12- The Michigan Daily - Friday, November 3, 1995
Icers face feisty Ferris State
By Alan Goldenbach
Daily Sports Writer
One of the drawbacks of being a top
team is that it has to deal with the phrase
"on paper"'too often.
The No. 3 Michigan hockey team (1-1
CCHA, 3-1 overall), on paper, should
have no trouble with Ferris State this
weekend when it travels to Big Rapids to
square off with the Bulldogs (1-1, 3-4) in
a two-game set.
This series begins a six-game stretch of
conference games for Michigan with
matchups at Miami (Ohio) and home
against Alaska-Fairbanks, leading up to
the College Hockey Showcase in Mil-
waukee over Thanksgiving weekend.
The Bulldogs won only 12 of their 36
games last year and, with the Redskins
and Nanooks, posted a combined record
of five games below.500 in CCHA play
last year.
Michigan coach Red Berenson said
that the last thing he wants his team to do
is to go into the games overconfident.
"On the schedule you might say that
those are the teams you should beat,"
Berenson said. "But that's easier said
than done. Youjust don't go into Ferris or
Miami and win games easily."
The Wolverines had that problem last
year when they went to Big Rapids and
came away with a weekend split in the
conference openers.
This weekend presents a similar sce-
nario as Michigan's CCHA schedule
kicks into high gear after it was briefly
interrupted last week with the win over
Maine.
"Every coach is going to say this, but
we're going to have to take it one game at
a time," Berenson said. "Once we get
through that game, then we look to the
next."
The ice surface at Ewigleben Ice Arena,
the Bulldogs' home turf, presents some
interesting challenges since it is shorter
than regulation size.
This means that the slightest redirec-
tion of the puck could result in an odd-
man rush for either team.
Italso means thatneutral zoneplay will
be kept to a minimum.
"There's the small neutral zone so
you're going to play in one end or the
other," Berenson said. "It's not band-
wagon hockey, it's one end or the other.
Surprisingly for Ferris, that one end
may be its offensive zone.
The Bulldogs ranked eighth in the
CCHA in scoring last year and return
their top six defensemen. Seemingly, the
natural emphasis would be placed on
Ferris' blueline.
But the Bulldogs have received much
higher scoring production than expected.
Their power play, succeeding at a 26.5
percent clip, ranks first in the CCHA.
Senior centers Derek Crimin and Scot
Bell have had abig hand inthepower play
Crimin has had a goal in each of his last
four games and is second in the CCHA in
that department with seven.
"(Derek) was a big scorer before he
MARK FRIEDMAN/Daily
lichigan freshman winger Dale Rominski and his teammates head to Big Rapids this weekend to take on Ferris State. The
Wolverines split with the Bulldogs in a two-game set early last season.
'Mspikers tr ogab fourth place of.
By Andy Knudsen
Daily Sports Writer
1. Expect two rough shoot-outs this week-
end at Cliff Keen Arena.
The Michigan volleyball team (7-5 Big
Ten, 13-9 overall) is after fourth place in
the Big Ten, but No. 21 Illinois (8-4, 17-
4) owns that positionand defends it against
the Wolverines tonight.
' Indiana (7-5, 15-10) is tied for fifth
place with Michigan and will look to
move up a game on the Wolverines to-
morrow. The Hoosiers visit Michigan
State tonight.
These conference matches won't be
settled by quick 10-pace duels at high
noon. They will likely be long battles of-
attrition, each starting at 7 p.m.
The Wolverines handed the Hoosiers a
straight-gameloss, 15-12, 15-9,15-12, in
their previous showdown this year in
Bloomington.
-1 "We weren't focused(last time)," Indi-
anacoach Katie Weismiller said. "Michi-
gan is a very good team and they were
ready to play."
Junior Kristen Ruschiensky injuredher
knee in that game, and the Wolverines
stumbled the following night against the
fighting Illini in Champaign, losing 15-
8, 16-14, 15-10.,
"Illinois is aloud, tough place to play,"
"!ibphomore setter Linnea Mendoza said.
"So it will be nice playing at home.".
One of the reasons why Illinois has
been successful is because of sophomore
All-America candidate Erin Borske. She
leads the Big Ten in kills (265) and her
average ranks third in the nation (5.92
kills per game).
"We're looking all over campus for a
biglefty togo against Borske," Giovanazzi
joked.
Junior setter Caroline Dikhoff, who is
fourth in the nation in assists per game
(14.12), has led the Illini offense during
its current seven-match win streak.
"They run a really balanced attack,"
Giovanazzi said. He also said that senior
Megan Stettin andjunior Kelly Scherr are
players to watch.
But Illinois coach Mike Hebert is wor-
ried most about the play of his other two
starters - both freshmen.
"The most important factor," he said,
"is that ouryoungplayers play well on the
road."
With Ruschiensky out and the return of
junior Colleen Miniuk to Giovanazzi's
pool of available players, Hebert said he
was not sure what to expect from the
Wolverines.
"We're just not sure what lineup we're
going to see," Hebert said. "As a young
team, we're mostly concerned with our
side of the net."
Indiana also brings a balanced attack
into Cliff Keen as five of its players boast
150 or more kills.
Sophomore Julie Flatley leads the Hoo-
siercharge with 3.44killsper game in Big
Ten matches. Senior Michelle McElroy,
who averages9.94 assists pergame against
conference foes, usually sets up the Indi-
ana offense.
"We hope to give (Michigan) a good
fight," Weismiller said. "We've beaten
everyone below us (in the Big Ten) and
need to beat someone above us."
Some of the Hoosiers have extra mo-
tivation to do well against the Wolver-
ines.
"Indiana has three Michigan athletes
who always get fired up to play us,"
Giovanazzi said.
Sophomores Marcee Prothro and
Heather Magelssen and freshman Jen-
nifer Magelssen played together on
three Class IA state championship
teams at Portage Northern in Portage.
But Michigan is also motivated.
Its only post-season appearance came
in 1981 when the Wolverines finished
eighth in the Association of Intercolle-
giate Athletics for Women National
Championship Tournament.
Last year, seven conference teams
earned post-season bids with six earning
NCAA berths.
came here," Ferris State coach Bo
Daniels said. "He's been on the powe
play for us since his first year here, s
that's not anything too earth-shatteringt
us."
Bell, however, has been the bigges
surprise for Daniels. Lastyear,he dresse
foronly 16 games and had oneassistto hi
credit.
This year, Bell has been ringing up th
goal siren, netting five goals to go alon
with two assists.
"Scot Bell has been a real pleaai
surprise," Daniels said. "He worked'r
hard in the off-season. He worked on hi
strength and conditioning and he's had
great attitude this season and it's showni
his play. Hopefully, it's going to bin
tinue."
Even if it doesn't hold up, the Bull
dogs' strongdefense couldmakeup forit
Senior Andy Roach, a second-teamAll
CCHA selection a year ago, anchors'
blueline that is composed entirely of u
perclassmen who have experience play
ing with each other.
But for some strange reason,'theuni
hasn't entirely clicked yet this season.
"We went into this season with the id
that we were solid defensively and offei
sively, weweregoingtostruggle,"Daniel
said. "We put so much emphasis on cr
atingoffense and scoringgoals,thatwe'v
let our defense slide.
"Sothis weekend we're reallygbing .
be concerned with getting our defu
back on track."
Confident
men's
soccer hea
to regionals
By Avi Ebenstein
Daily Sports Writer
Michigan men's soccer coach Stev
Burns already purchased his round-tri
ticket to Phoenix.
The Michigan men's soccer team.
playing in the regional tournament i
Champaign this weekend. If the Wol
verines don't finish first or secon
Burns will have wasted a good deal
money.
The regional tournament features I
linois, Michigan, Purdue and Iowa. Il
nois holds the top seed followed b
Michigan, Purdue and Iowa. The to
two teams will advance to the Nation
Collegiate Soccer Association's n
tional championship tournament.
Burns is optimistic about his tea
chances.
"We have had several good pra
tices,"Burnssaid. "Wehave good cher
istry and we're playing well."
Ryan Carriere and Rob Holt, who ar
returning from injuries, should ad
strength to the Wolverines.
"We are almost injury-free," Bu
said. "We are to the point that I wante
to be two weeks ago. We now ay
fifteen or sixteen guys fighting f
eleven spots. Practice has been no
intense and there has been a high
level of play."
In order to motivate his players, Bu
kept his team under the impression th
only one team advances to the nation
tournament. Burns realized that if h
players knew that two teams could a
vance, they would relax during pra
tice. He let his team in on the secr
yesterday.
"I knew a little while ago that tw
teams would advance," Burns said.' B
this is a great psychological tool. I rea
ized that if the players knew two tea
would advance, there would be a bi
letdown in practice."
Burns also feels that some tough time
during the season has aided his squa
"The team has learned from so
experience that they must adequatel
prepare physically and mentally," Bur
said. "You can't step out for a gam
without intensity and confideice,
Michigan heads into the tourname
with some success against the oppos
tion. The Wolverines defeated Purdu
4-0, Iowa, 1-0, and tied Illinois, .I-
this year.
The regional tournament consists
a round robin where the teams compi
See SOCCER, Page
NOPPORN KICHANANTHA/Daily
The Michigan volleyball team faces No. 21 Illinois tonight and Indiana tomorrow at
Cliff Keen Arena.
Blue tankers hit the road in weekend competition
Women:
By Chris Murphy
Daily Sports Writer
If the Michigan women's swimming
team is looking to rack up wins, you'd
never know it by looking at its sched-
ule.
In a time when it has been fashion-
able for teams to pad their schedules,
the Wolverines have chosen a mark-
edly different route.
Michigan has already faced two top-
flight opponents in Stanford and North-
western and today in the Southern Meth-
odist Classic, it will swim against five
national powers.
In fact, all six ofthe teams competing
this weekend in Dallas finished in the
top 11 last season.
Men:
The Wolverines were the national
runner-up to Stanford followed by Texas
and host SMU. Nebraska finished ninth
and UCLA 10th.
Michigan coach Jim Richardson has
no qualms about competing against the
tougher teams.
"In some sports you like to compete
against weaker to teams to pad your
schedule," Richardson said. "If we could
compete against top opponents every
week we would."
In the early part of the season, the
development of the team can be more
important than wins. Stiff competition
is seen as a barometer for Michigan's
performance.
See SWIMMERS, Page 13
By Doug Stevens
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan men's swimming and
diving team has perhaps the loftiest goal
of any varsity squad in Ann Arbor this
year.
While most Wolverine teams are fo-
cusing on attaining a Big Ten title or even
an NCAA crown, the defending national
champion swimmers are focused on the
Olympic trials and the trip to Atlanta.
These dreams are realistic. However,
the trials are still 160 days away and there
is a lot of preparation that needs to be done
between now and then.
In the meantime, the No. I Wolverines
will haveto satisfy theircompetitivejuices
in a more subdued atmosphere than what
they will confront at the trials.
Michigan opens its Big Ten campaign
tomorrow when it travels to Madison to
face No. 10 Minnesota and Wisconsin.
The Wolverines, who have already de-
feated No. 5 California this season, are
determined to win this meet, but are more
concerned with what lies ahead.
"The early meets are a yardstick to see
where the team is in preparation for the
season," Michigan coach Jon Urbanchek
said.
Despite the lack of importance that the
Wolverines are placing on this meet,
Minnesota presents a formidable chal-
lenge for Michigan. The Gophers were
runner-up in the Big Ten to the Wolver-
ines the past two years. When the two
teams met during the 1993-94 campaign,
Minnesota gave its opponents all it could
handle before succumbing, 124-119.
"We don't know a lot about Minne-
sota," Urbanchek said. "They scared us
two years ago. They have the personnel to
beat us."
Despite the Wolverines' standing as
the top team in the nation, there are still
some voids that need to be filled.
For the fall semester, the Wolverines
will be without All-American distance
swimmer Tom Dolan, whois red-shirting
this fall to train for the Olympic Trials.
That leaves freshman Andy Potts as the
team's best distance swimmer.
All-American Gustavo Borges left
another void when he graduated last
spring. Although Michigan has experi-
enced sprinters in John Piersma and
Chris Rumley to replace Borges, the
Wolverines will still feel the effects of
the loss.
"Borges left a great vacuum in the pool
when he left the sprint events (the 50,100
and 200 meter freestyle races),"
Urbanchek said. "We will try to put people
in there to replace Gustavo, but it will be
hard to find size 15 shoes to fill."
In addition to the void left by Borges,
the graduation of Steve West ended a
decade of Wolverine dominance in the
breaststroke and created a hole in that
stroke - one which Michigan hopes to
fill as soon as possible.
1970 - 1995
The Book of Your Life
Who am I really? Where do I come from? Where
am I going? What are my character traits?
What are my strengths and weaknesses? What
are my special talents? Do I have hidden gifts
and abilities?
Complete Personality Analysis
10 different horoscopes from around the world
I
(Career Planning & Placernent
invites you to aforum witk
Astroogical birth horoscope
Cabalistic name analysis
Chinese horoscope
Nathe Amecan horoscope
Karma horoscope
Indin hrmo
M
Nicole Kidman
Matt Dillon
Rebecca DeMornay
Antonio Banderas
0
wJ1
I
I
.
--
I