The Michigan Daily U 2 /0 * Sparties make it easy ... and fun 5E Streak Sparted? t's not even fair, really. Do you think I get a kick out of this? Winning an argument against a State fan about which school is better is like beat- ing Matt Trannon in a spelling bee. Or Jeff Smoker in a sobriety contest. _ Or a Michigan State clock operator in a job-efficiency competition. Or Tom Izzo in an "I'm-tall-enough-to- ride-roller-coasters" contest. I Or Mateen Cleaves SCOTT in a ... nevermind. BELL You get the picture. I could go on, but Too Soon? the fact is everyone knows the truth already. I go to one of the finest universi- ties in America, both academically and athletically. You, uh, had a good women's hoops team a few years back. So why should I have to point this out to everyone? I was raised with sound principles: Don't kick someone while they're down, pick on someone your own size - you know, pretty routine stuff. Telling Michigan State students they're eventually going to be bagging my groceries is pretty redundant (big word, look it up). So why should I do it? Well, because I can. And because it's fun. You Sparties are like the annoying little sibling who always wants attention. So here you go, here's your attention. Year after year, students at Michigan State get geared up for this "rivalry." Last time I checked, a series as lopsided as 67- 24-3 in favor of one team isn't considered a rivalry. But hey, I know common sense isn't your strongpoint - I'll cut you some slack there. Maybe I'm just a sick person, but I find it funnyto listen to Spartan fans argue why their school is better. But then I find out that some of you're actually serious, and it just makes me sad for humanity. Let's tackle the usual arguments ... Our basketball team is better than yours. Congrats on owning us over a 10-year period. Now you're just 21 games away from tying us in the all-time series. But don't worry, I'm sure Drew Neitzel and Marquis Gray are the second coming of Magic and Mo-Pete. And why do you always seem to leave out other sports in your arguments? Hmhmh. (Michigan has never lost a Challenge Cup to Michi- gan State, which rewards the best all- around school for sports in a given year.) Our school has hotter girls. I hear a couple of them can even read, too. Those are the keepers. We party so much harder than you guys. Once we learn how to riot after wins, losses and ties in sporting events, maybe we can enter your league. But until then, I guess we're not worthy. And actually, your habit of charging people for cups at house parties is smart. You guys better make money now, because I doubt that Michigan State diploma is going to do you any good after college. Wefarm dem fields bettuh den you guys. Yes, yes you do. Congrats. So there you go, you got attention. And hey, if you ignore rankings for sports and academics, ignore our esteemed alumni compared to yours and ignore common sense, then you may have that rivalry you Sparties so desperately desire. But be careful what you wish for. Even though I couldn't care less about Michigan State students, the Michigan football players will. When your battered Sparty squad limps into the Big House fresh off a beating from Illinois (!), it will get the attention you crave so much. FILE PHOTO Adrian Arrington makes a catch during a Michigan football game versus Michigan State. But do you really want the attention of an undefeated team that has your number? Do you really want to anger the most storied football program in history? On Saturday, expect Drew Stanton to get knocked down harder than a drunken stu- dent trying to get in Amadou Ba's way. Expect a sendoff for the only coach that can actually make Bobby Williams look like a good coach. And most importantly, expect more proof that the best thing about East Lansing is that it's just 45 minutes away from Ann Arbor. - This column originally ran on Oct. 6, 2006 as part of a dueling column series with Michigan State's student newspaper. It was all in good fun. Bell is the managing sports editor, football writer and a sports columnist for the Daily. He can be reached at scotteb umich.edu By NATE SANDALS Daily Sports Writer In the final minute of the game, as Michigan played two men down, the noise from the near-capacity Yost Ice Arena crowd crescendoed to match the intensity of the closing moments. With the help of its maize- clad fans, No. 7 Michigan held onto its 2-1 advantage to beat No. 6 Michigan State last night for its sixth consecutive win. It was the Wolverines second straight victory over their intrastate rival. Michi- gan had been winless in its previous nine matches with the Spartans. After surrendering the game's opening goal, the Wol- verines responded with two power-play tallies to surge ahead for the victory. Senior T.J. Hensick's goal at the 6:28 mark of the third period proved to be the game- winner. Hensick received a Kevin Porter pass in the slot, and the senior made the spectac- ular look casual as he drifted in on Spartan goalie Jeff Lerg and lifted the puck past Lerg. "You can't coach that - but you can recruit it," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. Michigan (7-2-0 CCHA, 10-3-0 overall) clung to the lead under heavy Spartan pressure in the game's final five minutes. With less than two minutes remaining, defenseman Jason Dest took an interference penalty, and Michigan State (4-4-1, 6-4-1) pulled its goalie to mount a 6- on-4 advantage for the final 78 seconds. Concluding a strong all- around game, Michigan goalie Billy Sauer stood his ground, stopping every shot, the Spartans fired at him. With the puck cleared out of the zone for the final time, Sauer skated toward Mich- igan's bench with his glove hand held high, meeting his teammates at the blue line when the final horn sounded. The moment was a cul- mination of the sophomore's impressive month. "I'm feeling great, and I think the team in front of me is feeling really good," Sauer said. The six-game winning streak is Sauer's career best and the longest for the Wol- verines since they won 12 straight during the 2004-05 season. Despite dominating play early in the match, Michigan trailed after Tim Kennedy put on a puck-handling clinic during his end-to-end trip to the Michigan net early in the second period. Kennedy collected the puck in his own defensive zone, then split two Michigan defenders before crossing the Michigan blue line. Once in the offensive zone, Kennedy made a nifty move around Dest before skat- ing in all alone on Sauer and patiently putting the puck into the net. Despite giving up the goal less than a minute into the second stanza, the Wolver- ines didn't lose anyenergy. Even with far more scoring chances than Michigan State at that point, Michigan could not find the back of the net. It was Michigan State's continuous march to the pen- alty box that helped Michigan come back. It appeared Michigan would get on the board when it got a power play midway through the second period. Multiple times during the man-advantage situation, the Wolverines were poised to beat Lerg but couldn't finish the job. When the power play ended, Hensick swung his stick at the puck in frustra- tion as it sailed through the air. Fittingly, he whiffed. But Michigan State seemed intent on giving Michigan chances to tie the score. Just seconds after his team killed off one penalty, Spartan forward Tim Crowder was called for high sticking. And the Michigan power play finally finished the job it started during its previous opportunity. 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