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SPORTS

Monday musings

Tom Keller
March 20, 2006

A different take on the sports world. Wide receiver Terrell Owens, who was cut from the Philadelphia Eagles last season for his repeated on- and off-the-field antics, signed with the Dallas Cowboys last week. As part of the deal, Dallas head coach Bill Parcells will receive an aspirin to be named later. A Chicago-based consulting firm estimates that this year's NCAA men's basketball tournament will cost employers $3.8 billion in lost productivity. Ironically, that's also the number of times the phrase, "My bracket is so screwed," will be uttered during the next month. In a related story, Bradley, George Mason and Wichita State all made surprise advances to the Sweet 16. What conference are these teams from again?

ICE HOCKEY

Icers skate into semifinals vs. Michigan

Eric Fish
March 17, 2006

Four of the last five meetings between the No. 11 Wolverines and No. 5 Spartans have gone into overtime and resulted in ties. If today's CCHA semifinal matchup at Joe Louis Arena is anything reminiscent of the recent past, the two rivals could play into the early hours of Saturday morning to decide who advances to the conference championship game to play for the Mason Cup. "They're a really quality team," MSU head coach Rick Comley said.

ICE HOCKEY

Icers pose threat to tourney opponents

How would you describe the No. 5 MSU hockey team? In previous years, you might have called the Spartans underachievers and wanted to pull your hair out while watching games. But that was in previous years. If there's one thing the MSU hockey team has proven this season, it's that the Spartans are no fluke. The Spartans are the definition of the word "team." Multiple players have stepped up this season with game-changing goals, hits and saves.

ICE HOCKEY

Front and center

Eric Fish
March 15, 2006

The State News recently caught up with MSU hockey senior forward David Booth. MSU faces Michigan Friday in Detroit. • His favorite teammate to pick on… "(Zak) McClellan.

BASKETBALL

Neitzel's struggles are team's losses

Matt Bishop
March 14, 2006

Sure, MSU's Big Three of Maurice Ager, Shannon Brown and Paul Davis are key cogs in the MSU basketball machine, but more than those three, the most important cog is proving to be point guard Drew Neitzel. When Neitzel's game is on, MSU is a hard team to stop.

SPORTS

Catching up with...

Get the lowdown on how the next recruiting class has fared lately. Isaiah Dahlman Shooting guard/small forward 6 foot 6, 175 pounds Braham Area High School (Braham, Minn.) Dahlman is one of three finalists for the Mr. Minnesota Basketball Award, along with Minnesota recruit Bryce Webster from St.

BASKETBALL

Fatigue not a factor? Are you serious?

Indianapolis — The party line in the MSU locker room after Saturday's 53-48 loss to Iowa was more rigid than Matt Trannon's smile behind that goalie mask. Despite playing their third game in 47 hours and second in less than 14, the Spartans said — insisted — that it wasn't fatigue that rendered them helpless as the Hawkeyes rode their early second-half lead all the way into the tournament finals. Head coach Tom Izzo: "I'd be the first to tell you if I thought it had even a little to do with it.

SPORTS

Simmons brothers win individual Big Ten titles

Steve Highfield
March 13, 2006

MSU wrestler Nick Simmons repeated his reign as Big Ten champion and his brother Andy Simmons captured his first conference title at the 2006 Big Ten Championships March 4-5 in Bloomington, Ind. Competing in the 125-pound weight class, Nick Simmons, the tournament's No.

SPORTS

Monday musings

Tom Keller
March 13, 2006

Bernie "Boom Boom" Geoffrion, who's credited with inventing the slap shot, died last week at the age of 75. Meanwhile, Russ Tyler, who's credited with inventing the knuckle puck, is reportedly still playing roller hockey on the streets of Los Angeles. Villanova guard Allan Ray's status for the NCAA Tournament is in question after he suffered an inadvertent finger to the eye in a loss to Pittsburgh last week. If Ray can't play, it would be proof once and for all that there's no eye in team. The Gateway Grizzlies, a minor league baseball team located near St.

BASKETBALL

Big Ten busts

Matt Bishop
March 13, 2006

Indianapolis — After a stretch of three physically and emotionally draining games in 47 hours, Tom Izzo refused to cite fatigue as an excuse after his team shot 28.3 percent while falling 53-48 to Iowa in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament on Saturday at Conseco Fieldhouse. The MSU head coach felt so strongly about it that he opened up his postgame press conference with an emphatic "no." "Fatigue had zero to do with the loss, zero," Izzo said.

SPORTS

Spartans fall to Buckeyes for third time this season in semis

Ethan Conley
March 13, 2006

Indianapolis — The MSU women's basketball team easily advanced to the semifinals of last week's Big Ten Tournament, only to run into a scarlet-and-gray wall for the third time this season. The Spartans cruised past Iowa in the quarterfinals on March 3, with a 79-58 score, setting up a showdown with Ohio State on March 5. MSU stayed within striking distance of the Buckeyes for the entire game, but could never grab a lead in the second half.

SPORTS

From the road

Photographer Mike Itchue details his trip to Indianapolis for the men's Big Ten Tournament. Conseco Fieldhouse is hands down the nicest arena I have ever been to.

BASKETBALL

Badgers have size, lack athleticism

Matt Bishop
March 2, 2006

The first time around, Wisconsin handed MSU its worst beating of the season, a 82-63 decision at the Kohl Center. Now, it's MSU's turn to protect its home floor when the two teams resume their rivalry at 7 p.m.