WOLVERINES DRAW BLACK BEARS FOR NCAA OPENER
By Jason Paul
March 24, 2003

They won the CCHA tournament on Saturday, but the celebration has turned to
all business for the Michigan hockey team.

Last evening the NCAA Selection Committee unveiled the 2003 tournament
brackets. The Wolverines were given the No. 3 seed in the Midwest Regional
and will face No. 2 seed Maine in the First Round. Top seeded Colorado
College will take on fourth seed Wayne St. in the other Midwest Regional
contest.

"We knew we weren't going to get an easy game, and we know they are a
higher seed than us," senior John Shouneyia said of Michigan's tournament
draw. "Everyone likes Maine a lot, and we think they are going to be a
great team and give us everything they've got. We need to be ready for that
and prepare well this week."

Preparation will be tough in a short amount of time and against an opponent
they haven't seen play all season.

"We know nothing," captain Jed Ortmeyer said of the Black Bears. "We'll
have to get some videos this week and study them."

There is one thing the players and fans do know and that's the history
between these two teams. In six games against each other, the Wolverines
and Black Bears have each won three. Ironically enough, all three of
Maine's victories have come in the NCAA tournament.

In 1993, Maine defeated Michigan, 4-3, in overtime in the NCAA semifinals
en route to capturing the national championship.

In 1995, the Black Bears and Wolverines battled it out once again in the
semifinals in one of the longest games in NCAA history. In an all-time
classic, Maine ended Michigan's season in triple overtime by another 4-3 count.

Most recently in the 2000 NCAA East Regional quarterfinal game the
Wolverines blew two one-goal leads and gave up five third-period goals as
they were eliminated 5-2.

It was in 2000 that this year's seniors were just freshmen, and it's a loss
that some of them haven't forgotten. "They knocked us out, so personally I
think some of us owe them," Shouneyia said.

While the Black Bears will enter the game well rested after making an
unexpected early exit from the Hockey East tournament, the Wolverines are
riding a wave of momentum. They shutout Ohio State, who also received a No.
3 seed, in the semifinals of the CCHA Super Six, then overpowered CCHA
conference champion Ferris State in the final.

After all the adversity they've suffered through this season, Michigan
finally looked like the team we expected them to be. Remember, it's not
when you peak, it's when you peak that counts, and head coach Red Berenson
wants to keep building on their end of the season run.

"I think we need to build on the momentum and the emotion we had (Saturday)
night," he said. "I think it's good, we feel a lot better and we are more
confident. I think the team knows what they have to do, and what they can
do against tough opponents."

And helping Michigan keep their momentum will be a fired up home crowd at
Yost Ice Arena.

"I think that anyone who steps into Yost, in this atmosphere, is going to
be a little bit surprised," Shouneyia said.

But will it be enough to break the Black Bears NCAA tournament winning
streak against the Wolverines? Or will 'Yost Magic' prevail once again for
Michigan?

It's a battle of the irresistable force meeting the immovable object, and
something's got to give.

One thing is for sure, though. We're in for another classic encounter
between these two schools.

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TURCO RETURNS, SETS STARS RECORD
March 23, 2003

Marty Turco returned to net for the Dallas Stars in his first game since
suffering an ankle injury Feb. 11 against Carolina. Not only did he help
the Stars clinch their sixth division title in seven seasons with a 3-1
victory over St. Louis, but Turco also set a new team record as he extended
his unbeaten streak to 15 games.

Turco had great help from one of the top defenses in the league. He only
had to face 13 shots in his comeback.

Overall, he was thrilled about returning to action.

"It felt awesome," Turco said. "The reaction by the fans is something I'll
never forget. It felt perfect. I didn't feel nervous. It was good to get
the first save out of the way. The guys played exactly the way they should
when a goaltender is coming back off of a long layoff. I'll take the win
but I really felt tired tonight. My ankle isn't sore anymore but my legs
are really tired."

After missing 18 games, Turco also said he hopes to play the rest of the
games, if possible, to be ready for the playoffs.

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BOTTERILL EARNS TOP HONOUR
March 22, 2003

DULUTH, Minn. (AP) -- Harvard forward Jennifer Botterill of Winnipeg won
her second Patty Kazmaier award as the best player in U.S. women's college
hockey Saturday night.

Botterill beat out teammate and junior defender Angela Ruggiero and
Minnesota Duluth senior forward Jenny Potter. Since the award began in
1998, each winner has played for an East Coast team.

"It's very special," Botterill said. "Each of these awards is very
reflective of the teams I've had and the people I've been able to play
with. Every time I've hit the ice, I've been surrounded by great athletes."

The Harvard Crimson and Minnesota Duluth Bulldogs will play for the NCAA
championship on Sunday. The finalists were asked whether their candidacy
for the award was a distraction to their seasons.

"We're in the national championship," Ruggiero said, "so obviously it
didn't affect us too much."

Botterill, the nation's leading scorer with 111 points, won the Kazmaier
award as a junior in 2001. The psychology major took last season off to
play with the gold medal-winning Canadian team at the Salt Lake City Olympics.

Botterill is the all-time leading scorer in NCAA Division I history with
337 points, including 156 goals, over her four-year career. Her brother,
Jason, was a member of Michigan's national championship team in 1996 and
now plays for the Buffalo Sabres.

The award is named for the late Patty Kazmaier, who helped lead Princeton
to three Ivy League championships during the 1980s. She died at age 28 of a
rare blood disease and has had a lasting influence on the sport, something
the current generation hopes to carry on.

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That's all for now...

Go Blue!

Jason
Michigan Hockey Net
http://MichiganHockey.net/