The Michigan hockey team lifts the Mason Cup as the CCHA Tournament champions. The Wolverines became the first-ever seven seed to win the tournament, and earned an NCAA Tournament bid with the victory. RESURRECTED 'M' draws Bemidji in first round By TIM ROHAN Daily Sports Writer DETROIT - The thousand-pound gorilla was hoisted off the Michigan hockey team's back on Saturday night and tossed aside. After the Wolver- ines poured out of the bench to celebrate their 2-1 victory over Northern Michigan and consequent CCHA championship, hoards of Michigan fans stuck around to watch the unveiling of the cham- pionship banner. They certainly had something to celebrate as the Wolverines extended their record NCAA Tour- nament appearance streak to 20. And of all years, this one seemed like it might be the year Michigan would be left out of the 16-team field competing for a NCAA championship. Instead, the win vaulted the team to a first-round matchup with Bemidji State. It took six straight wins in the CCHA Tour- nament for the berth to become a reality, after a season during which the Wolverines never strung together more than four victories. Saturday's win epitomized the run - solid defensive hockey and timely goals. "There is not many teams that are going to push you like those guys pushed us tonight," Northern Michigan coach Walt Kyle said. "They are fast and they came at us. I knew going into the year, everyone knew, that they were going to be good. For whatever reason, chemistry, injuries, etc., they stumbled a little bit, but when they found it, they found it." See TOURNEY, Page 3B After months of letdown, the Wolveri seized their last opportunity to salvage season, rallying around backup-to-hE goaltender Shawn Hunwick and taking conference crown to keep their record N Tournament streak alive at 20 years nes their ero the ICAA Blue defies odds to win CCHA title By MICHAEL FLOREK Daily Sports Writer DETROIT - Three weeks ago, the Michigan hockey team was standing at the foot of a moun- tain and they couldn't see the peak. After beating No. 2 Miami 5-2 in the CCHA semifinals Friday and following it up with a 2-1 over No. 12 Northern Michigan in the champion- ship game at Joe Louis Arena on Saturday, Michi- gan had scaled the mountain and extended their 19-year NCAA tournament streak to20. No. 17 Michigan started the journey as the sev- enth seed in the CCHA Tournament and many had dismissed the team's chances. A seven seed had never won the CCHA Tournamentbefore. Starting goalie Bryan Hogari went out with a groin injury two games before the playoffs. Junior Shawn Hunwick, who had played in just two games his whole career up to that point, was forced to step in. If that wasn't enough, senior captain Chris Summers went out with knee injury in Michigan's first-round series. But after two impressive wins, this weekend the Wolverines stood at the top of the mountain, won- dering how they got there. "I don't know," junior Louie Caporusso said. "Maybe it was just the commitment and playing defensive, sound hockey. We had to play as a team. I can'ttell you what it was; maybe it was the adver- sity throughout the whole year. Finally, we just ARIEL BOND/Daily said it is up to us." See CCHA CHAMPIONS, Page 3B Sophomore David Wohlberg had three goals and three assists in the CCHA playoffs. Michigan advances in WNIT ByALEX HERMANN 72-57 win over Toledo on Sunday at Daily Sports Writer Crisler Arena. "I think it was important to Midway through the second half have momentum on our side at that of Michigan's WNIT second-round point," Phillips said. "If I hadn't matchup, senior center Krista have done it, someone else would Phillips have. That's the good thing about caught a TOLEDO 57 our team." lob from MICHIGAN 72 Even with a team-high 22 points freshman and 11 rebounds, Phillips certainly Dayeesha Hollins and banked in a didn't have to do it alone. In fact, layup over her head from under- three players put in 62 of Michi- neath the basket. In the next two gan's 72 points. possessions Phillips recorded a Hollins put in 19 to go along block, nailed a 3-pointer and then with six assists while sophomore followed it up with another bucket forward Carmen Reynolds scored in the post, finishing and drawing 21 points, including going 4-for-9 a foul. from deep. Junior guard Veronica Phillips's quick seven points Hicks's eight points represented gave the Michigan women's bas- most of the remaining scoring for ketball team an insurmountable TOREHAN SHARMAN/Daily Michigan. ten-point lead, which the Wolver- Senior Krista Phillips had 22 points in But Hicks's contributions were ines would never relinquish in their the Wolverines win over Toledo. See WNIT, Page 4B Wolverines' seniors fall short at NCAAs By FELIX CARREON Daily Sports Writer Two of the most decorated members of the Michigan wom- en's swimming and diving team competed in their final meet as Wolverines this weekend at the NCAA Championships held in West Lafayette, IN. Fifth-year senior Emily Brun- emann and senior Margaret Kelly had hopes of returning to Ann Arbor with a pair of individual national titles, they didn'tbutboth earned All-American honors. The two led Michigan to a 15th-place finish (76 points) while Florida (382) edged out Stanford (379.5) for the NCAA team title. The last time the Wolverines had an individual national cham- pion was two years ago when swim her best time and hope it Brunemann registered a victory would hold up against the field in in the 1,650-yard freestyle. the A Final. Brunemann touched Brunemann found herself in a the wall second in her heat a sec- familiar place, in the final of the ond and a half behind Lauren 1,650-yard freestyle vying for a Boyle of California. But the effort second career NCAA title in her was enough for fifth place overall signature event. A victory would and All-American honors. have erased memories of a disap- It was that determination and pointing Big Ten meet, in which effort that Michigan coach Jim she finished second and third in Richardson admires most about the 500 and 1,650-yard freestyle Brunemann, whom he considers respectively. the best distance swimmer in pro- Brunemann took an early lead gram history. in the B Final in the event. She "She did a great job halfway blistered the first 200 yards in through the race but she wasn't 1:53.05, two seconds off her pace able to hold on," Richardson said. in the prelims for the 500-yard "She went for it. There were other freestyle. swimmers who swam strategic But the fifth-year senior had races. But her goal was to swim a a disadvantage swimming in the time faster than she swam before." consolation final. She could only See NCAAS, Page 3B BLUE STREAKING The fourth-ranked Wolverines beat No. 2 Arizona in extras and scored 30 runs on the weekepd. Page 2B1 SENIOR STANDOUTS The Michigan men's gymnastics set a school record on senior night to beat rival Ohio State. Page 2B