8A - Thursday, November 20, 2008
The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com
After Friday struggles, Saturday success, 'M' seeks consistency
Wolverines averaging "To be honest, not one player in that has been between the pipes. With cessful creating scoring chances in Michigan's improved offense on
locker room can say they were 100 the exception of last month's Thurs- near the crease on Saturday than Saturdays, Rust expressed concern INJURY UPDATE:KAMPFER
two more goals per percent focused for a Friday night day-Saturday series against Niagara on Friday. Michigan's forwards aboutpotentiallyover-analyzingthe WITHOUT NECK BRACE
game more than they were Satur- and at Boston, senior Billy Sauer has seemed to crash the net harder on Wolverines' Friday performances.
game on Saturdays day." made all of his starts in net on Fri- night two and routinely exploited "It's not something you really Junior deenseman Seve Kampferwas not
Sophomore center Matt Rust said day, and sophomore Brian Hogan seams through opposing defenses. want to dwell on either," Rust said. wearing protective neck brace at practice
By GJON JUNCAJ preparation was the key and that has taken over on Saturday. Hogan The aggressive execution led to "Because if you dwell on it, it's not Wednesday for the first time since he was
Daily Sports Editor the team needed a "wake-up call" has won all six of his decisions, decisive victories, but just salvaged going to get any better." injured in an off-ice incidentOct.12. Doctors
during the last two weekends. while Sauer is just 2-4 in six starts a weekend split. While there hasn't been a glaring have permitted Kampfer, who fractured his
For the No. 9 Michigan hockey But that raises another issue: how this season. Michigan's game plan doesn't difference in sheer effort, Michigan brace. Kampn rs physica acivifstoo ie t
team, the question is obvious: do you fix intangibles? How can you Despite that, Michigan coach Red vary too much after a Friday game seems to play with a sense of anger ited to exercises likenriditga stationary bike,
What's up with the Jekyll and foster consistent mental focus? Berenson doesn't believe the Wol- regardless of the score. Palushaj on Saturday that's missing from the Michigan coach Red Berenson said.
Hyde offense? The Wolverines have been verines play better in front of one said opposing teams aren't throw- previous night. With games at No. 7
Michigan has played in five Fri- exploring all their options. Palushaj goalie or the other. Sauer and Hogan ing anything unexpected at them on Miami (Ohio), No. 1 Minnesota and "Atlthis point I have no idea when he'll
day-Saturday series this season. The said the players often talk amongst are in a statistical dead heat in goals Friday. a home-and-home with Michigan allow (Kampfer) to skate," Berensossaid.
Wolverines have scored 10goals Fri- themselves, and sometimes with allowed, save percentage and shots But the coaching staff's criticisms State in the next three weeks, the 'Whether it's insthe next few days, maybe
day, two of them on the power play, team psychologist Dr. Hugh Bray, faced. When assessing what goes of the Wolverines' defense, special Wolverines have no reason for laps- he'sskatgiswt Ileamyal least, (sri
and a combined 24 tallies the fol- about improving their Friday-game wrong on Friday, Berenson's ques- teams and physicality are much es in motivation, when there's even a horizon as far as him
lowing night, seven of them on the preparation. Palushaj and Rust both tions go beyond who is in net. more in-depth the day after a loss. And all eyes will be on how Mich- returning to action"
man advantage. said the foundation for sharper "That's the mystique of coach- "If you lose a game Friday, we igan's offense fares inthe next three
The players have a simple expla- focus on Friday is built with crisper ing," Berenson said Monday. "Are get all of those things reinforced," Friday games. Kampfer, an Anaheim Ducks fourth-round
nation for such an odd discrepancy in practices. we tired? Are we too confident? Are Palushaj said. "When we lose games, "Obviously there's a long way to draft pickwas hospitalized after an early-
scoring- and it's not coincidence. "The coaches can't really do we not confident enough? Are we all the negative things get brought go before the (CCHA and NCAA) morningincident,.whichtookplaceonChurch
"I think it's a direct correlation of much more than what they've been ready to play?" up. When we win games, only some tournament stuff," Palushaj said. SreetnearEastQuad.nomerdMichian
how we come out and how prepared saying," Palushaj said. Against Northern Michigan, of them are." "ButI think (this weekend) is going arraignedrtwscMuntsfasaulslemming
we are for Friday's game," sopho- The most noticeable change in Alaska and Western Michigan, the Although that certainly seems to to show our character and where from the incident earlier this week.
more winger Aaron Palushaj said. Michigan from Friday to Saturday Wolverines were much more suc- have played at least an indirect role we're heading as a team."
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Can you imagine the Wolverine State as the Buckeye State?
Strange, but true. Global warming is pushing the Ohio
buckeye north.' If we let this continue, the tree will become
increasingly rare in Ohio - and common here!
Plus, of course, rising temperatures threaten the rest of our
environment - including the vanishing wolverine2 - along with
our health, our jobs and our pocketbooks.
Please go to StopTheBuckeye.org. Urge the President-
elect and the new Congress to take bold action to keep the
buckeye in Ohio and protect Michigan's future by cutting
global warming pollution.
' See the study by McKenney et al. (2007): "Potential impacts of climate change on
the distribution of North American trees." Bioscience, Vol. 57, No. 11:939-948.
2See "Recent Report Shows Global Warming Could Be Final Straw for Wolverines,"
Defenders of Wildlife, March 12, 2007.
AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION OF MICHIGAN
MACOMB COUNTY PREVENTION COALITION
MICHIGAN AUDUBON
MICHIGAN ENVIRONMENTAL COUNCIL
MICHIGAN FARMERS UNION
MICHIGAN LEAGUE OF CONSERVATION VOTERS
NATIONAL WILDLIFE FEDERATION
PEW ENVIRONMENT GROUP
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