12 - The Michigan Daily - Friday, October 11, 1996
Big Ten's rough road to title
goes though Iowa City, Evanston
By Richard Shin
Daily Sports Writer
For the Michigan field hockey team,
back-to-back victories this weekend
would give the Wolverines their first
four-match winning streak.
To achieve
Wolverines
will have to
defeat two
nationally-
ranked oppo-
nents, No. 12
Northwestern
and No. 2
Iowa.
For the
u n r a n k e d
Wolverines,
the task may
not be easy.
this, however, the
This
weekend
Who: Michigan vs.
No. 2 Iowa and No.
12 Northwestern
When: Iowa, today, 3
p.m.; Northwestern
tomorrow, noon
Where: Iowa City
and Evanston
Notable: Iowa is
first in the Big Ten
the Wildcats have dropped their last
three matches, including a 3-2 loss to
Iowa on Sept. 28.
The Wolverines are coming off an
emotional victory over cross-state rival
Michigan State and a convincing 6-1
drubbing of New Hampshire last
week.
"(Against Michigan State), we
played hard and played well together,"
Michigan attacker Michelle Smulders
said. "We played beautiful hockey, and
we put the ball in the net."
Iowa, too, has found the net this sea-
son, averaging 3.9 goals per game
through I1 games. Iowa goalkeeper,
Lisa Cellucci, has been stingy in the
goal, allowing a little over a goal per
game.
The Hawkeyes are led by Diane
DeMiro and Kristen Holmes. DeMiro
has a team-high nine goals and leads
the team with 24 points. Holmes has
eight goals on the year and is tied for
the team lead in assists with DeMiro
with six.
Michigan's defense has been tough
as well in its past two games, giving up
only four goals.
Northwestern has not fared as well
as Iowa this season. Although the
Wildcats are ranked 12th, they. are 0-3
in the Big Ten and have struggled to a
5-6 record. The Wildcats are led by
Ellie Karvoski, who has scored nine
goals and has 19 points on the year.
Wins this weekend would move the
Wolverines toward their first confer-
ence title in Michigan history.
Although the Wolverines have won
two matches in a row, their last victory
came over a New Hampshire team that
entered the game with only one win.
Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz did
not think that the big victory would
result in a letdown against Iowa, but
she expressed some concerns.
"It's good and bad," Pankratz said.
"It's great for their confidence, but
sometimes you get away with some
things that you can't get away with
against Iowa. (The match against the
Hawkeyes) is going to be extremely
difficult. They are the No. 2 team in
the nation.
"We have our work cut out for us."
Iowa (3-0 Big Ten, 10-1 overall),
Michigan's opponent on Saturday, has
\won its last three matches, all of which
were against ranked conference foes.
Michigan then faces a Northwestern
team that is heading in the opposite
direction. In contrast to the Hawkeyes,
FILE PHOTO/D~aily
Like Julie Flachs, the rest of the Wolverines will have to stay a step ahead this weekend. Michigan has two tough Big Ten
road games, one in Iowa City, the other in Evanston.
w -
'M' faces ranked foes
Nittany Lions, Gophers to take on Blue
w o j. A ! 1 1
'
n
By Josh Kleinbaum
For the Daily
Coming off only the second ever
back-to-back shutout losses in its histo-
ry, the Michigan women's soccer team
is looking to turn things around at home
this weekend as it jumps back into the
Big Ten schedule.
It'll be a tough weekend for the
Wolverines (1-1 Big Ten, 4-4-2 overall),
as they play their third and fourth con-
secutive ranked teams. Michigan plays
No. 13 Penn State (1-1-1, 7-2-2) at 4
p.m. this afternoon, then No. 17
Minnesota (1-2, 8-3) at 1 p.m. on
Sunday. Both games are at Michigan
Soccer Field.
The Wolverines are coming off two
difficult defeats, having lost to both
Washington and Portland, 3-0.
After this weekend, seven of
Michigan's 11 opponents will have
been ranked in the top 25. The
Wolverines record against ranked teams
is 0-3-2.
Penn State relies on junior forward
Rachel Hoffman for leadership.
Hoffman has scored six goals and
added seven assists on the season.
"They have very strong forwards, so
we have to make sure that we mark
them up tight," Michigan coach Debbie
Belkin said. "We have to hold off
Rachel Hoffman, one of the top for-
wards in the Big Ten."
The Nittany Lions also depend on the
goaltending team of Robyn Van Pragg
and Dara Christante, who have com-
bined for a L.14 goals-against average
and have had four shutouts. Carol
Dutchka should also be a factor for th
Nittany Lions. The sophomore forward
was named Big Ten Player of the Week
two weeks ago after she scored the
game winning-goal against Minnesota:
on Sept. 22.
This game is the sixth of seven con-
secutive games on the road for the
Nittany Lions. Meanwhile, the
Wolverines return home, where they arc
undefeated this season. Penn State log
to No. 5 Maryland last Sunday, 3-1.
The 17th-ranked Minnesota Golden
Gophers have had a rough start in the
Big Ten, already suffering two losses,
and they look to rebound against the
Wolverines.
The Gophers only lost one Big 'Ten
game all of last season en route to win-
ning the conference title.
"Minnesota is a really tough team,"
Belkin said. "They play good teanm
defense and have the top center mid
fielder in the conference."
That center midfielder is All-
American Jennifer McElmury, who
already has seven goals on the season.
The Gophers are also lead by midfield-
er Erin Hussey and forward Nicole Lee,
who have scored seven goals each.
Teresa O'Hearn and Dana Larson have
been stellar in goal this season, com-
bining for six shutouts and a 0.91 goah
against average.
"We have to contain their center mid-
fielder," Belkin said of McElmury. "In
tough games or close games, she II
come up with the big goals. We've got
to be on our game and put away the
chances we create."
U U
The Air Force needs over 700 new
pilots in 1999 & 2000.
Plan your Future NOW!
Call Air Force ROTC at 764-2403.
..
-Bb
ROMANO'S
GRILL
All the Italian you need to know. \
ome Join the Macaroni Grill Team!
s
' +,
'.
r
i ,
i
9,114,
m
i
*LE~EEE EdEMUbLU'