive deflections. Michigan may not have the big names or reputations that it has had in the past, but if the Wolverines play well defensively, they'll give themselves opportunities to win, Berenson said. "I told you all along: I thought our team was pretty good," Beren- son said. "We should get better, but games like this are a great experi- ence for these young players to play in." Minnesota coach Don Lucia said. "With the guys that they've lost, they have a very good team." Lucia could say that with a smile Saturday night,butthe next time these two teams meet -Nov. 24 in Ann Arbor - he knows the result could be different. Considering the effort Michi- gan put forth last weekend, it's exciting to think of where the team could be with a few more weeks of game experience. Well, exciting for Michigan, not for Lucia and the rest of the college hockey world. The freshmen are crashing the party. - Sandals can be reached at nsandalsiumich.edu. By COURTNEY RATKOWIAK Daily Sports Writer ST. PAUL - Michigan played for more than 122 total minutes, but its games were decided in two quick seconds. In both of the Wolverines' contests at the Ice Breaker Invi- tational, the score was settled by one pivotal play at the end - one a goal, the other a penalty - that showcased the scrappy spirit of this year's Wolverines. Friday's game against Boston College ended two and a half min- utes into an overtime forced by two third-period Eagle goals. Bos- ton College goaltender John Muse sprawled on the ice in an attempt to trap the puck after a Michi- gan shot, and most of the Eagles thought the play was over - some circled away from tlie goal in prep- aration for the next play. But no whistle was blown. The puck floated to Muse's left side, and Michigan forward Louie Caparusso jabbed at the puck as Boston College forward Andrew Orpik attempted to clear it out of the zone. It seemed to ricochet off of Orpik's left skate and past a still-splayed-out Muse for the Wolverines' winning goal. There was a second of con- fused silence. Boston College players sunk to the ice in disbelief as Michigan defenseman Steve Kampfer sprinted to Caparusso, tackling him headlong into the boards in celebration. The Wol- verines piled on top of each other and celebrated the finish. In some ways, the chane goal was fitting. It matched the pace of the game - gritty and rough. Michigan coach Red Berenson agreed with the assessment of the goal, adding that overtime goals are "always ugly." "I think you're lucky when you win in overtime," Berenson said. "I don't know if it was a great scor- ing chance or not, but if you play in their zone, you have a chance of scoring." Even those involved had vary- ing accounts of how the game ended. "The puck was basically just rolling on its pad, and it's pretty fortunate the ref didn't blow it then," Caparusso said. "Basically, I just kept whacking at (the puck), and I got a piece of it and it rolled right in." Boston College coach Jerry York had a different take. "It looked like we cleared it off our own player," York said. "I don't think there was a blue player around the puck." The Wolverines tried to mir- ror their third-period comeback the next night by scoring twice, but Minnesota's two third-period goals meant that Michigan still trailed by one as the game wound down. From the time that Minne- sota took its on-ice timeout with five minutes remaining, the Wol- verines had the momentum. They outshot the Golden Gophers, 42- 22, and had two key scoring oppor- tunities within three mjnutes. But with 2:01 remaining, fresh- man Matt Rust lost his stick in the Wolverines' zone and, out of necessity, defended with his body. He was called for holding, and the crowd roared. Goalie Billy Sauer was pulled shortly afterward while the shorthanded Wolverines had the puck in the Minnesota zone, but Michigan couldn't convert on its few scoring opportunities. Had Rust not picked up the penal- ty, the Wolverines would have had the man advantage, the momen- tum and a legitimate chance to tie the game. The game's turning point again highlighted Michigan's physical- ity - but, this time, it hurt the Wolverines. "I hate to say it, but I felt like I lost it for the team," Rust said. "I definitely have to be a smarter player at the end of the game. I thought it was a weak call, but at the same time, it shouldn't really make a difference. You shouldn't have to put yourself in that posi- tion." Rust didn't lose the game for Michigan - his two goals meant Michigan still had a chance late against one of the most talented teams in the country. But the Wol- verines' comeback attempt was effectively over with two minutes remaining. And again, one play decided a close game. Your Nearest Waigreens Washtenaw Avenue & Huron Parkway 3255 Washtenaw Ave. Store Phone: (734) 975-2849 Bring your coupon and empty ink cartridge to any Walgreens listed above. 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