KALAMAZOO - If you find yourself watching a hockey game that features anything resembling the following: shattered glass, 25 total penalties, five stoppages in play due to injury, several outbreaks of fisticuffs and profanity-laden crowd cheers - then you're probably watching a hockey game at Western Michigan.
"Their team plays that way and we're not surprised," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "We knew that coming in. You pay the price when you come here."
The Broncos play a smash-mouth, bruising style of hockey. They've been playing that way for years, and this year has been no different.
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| WARREN ZINN/Daily After skating by Bowling Green one night earlier at Yost Ice Arena, Michigan was not treated as kind by Western Michigan. Justin Clark was among those bounced around in a physical contest in Kalamazoo. |
"We've got the type of team that needs to play (physical) to be effective," Western Michigan coach Bill Wilkinson said. "Michigan's more of a free-wheeling and skating team. If you let them do that, then obviously they'll take advantage."
The most convincing evidence to support the Bronco's claim as the bruisers of the CCHA is the board that shattered in the second period at Lawson Arena. Michigan's Matt Huntzicker and Western Michigan's Brent Lovett collided into a glass board that presumably has seen it's share of action.
But Michigan defenseman Mike Van Ryn probably got the worst of all the rough play. The freshman was checked into Western Michigan's penalty box door, causing it to open and injure him in the groin.
"I don't know how bad it is or what's involved in recovering in that area," Berenson said. "We'll have to wait and see."
Above everything else, what Western Michigan fans come out to see are the fights.Western Michigan, a team currently in the middle of a 12-game skid, guarantees that to the crowd.
"I don't think we're running around trying to hurt anybody," Wilkinson said.
And there were fights, all right. Some were little skirmishes that are common to any hockey game. But many were of the street-brawl variety.
Midway through the third period, Michigan goalie Marty Turco was in the middle of a not-so-friendly exchange with Western Michigan defenseman Geoff Collard. Each received two penalties.
"He was on top of me and I was just laying there and he started driving my head into the ice," Turco said. "So I grabbed my blocker and ripped his helmet off. He didn't take too much liking to that.
"I grabbed my mask to make sure he didn't take it off my head to do further damage," Turco said.
At the same time, Michigan's Andrew Merrick and Lovett were penalized for their separate scuffle.
But the Western Michigan crowd is almost as rowdy as its team. And before the game, the announcer warned that those using bad and profane language would be kicked out.
If that policy was enforced, no one would have seen the outcome of the game. Despite the usual output of profanity found at almost any hockey game, the Kalamazoo fans were particularly fond of a small variety of four-lettered words.
"We talk about that before we come here, the fact that it's a hard rink to play in because of the crowd," Michigan defenseman Bubba Berenzweig said.
Michigan defenseman Chris Fox was the biggest target of attack by the crowd. The senior Wolverine faces felony charges for allegedly striking an opponent in the mouth with his stick in a summer pick-up league. Fox's recent exposure in the news prompted the Bronco fans to chant "Fox is guilty" and "Felon ... felon."
Fox got a chance to wave good-bye to the crowd after the Wolverines won in overtime, however.
01-12-98
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