Page 10-The Michigan Daily-Tuesday, February 12,1991 i i tank': 'V Teamwork keeps swimmers on crest HOCKEY NOTEBOOK Injury- by Adam Miller Daily Sports Writer I Do you remember 1985? Ronald Reagan was in the midst of his second term. And the men's swimming team came in second place in the Big Ten. Things sure have changed. In 1991, not only do we now have Bush, but the Wolverines are at the pinnacle of college swimming, ranked No. 3 in the nation and undefeated in the Big Ten, with only Saturday's meet at Ohio State left in the conference schedule. Michigan's consistency proves that it truly is a team, and not an individual show. Before the season began, many thought that the losses of All-American Rick Wilkening and Olympic gold- medalist Brent Lang would severely hamper this year's squad. True, stars are important, and Michigan never has a shortage of them. But no one person can carry an entire team, and coach Jon Urbanchek's pre-season comments were right on target when he said the squad's key would be "getting some outstanding individuals (to work) together as a team." Consider Michigan's 27-point victory over Hawaii last Decem- ber, when stars Mike Barrowman, Eric Namesnik and Eric Wunder- lich were in Perth, Australia for the World Championships. Or the vvvv Michigan Union Bookstore vvv r1YYrrr Valentine's Day SpecialVVV VIV Buy $10.00 worth of merchandise (anything counts) team's perfect 5-0 record last semester and rise in the national ranks from No. 6 to No. 3, all while team captain Barrowman was home in Rockville, Md. training for the World Championships. But the less heralded swimmers have excelled as well. Sophomore Brian Gunn has been strong in the butterfly and was named Big Ten Swimmer-of-the-Month for his per- formance in Hawaii. Fellow sophomore Steve Bigelow, while hampered with a mid-season ankle injury, has led all Michigan back- strokers and should compete at the NCAA Championships in March in that event. Senior Scott Van Appledorn was an instrumental captain in Barrowman's absence, and contin- ues to spark the team as the 800- yard freestyle relay sprinter. Credit the coaching staff for keeping the team in top form. Ur- banchek, last year's U.S. Coach-of- the-Year, is one of the sport's best, and made the trip to Perth last month as an assistant for the U.S. National Team. Lest we forget, Michigan has an Olympic caliber diving coach in Dick Kimball, and his divers play a significant role in the team's perennial success. Senior Steve Hamerski and sophomore Eric Lesser have both shined in this year's competition. icers hunt for title by Dan Zoch Daily Hockey Writer ' February 11-14, 1991 & Receive a coupon for $1.00 off any single rose at Louise Flowers and Gifts 334 S. State Street on Valentine's Day!!! igan Union Bookst, 530 S. State Street Ground Floor of the Michigan Union 0 Mich r ore JOSE JUAI Senior forward Kent Brothers has assumed an important role as substitute for several injured Michigan hockey players. open 7 days a week . t- After Saturday's game in Kalamazoo, the immediate future of the Michigan hockey team seemed bleak. CCHA leading scorer Denny Felsner was out with a mild knee sprain and the league's second-highest scorer, David Roberts, was down with a mild AC separation. To further complicate matters, starting goal- tender Steve Shields and rookie forwards David Oliver, David Wright, and Cam Stewart are also sidelined with injuries. The good news is that Michigan is riding the longest winning streak in school history, currently at 14 games. The continued good news is that Felsner, Roberts, Shields, Wright, and Stewart should retur* this week. Only Oliver is out for the remainder of the season. "Both Roberts and Wright will skate this week," said Michigan coach Red Berenson. "We'll see about contact and whether they're ready for a game situation." Berenson added that Shields and Stewart will be back on the ice this afternoon and that Felsner whose injury he described a* "nothing serious," will attempt to skate Wednesday. Because of Michigan's exten- sive list of injuries through this past weekend, the team basically played with only three offensive lines, as opposed to four. Two Wolverine defenders, Mark Soren- son and Doug Evans, had an oppor- tunity to play forward. "The most important thing is* that we got through (Saturday's) game" said Berenson. "I thought our lines played well. Western might have thought that with Fel- sner and Roberts out, they'd have it easy." SHOWDOWN AT THE JOE: Michigan is ending its CCHA reg- ular season by facing off against Michigan State this weekend at. Joe Louis Arena. Despite the fact that Michigan has already clinched second place in the con- ference, and home ice in the play- offs, Berenson expects a competi- tive series. "It's a big deal," said Berenson. "Any time we play at the Joe it's for something important. I expect a good Michigan contingent. "We wanted to expose our fans* to this type of game. For so long I've heard, 'Gee, we wanted to see Michigan State play Michigan, but we couldn't get a ticket.' And, hopefully, we'll be back at the Joe this year (for the CCHA finals)." The importance of this series should not be overlooked. Though Michigan's position is firmly ce- mented for the CCHA playoffs, a top four NCAA ranking is needed for the team to clinch home ice advantage for early rounds of the NCAAs. Michigan State needs to win this weekend to finish higher than fifth place in the CCHA and earn first-round home ice. Both third- place Ferris State and fourth-place Western Michigan are within the Spartan's reach entering the final two weeks of the regular season. And, of course, any series with Michigan State is always intense because of the in-state rivalry. "Wanting to beat Michigan State is part of going to Michi- gan," Berenson said. DON'T COUNT THEM OUT YET: Michigan still hasn't given up hope of overtaking CCHA-lead- ing Lake Superior State. Both thee Wolverines and the Lakers have only two regular season CCHA games left. Because Michigan is three points behind Lake Superior, it needs to sweep Michigan State this weekend and hope for Western Michigan to take at least three points from the Lakers when the two meet in two weeks. "We're still in the hunt forO b fq s .{ Get the AT&T Calling Card and your first call is free. There's no better time to speak your mind. 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