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Page 14-The Michigan Daily- Friday, October 18,1991
Soccer teams hit the road
Menface No.11 Badgers
by Mike Rancilio
It's the same old story for the men's soccer club -
consistent play, but not enough offense.
The Wolverines need to upgrade their offensive play
as they head to Madison to take on No. 11 Wisconsin.
Michigan is coming off a solid performance against
Macomb Community College Wednesday night, but
the lack of goals is still troublesome.
"This was our most dominating game this season,
but we didn't score. We have to get more scoring
chances," coach Aaron Smith said following the 1-0
victory.
Because Michigan is playing a nationally ranked
team, its intensity should be at a high tonight. The
prospect of playing in a stadium in front of a large
crowd could jumpstart Michigan's offense.
"We've worked on finishing (our scoring chances),"
sweeper Brian Rosewarne said. "Everyone's excited
about playing Wisconsin under the lights, in front of a
lot of people."
For the experience to be a winning one, Michigan
must find a way to stop Ann Arbor native Derrick
Bylsma, who leads the Wisconsin scoring attack, along
with teammates Casey Seymour, and Brett LaFarrera.
Wisconsin's head coach, Jim Laudner, is happy with
his team's play lately. "We are ranked 11th nationally,
and second in our region, and we our playing our best
soccer," he said.
Women seek longer streak
by Tim Rardin
Daily Sports Writer
This weekend should be like most weekends for the
Michigan women's soccer team. The Wolverines will
again be playing two games, and they will again be fac-
ing teams that pose little to no threat to their 15-0-2
record.
Michigan will travel to Kalamazoo Sunday for two
games. The Wolverines face Western Michigan at 11
a.m. and Valparaiso at 3 p.m.
"With the competition we've been playing, any-
thing usually works," Michigan coach Phil Joyaux
said. "We're trying to keep focused, but we're not get-
ting the challenge we need to be ready for the big
games."
Despite the lack of quality competition, sophomore
stopper Carrie Taylor knows the Wolverines still have
to be prepared for both games.
Western Michigan currently sports a 5-2 record.
Michigan faced Western once last year, coming away
with a decisive 8-0 victory.
Valparaiso enters the weekend with a 7-2-1 season
mark. Coach Ceyhun Ozgar thinks the team could just
as easily be undefeated.
"We want to make sure we're sound defensively
against Michigan," he said. "We had a few mental
lapses in the two games we lost that probably cost us
victories."
ELLIOTT
Continued from page 11
One aspect of that heritage was
a strong rushingattack; to this day,
Elliott considers a successful rush-
ing game the biggest compliment
to his play.
Although coach Gary Moeller's
gravest preseason concern was the
team's inexperienced backfield, the
Wolverines now feature four de-
pendable running backs.
"I don't know where the hell
they come from," Elliott said. "I
think I was the most surprised at
(former Michigan tailback) Jon
Vaughn - not that he came on
strong, but the magnitude of how
good he was. This year doesn't sur-
prise me, though. I guess I'm be-
coming less and less surprisable."
But interior offensive line coach
Les Miles maintains that the
Wolverines' rushing success isn't
the sole result of superior running
backs. Miles credits Elliott and the
rest of the line, which has gelled
over the past three seasons into one
of the nation's best units.
"We ask our guys up front to do
difficult things, and they respond,"
Miles said. "Matt's ability to go
back and forth from center to guard
without missing a beat has been so
valuable."
Elliott started eight games at
center last season while Steve
Everitt was out with a broken left
foot. He returned to guard for
Michigan's 35-3 Gator Bowl vic-
tory over Mississippi, after which
the line was awarded co-MVP
honors for its domination of the
Rebels.
"It's a comforting position to
be in to know your second-team
center is an honorable mention all-
Big Ten guard," Miles said.
Elliott was shocked to win the
MVP trophy he now treasures.
"They announced that it was the
first time it was ever about to be
given to an entire unit," he said. "I
thought it would be the defense."
Elliott, Skrepenak, and Everitt
have all returned from that group,
which Joe Cocozzo and Rob
Doherty have now joined. Elliott
entered this season anticipating a
consistency that comes with three
returning starters.
"Last year, I was viewed as a
backup center," he said. "I was hop-
ing for a chance to make a name for
myself as a guard."
But Everitt left Michigan's
Elliott
i
second game, a 24-14 victory over
Notre Dame, with a broken jaw. It
was back to center for the nomadic
Elliott.
"I was worried about him,"
Elliott said. "But my first reaction
was 'Christ, how long is he gonna
be out for?"'
However, Everitt returned after
missing only one game, allowing
Elliott to slide back to his guard
position.
But blocking at the line of
scrimmage isn't Elliott's sole con-
cern at Michigan; he places a strong
emphasis on academics.
Though he returned to Michigan
for his fifth year of football,
Elliott earned his undergraduate
degree last May and now takes*
graduate courses in kinesiology.
It's a discipline he's excelled in -
last year, Elliott won the Paul A.
Hunsicker Memorial Award for
"superior scholarship" and
"professional zeal and promise" as
an undergraduate kinesiology
student.
"It had nothing to do with
football, and that's why it wao
such a great honor," Elliott said.
"Twenty years from now, when
my knees are plastic, I'll still have
my brain."
'A lot of guys get up
for Ohio State or
Michigan State. This
is my Michigan State'
- Matt Elliot
His career plans include, not ex-
clusively, a shot at the NFL. "I'm
the kind of player that would need
a great combine," he said. Beyond
that, Elliott seeks a career in live
television, perhaps as a director.
Having worked for ABC as a
production assistant on the Indy
Car circuit, Elliott hopes to cover
the 1992 Summer Olympics in
Barcelona for NBC.
Miles is optimistic about his
chances.
"He's a multi-talented kid,"
Miles said. "It would be a big sur-
prise if he's not going straight to
the top."
But Elliott says his post-foot-
ball future is "so far on the back
burner I can't even see it." His im-'
mediate priority is wining games.
Elliott is from the old school,
his football philosophy distinctly
influenced by Schembechler. Amid
all the hype about Michigan's
chances at a national title, he wants
to go to the Rose Bowl.
"This national championship
thing is very mythological," he
said. "The Rose Bowl is something
in our control."
Indeed, Elliott is quite familiar
with the Rose Bowl. It was there
that he got his first start for the
Wolverines 28 games ago, in a
September contest with UCLA. He
found out he'd be playing earlier
that week and called his dad, who
promptly hung up the phone and
dialed the travel agent.
His parents watched Michigan@
pull out a dramatic victory over
the Bruins and their son earn a per-
manent position on the offensive
line.
He expects tomorrow's last go-
around with Indiana to linger in his
mind in much the same way the
UCLA game still does. But in the
end, tomorrow's contest is just one
more step toward achieving his ul4
timate goal at Michigan.
Elliott wants to go out the
same way he came in - playing in
the Rose Bowl.
MICHIGAN
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