The Michigan Daily I michigandaily.com I March 9, 2009

ICE HOCKEY
Seniors lead Blue into playoffs
By NICOLE AUERBACH go down, and (Michigan coach Red The situation is fitting since both
Daily Sports Editor Berenson) was like, 'Miller, Turn- Miller and Turnbull have played in
bull, stay up here. You got a game all of Michigan's 160 games since
With 20 minutes remaining in disqualification,'" Miller said. "We their freshman year. They have
the final regular-season game of were like, 'What?'" both battled minor injuries and ill-
their collegiate hockey careers last The duo was forced to watch the ness to keep that streak alive, and
Saturday night, Michigan senior rest of the game from the stands, neither is the kind of player who
forwards Travis Turnbull and Tim while worrying that the penalties shies away from a fight.
Miller were confused. would lead to an automatic one- So though it was interesting that
They grabbed their helmets, game suspension - which would the closest both came to a game,
sticks and gloves, thinking they keep them out of the team's first disqualification was last weekend,
were headed back to the ice to fin- game of the CCHA Tournament it's more surprising that neither
ish off their Senior Night. They'd this Friday. player has ever been suspended for
almost forgotten their scuffle with Miller and Turnbull eventually a game.
Ferris State players before the set- found out they only received game "We were a little worried," Turn-
ond intermission. misconduct penalties, so they will, bull said with a laugh. "We'd never
"Turnbull and I were ready to not serve any suspensions. See SENIORS, Page 4B

WRESTLING
Three grapplers grab conference titles

By MIKE FLOREK
Daily Sports Writer
After four months, 27 matches
and more than a few bruises, three
members of the No. 18 Michigan
wrestling team found themselves
in a familiar position at the Big Ten
Championships Sunday - with
their hands raised.
Michigan (5-2-1,10-8-1) used
its three individual conference
championships to vault itself to a
third-place finish in State College,
behind undefeated Iowa and two-
loss Illinois in the team standings.
With limited expectations at
the beginning of the year because

of seven underclassmen, the team
exceeded preseason predictions
and matched its finish of a year
ago.
"We have a tough team," said
fifth year senior Steve Luke, who
won the 174-pound conference
title. "But people didn't think we'd
come in the top five here.
"We had three Big Ten champs,
which is more than any other Big
Ten team. Even the guys who lost
were fighting hard and going after
the people."
Sophomore Kellen Russell start-
ed the individual championship
run with a 6-4 overtime win over
Wisconsin's Zach Tanelli at 141

pounds. By beating Tanelli, Russell
defended his championship title by
beating the top-ranked wrestler in
his weight class.
After a late escape by Tanelli
sent the match into overtime,
Tanelli got hold of Russell's legs
and appeared to be in a position
for a takedown in the extra period.
But Russell escaped and scrambled
around to score the takedown and
the win.
"Once he got in, I put myself in
kind of a crackdown," Russell said.
"He was a lot shorter than me, so I
knew if I could get him extended, I
could elevate his hips and roll him
See BIG TENS, Page 3B

BIG TEN CHAMPS N.Y. STATE OF MIND
The Michigan women's club lacrosse team After a 4-4 tie against the New York Mets
dominated the field to take the Big Ten crown in an exhibition game last season, 'M' took
this weekend. Page 2B. _: them on again. See how it did. Page 3B.