Moving on...

Postseason shows true team colors

Before the season, Michigan captain Matt Herr warned that the Wolverines might lose 10 games in the first half of the seaon, but when it came time to perform at the end of the season, the Wolverines would be ready.

Contrary to Herr's warning, the Wolverines played well in the early part of the season. But toward the end, it didn't look like the Wolverines were playing the kind of hockey they needed to win a championship.

With the CCHA regular season title on the line, the Wolverines lost three of their final six regular-season games. And once the playoffs began, the Wolverines weren't playing their best, either.

MARGARET MYERS/Daily Marty Turco should be able to continue celebrating in Boston if the Wolverines play as well as they did last weekend.

After surviving their first-round matchup against Notre Dame, the Wolverines looked terrible in losing to Ohio State, 4-2, in the CCHA semifinals .

And to make matters worse, heading into the NCAA West Regional last weekend at Yost, defenseman Sean Peach was sidelined with a concussion.

So, coming into the NCAA Tournament, most people didn't expect the Wolverines to do much. They weren't "peaking at the right time," many observers said.

But like most clichés, "peaking at the right time" doesn't mean a whole lot.

Against North Dakota on Saturday, the Wolverines played their best game of the season and pulled out a victory in a game few expected they could win.

So now, instead of being destined for failure, the Wolverines are being cast as one of the surprise teams of the NCAA Tournament.

But the truth is, Michigan is not much different this week from what it was a week ago. As Berenson has said time and again this season, the Wolverines aren't much better than anyone else, but they're not much worse, either.

MARGARET MYERS/Daily Marty Turco's primary responsibility tomorrow will be to stop pucks instead of opposing players. In order to defeat New Hampshire and advance to Saturday's NCAA title game, Turco will need to once again be at the top of his game.

And so Michigan's fate will depend on how well they do the things they need to do to win. This time of year, nothing matters but how well a team plays in each game.

Against Ohio State, the Wolverines didn't have their heads in the game. Usually reliable players like Bobby Hayes and Marty Turco made terrible giveaways, leading to two Ohio State goals. Forward Bill Muckalt missed the net on several power-play chances, and the Michigan defense allowed two breakaways that led to goals.

When the Wolverines play like that, they're not going to win many games.

But this past weekend, Michigan cut down on its mistakes. The Wolverines played a tough, physical game, and after the first period, they didn't give the Fighting Sioux any room to score.

When the Wolverines play like they did against North Dakota, they can beat anyone in the country.

Last season, Michigan was far and away the best team in college hockey, and the Wolverines were on a roll.

But in the semifinal game they didn't play their best and they went home losers.

This year, three of the best teams in college hockey - Michigan State, North Dakota and Boston University - are out of the tournament because they didn't play their best game when it mattered.

In contrast, Michigan is still alive because it did. And if the Wolverines plan to beat New Hampshire and advance to the championship game, they'll have to do it again tomorrow.

04-01-98