Scoreboard MAJOR LEAGUE BASEBALL PLAYOFFS American League National League BALTIMORE 10. Cleveland 4 ST. LOUIS 3, San Diego 1 Texas 6, NEW YORK 2 Home teams in CAPS Wednesday October 2, 1996 stickers face Spartans By Richard Shin Daily Sports Writer When the Michigan field hockey team plays Michigan State at Ocker field today at 4 p.m., the visiting Spartans might repeat their last performance when they left the net untouched against Ohio State, 3-0. But with the Big Ten's leading scorer *unior Ranya Hiscox - in the lineup, t e No. 7 Spartans have averaged just over three goals per game and have been shut out only once - hardly an indica- tion of meager scoring. But with Michigan showing improve- ment on already solid play and buoyed by the intensity of the in-state rivalry, the Spartans may find themselves in a tough match. Michigan is 17-18-1 against Michigan *e and split two games with the Spartans last season. The Spartans recorded their only victory in the confer- ence last season at Ocker Field, 4-2. The rivalry between the two teams is on the minds of the players. "I think it's exciting," Michigan defender Meredith Franden said. "We are really psyched for this game. It's just a big rivalry, and after a disappointing weekend, we just want to get on the field 1 play." Michigan has lost its past four Big Ten conference matches and hopes to break that streak this weekend. Michigan goalkeeper Amy Helber has done her best to keep the Wolverines competitive, with 61 saves and a .753 save percentage. Michigan State goal- keeper Beth George has an identical save percentage with 58 saves, but has bene- fited from the high goal-scoring. Going into today's match, George is 8-2 on the year for the Spartans, compared to Helber's 3-4 record. The Wolverines know that a victory tomorrow is important, but the match is also crucial for what comes along with the win - bragging rights. "Each game is a building game -the score last weekend didn't reflect how well we played," Michigan attacker Julie Flachs said. "Any Big Ten game is big, but (Michigan State) is our state rival, and a win would (give us) momentum" Through seven games, the Wolverines have taken a healthy 120 shots, but have been able to score only 12 goals, six of them by Flachs. The Wolverines have scored two goals in Big Ten play, a big factor in their 0-2 start. Pankratz stressed the importance of stepping up the offensive attack. "We need to finish," Pankratz said. "We need to really practice on getting our sticks in the circle and putting the ball in the cage." The home field advantage has not been much of an edge for the Wolverines lately. The Wolverines were 3-5 last sea- son at home. This season, the Wolverines are 2-3 at home and both victories have come against non-conference foes. The key to victory is not which team is at home, but which one seems most at home on the field. The team that takes control of the game early will have the edge, Flachs said. And she is hoping it will be Michigan. "It is important for us to come out first and score;' Flachs said. "We'll play bet- ter through the game if we show (Michigan State) that we're prepared." The Spartans have four players in dou- ble-digits in points on the season, and nine different Michigan State players have scored a goal or registered an assist. This season, the Wolverines have been outscored in the first half, 11-3 - a trend they hope to reverse against the Spartans. But Pankratz is not taking Michigan State lightly. "(The Spartans are) playing very well right now, Pankratz said. "They're com- ing into their own and they'll be a very, very formidable opponent." Junior attacker Julie Flachs (No. 14, at left) leads the Michigan field hockey team against No. 7 Michigan State at Ocker Field at 4 p.m. today. The Wolverines and Spartans split a pair of games last season, with each team winning on the road. Senior Westfall leads women's golf on links By Peter Brensilver For the Daily To succeed as a collegiate athlete, one must exhibit qualities such as desire, hard work, determination and a passion for the sport. When athletes enter their senior year, they face their final chance to exhibit these qualities and gain suc- cess. This is exactly what Wendy Westfall, the captain of the Michigan's women's golf team, is doing as she plays her senior season. Westfall, from Albuquerque, N.M., recently attained a personal best by fin- ishing seventh at the Wolverine Invitational with a score of 160. She fol- lowed that performance with a career- low 74 in the second round of last week- end's Lady Badger tournament. These achievements have come after three straight seasons of consistent improvement and hard work. To what does Westfall attribute her recent suc- cess? "I think I've improved because of my confidence," she said. After working hard this past summer to further develop her game, Westfall is more confident, which she said is an asset when things fall apart. Michigan coach Kathy Teichert attrib- utes Westfall's accomplishments to other factors as well. Teichert points out that changes in her swing have played a large role in Westfall's success. "She's steadily improved due to her competitiveness, her desire to succeed, and her ability to focus on one shot at a time," Teichert said. Regardless of the reason, Westfall's success is a welcome benefit to the Wolverines, as are her leadership skills. "She leads by example," Teichert said. "She wants this team to be Big Ten champions." Experience, personality and the ability to get along with all of the players, as well as the coach, make it easy for Westfall to be a leader. Westfall points out that she is not alone in being a team leader, with her three fellow seniors doing the job as well. "As a senior it's not hard to be a leader," Westfall said. "We began four years ago, which is when the coach began, and all five of us have a lot to do with the leadership." With this leadership, the team has had no trouble remaining unified. Westfall also attributes this unity to a smaller roster. She has watched the team improve each of the past three seasons at the Big Ten tournament and is setting her hopes high for this sea- son after the team's recent success. "Team-wise, this past weekend was a very good one for us, finishing third with eight Big Ten teams present," Westfall said. Teichert's outlook for Westfall is a positive one. "Wendy wants to win so much and she tries so hard, that she'll continue to get better and better," Teichert said. With the inevitable fact that this is Westfall and her classmates' senior year, Teichert spoke of mixed emo- tions. "When the time comes to an end we'll be happy, yet sad because the senior class is a great class," Teichert said. "They're so upbeat and wanting to do well." Westfall is able to excel in a sport often suited for the individual, yet directs her desires towards the success of the team. Her success has also made itself apparent in her desire and leadership as well as the intense pride she takes in her team. To say that Westfall is an asset to the squad is an understatement. "Wendy is a key contributor to our team," Teichert said. MARGARL MYERS/Uaily Junior captain Debbie Flaherty and the Michigan soccer team are hoping to gain big-game experience to give the talented squad an edge in only its third season. Blue soccer hoping age, experience pay dividends By Josh Kleinbaum For the Daily When Debbie Belkin took the job as the first-ever Michigan women's soc- cer coach, her team lacked something that every good team needs - experi- ehce. Now, in the third year of the pro- gram, she finally has a squad with some veterans. *'The biggest difference between this year's team and the last two is leader- ship," Belkin said. "The players are willing to be more vocal, voicing to their teammates what they want, and what they expect" The players have noticed this differ- ence, too. "Last year, everyone was too timid, and no one wanted to take the respon- sibility of the leader, on or off the id," said junior captain Debbie faherty. "This year, there's actually leadership out there, from the sopho- mores, the juniors and the seniors." On a team that is still predominantly underclassmen, Belkin looks to her veterans to lead the younger players. "The upperclassmen should lead by example," Belkin said. "They should help the younger players adjust to the college game and try to give them a lit- 9 push by working hard, whether it's in the weight room, whether it's run- ning, or whether it's on the field." But Belkin expects more from her upperclassmen than just on-the-field leadership. "The upperclassmen know how the school works," Belkin said. "I look to record, with only a single conference victory. "Last year, we only had one senior, and there were a lot of times during the season where we could have used some vocal leadership to help us through the tough spots," Belkin said. "This year, some of the older players are more willing to take on responsibility." Belkin cited several players as being team leaders and taking on more responsibility this season. "Obviously, the team views our cap- tains, Debbie Flaherty and Michele Brach, as good leaders, because they voted (them) captains," Belkin said. "The biggest thing we have to do this year is to get everyone working for the same goal: winning," junior Ashley Marks said. "We understand how important winning is. We have the skill. We need the heart. That's what we need to teach the freshmen." The six third-year players have defi- nitely been leaders on the field. The five field players - juniors Flaherty, Poulin, Marks, Amanda Gauthier and Jaime Ross - have combined for 12 of the Wolverines' 49 points this season, while senior goalkeeper Jori Welchins has been splitting time with sophomore Jessica Jones. The two combined for the shutout over Indiana on Sunday. "We're only a third-year program. We're going to grow," Belkin said. "We finally have two seniors, but our team is still extremely young. If our upper- classmen do a good job, and if the whole team keeps working together, ON CAMPUS Informational Seminar: October 21, 1996 Refreshments Location: Check with the Placement Office Interviews: October 22, 1996 Principal fields of specialization currently include but are not limited to: * Optical Space Communications " Signal Processing and Detection " Satellite Communications Systems * Satellite Location and Tracking " Electro-Optical Technology " Software Development/ Scientific Programming " Cognitive Science " Radar Systems Development & Scientific Analysis " Digital System Design " Solid State Devices " RF/Microwave/Antennas " Air Traffic Control Systems " Multiprocessor Computer Systems " Advanced Air Defense Systems Located in the heart of New England's high-technology belt, Lincoln Laboratory is within easy reach of the region's most beautiful beaches and mountains and less than 15 miles from downtown Boston with its diverse cultural, educational and athletic events. 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