W The Michigan Daily- Tuesday, January 15, 1991- Page 9
SOPHOMORE DOWNPLAYS HER KNACK FOR REJECTION
Andrew
by Albert Lin
Daily Basketball Writer
blocks
historic
shot
The point guard slowly comes
upcourt. Waiting for an opening, she
then enters the ball into the post.
The center waits, then puts on a
move and lets fly ... only to have
the ball rudely sent back in her direc-
tion.
This is a scene familiar to any
fan of basketball, and over the week-
end, Trish Andrew became the most
prolific shot blocker in Michigan
women's basketball history.
At the 16:22 mark of the first
half, with the second of her four
blocks in Friday's game versus de-
fending Big Ten champion
Northwestern, Andrew passed Patrice
Donovan for first place in the
Michigan annals. No, the contest
was not stopped, and Andrew did not
receive the game ball, but it was an
accomplishment nevertheless. The
sophomore reached this plateau just
42 games into her career.
Interestingly enough, Donovan her-
self set the record in only two sea-
sons.
After adding one more block in
Sunday's victory against Wisconsin,
Andrew has increased her career total
to 112 rejections. By the time she
wraps up her four-year career as a
Wolverine, Andrew - currently the
nation's leading swatter - will have
amassed approximately 300 blocks,
increasing the Michigan record to a
level that may never be surpassed.
But with all her ability in this
area, there's something you should
know about Trish Andrew. She
doesn't like shot blocking.
"I don't think shot blocking is
the most important aspect of the
game, and I don't think it's a very
important statistic at all," she said.
"First of all, it gets me in a lot of
foul trouble. Also, it shows a lack
of my defense a lot of the time. I'll
reach over and just try and block the
shot, instead of moving my feet. So
I'm developing bad habits from it."
OK, but anything that helps the
team that much - and let's just say
that defense surely doesn't hurt -
must be appreciated. Her teammates
know the value of her intimidation,
both in games and in practice.
Andrew patrols the lane so well
during scrimmages that fellow
Wolverines are somewhat hesitant to
take the ball down the middle, an-
other reason that Andrew doesn't en-
joy her skill as much as she should.
"I know a lot of the time, when
you're down on yourself about your
shot not going in and then some-
one's standing there blocking them
- it's very, very frustrating, be-
cause it's happened to me," she said.
"And I don't want to be the cause of
their frustrations."
In the long run, though, she
knows that that presence will only
Basketball Association, changed the
coarse of the game by making de-
fense an art. And what was Russell's
calling card? The block.
Perhaps a Rejection Row, like
there exists at Georgetown for Twin
Towers Alonzo Mourning and
Dikembe Mutombo, would get the
crowd and Andrew more excited
about her talent. And with Michelle
Hall, a 6-foot-3 center, now starting
alongside Andrew in Michigan's
frontcourt, this would be even more
appropriate.
Maybe the Wolverines could even
borrow a defense from the Hoyas of
the Patrick Ewing era - when of-
fensive players were funnelled to-
wards the big center. But both
Andrew and VanDeWege doubt that
this will happen in the near future
because of an age-old problem.
"That (setup) would just cause
me more foul trouble," Andrew said.
"I don't think at this point in my
game - I mean, I'm getting into
foul trouble in a lot of games, so I
don't think that would help the situ-
ation any."
Michigan defender Patrick Neaton skates away from a Miami player.
Saturday night. Neaton tallied the sixth Wolverine goal of the night.
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CCHA demands that
b hecking be up front
vJnhn Niyo
JOSE JUARE7ZDaily
Daily Hockey Writer
Central Collegiate Hockey
Association commissioner Bill Bea-
gan has unknowingly gained a new
pen pal.
Beagan sent a letter dated
December 20th to the nine league
teans. Now, after Saturday's Miami-
Michigan contest, a fuming Red-
tins coach George Gwozdecky said
that Beagan should expect to receive
a heartfelt response in the mail soon.
Beagan's original letter detailed
the enactment of a new rule change
effective immediately for the league.
In the letter Beagan expressed his
concern, saying, "I don't feel that
coaches are disciplining players who
check from behind and players will
ontinue to do this if they can do so
ith impunity...."
. The commissioner, who could
not be reached for comment, and
Dave Fisher, the CCHA coordinator
of officials, detailed in the letter the
revised penalties for both players
who continue to check from behind
and referees who fail to levy the
penalties in games. Players now re-
ceive a ten-minute misconduct in ad-
fton to a two-minute minor. A
second infraction in the same contest
will result in a game misconduct.
Referees will be suspended for one
game if they fail to comply with the
new rule.
Meanwhile, Gwozdecky was
openly bitter immediately following
Saturday's game.
"The referees and the officials in
e league are going to have prob-
Wms with this new rule,"
Gwozdecky said following
Saturday's 8-2 loss to Michigan. "It
is absolutely riJiculous. It's an em-
barrassment to this league and an
embarrassment to college hockey. I
am going to send a letter to the
commissioner and tell him that."
Gwozdecky watched as his team
collapsed defensively in the second
riod Saturday night at Yost Ice
Arena. Michigan (18-5-3 overall, 15-
4-3 CCHA) scored five goals in the
period to blow open a slim 1-0 mar-
gin and put- the game out of reach
and finish their second sweep of
Miami (4-18-3, 2-15-3) this season.
The Wolverines benefitted from
three consecutive penalties all whis-
tled within a minute against Miami
midway through the period. Already
*ith a two men in the penalty box,
hitting hockey game. But then they
make that call. I just cannot handle a
situation like that.
"It's absolutely ridiculous. I told
the referee I can respect his call but
that it's totally ridiculous that I lose
my best defenseman on a ten-minute
misconduct. We lost our concentra-
tion a little bit and the next thing
you know they score two quick
ones. We lost it right there. I
thought we had played well up until
that point. But Michigan is so tal-
ented and they move the puck so
well, you can't do that - especially
since we're such a young team."
However, Gwozdecky was alone
in his criticism of the new rule. One
of his players, sophomore left wing
Terry Ouimet disagreed with him.
"We like it," Ouimet said. "Of
course when you get called for it you
don't like it, but overall I think it's
a good idea."
In the Michigan lockerroom sup-
port for the new rule was more em-
phatic. According to Wolverine as-
sistant coach Dave Shand, Michigan
played an important part in causing
the change.
Shand said the team sent video-
tape of a game against Lake Superior
State earlier this season to the league
office. In that game Michigan right
wing Mike Helber was viciously
checked from behind into the boards.
"He could have broken his neck,"
Shand said. "It's the most dangerous
play in hockey. The last thing we
need is for someone, a college kid,
to be permanently disabled.
"Hopefully this will work. If it
doesn't we may have to step it up to
a game misconduct. One way or an-
other, checking from behind is going
to be out of the game."
Michigan head coach Red
Berenson agreed.
"We're all going to take our
lumps," Berenson said. "Everybody
has to play by the same rules. You
can't complain about it and I think
in the end the desired effect of the
new rule will be reached."
Wolverine forward Trish Andrew shooting over a Wisconsin player this
weekend. Andrew, a sophomore, moved into first place in career blocked
shots in Michigan history. The Wolverines split their two contests,
beating Wisconsin and losing to Northwestern.
help the squad, because when the
other players begin to consistently
challenge opposing shot blockers,
Michigan will be a better team.
During the Northwestern game,
when everyone was anticipating the
breaking of the record, Andrew ad-
mitted that the mark wasn't even on
her mind.
"The record hasn't been a goal,
and it wasn't something I really
thought about," she said.
So how could someone with lit-
tle or no interest in shot blocking be
such a terror in the paint? Andrew
said that she has been told she has
great timing. But her greatest asset?
"Long arms," she laughed.
"I think the fact that she doesn't
think about it shows how instinctive
it is," Michigan coach Bud
VanDeWege said. "She doesn't do it
with great leaping ability - many
times she doesn't even leave the
ground to block a shot - so it's
mostly the timing. It's a real gift to
have."
It is unfortunate that Andrew is
almost ashamed of being a great shot
blocker. Bill Russell, who in 1980
was voted the greatest player in the
first 35 years of the National
The Winnetka, Ill., native's
shooting touch had fallen upon hard
times as of late, but she regained her
form this weekend, leading the team
in scoring in both games while mak-
ing 17 of her 24 field goal attempts.
Possibly already possessing the
teams best shot, she unveiled an in-
side hook in Sunday's game to com-
plement her bull's-eye jumper.
"I practice it a lot when I'm,
shooting on my own, but I don't in-
corporate it into the five-on-five
practice or anything like that," she
said. "So I definitely don't do it
(often) in the games, but it's com-
ing. By my senior year, I'll be doing
it a little more.
"I'm starting to go back to play-
ing the post a little more. I was just
a perimeter player for a couple of,
games there, now I'm developing
both. I want to be more capable of
going in and out, and not just have
to rely on one."
No matter how much Andrew
improves her overall game, she will
still undoubtedly be remembered as
the greatest shot blocker in
Michigan history. And you can
,ably figure out that she doesn't
want to be."I'd rather be known for
something positive, like 'team
leader' or 'consistent player,' rather
than 'shot blocker,"' she said.
But she does give in a litte, say-
ing that, "Twenty years from now, if
anyone remembers me, I don't care
what it's for."
So maybe by then, when people
speak of 'Trish Andrew - shot
blocker,' she won't feel so bad.
*S
ice not so
imet clan
his last year of high school for
Michigan.
Mark has enjoyed great success
since arriving at Michigan, and Terry
has been successful as well. The two
continue to give each other help now
that they are apart.
"He gave me an earful of advice
Friday night after the game," Terry
said. "He told me all sorts of things.
He wanted me to be more aggressive
and to go after things more. Actu-
ally, what he told me was to 'be a
kamikaze' on the ice."
HOCKEY NOTEBOOK
Reunion on
nice for Ou
by John Niyo
Daily Hockey Writer
If you noticed two opposing
hockey players out on the ice that
seemed to be avoiding each other in
this past weekend's Michigan-Miami
series, you weren't mistaken. The
two are good friends, and they have
been for quite some time.
Mark Ouimet welcomed older
brother, Terry, and his Miami
teammates to Ann Arbor this week-
end. It was the first time the two
sophomores have met as opponents,
and both were uncomfortable. In
each of the six previous meetings
between Michigan and Miami since
the two left Poplar Hill, Ontario, to
attend college, one of the two has
been injured and unable to play.
"Two years here now and it's the
first time we've played against each
other," Mark said. "I didn't really
like it because I'm always watching
him when I'm on the ice and always
looking around for him and making
sure he doesn't get hit or nailed, so I
really don't like it."
Those feelings are understandable
since the two have been very close.
Terry is a year older, but both are in
their sophomore year of college
since Mark decided to leave before
Just as long as he didn't hit his
brother. Mark had his fill with the
rest of the Miami players.
"I don't think they laid off him at
all," Terry said. "I think they went
after him even harder because they
knew he was my brother."
Mark Terry
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