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Heritage Media December 16, 2010

Quick Big Chill at the Big House

If looks could
hits
Big Chill sets big
records
Organizers were hoping
that the Big Chill at the Big
House would be able to set
the record for most people in
attendance for a hockey game.
On Saturday though, the
Big Chill folks got more than
they bargained for.
The old record, which was
set on May 7, 2010 at Veletins
Arena in Germany when the
USA played Germany in the
IIHF World Championship,
was 77,803.
As expected, the Big Chill
completely shattered that
mark, setting the new record
at 113,411.
The mark was not only a

chill
new world record for people
attending a hockey game, but
it was also a new Big House
record.
The 113,411 hockey fans
beat the current Big House
record of 113,09, which was
set earlier this year when the
Wolverine football team took
on Connecticut. The game was
also the rededication of the
renovated Big House.
The Big Chill also set the
record for most people in
attendance for any NCAA
event.

A poor homecoming
for Palmisano
Michigan State goaltender
Drew Palmisano, who is an
Photo by Jonathan Knight/A2 JOURNAL
A record-breaking crowd of 113,411 packed Michigan Stadium Saturday for the Big Chill at the Big House. Michigan beat Michigan State 5-0 in the contest,
which set the Guinness World Record for attendance at an outdoor hockey game.

Record-breaking
Ann Arbor native, didn’t
have great luck playing in his
hometown on Saturday for the
Big Chill.

After receiving the CCHA
Goaltender of the Week honor
earlier this season, Palmisano
had a really rough time play-
ing in the Big House.
The Spartans’ junior
goaltender allowed five goals
on 29 shots as the Michigan
Wolverines defeated Michigan
State 5-0.
Palmisano fell to 6-8-3 in
with the loss.
Huron basketball is
the team to beat
Most basketball fans
around the area could tell you
that the Ann Arbor Huron
boys’ basketball team is an
early favorite to win the Class
A state championship this
season (having almost your
entire team returning from
last season’s state runner
up will do that...). But in last
Friday’s edition of the Detroit
Free Press, the team got a
pretty big vote of confidence
from sports writer Mick
McCabe.
McCabe picked Huron as
the No. 1 high school boys’
basketball team in the state,
leading his Top 20.
Rounding out the top
five were Lansing Eastern,
Kalamazoo Central, Detroit
Southeastern and Romulus.
McCabe further honored
the River Rats by picking
Dante Williams and A.J.
Mathew as two of the best
players in the state.
Williams was picked as the
No. 13 player and Mathew was
No. 18 as they both cracked
McCabe’s list of the top 100
crowd shows up
for hockey game
By Mike Larson
A2 Journal
The Germans never saw it
coming.
After holding the Guinness
World Record for largest atten-
dance at an ice hockey game
since May, the Germans could
do nothing Saturday as their
record was smashed like the
inside of a bratwurst.
The Big Chill at the Big
House, the hockey game
between Michigan and
Michigan State, which was
played Saturday on an outdoor
rink in Michigan Stadium,
was expected to set the new
record, but the amount of
people who showed up for the
game exceeded even the wild-
est of expectations.
113,411 hockey fans showed
up for the game at the Big
House, eclipsing the old
Guinness mark of 77,803,
which was set on May 7 of
this year in Germany dur-
ing the 2010 IIHF World
Championship game against
the USA and Germany.
The attendance seemed to
even eclipse the actual game,
which Michigan won, 5-0.
“This is just amazing, to
see this many people in one
place,” said University of
Michigan sophomore Geoff
Winstern. “It’s one thing to see
huge crowds at football games,
but you expect to see the Big
House full for football. But for
a hockey game? It’s definitely
a great experience. I’ll remem-
ber this forever.”
In addition to setting a
new Guinness record, the
game also, perhaps even more
impressively, set a new Big
House record.
The 113,411 narrowly beat
the old Michigan Stadium
record of 113,090, which was
set at Michigan’s home-open-
ing football game against
Connecticut earlier this sea-
son. The game also marked the
rededication of the stadium
after lengthy renovations.
“This kind of event really
shines a spotlight on the
University of Michigan and
Ann Arbor,” Carla Mitchem
of Ann Arbor said. “I won-
dered how it would work out
when I heard about it. I knew
people would show up for a
game against Michigan and
Michigan State, but I wasn’t
sure if they would pack the
stadium. I was wrong. The
place was definitely packed.” Photo by Jonathan Knight/A2 JOURNAL
The day of the game had a
unique, but familiar feel. Michigan goalie Bryan Hogan leads the Wolverines beneath the M Club banner and on to the
ice. The M Club banner is a staple at the Big House, as the football team runs beneath it and
PLEASE SEE CHILL/2-C on to the field before every home game.

Irish overpowered
players.

Technical fouls haunt

Gabriel Richard
Richard can’t
Technical fouls are nor- future is free throws.
mally given when a player or Richard was just 7-of-16 from
a coach loses his head, but the line, while Powers was 26-
of-33.

handle Flint Powers

on Friday night, the Gabriel
Richard got not just one, but
two technical fouls without
anyone losing their cool.
The technical fouls were
given because...well...techni-
calities.
In the first quarter,
Richard’s Luther Page got
T’d up after he took the floor
wearing No. 30 instead of No.
34, which was the number the
roster stated he’d be wearing.
Then, late in the game, the
Irish got another tech when
Kamiari Davis entered the
game unaware that he had
already fouled out of the
contest.
By Mike Larson
A2 Journal
Gabriel Richard basketball
coach Pete Schoch is a firm
believer in scheduling difficult
opponents.
This practice was very
noticeable Friday night in the
Green House as the Fighting
Irish hosted 2009’s Class B state
champion, Flint Powers.
Richard never led in the
Photo by Jonathan Knight/A2 JOURNAL
Gabriel Richard’s Luther Page takes the ball to the basket game, as the team fell to the
visiting Chargers 63-49.
Friday against Flint Powers. Despite scoring 22 points, Page
couldn’t lift the Irish past the Chargers. “I’ll put our schedule up
against anyone in the state,”
Schoch said. “We want to chal-
lenge ourselves in every game
we play. We want to play sched-
ule that makes us better.”
The Irish kept the game close
for the majority of the contest,
but Powers pulled away late in
the game to seal the win.
“I thought we did a lot of
good things,” Schoch said.
“Obviously we have some
things to work on, but I thought
we had some high notes too.”
One of the things the Irish
will have to work on in the
Schoch said that it was clear
his team needed to do better
shooting free throws, but that
his squad could also learn from
the Chargers when it comes to
getting to the line.
“(Powers) has some experi-
enced players and they know
how to drive and draw contact,”
the coach said. “Our guys are a
little younger, and they are still
learning. I hope that by the time
they are seniors, they are doing
those same things too.”
Powers started the game on
a 7-0 run, but Richard stormed
back, closing the gap to trail by
PLEASE SEE IRISH/2-C
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IRISH
FROM PAGE 1-C
just a field goal, 12-10 at the end
of the first quarter.
Powers jumped out to
another big lead in the second
quarter, opening the frame with
a 10-0 run to take a 22-10 lead.
However, Richard would not
back down.
The Irish got baskets from
Luther Page and Kamari Davis
to make the score 22-16, but
Powers still managed to hold on
to a 28-19 lead at the half.
The Fighting Irish had their
best showing in the in the third
quarter, outscoring Powers
15-14.
In fact, at one point, Richard
whittled the lead down to just
four points, 37-33.
But once again, Powers
refused to give up the lead.
The Chargers, led by a huge
performance by Division 1 col-
lege prospect Javonte Hawkins,
built the lead back up and never
relinquished it.
“They have a very good
team,” Schoch said. “And it was
Photo by Greg Shamus/A2 JOURNAL
Michigan hockey player celebrate after a goal, while the crowd of over 113,000 looks on.
Big Chill sets Big House standard Huron rocks
By Mike Larson
A2 Journal
The Big Chill lived up to its
name in more than one way.
On Saturday, Michigan
Stadium played host to a rival
hockey team and a record-
breaking crowd of over 113,000
fans.
The game was big and it was
chilly out, so the event, which
picked up its moniker from a
1983 movie about former U of M
students, was very aptly named.
That part of the game’s story
is obvious.
Of course it was going to
be big. It sold out Michigan
Stadium, for Schembechler’s
sake! Organizers were sure
that, even if the weekend’s
snow storm came early, the
event more than likely shatter
the Guinness World Record for
people watching an ice hockey
game.
As it happened, the snow held
off and the Big Chill obliterated
the old record by more than
35,000.
In other words, on Saturday,
if US Census estimates are to
be relied on, Ann Arbor became
the second biggest city in
Michigan by population, trail-
ing only Detroit.
The word “big” might not
even be enough to describe it.
But like I said, that part of
the story was obvious.
The part of the story that
might not be so obvious was
how big this was for the
University of Michigan and the
athletic department in particu-
lar.
Sure, it was huge that this
event, a game that received
national attention from media
outlets like The Wall Street
Journal and USA Today, went
off without a hitch.
Surely, after the game, the
organizers felt some relief at
making such a grand spectacle
not only come to fruition, but
also having made it shine in
the regional and national spot-
lights.
But that’s not even the big-
gest positive thing that the Big
Chill brought those lovers of
the gold block “M.”
This game, even if it was
just for an afternoon, made
Michigan sports relevant again.
I’m not saying that the
national media doesn’t care
about the Wolverines in other
Thursday, December 16, 2010 • HERITAGE MEDIA/A2 JOURNAL
a good first game for us. There
are things the players and the
coaches need to do to get better,
but I’m happy with the effort.”
Richard was led by Page, who
scored a game-high 22 points.
Other Irish scorers were
Davis with nine points, Ryan
Jenkins with eight, Evan Fosha
with five, Miles Lockridge with
three and Darren Washington
and Mike Meyers each with a
free throw.
Hawkins led the way for
Powers with 19 points, includ-
ing a 7-for-10 stint from the free
throw line.
Vince Adams had 16 points
for the Chargers while Pierre
Brackett added 13.
“Richard had a great team,”
Powers’ coach Tim Herman
said. “They play a tough style
of basketball. No matter how
hard we tried, they kept coming
after us. They are going to be
successful this season.”
With the win, Powers
improves to 2-0 on the season,
while Richard falls to 0-1.
Mike Larson can be reached
by email at Mlarson@A2Journal.
com.
GENERAL
ADMISSION
MIKE
LARSON
sports, but let’s face the facts,
Michigan hasn’t been the power
it has been in recent years.
Regardless of what any hard-
headed alumni, RichRod apolo-
gists or Wolverine superfans
want to tell you, the Michigan
football program is in trouble.
If it’s not in shambles now, it
will be soon.
By the standard set after
years and years of success, this
season fell short.
Sure, the Wolverines are
going to a bowl. Of course, it’s
a bowl nobody cares about,
against a team that most casual
sports fans know of only as a
footnote in the Cam Newton
Photo by Greg Shamus/A2
JOURNAL
A Michigan hockey player
jumps to touch the M Club
banner Saturday at the Big
Chill.
Photo by Jonathan Knight/A2 JOURNAL
Gabriel Richard’s Darren
Washington clamps down on
defense against Pierre Brackett of
Flint Powers. Powers defeated the
Irish, winning the game 63-49.
recruiting scandal.
The Michigan football team
also become somewhat of a joke
in the Big Ten. With the excep-
tion of a win against Wisconsin
last season, the only conference
teams Michigan has been able
to beat are the doormats.
The team has lost three
games in a row to Michigan
State and they have lost 9 of
the last 10 games to Ohio State,
including the last seven in a
row.
So much for rivalries, eh?
But on Saturday, the
Wolverine hockey team
had a chance to prove that
Michigan was still there, that
the Wolverines weren’t going
to get rolled by a quality oppo-
nent every time they played in
Michigan Stadium.
The Michigan hockey team
put on a clinic against Michigan
State, winning 5-0 in a game
that featured some of the best
collegiate hockey players in the
country.
The team rose to the chal-
lenge of playing not only
against a big rival, but a big
rival that was actually good.
Sure, there are detractors
out there that will go on and on
about how, “hockey isn’t a big
deal,” and that, “hockey doesn’t
count,” or it, “isn’t one of the
big sports.”
Whatever. Losers say a lot of
things in order to justify losing.
Wolverine fans know that better
than anyone these days.
But those detractors are
wrong. Hockey is a big deal, and
it was a huge deal on Saturday.
That hockey team proved
to the 113,000 plus fans that
showed up in the freezing cold,
that there was still a reason to
cheer for the maize and blue
and to sing “The Victors” as
loud as possible.
For an afternoon, the
Michigan Wolverines and their
fans got to experience greatness
in the Big House once again.
Let’s all hope that the experi-
ence wasn’t a one-time only
thing.
Let’s hope that an ice rink
doesn’t have to be erected in
Michigan Stadium in order for
the Wolverine faithful to walk
out of the building satisfied.
The Big Chill was a big deal.
But Michigan’s ascension back
to glory off of the ice would be
so much bigger.
Mike Larson can be reached
by email at Mlarson@A2Journal.
com.
CHILL
FROM PAGE 1-C
“It’s almost like a football
Saturday in the winter,”
Mitchem said. “It’s different,
but it’s kind of the same. It’s
weird.”
Ann Arbor did have a football
game feel to it on Saturday,
as fans flocked to Michigan
Stadium from all directions.
The parking lot at Pioneer
High School was packed with
cars, ticket scalpers and park-
ing attendants were out in full
force.
The only difference was that
people were dressed in winter
hats, thick jackets and hockey
sweaters, rather than the fall
attire usually designated for
football season.
The temperature was just 41
degrees when the puck dropped,
making it a pretty chilly affair.
“It was cold, but I didn’t real-
ly notice it,” Winstern said. “I
think when you get that many
people in one place, it doesn’t
seem quite so bad.”
GIRLS BASKETBALL
Salem, FGR falls
By Mike Larson
A2 Journal
It’s always nice when an
underclassman can show her
mettle.
The Huron girls’ basketball
team got to witness that first-
hand Friday night when they
took on Plymouth Salem.
Sophomor Sara Goliday
scored 14 points and grabbed
nine rebounds and the River
Rats bested the Rocks in Ann
Arbor.
In addition to Goliday’s
career night, Kelcy Barott
also had a good game. Barott
scored 18 points, snatched
nine rebounds and swiped five
steals.
Devin Talley added 13 points
for the Rats to round out
Huron’s double digit scorers.
Salem had a slim 23-20 edge
at the halftime break, but
Huron outscored the Rocks 17-
10 in the third quarter to take
the lead.
Brianna Berberdt added 21
BOYS BASKETBALL
Pioneer stuns Holt,
Skyline falls flat
By Mike Larson
A2 Journal
The Pioneer basketball team
brought the defense on Friday
night when the team faced off
against Holt.
The Pioneers held the Rams
to just 31 percent shooting from
the floor in a 60-44 win in Ann
Arbor.
Holt jumped out to a slim
lead in the first quarter, taking
a 10-8 advantage.
However, in the second
quarter, Pioneer started to pull
away, outscoring the visiting
Rams 19-10 to take a 27-20 lead
at halftime.
In the second half, the
Pioneers continued to play well,
breaking out to win the game
60-44.
Jeremiah Strode scored a
game-high 15 points to lead
The game also offered some-
thing most hockey fans never
get to see: fireworks.
After every goal scored, fire-
works that were set up around
the field launched in a showing
of brilliant color and smoke.
Then, after the game had
finished and after the sun had
gone down, the remaining fans
were treated to a full-fledged
fireworks display set to music.
The players also checked out
the fireworks, with some kneel-
ing on the ice to watch the show.
“It was pretty cool,” freshman
defenseman Jon Merrill said.
“It’s something you don’t get to
see every day, so we wanted to
stay and watch.”
Merrill got to see some fire-
works earlier in the day too,
when he scored a pair of goals
for the Wolverines.
“It’s always great to score,” he
said. “But to score in such a big
game is huge.”
Huge is right.
Big goals in the Big House for
the Big Chill. It doesn’t get any
more huge than that.
Mike Larson can be reached
by email at Mlarson@A2Journal.
points to lead the Rocks.
Huron is now 2-1 on the sea-
son.
Warren Regina 58
Gabriel Richard 42
After a hot start, the Gabriel
Richard Fighting Irish couldn’t
keep up their momentum
against Warren Regina Friday
night on the road.
Richard took a 14-8 lead at
the end of the first quarter, but
Regina marched right back in
the Catholic League contest.
In the end, Regina took the
game 58-42.
Sarah Falvey added 20 points
for the Irish, but it just wasn’t
enough as the Gabriel Richard
team struggled on defense.
Other Irish scorers were
Angela Broggi with eight,
Maura Dunleavy with four,
Mary Yocum and Alyssa
Rawski each with three and
Jessica Jenkins and Taylor
Hinkson each with two.
PLEASE SEE ROCKS/3-C
the Pioneers, while Anthony
Hugan added 14.
Holt was led by Tim Scott
with 13 points and Daniel
Middleton with 12.
With the win, Pioneer
improves to 2-0 on the season.
Plymouth 62
Skyline 46
The Skyline Eagles kept the
game close for awhile in their
Friday night home opener
against Plymouth, but in the
end, the Wildcats were just too
much.
After Skyline closed the first
half with a 23-19 lead, Plymouth
used an 18-7 run in the third
quarter to break away.
The Eagles were never able to
recover, as the Wildcats never
gave up the lead after that.
Theron Wilson had 18 points
PLEASE SEE PIONEER/3-C