10 - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, November 3, 1994
Wrestlers
find time
for Mott's
children
By TIM SMITH
Daily Sports Writer
With the start of the wrestling sea-
son approaching at the same time that
academic schedules are tightening,
one would think the Michigan wres-
fling team would have little time to
concentrate on anything else.
The Wolverines, however, were able
to make a little room in their busy
schedules last night to pay a visit to the
sick kids at Mott Children's Hospital.
"I think (visiting the kids) is ex-
cellent because so many athletes take
their abilities for granted," sopho-
more heavyweightAirron Richardson
said. "It not only helps cheer up the
kid but it humbles the athlete."
The team came with its hands full
of Michigan wrestling bumper stick-
ers and tee-shirts to pass out to the
waiting kids. The Wolverines then
split up into two groups to ensure that
nobody would be missed.
While some of the kids were able
to walk around and interact with the
team, most were confined to their
beds, either attached to machines or
too sick to move. All, though, were
happy once the vvrestlers stopped in
their rooms.
"It's nice to see them smile," senior
Kalev Freeman said of the kids. "A lot
of them have been in here so long that
it's nice to see them cheered up.
"As student athletes, we're all in
good shape and we're all students, so
(seeing the kids) really makes you
thankful for what you've got."
Freeman also debunked the myth
of the self-absorbed jock, pointing
out the achievements of the team on
and off the mats.
"Four of us are pre-med and we
have a lot of top scholars," he said.
"People expect us to perform on the
field, but what they don't realize is
that we perform to the fullest in school
and in the community."
The wrestlers definitely weren't
just going through the motions at the
hospital, either. They interacted with
sincerity toward the patients and
seemed to be more aware and appre-
ciative of how lucky they really are.
Men kickers gear up
JOE WESTRAIW/aify
Michigan's club soccer squad heads to Columbus to compete in the regional club tournament.
0
High hopes ful en netters
Tennis takes on1 best of Big TFen at Madison invite
for postseas
By JOHN LEROI
Daily Sports Writer
This is what it all comes down to.
The regular season is over for the
Michigan men's soccer team and the
Wolverines are preparing for the play-
offs.
For Michigan (12-6-4), the post
season begins Saturday in Columbus
at the regional club tournament. The
tournament concludes Sunday with
the final match at 1 p.m. The Wolver-
ines said they will not be satisfied
with merely a strong showing this
weekend; they expect to win the tour-
nament.
"We're superior to most club
teams," head coach Steve Burns con-
fidently stated.
And why shouldn't Michigan carry
a trophy out of Columbus Sunday
afternoon? The Wolverines are the
number one seed from the Big Ten in
the six-team tourney. Indiana is seeded
second and Illinois grabbed the num-
ber three seed.
The top three teams from the Big
Ten will tackle the three best from the
Ohio Valley Conference - top seed,
Miami (Ohio), second-seeded, Ohio
State, and No. three Dayton. Tradi-
tionally, the Big Ten has been the
better of the two midwest confer-
ences.
Following tournament format, the
Wolverines will face the triumvirate
from Ohio, but not the other Big Ten
teams. Likewise, the Hoosiers and the
Illini will not square off against each
other. Michigan will face Dayton and
Miami Saturday and Ohio State Sun-
day.
Each game, teams will be scored
on a 10-point scale. Six points are
awarded for a win, three for a tie, and
no points for a loss. Additionally,
teams are awarded one point for each
goal they score, up to three goals, and
an additional point for a shut out. The
top two finishers in the regional tour-
nament will advance to the national
tournament in Phoenix, held Nov. 16
-19.
Although the Wolverines are com-
ing in as the tournament favorite, no
one is handing the regional crown to
Michigan just yet. The Wolverines
don't exactly light up the scoreboard.
Most of Michigan's goals have been
scored by the midfielders and
on tourney
defensemen, while the front line just
can't seem to get the ball in the net.
"Our forwards didn't have much
confidence," Burns said, referring to
most of the regular season. "But now
* they're being more selfish and taking
shots. They're not content tojust dump
the ball off to the midfielders any-
more. We're trying to get down in the
mud and score the tough goals,"
The Wolverine defense has re-
mained a rock of consistency for the
entire season, but an injury to starting
goalkeeperMikeMilman may weaken
Michigan's back line. Milman, who
is having an outstanding season, suf-@
fered a strained posterior cruciate liga-
ment in his left knee during a collision
with a Western Michigan player dur-
ing last Sunday's match.
As of yesterday afternoon,
Milman's status was upgraded from
doubtful to questionable. He did not
practice with the team yesterday,
though he may practice today and
will travel with the team to Colum-
bus.
However, Burns said yesterday
that sophomore Andy Germak will
get the start in goal for the Wolver-
ines, though Milman might play if he
is needed. Germak has seen plenty of
action this season and has started a
few games for the Wolverines. Burns
said he feels confident that Germak
will fill in well, and does not think
Milman will be needed.
Another problem for Michigan is
that it fields a fairly young squad,
with only two seniors on the active
roster. However, the team is playing
better with each match and the play-
ers seem more comfortable with each
other than they did at the beginning of
the season. The Wolverines also have
the benefit of a full week of practice to
prepare for the regional tournament.
Not many club teams have been
able to play with Michigan for 90
minutes this season and while the
Wolverines are certainly not looking
past this weekend's tournament, the
team expects to move on to the na-
tionals.
"Everything's going well,".
defenseman Ryan Carriere said.
"We're playing better every game.
and we should be peaking about the_
time (the national tournament) in
Phoenix rolls around."
By BRETT KRASNOVE
For the Daily
The Michigan men's tennis team
heads to Wisconsin tomorrow and the
Wolverines are taking their high expec-
tations along with them. After faring
well at the Georgia Tech Fall Classic
early last month - winning 20 of 27
matches-they have good reason to be
so confident.
"We really performed well down
at Georgia Tech," assistant coach Dan
Goldberg said. "I'm really looking
forward to this tournament."
"I have very high expectations,"
coach Brian Eisner said. "I feel as
though the level of competition at
Atlanta was equal (to the field at
Madison)."
The upcoming Intercollegiate Ten-
nis Association (ITA) Rolex Qualifier,
held at Nielsen Tennis Stadium, runs
from tomorrow through Monday. The
top doubles team and the top two singles
finishers receive automatic bids to the
1995 National Indoor Championships,
held Feb. 3 through 5 at Southern Meth-
odist. There will be 128 singles players
in this tournament, eight from Michi-
gan, and 64 doubles teams, four of
whom will be Wolverines.
One might think the importance
of a tournament of individual compe-
tition as opposed to team competition
would be minimal for a coach. How-
ever, Eisner is of a different mindset.
"This particular tournament is set
up to identify the top two singles play-
ers and top doubles team," Eisner said.
Players said they feel the tourna-
ment is a good opportunity to break
out of their usual team role.
"It's good for the team. When
people get stuck in a position, you
start to think you're that number,"
junior John Constanzo said. "We have
so much depth. Our five man can play
one or two."
The tournaments are also an ef-
fective way of measuring up the tal-
ent on other teams.
"It's a nice way to judge the players
in this part of the country." Eisner said.
Also sending players to Wiscon-
sin are the rest of the Big Ten, Notre
Dame, many Mid-Atlantic Confer-
ence schools, as well as other small
colleges in the area.
"This will give us an idea of how
we stack up against the Big Ten,"
Goldberg said.
Coming off impressive showings
in Atlanta are Constanzo, Peter
Pusztai, Grady Burnett and David
Paradzik. Paradzik, a freshman, won
the B bracket of the tournament, con-
sisting of seeds five through eight in
singles. Constanzo reached the
quarterfinals of the A bracket, which
consists of seeds one through four.
Pustzai reached the third round of the
A tournament while Burnett fought
his way to the quarterfinals of the B
bracket. Can we expect a repeat per-
formance?
"Expect them to do very well. It
wouldn't surprise me to see them in
the later rounds," Goldberg said.
THERE'S A NEW
MEDICAL SCHOOL
PARTNERSHIP
IN MICHIGAN.
':
I
337 East Liberty St.
Brin gin ten (or more) cans of Ann Arbor, MI 48104
food to participating KAPLAN
Centers and save $50 on the 220 M.A.C. Ave.-Ste. 200
world's best test preparation.* East Lansing. MI 48823
Through November 1994, you rossroads Office Centre
have a chance to help others 16250 Northland Dr.-Ste.007
and a chance to raise your Southfield, MI 48075
score on the big exam.. The Westgate Building
Help others and let KAPLAN 3450 West Central Ave.-Ste.102
help you. Be a part of over Toledo, OH 43606
fifty years of test success.
151 South Rose-Ste.304
Kalamazoo, MI 49007
r
I.
I
I