Turco's 100th win not soiled by loss

MARQUETTE - The paradox. Many elements of life boil down to statements that seem to contradict themselves.

Without law, there can be no freedom. You're damned if you do, damned if you don't. Marty Turco is goaltender for the Michigan hockey team.

As plain as it may seem, the last statement is one of the most complicated paradoxes in hockey.

Think about it. No member of a hockey team relies more completely on the support of his teammates as does a goaltender - to clear the puck from the zone and to prevent odd-man rushes, just to name a couple of duties.

But at the same time, no one bears more individual responsibility for his team's success. When it comes down to it, the goalie is the last thing between opponents and the net. When a puck gets through, the goalie ultimately has nobody to look at but himself.

Turco faced both extremes of the goalie's paradox this weekend when the Wolverines split a two-game series at Northern Michigan.

In both games, Turco played phenomenally, giving the type of performance his teammates, fans and the opposition have come to expect from the senior.

During Friday night's 5-3 victory over the Wildcats, Turco had 21 saves en route to his 100th career win, placing him second behind Steve Shields (112) for Michigan career victories.

It was definitely a team win for Michigan - Turco would be the last to say it wasn't. But as goaltender - as the anchor of his team - the victory held more significance for Turco.

All night long, Turco had been challenged by the Wildcats. The three shots that got by Turco were the results of Michigan defensive breakdowns.

Turco put up a solid performance, and Northern couldn't take his 100th win away from him. He knew that Michigan's defensive inexperience would give up some plays, but he also knew it was his responsibility - his job - to stop the puck, to get the win. His 100th, no matter what kind of situation he faced.

After the game, Turco gave the game puck and his stick to his parents. They were his to give. A goalie relies on his teammates, but the 'W' goes under his name, as well as that of his team.

Then there's the other side of the coin. The loss as opposed to the win; Saturday night as opposed to Friday night.

In Saturday's 1-0 loss to Northern, Turco had a better performance than he did on Friday, stopping 21 of 22 shots.

But the Wolverines had given Northern many opportunities, and it was only a matter of time before the Wildcats capitalized. Michigan, with its lack of offensive production, squandered a great game by Turco.

Turco faced the other side of the paradox. In his mind, it's his job to stop puck, and it's his job to make sure that Michigan wins. When Michigan doesn't win - even if he does his part - it's not enough for Turco.

When it comes down to it, even more than his impressive 100 career victories is the way Turco handles the goaltender's paradox that truly marks his success. He expects the best from his teammates because only a combined effort can win games.

But he expects more than the best from himself, because he's the team's last defense, and ultimately - win or lose - it all rests on his shoulders.

11-10-97