8 - Tuesday, February 3, 2009 The Michigan Daily - michigandaily.com 8 - Tuesday, February 3, 2009 The Michigan Daily - michigandailycom No need to panic, Blue s 21-game drought future still looks promising ends for Czarnik By CHRIS MESZAROS his best hockey, and Czarnik is de efi- After his team blew a 20-point lead to the Chicago Bears in 2006, former Arizona Cardinals coach Dennis Green erupted during his postgame press conference. His tantrum was featured on every major sports media outlet and was later spoofed ina Coors Light com- mercial. Among Green's ALEX famous words was PROSPERI this gem, refer- ring to the Bears: On Men's "They are who we Basketball thought they were." More than two years later, those words summarize the Michigan men's basketball team's season. After a 9-2 non-conference schedule catapulted the Wolver- ines into both Top 25 polls by the end of December, Michigan quickly became a Cinderella story. At the time, few doubted the Wolverines would make the NCAA Tourna- ment for the first time since 1998. Expectations rose so high that if Michigan (4-6 Big Ten, 14-8 over- all) didn't make the tournament, it seemed that the season would be a bust. But those expectations were simply too high for this team. "We'll have ups," Beilein said on Oct. 14. "More ups than last year, we hope. We'll have downs; that's a constant." Michigan has an outside chance of dancing in March, but here are three reasons why the Wolver- ines faithful should stay positive through the rest of the season. The man in charge: Michigan fans had it rough recently. In former Michigan coach Tommy Amaker's second year (2002-03), the team won six more games than the year before and won the National Invitation Tournament the next season. But in six seasons, Amaker never made it over the jump to the NCAA Tournament. So when Michigan toppled UCLA and Duke this season, some fans were a bit skeptical about getting too excited. After seeing the Wol- verines lose five of their last six conference games this season, they were right. But Beilein and Amaker aren't the same coach. Before coming to Ann Arbor, Amaker coached four years at Seton Hall and had a 68-55 record. He was young, just 35, and seemed to have a bright future. But six years without dancing says other- wise. Beilein, on the other hand, has experience. Michigan was just 10-22 last season. But in Beilein's first three seasons at West Virginia, the win total increased each year, so there's room for optimism. When it comes to strategy, the comparison isn't even close. Amak- er rarely called an inbounds play and often ran down the shot clock just to have a desperation 3-pointer clank off the rim. He developed the reputation as a poor in-game coach. Beilein is highly respected among his college basketball col- leagues. ESPN's Dick Vitale wrote in 2005, "Many college basketball insiders feel that Beilein is one of the masters on the sidelines." Don't worry. Beilein's got it under control. The players: If you haven't noticed yet, Michigan isn't that talented right now. The Wolverines feature two of the conference's premier scorers and rebounders in sophomore guard Manny Harris and junior forward DeShawn Sims. After that, there's a dropoff in talent. Sophomore point guard Kelvin Grady has shown great improve- ment this season, but there are arguably eight point guards in the Big Ten better than him. Daily Sports Writer The last time freshman Rob- bie Czarnik scored a goal, Barack Obama hadn't yet been elected President. And not only was snapping his 21-game goalless streak Saturday against then-No. 1 Notre Dame cause NOTEBOOK for celebration, but his goal also couldn't have come at a better time. The score brought the Wolverines within one after falling behind 3-0. And it may have been exactly what the freshman needed after three months of frustrating games. Coming into the season, Michi- gan coach Red Berenson knew Czarnik had the talent to play. It was simply a matter of if that skill would transfer to the ice. "He's worked hard, he's played well," Berenson said. "I'm not sur- prised that he scored, but Ican't pre- dict if it's going to change his game or if it's going to elevate his produc- tion or his line's production." Czarnik scored his third-period goal on a blueline pass from sopho- more forward Aaron Palushaj, who ended his own eight-game goal drought Saturday. "It felt greatto finally put one in," Czarnik said. "I wasn't too worried aboutscoring, I knew it'd eventually come." Czarnik is part of the team's third line that is finally starting to click. The freshman plays with senior Tim Miller, who scored Friday's game- winning goal, and junior Brian Leb- ler, who had an assist on Saturday. Czarnik's linemates have played well recently, particularly Miller, who has excelled on the penalty kill. With the rest of the line playing well, it was just a matter of time before Czarnik finally got on the board. "That line has something going for it right now," Berenson said. "Miller's been playing his best hock- ey, and I think Lebler's been playing nitely playing well." WORTHY OF NO. 1: It's rare that a college hockey goal makes ESPN's Top 10 Plays, let alone be No. 1. But Friday, Miller's faceoff goal in the second period earned the top spot. Miller took the draw but didn't win it cleanly. He then reached his stick behind his opponent's leg and fired a quick wrist shot past surprised Notre Dame goaltender Jordan Pearce. The goal extended Michigan's lead to 2-0. "I was going to go forward with the puck until Czarnik drove the net," Miller said. "Then they left a (defenseman) in the middle, so I changed it up and tried to go back. Their guy fell on the ice, and I just got it out of his skates and shot it as quick as I could." BACK TO PRACTICE: Senior captain Mark Mitera completed his return to practice yesterday. Mitera was seen last week skating with the team before practices, but yester- day was his first full practice since his knee injury against St. Law- rence the first week of the regular season. "He's behind," Berenson said. "He hasn't played a game since early October. He's going to skate hard and we put him on forward to get him skating more.and handling the puck more."o Though the senior is far from game shape, both he and Berenson noted that his recovery from knee surgery is going faster than expect- ed. Mitera has stated he would like to return to the ice before the end of the regular season, four weeks from now. "Personally, I think I should be able to play (by the end of the sea- son)," Mitera said three weeks ago. "I need to make sure everything heals properly. I don't want to take any risks at this point, but that's my goal, to get back for one more game at Yost." Freshman Zack Novak should be one of Michigan's top performers in future seasons. And don't forget the fact that three freshmen have had to play significant minutes. Those three, guards Laval Lucas-Perry, Zack Novak and Stu Douglass, have had their moments and will all be important parts to the program. But for now they're young and inexperienced. With that said, Michigan still has 14 wins with nine games left in a better-than-advertised Big Ten that has four teams in the AP Top 25. Smile. Thefuture: Beilein can recruit. In just his second season at Michi- gan, he has commitments from a trio of three-star recruits and one four-star. He's not known for bringing in big-time recruits and instead, typi- cally molds certain players to fit his system. But after bringing two top- 20 players at their respective posi- tions, expect Michigan's level of talent to rise in the years to come. The NCAA Tournament may not be in Michigan's future this year, but don't panic. There are plenty of good times to come. Redshirt freshman could be Blue's 'secret weapon' on rings 4 Vance coming out strong after spraining ankle last year By COLT ROSENSWEIG Daily Sports Writer Few in the University of Illinois- Chicago P.E. Building took notice as a small Wolverine stepped up to the rings halfway through the Windy City Invitational on Jan. 17. The Michigan men's gymnastics team and its fans, however, were riveted. For his first time in college, redshirt freshman Andrew Vance was about to compete. For rings, the fourth event, all the non-competing Wolverines left the bleachers to cluster by the rings tower. Second in the lineup, his face devoid of emotion, Vance grabbed the rings and smoothly executed his routine, just like in practice. After he landed his double-layout dismount with a small hop, emo- tion poured out. Vance yelled and clapped with triumph, even in the middle of his final salute to the judges. "It was probably the best overall feeling I've had in my gymnastics career so far," Vance said. "It was just an indescribable feeling of sat- isfaction and accomplishment." Vance arrived at Michigan as a walk-on last year, and when he sprained his ankle in the winter, he knew he couldn't compete until his second season. So last summer, he attacked rings, his favorite event, with renewed vigor: It helped that Michigan assistant coach Scott Vetere implemented a tough strength program to improve the ring men's holds and positions. One morning, he put the gymnasts through eight sequences in which they had to hold each position for six seconds. In competition, a gym- nast must hold his position for just two seconds to get credit for the skill. "I felt like a was going to die," senior co-captain Phil Goldberg said. "It really helped (Vance) a lot because he just has a ring-man body." Vance, who's about five feet tall, has a comparatively large and pow- erful upper body. His teammates almost immediately nicknamed him "Midge" upon his arrival, but Vance didn't take any offense. At his old gym, Michigan Academy in Westland, he was known as "Frog" because as a little boy, his favorite shirt had a picture of a frog on it. "I'm kind of stuck in a position here where everyone calls him 'Midge,' and I called him 'Frog,' " said former Michigan gymnast Dan Rais,Vance'sroommate. "Nowl just call him Andrew, his real name." Vance's ticket into the lineup was a quality vault to go with his power- ful rings set. Even competing at the" junior level, where everyone has to compete in the all-around, Vance had always focused on rings. "He knows if he's just going to do rings, it's going to be hard for him to compete," Rais said. "I think he's found a new love for (vault). Being on the team, it's a lot more fun than just being on a junior team that's centered around yourself." Goldberg, one of the team's top ring men, is impressed with Vance's improvement. He said he thinks the Plytnouth native may be a secret weapon for Michigan. "I'm not sure other teams have even heard about him, but he's defi- nitely an All-American in waiting," Goldberg said. "He definitely has the ability to do big things in college gymnastics." WILL MOELLER/Daily Senior Chisako Sugiyama is just 10 wins away from becoming the the Wolverines' all-time winningest women tnnis player. Soft-spoken Sugiyama e-merg"es as Blue's leader 4 4 Tal( l I I I Acc, en's ter senior "all-co WhG Sugiya points beinga for an additio whole point a requirE Sugi "all-co "She stein s native. toward lent ba that si But classm roster, has ha. influen team. No ented senior uses capabilities better than Sugi- yama's current doubles partner, ntire court to junior Tania Mahtani. "She has taught me the impor- her advantage tance of being aggressive, espe- cially in doubles, and not just By MARK BURNS waiting for an opponent to make Daily Sports Writer an error," Mahtani said. "Since I've started playing with her, I've ording to Michigan wom- become more multi-dimensional nnis coach Ronni Bernstein, in my doubles games as well as in Chisako Sugiyama has an singles." urt" game. Sugiyama had to learn to be a at the coach means is that leader the hard way. ma has the ability to win When she was in high school, right at the net while also Sugiyama simply relied on her able to volley back and forth natural ability. extended period of time. In "in high school tennis, I knew I in, an "all-courter" uses the was going to win," Sugiyama said. court when trying to get a When she arrived in Ann Arbor, nd can win long points that she knew she was going to have to e a lot of endurance. work for every point. yama fits the mold of an But the transition from the urter" perfectly. high school ranks to the collegiate is super talented," Bern- scene did not take long. Sugiyama aid of the Parsippany, N.J., notched a team-best 27 wins in her "Chisako is willing to come first year, thanks to guidance from is the net and has an excel- the team captain. ckhand and can beat you off Then-senior Debra Streifier de as well." gave Sugiyama many words of with Michigan's five under- advice about her singles game, en on its eight-member something Sugiyama says has the soft-spoken Sugiyama helped her become the player she d to step up this season and is today. ice the play of the rest of the The following year, another upperclassman took Sugiyama one knows her leadership under her wing. "I played doubles with (then- senior) Jenny (Kuehn) two years ago," Sugiyama said. "She wasn't a very vocal person, but she knew how to play and what she wanted 4 to do on the court." Sugiyama's leadership is similar to Kuehn's. She has become one of the best leaders on this year's edition of the Wolverines, even though she rarely talks while play- ing. Now, Sugiyama is Bernstein's go-to player. The senior is just 10 wins away from becoming the all-time wins leader in Wolverine history. And with more than two months left in the season, Sugi- yama is on pace to reach the mile- stone. If she hopes to make a dive into the NCAA Tournament this year, the Japanese-born Sugiyama will need to use every aspect of her "all-court" game. She made an early exit last year, losing in the second round of the NCAA Singles Championship. But after much improvement and another year of experience, Sugi- yama is now looking to make a statement. "Chisako has been at the top of our lineup since I've been here," Bernstein said. "She is definitely one of those 'lead by example' players."