BIG TIME: TAMBELLINI LEADS WOLVERINES PAST SPARTANS
by Mark Francescutti

ANN ARBOR, Mich. — Michigan freshman Jeff Tambellini has been compared to
past Michigan superstars Brendan Morrison, Mike Comrie and Mike Cammalleri,
His Friday night performance pushed Michigan coach Red Berenson to make a
higher comparison.

"He has a Brett Hull shot," Berenson said of Tambellini, after the 18-year
old sharpshooter scored two goals, including the game winner, as the
Wolverines defeated the Spartans, 3-1.

"Brett Hull, I don't know about that," Tambellini said of the comparison to
the NHL star. "Whatever Coach says, I'm not going to complain about."

And Berenson certainly can't complain about Tambellini's gratuitous
shot-taking. The freshman is never too shy about shooting the puck. He has
20 goals in 29 games and has taken 126 shots — 55 more than the next
Michigan player.

"Brett Hull didn't score 700 goals without shooting," Berenson said.
Tambellini "is a goal-scorer. When you have the gift he has, you want him
to shoot"

Berenson is most impressed with Tambellini's ability to turn nothing plays
into opportunities. And a nothing play gave Michigan a 1-0 lead just 13
seconds into the game. Tambellini carried the puck around the net along the
right-side boards and slapped it towards MSU goaltender Matt Migliaccio.
The puck deflected into the net.

The question — was Tambellini passing or shooting on the play?

"Uh, that's a shot with me," Tambellini said with a smile.

It looked and felt like a regular Michigan-Michigan State battle Friday.
The Yost Ice Arena crowd, donned in Maize-out garb and given Thunderstix,
was its loudest of the season. It got even louder as football coach Lloyd
Carr received a standing ovation when he played Score-0 (He didn't score,
missing the net wide right on his fourth and final attempt).

But this year it wasn't the same game. Michigan and MSU, who have won or
shared the past nine CCHA regular-season titles, aren't the cream of the
crop in the CCHA. Third-place Michigan (21-7-1, 15-5-1 CCHA can't knock off
Ferris State and Ohio State at the top.

Michigan State, rebuilding in its first year under coach Rick Comley,
entered the game 8-1-1 in its last 10 games and in fourth place.

The Spartans (16-11-2, 12-7-1) showed that they are learning Comley's
system of offensive aggressiveness. They outshot the Wolverines, 34-27.

"I'm encouraged about the fact that we went toe-to-toe with them." Comley said.

MSU's own offensive star, Jim Slater, gave the Spartans hope Friday, tying
the game at 1 just 1:49 into the second period.

Slater caught Michigan defensemen Nick Martens and Brandon Rogers napping
at the Michigan blue line. Slater snuck between them, received a long pass
from Brad Fast and scored his 10th of the season.

Tambellini gave Michigan a 2-1 lead three minutes later. The turning point
came when Slater hit the post on a wide-open attempt late in the period.
Two minutes later, Jason Ryznar scored to give Michigan a 3-1 lead.

"We didn't play poorly," Slater said. "I had a couple good chances. I score
on that play, and maybe it's a different story."

Slater "was an elite player tonight," Comley said. And Tambellini?

"He's everything he's cracked up to be."

MSU now has seven games left, including three against Michigan (the two
teams play Saturday at East Lansing) and probably needs to win six of them
to reach the bubble of the NCAA tourney.

Michigan freshman goaltender Al Montoya played his best game of the season
one day after his 18th birthday. When asked about presents, he said: "My
first win against Michigan State — what else could I ask for?"

Notebook: It was a somber game for Berenson, who this week visited his ill
father, Otto, 90, in Regina, Saskatchewan. Senior Mark Mink said Berenson
told the team last Saturday about his father, but that it wasn't brought up
during the week. "Coach doesn't really talk about his personal issues,"
Mink said.

--------------------------------
KNUBLE SETS NHL RECORD
February 14, 2003

Mike Knuble figured if he was to ever enter the NHL record book, it'd be
for something negative.

"Like worst plus-minus ever or something," Knuble said. "Nothing positive."

But Friday night against Florida, Knuble entered his name into the annals
for an impressive feat.

Knuble scored 10 seconds into the Bruins contest against the Panthers, then
netted his second goal 17 seconds later. His two goals in the opening 27
seconds is the fastest pair of goals by an individual player to open a
hockey game. It was also the second-fastest two-goal strike to open a game
in NHL history, the record being 24 seconds by the Edmonton Oilers March
28, 1982.

Knuble finished the game with two goals and two assists to help the Bruins
to a 6-5 overtime victory.

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