The Michigan Daily - Sports Wednesday - January 9, 1991 - Page 3 RED'S BOYS FLAT, BUT STILL MANAGE SWEEP M' puts out the Flames by Matt Rennie aily Hockey Writer Although the Michigan hockey team didn't blow anyone out during their recent trip to the Windy City, it's still safe to say that Chicago is the Wolverines' kind of town. Michigan struggled against Illi- t ~is-Chicago, but still managed to escape with two wins, 5-4 and 7-4. Playing their first conference opponent in three weeks, the Wol- verines did not look like the second- place team in the Central Collegiate ,Iockey Association. Michigan fell behind in both games, surrendering two first-period goals on Friday and fqur on Saturday. . We're giving up too many goals," Michigan coach Red Beren- son lamented. "We've got to get back to checking tighter and doing a 4Ktter job defensively. That's definitely a priority for us now." Berenson did not feel that the Wolverines' defensive lapses were Sestricted to a single area. "It's a combination of things," he ,skid. "It starts with the goalkeepers. Yopu can't be giving up any soft gals. Then, you can't have your defensemen trapped out of any plays. And then the forwards not getting the puck out of our zone and not getting back defensively. It all leads to too many goals against." Fortunately for the Wolverines, their "goals for" figure was also impressive. After falling behind, 2- 1, in the first period Friday, Dan Sti- ver and Denny Felsner each scored second period goals to give Mich- igan its first lead. The Wolverines appeared to be in control, 4-2, when David Roberts scored the first goal of the third period. The Flames struck back, though. Jim Maher and Rick Judson scored goals 47 seconds apart, and the score was deadlocked at four. In danger of settling for only one point in a game they were expected to win, the Wolverines looked to their most recent source for clutch goals. Rookie David Oliver, fresh off scoring the winning goal against Maine in final of the Great Lakes Invitational, turned the trick again off an assist from fellow rookie Brian Wiseman with 3:25 left. For Oliver, the game-winning goal was his fourth of the season, which ranks second in then CCHA. "Our freshman are still coming on and making a big contribution," Berenson said. The Wolverines continued to heap housewarming gifts upon their hosts on Saturday night, giving away goals at a wholesale rate in the first period while falling behind, 4-2. Berenson replaced starting goaltender Chris Gordon with Steve Shields after the period, and Shields put out the Flames the rest of the way while his teammates stormed their way to victory. While the Wolverines were not at peak form, Berenson was happy to come away with four points. "In this conference every game on the road is tough," he said. "I think when you play a team like this, there's not as much fear of the opposition." Many players confirmed that focus may have been a problem entering this series. I "We were mentally unprepared to play those games," rookie defenseman Aaron Ward said. "We were coming off a big GLI, and then we were playing in an arena where there was hardly any noise. We Oliver played dead." Berenson hopes that the Wolverines' doldrums are short- lived. "We've got to get back to where we were building on every weekend," Berenson said. "The minute you stand still in this league, people will go by you." KENNETH SMOLL Martin Davis (86) sacks Ole Miss' Tommy Luke in the Gator Bowl. Ole Miss bui~lds. Berenson does his best Capra at GLI Michigan celebrates its third straight Great Lakes Invitational Tournament Championship at Joe Louis Arena Dec. 29. o-o 9- t defense never s.rests over holidays by Jeni Durst ,Daily Hockey Writer by Matt Rennie Daily Hockey Writer DETROIT - In the past two seasons, the Great Lakes Invitational has been like Miracle on 34th Street for the Michigan hockey team. This year, it was more like It's a Wonderful Life. After winning the tournament in an underdog role in the past, the Wolverines entered this year as the favorite. Nonetheless, the results were just another holiday rerun, as Michigan emerged victorious for the third straight year. Michigan showed the effects of a 13-day layoff in a sluggish, 2-1 vic- tory over Michigan Tech in the opening round, but rebounded with a strong performance the following night to beat a highly-regarded Maine team, 3-1, for the title. The defensive effort of the Wolverines was recognized as goal- tender Steve Shields garnered tour- nament MVP honors. Defenseman Aaron Ward and forward Denny Fel- sner also earned places on the all- tournament team. The rookie Shields kept the Wolverines in the Tech game despite several lapses by his defense. "Shields was the difference in the game in the second period," Michi- gan coach Red Berenson said. "We had some tough changes then, from 3-on-3 to 5-on-3, but he hung in there." The game served as a wakeup call for the Wolverine defense, sans sophomore starters Patrick Neaton and David Harlock, who were play- ing in the World Junior Tournament in Saskatchewan. "I thought they had more jump than we did tonight," Maine coach Shawn Walsh said. "We just didn't get the offense, and you've gotta give Steve Shields credit for that." Shields, who asserted himself as the team's top goalie at the begin- ning of the season, had struggled re- cently, sharing the goaltending chores with fellow rookie Chris Gordon. "I know that I have to be ready game after game," Shields said. "I had to establish a routine and main- tain my concentration every night." The Wolverines kept the two-day crowd of 32,954 glued to their seats until the final horn, scoring the winning goals in the waning min- utes of both games. Against Michigan Tech, the Wolverines trailed until Jim Ballan- tine tied the game midway through the third period, skating around the Tech goal and slipping the puck past goalie Geoff Sarjeant. Felsner scored the nearly identical game-winner with two and a half minutes remain- ing. Ballantine's goal ended the Michigan scoring drought, during which Sarjeant became the first goal- tender this season to hold the Wolverines scoreless through the first two periods. center ice and skated alone toward the Maine goal. Oliver faked a shot and then flipped the backhander behind Garth Snow. Walsh felt the goal was a result of a lucky bounce. "That wasn't a case of bad defen- sive positioning; it was just a fluke," he said. "I'm not bitter, but it's just a shame to lose a game of that magnitude on a bouncing puck." Oliver saw the play differently. "(Rookie Cam) Stewart passed it up to me," Oliver said. "He passed it up the middle and I was gone. It was definitely the biggest goal of my ca- reer." This year's title meant a lot to the Wolverines in that they won even when they were expected to do so. And for the Michigan hockey team these days, it's a wonderful life. Again. by David Hyman Daily Football Writer DETROIT - Remember the frustration of working to put a puzzle together only to find that two important pieces were missing, leaving the picture incomplete. This was the feeling that pervaded the Michigan hockey team's coaching staff heading into the Great Lakes Invitational on December 28th and 29th. Because of opportunities to play in the World Junior National Tourna- ment for the Canadian and the United States' teams respectively, top de- fensemen David Harlock and Patrick Neaton were forced to miss the holiday competition. But the bad feelings were dispelled early in the weekend. The play of the remaining defensive squad and goaltender Steve Shields were more than enough to fill in the voids. k On his way to earning the tournament Most Valuable Player award, Shields allowed only two goals in Michigan's two games and was the gel that molded the team together. "Steve was just unbelievable," rightwinger Denny Felsner said. "He came up with some very big stops for us." c Sluggish play in Friday's game against Michigan Tech almost caused the F Wolverines to be upset victims, but Shields almost singlehandedly kept his team alive. "I knew we were rusty," Shields said. "I knew I had to come out strong just to make up for the rustiness because all the other teams had been on the i ice (the previous weekend), so I knew I had to come up big." A critical point in Friday's match came at the start of the second period. Following an altercation at the Tech goal, top defenseman Chris Tamer *found himself in the penalty box serving a double minor. A little more than a minute later Wolverine center Brian Wiseman went to the box after a slashing call. With these penalties, Michigan was left to endure a period of 3-on-3 hockey and a 5-on-3 man disadvantage. with just three regular defensemen. Shields was pummelled with a barrage of shots, mostly breakaways, shut- ting out every one of them and the Tech offense for the remainder of the game. "When they got the breakaways, the momentum was theirs," Tamer said, and they are either going to score or Steve's going to stop them and we'll get the momentum. That's what all those stops did for us." 16 Tn the final versus the Maine lackhears the defensemen holstered their JACKSONVILLE, FLA. - In the 35-3 domination of Ole Miss, Michigan set many team and individual records, as well as Gator Bowl records. The Wolverines set the record for most first downs (35) and yards (715 - 324 passing and 391 rushing) for a Gator Bowl. Michigan also set the record for most points scored in the third quarter with 21. The 35 first downs set a Michigan bowl record. The previous high was 27 against Stanford in the 1902 Rose Bowl. Michigan's all-time record is 37 against Northwestern in 1978. The 715 yards of offense broke the previous bowl record of 527 versus Stanford in the same Rose Bowl and set the all-time record. Michigan's previous highest output was 673 yards against Iowa in 1969. The 10.17 yard average gain per play established a new record. The previous high was nine against Minnesota in 1989. Michigan's rushing yardage of 391 and passing yardage of 324 are both second best in Wolverine bowl history. The 324 yards passing is only second best in the all-time to the 328 gained against North Carolina in the 1979 Gator Bowl. Wolverine quarterback Elvis Grbac's four touchdown passes established a personal best and his 296 yards was also a personal best. The four touchdown tosses tied Michigan's bowl record set in the 1948 Rose Bowl against USC. Grbac's 296 yards through the air broke Rick towards, by Eric Lemont Daily Football Writer JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -So just who are the Rebels of Mississippi? Mostly, they are the overlooked team in the power-packed Southeastern Conference. Ole Miss finished 9-3 this season and 8-4 (with a trip to the Liberty Bowl) last year. Playing on New Year's Day was a novel experience for the Rebels but not a totally dissappointing one. "Anytime you get dominated it hurts," quarterback Tommy Luke said. "But we've got to look at the whole season. Not many people made it as far as we did. No one expected us to be anywhere in any bowl. It's been a great season. On any given day we'd have given them a better run for their money. "It seems like we didn't do anything right and they did everything right. It seemed like it was just one play every series that knocked us off and that was enough." Mississippi is still a few years away from competing with the likes respect of Michigan, Tennessee and Auburn, losing to the latter two earlier in the season. Said coach Billy Brewer: "Our seniors left us a foundation to build upon for the future. We were 8-4 last year and 9-3 this year. This team has displayed a lot of pride and character all year long and they left everything they had out there on that field today. Mississippi's biggest loss will be senior defensive tackle Kelvin Pritchett, a third-team Associated Press and Football News All- American, who will enter the NFL draft. Pritchett pointed toward the weight differential in the two teams' lines as a major factor in Michigan's win. "Michigan has the best offensive line I faced in four years. They did a great job of blocking. They run basically the same blocking schemes that the NFL teams use and there were a couple of times out there I thought we were playing a NFL team." Numbers fall Blue's way Leach's bowl record of 239 yards in the 1978 Rose Bowl against Washington. Grbac's four scoring strikes also set a Michigan bowl record as the previous beft was two touchdowns. In the 1948 Rose Bowl, Bob .Chappius (2), Hank Fonde (1) and Howard Verges (1:) combined for the four touchdown passes. Wolverine receiver Desmond Howard's six catches, including two touchdowns, helped establish a personal best in yardage at 167. The yardage also set a Michigan bowl record as Howard surpassed Anthony Carter's mark (141) established in the 1979 Gator Bowl versus North Carolina. The one-two tailback punch of Jon Vaughn (128) and Ricky Powers (112) hit the century mark for the same game for the first time ever. It also marked the fifth 100-yard game for each of them this season. Vaughn, the game's leading rusher, did not take his first handoff until the fourth play of the second quartei. Powers was the Wolverine workhorse during the first fifteen minutes. Senior tailback Allen Jefferson went over the 1000- career rushing mark with four yards to finish with 1,002. - Michigan coach Gary Moeller became the first Wolverine head coach to win his first bowl game since the legendary Fielding H. Yost won the first Rose Bowl game ever played, 49-0, over Stanford in 1902. Wolverine placekicker J.D. Carlson tied a Gator Bowl record with five extra points. Welborne 'plays' ~M~.c last game for by Mike Gill ./a Daily Football Writer JACKSONVILLE, Fla - Injured All-American Tripp Welborne made the trip to Jacksonville to witness his teammates' thrashing of Ole Miss. Welborne wore a team jacket with a camera strapped around his cnest. Afterwards, he celebrated with leis teammates on a platform brought onto the field for the trophy presentation. When asked what Welborne did during the game he smiled and replied, "I"/ y had a game to play and I just finished it. I'm the most refreshed out of anybody, I guess I didn't play real hard." Welborne will soon undergo arthroscopic surgery to complete work on his injured knee. After injuring his knee on a punt return against Minnesota, Welborne has been out of action. He was forced to watch his teammates face Ohio State from his living room television set in Ann Arbor. Doctors said