0 Page 4- The Michigan Daily - Sports Monday - September 23, 1991 'M' faces top schedule Stickers see opportunity to gain national acclaim by Adam M. Lutz Daily Sports Writer After a successful 1990 season, with a record of 12-7-2, one would expect Michigan's field hockey coach to set lofty goals for her im- proving team. Yet, coach Patti Smith keeps both her's and the team's goals short and sweet. "Play consistent, look. at one game at a time, and play our best," the coach said. She claims that her idea is to keep all goals "simple, in order to keep the team focused on ourselves." The Wolverines are a young team facing an extremely difficult sched- ule, with eight of their 18 oppo- nents ranked in the NCAA Division I Top 20 poll. Michigan's only re- turning seniors, Sandie Marotti and Kristin Shaiper, will be called on to use their leadership skills. Coach Smith enters her third sea- son on the verge of bringing na- tional recognition to a team that has never finished in the upper echelon of the Midwest Collegiate Field Hockey Conference (MCFHC). In preparing for this year, Smith stressed offseason conditioning and the team responded enthusiastically. "Everyone is in shape for the sea- son, and we now have more people that are willing to sacrifice." Smith explains that this is essential be- cause "field hockey is such a team game that we need contributions from all 17 or 18 players." I 7 .... i..... .. :. <:: ?:?::_: :Y f _L: r,: i: : -':'*fi:!: ': : : :v :-: : :-:ti- : ?: The offseason conditioning must be paying off since the Wolverines are currently ranked 14th nation- ally, and have compiled impressive victories on the road against some top eastern schools. The team's offense looks strong. The scoring attack is led by last year's top team scorer, junior Katie Thomas. She complements Shaiper by adding quickness and agility. Meanwhile, junior Katie Vignevic, last season's No. 2 returning scorer, uses steady stickwork to fulfill her responsibility of setting up the goals. All good teams rely on tough defense, and this defense relies on its ability to throw out multiple com- binations in order to keep its oppo- nents off-balance. The defensive line is anchored by Marotti and is sup- ported by juniors Katherine Epler and Katie Allison. Along with the tough non- conference schedule, the MCFHC is definitely one of the nation's top conferences. Conference members Iowa and Northwestern are both ranked in the top 10 nationally.. The MCFHC will be dissolved next season, as fourth-ranked Penn State is added to the Big Ten, giving the conference national prominence. Smith explains that "with the addi- tion of Penn State, the Big Ten will be regarded along with the ACC as the premier conferences in the coun- try. r* e-m . .: ±:+r ;;i,:_: No. Name Pos. Yr. 0 00 10 12 13 14 15 21 22 23 25 27 29 31 32 33 35 Stacy Daly Nicole Hoover Katherine Epler Kalli Hose Sandie Marotti Jennifer DiMascio Lelli Hose Kristin Shaiper Katie Vignevic Shay Perry Chrissie Johnson Mary Beth Bird Katie Thomas Keely Libby Katie Allison Jenny Ridgley Nancy Irvine GK GK MF F DF DF OF F F F F F F DF MF F DF Fr So Jr So Sr So So Jr So Fr Jr Jr Jr Jr Fr Fr Hometown Briarcliff Manor, N.Y. Escondido, Calif. Columbus, Ohio Del Mar, Calif. San Jose, Calif. Worthington, Ohio Del Mar, Calif. St. Louis, Mo. Toms River, N.J. East Sandwich, Mass. Lawrenceville, N.J. St. Louis, Mo. Toledo, Ohio Stowe, Vt. Chesterfield, Mo. Bexley, Ohio Naramata, British Colombia Head coach Patti Smith (kneeling) gives the team a pep talk during a recent game against Central Michigan. The Wolverines, facing a tough schedule, look to improve on last season's 12-7-2 record. Shaiper sticks outhrough inju1ries and leads oWverines by Chris Carr Daily Sports Writer With less than a minute to play in Michigan's field hockey game against Central Michigan last Monday, the Wolverines, protecting a 1-0 lead, had to defend against a corner shot opportunity by the Chippewas. Michigan assistant coach Meri Dembrow turned to head coach Patti Smith and said, "Let Kristin fly." Smith instructed senior forward Kristin Shaiper to line up next to goalie Nicole Hoover. As Central passed the ball in front of the net, Shaiper rushed towards the shooter "I. ......... . . . . . . . . . . . . . - . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . THE MICHIGAN DAILY a pop, as Se1 with student comedians Chris Curtis and Blake Robinson At Amoco Corporation, your degree can be the key to a rewarding career. Come visit our display at the SWE-TBP career fair and learn about our global energy and chemical enter- prise. You'll like what you hear. And you'll be well prepared when we come on campus to interview. AMOCO and with her speed, was able to get close enough to deflect the shot wide of the goal and preserve the victory for the Wolverines. For Shaiper, last Monday rep- resented the first time during her in- jury-plagued career that she had played the entire game. It was also an indication of how the Wolverines intend to use her to win games this season: anywhere and everywhere. "Kristin is definitely one of the fastest players on our team," Smith said. "We can get both offense and defense out of her. Her speed is important to our offense because it gives us a lot of opportunities to get the ball into our zone. She also plays good individual defense and is very aggressive." As a senior tri-captain, the St. Louis, Mo. native welcomes her var- ied role to help the Wolverines win games. Last season, she was fifth on the team in scoring with eight points, but was second in shots on goal (39), which provides an indica- tion of her ability to give the Wolverines plenty of scoring op- portunities. "I'm a team player, and I am def- initely not the star," Shaiper said. "My role is to set up plays by draw- ing corners, making assists, and get- ting shots on goal. I also realize that it is important for me to play well defensively because everything starts with defense." As one of only two seniors on the team, Shaiper has been part of the team's major transformation under Smith. Although it was a team in transition during Shaiper's first years, the Wolverines have recently become nationally competitive. "I think this team can go far be- cause there is no one person that Shaiper other that each of us can assume our role and give it our best effort." Problems with shin splints and constant knee pain have bothered Shaiper since her sophomore year.. The training staff has tried various,, methods to ease her discomfort - extra stretching exercises, extra taming, and even special orthopedic devices for her shoes. However, Shaiper's desire and willingness to play with pain have been the key in overcoming her injuries. "As a leader, Kristin is more of a quiet type of person, but her actions speak louder than words," Smith. said. "She has worked so hard at re- habbing that now she is in a position to play longer and stronger. If she can be out on the field, she gives us a big boost." If the Central Michigan game displays any indication of things to come, Shaiper should definitely give the Wolverines a big boost. does it all, which is what we relied on in the past," Shaiper said. "Everyone has a definite role, and we all have the confidence in one an- University Atvtes H k Center for more information dial 763-1107 ~IYEJ~IYfu~i. M -wad CLUB Pymmars° Amoco Corporation SWE-TBP Career Fair Date: September 25, 1991 Time: 10:00 A.M-4:00 PM. 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