'M' hockey takes two from Ferris

After losing two straight games and dealing with the tragic death of former Sports Information Director Brian Fishman, the Michigan hockey team couldn't have been faulted if it didn't come out as intense as usual this weekend.

But the Wolverines pulled themselves together, sweeping Ferris State at Yost Ice Arena. Michigan snuck by in both instances, defeating the Bulldogs 4-3 on Saturday and 3-2 on Friday to halt the two-game skid.

"There was some great hockey being played this weekend," Ferris State coach Bob Daniels said. "There were two great games with two really good teams. Both games were extremely entertaining and fast-paced."

With the pall of Fishman's death hanging over Yost, the Wolverines came out slow Friday night. But Michigan found its second wind and solved, at least temporarily, the goal-scoring problems that plagued it over winter break.

Scott Matzka's second goal of the season - only 3:36 into Saturday's game - signalled a change in goal-scoring effectiveness.

Matzka, who hadn't registered a goal since the Alaska-Fairbanks trip in October, started the scoring when he received a Jeff Jillson pass and beat Ferris State goaltender Vince Owen stickside.

Matzka "was playing really well of late but wasn't scoring," Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "We decided to put him on the wing and get him the puck while he was skating and that's exactly what happened."

Dave Huntzicker also scored his second goal of the year, midway through the first period, on a power play with a slapshot from the point that beat Owen.

"Both me and Hunts scored, which was pretty surprising," Matzka said. "That doesn't happen too often."

Another thing that hadn't happened too often for Michigan was first period scoring. Before Saturday's game, the Wolverines had gone scoreless in the first period of their games.

While the Wolverines were clicking early Saturday, Ferris State kept it close with the help of Kenzie Homer.

All doughnut jokes and utterances of 'D'oh' aside, Homer kept the Bulldogs alive during the first part of the game, as he answered the Matzka and Huntzicker goals with goals of his own.

Homer "had a good game," Daniels said.

"He really came to play (Saturday) and had his best game of the year."

Mike Comrie had a good weekend for the Wolverines when it came to scoring goals, as he added two to take the team goal-scoring lead with11. Comrie's 11th goal, a seemingly innocent wrist shot from the right faceoff circle, turned out to be the insurance that Michigan needed.

Comrie also opened up the scoring Friday night in the second period, as he scored a power-play goal off a Jillson feed.

As was the theme with the weekend, the Bulldogs didn't quit. In fact, goals by Brian McCullough and Ed Kowalski in the third period - scored five minutes apart - put Ferris State up 2-1 and put the Wolverines in danger of dropping a third straight game.

"When Ferris State came in here last February, we had lost two in a row and then they beat us to make it three," Berenson said. "There were a lot of stars lined up that might not have been in our favor."

MARGARET MYERS/Daily Michigan's Mike Comrie had a goal in each game this weekend, reasserting his role as the Wolverines' top scorer with 11 goals.

One thing that worked in Michigan's favor was the return of Josh Langfeld. Langfeld, who was doubtful to play earlier in the week, was in the lineup Friday sporting a shoulder brace. But Langfeld shed the brace in the second period and added his 10th goal of the season a period later. The goal, which occurred with nine minutes left in the game, knotted the game at two.

"I had that big, bulky thing on so I wouldn't get whiplash," Langfeld said of his brace. "It was pretty uncomfortable."

Jillson put the Wolverines ahead to stay a couple minutes later, when he received a drop pass from Rominski and beat Owen top shelf.

The goal finished up a stellar game for Jillson, who assisted on the other two Michigan goals. Considering that Jillson had just arrived from the World Junior Championship tournament in Winnipeg, Canada, a few days earlier, his performance was even more remarkable.

"It's been a tough month of December, but it felt good to be back with the boys," Jillson said.

01-11-99