The Michigan Daily - Friday, October 16, 1992 - Page 11 Kickers cruise past Western Michigan by Mike Hill Daily Sports Writer Once they got the game under way, it was a good one. Getting it going was the problem. The Michigan women's soccer club waited almost an hour last night for Western Michigan's goal keeper, Heather Combs, to join her team- mates. Combs, who was given wrong directions to Mitchell Field, probably should have stayed home. The Wolverines got started early * with a goal by Alicia Stewart at 12 minutes and continued to cruise to a 5-0 victory. "Technically the game should have been a forfeit because of the delay," Michigan coach Peter Man- ning said. "But I would have felt bad taking it. I really wanted to play. I think the circumstances really got us fired up." The Wolverines jumped to a two- * goal lead when senior Shannon Loper hit forward Lisa Ashton streaking toward the goal. Ashton, the team's leading scorer, beat the Broncos' Combs and capped an ag- gressive first half of play. "I was happy with the way we started the game," Manning said. "We've had trouble all year really getting into the game from the very start. We came out with real good intensity, going hard to the ball, and winning the 50-50 balls. That's what we try to do to start a game, to set the tone. We did a real good job of that" Michigan dominated the second half as well, despite playing through fog on a soggy field. Jenny Stein- hebel's left footer at 51 minutes just curled around the right post for a 3-0 * lead. Nine minutes later, after Western threw an elbow during a Michigan corner kick, the senior converted a free kick for her second goal of the game. The final nail in the coffin came with another Ashton from Loper goal. The assist was Loper's third of the contest. "The damp air kind of helped," Manning said. "It makes you feel like you can run forever. You stay cool. And we obviously handled (the weather) pretty well. I certainly can't be disappointed with a 5-0 win." The Wolverines don't have much time to celebrate. They travel to Chicago this weekend for a game Saturday against Northwestern and another on Sunday against Depaul. Icers open with ND Wolverines look to feast on young Irish by Brett Forrest Daily Hockey Writer The odds of Saturday evening's opening game end- ing up in a 17-17 tie are slim and none, and slim left town. When the Michigan hockey team takes on Notre Dame at Yost Arena, Lou Holtz will not be the oppos- ing coach. Instead, Ric Schafer will be behind the Irish bench, leading the team into its debut season in the Central Collegiate Hockey Association (CCHA). Notre Dame, voted last in both the CCHA coaches and media polls, opens its schedule against one of the top teams in the nation. Michigan, 1992 CCIIA regular- season champion, is ranked first ir numerous hockey polls, including those in which Notre Dame brought up the rear. "It should be a great tune-up for us," Schafer said. "We are definitely starting with one of the top teams. We want to gain more respect and prove the coaches wrong in the poll." The Wolverines are not shaken by the lavish praise. "We're flattered that people think what we're doing is positive," said Michigan coach Red Berenson. "We're getting some respect, but that doesn't mean a thing. We have to go about our business and pay the price to play well." "It's just a number (the ranking)," said junior de- fenseman Aaron Ward. "When you go out on the ice, the other team doesn't know you're number one. We have to go out there and prove something this year." Michigan is anxious to begin the season, one of the most anticipated in recent years. For a team that went to the NCAA semifinals last season and returns 17 letter- men, anything short of the pinnacle would be a letdown. This year's team proves to have a different complex- ion as well. With Denny Felsner's 94 points erased from the roster, the team now lacks the go-to player. This could turn'out to be a plus, though. "Last year, we had a player who could turn the game around by himself," said Berenson. "This year we can't be carried by two or three players. We are going to have to be more of a team. "Every year I have coached here, I have been able to say that this is the best team Michigan has ever had. This season we have to make it happen. It should be an exciting year." After having gone through dry-land training, a few weeks of skating and the Blue-White intrasquad scrim- mage, the Wolverines are ready to go up against another team and see where they stand. "We looked a little rusty in the Blue-White game," said Berenson. "We want to get rid of the early-season jitters. The game mentality is different than the practice mentality. I hope we're nervous. We want to find out what kind of team we'll be. You don't know when you're playing against each other. We won't know until we have a game under our belt." CCHA RULES: This weekend's game will not count in the CCHA standings. New league rules stipu- late that teams may play each other in only three games which count towards their league records. The Irish and the Wolverines will meet four times this year. The league also will revert to a policy of allowing teams to substitute for players involved in coincidental penalties. This will reduce the amount of four-on-four and three-on-three play. The NHL recently adopted the opposite policy. NEW LOOK: The Wolverines will skate in new uni- forms Saturday. The home jerseys are much the same, with the addition of a block 'M' on each shoulder. MICHELLE GUY/Daily The Michigan hockey team begins its 1992-93 season tomorrow night at Yost Ice Arena against Notre Dame. The game begins at 7:00 p.m. 'M' stickers to face tough weekend test Men runners face new course by Brett Johnson Daily Sports Writer In an 18 game season, every game is important. However, this weekend the Michigan field hockey team has a chance to show the nation just where it stands as it travels to Iowa City to challenge two of the nations elite teams. Tomorrow, the Wolverines (2-2 in the Big Ten, 6-3 overall) take on No. 3 Penn State and Sunday, they play No. 2 Iowa. Michigan is com- ing off two straight conference loses to the Lady Lions and Northwestern. "We're hungry for a win," Michigan coach Patti Smith said. "No one likes losing. If we play smart, we'll be successful." The game against Penn State is a chance for immediate revenge. The Wolverines last game was a 2-1 de- feat at the hands of the Lady Lions here in Ann Arbor. Smith feels the team needs to shoot more on offense and tighten up the defense by pressuring Penn State's players harder. The Lady Lions are led by Chris McGinley who has 13 goals this season includ- ing one against the Wolverines. Forward Kalli Hose agreed on what her team needs to beat Penn State. "Offensively, we have to put pressure on their freshman goalie," Hose said. "We have to put the ball in the cage. We haven't scored as much as we would like to. "Defensively, we watched the video tapes and we were playing off their man. We have to step up to prevent them from getting the bll." Iowa comes into the weekend leading the Big Ten with a 4-0 record (11-0 overall). Not only do the Hawkeyes possess great talent, but they also are playing at home. Since their move to Grant field in 1989, Iowa has never suffered a loss. The Hawkeyes' Kristy Gleason and Jaime Rofrano are the confer- ence's top two scorers, with 24 and 18 points respectively. And with all- American goalie Andrea Wieland, Iowa presents a formidable foe. "We have nothing to lose," Hose said. "We can go in there and pull off an upset. If we beat Penn State, people may think it's a fluke. But if we beat Iowa too, it will show peo- ple that Michigan is here." by Antoine Pitts The Michigan men's cross coun- try team returns to action this week- end for Sunday morning's Michigan Invitational. This meet represents an important moment in the season for the Wolverines. "This is a key time for us be- cause I have to start making deci- sions on who's going to run in the Big Ten meet," Michigan coach Ron Warhurst said. "I can take nine to the Big Ten meet and I can see there are probably fourteen kids who have a possibility." The Invitational, originally sche- duled for Saturday, was moved to Sunday at 10:45 a.m. to allow for a larger turnout. High school runners whose meets take place on Saturdays will be able to attend. Despite running at the U-M golf course Sunday, the Wolverines will not have the home-course advantage. Construction on the University links has changed the route that the run- ners will take. "Usually the home-course advan- tage is you know where you're go- ing," Warhurst said. "At this point though, we don't know where we're. going." The Wolverines will practice on week's meet because of the GRE the new course today and tomorrow exam. He joins sixteen other runners to get acquainted with the layout. A who will compete for the Wol- wrong turn in last week's Michigan verines in Sunday's field against Intercollegiate Meet cost the Wol- nine teams from around the nation. verines a few points. The top competition should come Matt Smith returns to the from Kansas and Tennessee, both na- Michigan lineup after missing last tionally-ranked squads. i i t a Home sweet home for women's cross country by Rich Mitvalsky races, and senior Amy Buchholz, Daily Sports Writer who won in East Lansing. After roasting highly ranked While most of Michigan's ear- squads during a series of road meets, lier races were held on flat courses, the Michigan women's cross country this weekend's home course should team returns to the comfort of home prove significantly different, a this weekend. The Michigan In- pleasant change for the Wolverines. vitational, held at the University "Our team is much more com- Golf Course, serves as the Wol- fortable running the hilly courses," verine's lone home meet this season. head coach Mike McGuire said ear- The Wolverines are coming off a lier this season. "The flat courses re- four-meet sequence away from semble the course at Illinois where home, including victories at Mich- the Big Ten's will be held." igan State, Notre Dame and Central While conference and NCAA Michigan while claiming second standards regulate the number of place at Indiana. Each meet was athletes allowed at away meets, the dominated by Michigan runners, Wolverines expect to field their full including sophomore Karen Harvey, compliment of runners this week- who took team honors in three of the end. * Tankers look to go the distance this weekend by Jaeson Rosenfeld Daily Sports Writer This weekend's double-distance meet against Michigan State may not be the Big Ten Championships, but that does not diminish its impor- tance in the eyes of Michigan wom- en's swim coach Jim Richardson. "There's kind of a rule of thumb in swimming that a happy, rested team in October is an unhappy, slow team in March," Richardson said. "This meet gives us a chance to look at the level of our aerobic condition- ing." The meet, which features events at twice their conventional distance, is scheduled early- in the season to supplement the team's training schedule. While sprints are empha- sized in the winter and spring, the fall features distance training, which means nine two-hour workouts a week for the swimmers. Richardson said that this rigorous schedule has prepared the Wolverines well for Saturday morning's meet at Canham Natatorium. "We've never had any problems with the double-distance in the past," Richardson said. Senior co-captain Mindy Gehrs, who may swim both the 800 indi- vidual medley and the 400 butterfly this weekend, agreed with her coach's analysis "We have the distance back- ground. I think we're prepared." Gehrs said. "I think it will be fun. I may change my mind after the 400 fly." Richardson is looking for a re- peat of last weekend's intrasquad meet, which featured some stellar performances. "We had a couple of very good swims." Richardson said. "Lara Hooiveld had an excellent 200 breaststroke. I was also really im- pressed with Beth Jackson." Friday Lunch Special Keilbasa & Fries a smoked Kielbasa/ with grilled onions and peppers only $2.99 11:30-3:00pm RIEHM 338 S.; Happy Hour: 3:00-7:00pm $1.00 off Pints of Beer, Well Drinks, Wine I Frig uJRANT AND PUB State - 996-9191 CaskC A Mi day Dinner Special BBQ Beef Ribs All you can eat, served with fries, slaw and garlic bread.....$6.75 Introducing: Brewhouse Best Bitter onditioned Real Ale chigan Exclusive DOUGLAS KANTER/Daily Michigan's women's swimming team will face Michigan State Saturday. 11 11 "they blew you away atlollapalooza - now experience the full show? .-.4. gam .. *a.* en MULTI COLOR SPECIALISTS - ARTIST ON STAFF " RUSH ORDERS NEAR U OF M CAMPUS 1217 PROSPECT, ANN ARBOR 665.1771 OFF with this ad. BUGS BUGS BUNNY Film Festival October 16 & 17 Friday and Saturday 7:30 pm MR I I _ ....+i, _ mil n r ir 'W I