After seeing Mike Legg's goal in the Michigan-Minnesota
quarterfinal all I can say is...whoa!  Btw...Legg does credit
former WMU Bronco and current (??) Detroit Viper (IHL) Bill
Armstrong for teaching him the scoop and carry lacrosse
shot.  Apparently, Armstrong pulled the trick in an IHL game
this past weekend as well.
 
I have little to add to the UM-UM game.  Minn dominated the
first with goaltender Marty Turco keeping Mich in the game.
I thought that Michigan was the better team in the second,
although not to the same degree that Minn was in the first.
Mich was clearly the better team in the third.  Mich ends their
two-game skid against the Gophers and evens the 1995-96
season series at 1-1-0.  Likewise for Brendan Morrison.
Minn's Brian Bonin got the better of Morrison and MSU's
Anson Carter over Thanksgiving.  Morrison returned the
favor on Sunday as Bonin went scoreless.  (Morrison's line
was matched up with Bonin's for most of the game.)
 
A couple of Wolverines worthy of note that otherwise receive
very little ink are freshman forward Greg Crozier and senior
defenseman Mark Sakala.  Crozier didn't get a lot of ice time,
but I don't think I've seen him play with more enthusiasm.  He
was constantly hovering near the puck and putting his body
on people.  Shades of former Wolverine Rick Willis, although
Crozier has much more offensive potential than Willis did/does.
Sakala has been a mainstay on defense that last month and
played another solid game against Minnesota.  He was Mich's
worst player in October, but he's once again proven to be a
second half performer.  Sakala is finishing his career on a
high note.  Not only is the team advancing, but Sakala is playing
and playing well.  A quiet yet notable performance on the
blue line.  Also, lost in the hoopla surrounding the Legg goal
is the pair by sophomore forward Bill Muckalt...Michigan's
first and last (winning) of the game, giving Muckalt 26 on the
season.  (Stat note: Warren Luhning notched number 20 in
the game, the fifth Wolverine to reach the 20 goal mark this
season.)
 
I'm disappointed that Lake Superior isn't going to Cincinnati.
More so than most would think.  I realized how big of a Laker fan
I've become this weekend, because their loss was truly felt.
They've long been my second favorite team, but the gap is
narrowing.  I'm not liking Michigan any less (!!), just LSSU a
little more each year.  And, what a class bunch Coach Jeff
Jackson, AAD Scott Monaghan and the Lakers are.  On his
radio show last night, Michigan's Red Berenson mentioned
that he had already received a letter of well wishes signed by
all of the Lakers.  Michigan will do their best to return the NCAA
title to the CCHA.
 
And, nothing new to add, but it does appear that the CCHA
(and all of college hockey) is losing the Univ of Illinois at Chicago
effective near immediately.
 
Hobey Baker note...each semifinal on Thursday features
three Hobey finalists.  Three other finalists reached the NCAA
quarterfinals.
 
Looking forward to seeing everyone in Cinci...I'll be
*uncharacteristically* wearing my playoff beard, so please
keep that in mind if we're meeting for the first time.  I'm normally
not this gruff looking, honest.
 
 
John H ([log in to unmask]) GO BLUE!
 
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