The Capital Times from Madison, Wisconsin • 17

Sports editor Adam Mertz 252-6474 i New York Giants (12-6) at Groen Bay Packers (14-3) What: NFC championship game When: Sunday, 5:30 p.m. Where: Lambeau Field TV: Fox Radio: WIBA-AM1310, and Latest line: Packers by 7 Ford's Date goal saves Badgers BRIAN LEPLEY Special to The Capital Times ANCHORAGE, Alaska One week ago, the University of Wisconsin mens hockey teams road record in conference play bottomed out at 0-4-1 following the instant-replay fiasco in Denver. With only one way to go up the Badgers have responded in exactly that direction. Matthew Fords late goal counted this Fri- day, lifting the Badgers to a 2-1 victory over Alaska. BADGERS 2 Anchorage in a Western ANCHORAGE 1 Collegiate Hockey Asso-1 ciation game.

Ben Street fed Ford, who converted a 12-footer from between the circles that banked in from the cross bar to put the Badgers ahead at 14:45 of the third period. Matthew has had a lot of chances the last few series at least three shots off the post against Colorado College and tonight it goes offthe bar and in, said Wisconsin coach Mike Eaves. Thats stick-to-itiveness. Six players earned points for Wisconsin (10-10-3, 6-8-1 WCHA). Coupled with Saturdays win over Denver, the Badgers have won back-to-back games for the first time since a series sweep over St.

Cloud State on Nov. 30-Dec. 1. The Seawolves (6-10-5, 2-10-3) tied the See UWWIN, C6 McCarthy to get mew cleaD From news services GREEN BAY Coach Mike McCarthy will sign a five-year extension this weekend, according to a published report Friday in the Green Bay Press-Gazette. The contract is worth approximately $4 million per year, said an NFL source familiar with the negotiations.

McCarthys new deal runs through the 2012 season, and is the same length as the contract of general manager Ted Thompson, who signed his deal earlier in January. McCarthys previous contract paid him $2 million per year through the 2008 season. The average single-season salary for NFL coaches is $3.4 million. Football in the freezer: Looking for the Green Bay Packers practice footballs this week? Check the icebox, right next to the brats. McCarthy instructed his staff to put football in the freezer this week in an at tempt to simulate what the single -digit temperatures that are expected for Sundays NFC Championship game at Lambeau Field will do to make playing conditions more difficult.

It was a twist on a tactic McCarthy has 'used in the past, placing footballs in buckets of water to prepare teams to play in the rain. We froze the (balls, really didnt tell the players about it and just rolled them in the re on Wednesday and did it throughout the week McCarthy said. Really, I was just trying to get them to focus more on catching the football We had a couple of quarterback-center exchange in the shotgun problems there on Wednesd; ly, but I thought they handled it very well. Packers receiver Donald Driver See NFC NOTES, C4 I i Packers chairman and CEO Bob Harlan had had a remarkable run with the organization since coming to Green Bay as an assistant general manager back in 1971. Harlan, who will step down as Packers president and CEO at end of season, hoping for one last Super Bowl ByJIMPOLZIN The Capital Times GREEN BAY The Harlan Plaza was busy with activity earlier this week.

Foot travel was made treacherous by an afternoon snow storm, but that didnt seem to bother the Green Bay Packers fans who were taking their time as they gazed at statues of Curly Lambeau and Vince Lombardi. They were positively giddy with excitement and anticipation. They werent alone. Sitting in a meeting room on the third floor of the Lambeau Field Atrium was the head of the organization and the person who the aforementioned plaza outside the hallowed ground of the stadium is named after. Bob Harlan didnt need to say this was an exhilarating week for him; one look at his face told you it was that and more.

When the Packers (14-3) take the field Sunday against the New York Giants (12-6) in the NFC championship game, nobody among the gathered at Lambeau will be more be more proud of the teams accomplishments this season than Harlan. Whenever the Packers season comes to a close whether its Sunday or two weeks later in Super Bowl XLII Harlan will officially step aside as the teams More pro football coverage inside Todd Finkelmeyer column: Brett Favre doesn't have to be spectacular, just smart, for Packers to be Super Bowl- bound. C3 Five sttory lines to follow: A look ahead to Sunday's NFC championship game. C3 NFL notes: Chargers QB Philip Rivers says he plans to play in Sunday's AFC championship game despite bum knee. C2 chairman and CEO.

In football parlance, hell hand off the franchise to Mark Murphy, who was named the teams president and CEO last month. Its been a remarkable run for Harlan, who joined the team as an assistant general manager in 1971 and has been the Packers principal executive since 1989. Now he gets to go out in style thanks to a magical season that nobody saw coming. To be honest, I think he was going out in a great way because they were positioned for success at all levels even before this run has occurred, said Larry McCarren, a former player who now serves as an analyst on the Packers Radio Network as well as the sports director at WFRV-TV in Green Bay. I think he could have gone out feeling absolutely, positively fine.

However, this is icing on the cake. Hes got a considerable cake this is icing on it to be able to go out this way. Challenging and exciting It was almost like it was meant to be. Its been a challenging year for Harlan, whose hand-picked successor, John Jones, was deemed unfit to take over last spring. Instead of retiring as expected last May, Harlan was asked to stay on one more year.

He then spent part of the offseason fielding angry calls from fans who complained that general manager Ted Thompson wasnt doing enough in free agency to improve a club that went 8-8 in 2006. Most were concerned that quarterback Brett Favre wasnt being surrounded by enough offensive weapons in the twilight of his career. But Harlan believed in Thompsons plan to build the team mostly through the draft and entered the 2007.season optimistic the Packers See HARLAN, page C3 i 4 Up next What: Northwestern (6-8, 0-4 Big Ten) at No. 17 Wisconsin (14-2, 4-0) in a -conference men's basketball game When: Today, 8 p.m. Where: Kohl Center TV: Big Ten Network Line: Badgers by 20 Inside: Big Ten standings and complete Wildcats-Badgers preview box.

C6 UW offense not flashy, just efficient By ROB SCHULTZ The Capital Times The shot clock was winding down, Michael Flowers had the ball at the top of the key and was showing no signs of panic. As Penn State defenders closed in on him, Flowers calmly found Marcus Landry in the paint. Landry had a shot but defenders were quickly closing in on him, too. That left Joe Krabbenhoft open and Landry found him for an easy layup that also drew a foul and an additional free throw. Its that kind of ball movement and decision-making that has the University of Wisconsin mens basketball teams offense playing so well, particularly since the Big Ten Conference season started.

The 17th-ranked Badgers (14-2, 4-0 Big Ten) head into tonights conference matchup with Northwestern (6-8, 0-4) at the Kohl Center having made 50.5 percent of their shots overall and 46 percent of their 3s in Big Ten games. They also are averaging an impressive 1.14 points per possession. If youre moving the ball and bodies, youre unselfish, you try to get the ball in high-percentage areas, youre going to be better, said UW coach Bo Ryan. The Badgers shot selection has been outstanding, too. That was particularly true during their 80-55 victory at Penn State last Tuesday night when the Badgers points-per-possession was a whopping 1.3.

Its mostly from practice where guys realize that this is a shot that can help this team. Its a shot that I make, its a shot that Im getting better at, said Ryan. Thats how you try to get guys to understand whats a good shot and what isnt. Some added confidence certainly helps. Krabbenhoft made his first 3-pointer of the Big Ten season and only the second of the season in the first half after Penn State chose not to guard him on the perimeter so it could double down on senior forward Brian Butch in the paint If they are going to give me the shot I have to be confident and knock it down.

My teammates definitely have helped me with that, said Krabbenhoft Two years ago I dont know if I would have shot a shot in the See OFFENSE, page C6 MORRY GASHASS OCIATED PRESS Packers coach Mike McCarthy, who reportedly is set to ink a contract extension, meets with reporters Friday in Green Bay to ta Ik about Sunday's NFC champions! lip game against the New York iants. Damon Martinson said of tl le support for his wife, who was diagnosed with breast cance after the bi rth of their son Brogan, nearly six months ago. Martin son is in his fourth ea-son as an assistant at PeFores t. He said the support that Gina and his family have received throughout their ordeal is a reflection of the closeness of the DeForest community and how great a family the wrestling program is from the coaches and wrestlers, and on through their families and friends. When we came up with the idea, the guys didnt mind wearing pink sihirts, Skaife said.

They know its for a good cause I See PINK, page C4 I More preps inside Cheeuemakers pass road test: Top-ranked Monroe outlasts Stoughton. C4 Prep ba sketball and hockey roundups, C5 DEFOREST When Richard Skaife heard that a member of his wrestling family was in need, he had an idea of how to help turn a negative into a positive. Today, when the DeForest junior heavyweight wrestler and his teammates host the Norski Invite, the first phase of their plan will be unveiled. So when Gina Martinson arrives to help set up the tournament, she will receive quite a Gina will discover that everyone involved with the tournament will be wearing pink T-shirts in her honor with DeForest Wrestling inscribed on the front and pinning cancer on the back, along with the breast cancer ribbon and Ginas name in the ribbon. Its flattering and very touching, Norskies assistant coach MICHELLE STOCKERTHE CAPITAL TIMES I Members of the DeForest wrestling team will wear pink shirts during today's Norski Invite to help raise awareness and money for breast cancer.

DeForest assistant coach Damon Martinson's wife was diagnosed with the disease about six months ago. asa ESS JKSe.