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Scoreboard
NATIONAL HOCKEY LEAGUE DALLAS 2. Buffalo 0
N. Y. Islanders 2, HARTFORD 2 COLORADO 6, St. Louis 3
DETROIT 5, Montreal 3 EDMONTON 4, Phoenix I
FLORIDA 3, Chicago 2 Vancouver at Anaheim, Inc.
N.Y. Rangers 6, NEW JERSEY I Calgary at San Jose, Inc.
Los Angeles 2, OTTAWA 2
WASHINGTON 4, Philadelphia 2 Home team in CAPS
Thursday
October 31, 1996
- THE BIG TEN CROSS COUNTRY CHAMPIONSHIPS -
Women seek redemption
By Afshin Mohamadi
Daily Sports Writer
It is a time of mixed emotions for the Michigan
women's cross country team.
The Wolverines are disappointed to have run
below expectations in their last two meets.
However, they are looking forward to a chance at
ultimate redemption if they pull off strong perfor-
mances in the final, important meets of the sea-
son.
The first of those meets is this Saturday in
Bloomington at the Big Ten Championships.
Despite a recent upset loss to Eastern Michigan
and a fifth-place finish at the Michigan
Interregional Invitational, the Wolverines are
upbeat about their prospects against stiff confer-
ence competition this weekend.
Nationally-ranked Wisconsin and Penn State
look to place highly on Saturday, and Michigan
plans on being right there with them.
"I don't think there are any teams that are out of
our (reach)," senior captain Jen Barber said.
"Wisconsin and Penn State are definitely the
teams to beat, but we can compete with them:"
Ironically, the Wolverines believe they may
actually have an advantage over the league com-
petition because of their poor performances in the
past two meets.
"We're in a good position," Barber said. "We're
the underdog and are not going to be the big target
(of other teams) like in years past. People are dis-
counting us a little bit. That could be a big advan-
tage."
Freshman Elizabeth Kampfe, who has been
one of Michigan's most consistent runners this
year, said that she does not agree with the
Wolverines' underdog label. Instead, Michigan is
ott to prove that, it is one of the best teams in the
league.
"Other teams in the Big Ten may see us as an
underdog, but we still are going into the Big Tens
feeling that we can compete with the other teams
and at least finish in the top two" she said.
To place highly on Saturday, Michigan will
have to perform better than it has in the past few
races.
Kampfe said that she has already seen the nec-
essary improvement in practice.
"We are starting to run better in workouts," she
said. "We're starting to run as a team and become
(unified)."
To Barber, running well as a team is exactly
what the Wolverines must do to be successful this
weekend.
"We've always had a good pack of runners (in
meets), but it hasn't been in the right place," she
said. "We could turn it into a positive thing."
To move their pack to the front of a race as
important as the Big Ten Championships, the
Wolverines must be mentally as well as physically
prepared. Mental preparation, however, is differ-
ent for each runner.
"It's really exciting (getting ready for the Big
Tens)," Barber said. "It is my last year running in
it and I have absolutely nothing to lose"
While Barber is enthusiastic about the upcom-
ing race, Kampfe, who is competing in her first
Big Tens, is taking a more low-key approach into
Bloomington.
"I'm taking it no differently than any other
meet," Kampfe said.
After this weekend, the Wolverines have two
weeks until the district championships, which will
determine if Michigan makes the national cham-
pionships on Nov. 25.
This makes the importance of Saturday's race
twofold. The prestige and satisfaction of winning
the Big Ten is at stake, and the Wolverines can also
gain momentum for the districts.
"If we have a good race on Saturday, it will only
help our confidence going into the districts,"
Barber said.
Men seek season's peak
'D' key to.
offense
By Mark Snyder
Daily Sports Writer
When Dale Rominski knocked the
puck past Alaska-Fairbanks goaltender
Ian Perkins in the third period
Thursday, it capped a consistent run
scoring for Michigan.
Over the past 10 periods, Michigan
has scored 16 goals. And consistency
has been the rule.
Each period has seen at least one
Michigan goal, and Rominski gives the
blueliners most of the credit
"Everything comes off outdefensive
game, and when our defense is playing
well, we're coming out with the puck a
lot more" Rominski said. "That mean
our forwards are
getting the puck y
(with better
chances)."
Michigan coach
Red Berenson
remains cautiously NotebOOk
optimistic, however.
While he was
impressed with the
six-goal output in
Thursday's Alaska game, he wasn't satW
isfied.
"Six goals would be fine - if we
only let up one," he said.
'SPECIAL TEAMS': While on the sur-
face it appears Michigan is thriving in
shorthanded situations, Berenson says
that is not actually the case.
"We scored four goals (shorthand-
ed), but we let up four (also)'" he sad.
"They got three power-play goals r
Thursday night, and that got them back
in the game. You can't give the otber
team's power-play that conidence'"
That confidence nearly sped
doom for Michigan.
With a comfortable four-goal lead
early in the second period Thursay,
Michigan gave up three unanswered
goals (all shorthanded) before putting
the game out of reach with a late score
by Brendan Morrison.
Berenson outlined the situattoS
bluntly.
"Our penalty-killing has to be bet-
ter," he said.
A LEGG up: Center Mike Legg
reached into his bag of tricks again this
weekend by attempting another puk-
lifting goal with his stick.
Last season's lacrosse-style goarin
the NCAA regional final against
Minnesota garnered Legg nation
attention. So he tried to pull off anot
er stick trick against the-Nanooks n
Thursday.
"I was pretty lazy, but it was latejn
the game,' he said. "(The puck) ws
moved to me back (behind the net):ad
nobody was pressuring me so I gave it
a shot:'
That shot did not even come into the
goalie's view as the puck slid ff
Legg's stick, but the thought remains in
the back of his mind.
"I don't think about (trying it) in th
game" he said. "(But) if I'm in that
position ...."
Every time Legg's in that position,
Michigan fans will be on the edge of
their seats.
BOWLED OVER: While Michigan Was
battling Alaska, Bowling Green swept
Lake Superior in Sault Ste. Marie this
weekend.
Bowling Green's early-season outp
looks familiar to Berenson.
"We knew (Bowling Green) was
going to be a good team," he said.
"They're playing like the team we were
supposed to be. They're scoring a lot
of goals and not giving up much."
The Falcons have been denied an
NCAA tournament bid the last two
seasons and hope not to leave the deci-
sion in the committee's hands this year.
By Jacob Wheeler
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan men's cross country team has
been looking forward to the Big Ten champi-
onship for months.
This Saturday in Bloomington, the Wolverines
will attempt to do what they haven't in three years
by beating Wisconsin in the championship.
"This is what we've trained for the whole sea-
son," Michigan coach Ron Warhurst said. "This
is the championship of the midwest. We're fight-
ing for our own back yard now."
Wisconsin, ranked No. 8, has won the last two
Big Ten titles and I1 out of the last 14. The 10th-
ranked Wolverines have finished second to them
most of those years.
"They are a very good team," Warhurst said.
"But they are not better athletes than us."
Michigan has two of the best runners in the Big
Ten: John Mortimer and Scott MacDonald. The
pair should place in the top five along with
Wisconsin's Pasquel Dobert, Illinois' Jason
Zieren, and Michigan State's Kyle Baker.
"The top five runners will have pulled away
from the rest of the pack by the four mile mark,"
Warhurst said. "Then Mortimer should win the
whole thing.
"MacDonald knows the course at Indiana well.
He ran the two best races of his freshman year
there."
Still, the Wolverines will have their hands full.
Mortimer and MacDonald may beat every
Badger at the head of the pack, but Wisconsin
will try to clump its runners near the top, similar
to North Carolina State's strategy at the Michigan
Interregional two weeks ago.
"Three out of our next seven runners will have
to run the way they are capable of," Warhurst
said. "That hasn't happened yet this season. We
all have to be on at the same time to beat
Wisconsin."
Those latter seven are Steve Lawrence, Jay
Cantin, Todd Snyder, Dave Barnett, Ryan Burt,
Nic Watson and Jeff Beuche. Of those seven,
The Michigan women's cross country team has been running ragged lately.
three will join Mortimer and MacDonald in the
points race.
Recent weather patterns in the midwest may
raise questions about the conditions this week-
end.
"The wind could be the biggest factor
Saturday," Warhurst said. "It'll slow everybody
down, so we've gotta run smart."
The terrain, on the other hand, shouldn't pose
any big problems for Michigan this weekend.
"It's a tough, rolling course," Warhurst said.
"But it's not as difficult as ours."
The Wolverines ran their last varsity race two
weeks ago, giving them plenty of time to build up
strength for Saturday.
"I think we are as prepared as we can be,"
Warhurst said. "Our past three workouts have
been the best all year, individual and as a group."
Like the Yankees, Michigan soccer enjoys comebacks
By Nancy Berger
Daily Sports Writer
m The Michigan soccer team has been
looking like the New York Yankees in
the past two weeks.
After losing two-straight at home, the
Bronx Bombers turned the series
around 180 degrees and won the next
four straight to capture the series title.
The Wolverines have made a similar
comeback of their own, after they suf-
fered their fourth straight loss at the
hands of No. 14 Minnesota two weeks
ago.
Like the Yankees in the first two
games, Michigan couldn't seem to
score during that four game losing
streak.
They were shut out in three of the
four games and lost their second
straight Big Ten match at home.
Things weren't looking too good in
the Big Ten again for Michigan with its
next three conference games on the
road.
The road swing included a meeting
with No. 13 Wisconsin, the defending
conference champion
"After Minnesota, we had a team
meeting," goalkeeper Jessica Jones
said. "We needed to turn things
around."
For the Wolverines, the Minnesota
game was the turning point in their up
and down year as they turned around
the direction of their season.
With the conference tournament next
week, the turn around couldn't have
come at a better time. The Wolverines
(7-6-3), who have been the Big Ten cel-
lar dwellars the past two years,
improved their conference record to 3-
3-1.
Their record was good enough for
fourth place, their first-ever upper-divi-
sion league finish. The Wolverines have
shaped up to be a viable candidate for
the Big Ten title.
Now, the Wolverines will be riding
high on the momentum of a four-game
unbeaten streak, as they conclude their
regular season schedule this week
against the Detroit-Mercy and
Valparaiso.
The Wolverines will need more than
momentum, though, when they clash
with Detroit tomorrow. The Titans (13-
3-1), who are the Midwestern
Collegiate Conference regular-season
champions, are looking to extend their
10 game winning streak.
The Titans have dominated foes all
season long, outscoring opponents, 48-
24. The Michigan defense will have its
hands full with Monica Kaltreider.
The forward has recorded 40 points
with 17 goals and six assists. Kaltreider
isn't the only player that the Wolverines
has to keep their eye on, as two other
Titans each have seven goals and 11
assists for 25 points.
Freshman forward Amber
9.i
Berendowsky, Michigan's leading scor-
er, is 10 points behind them with five
goals and five assists.
"We know that they are an aggressive
team" Jones said. "We need to play
with a lot of intensity and work as a
team. If we play like we have been play-
ing, we can beat them."
Michigan won't have to worry about
Jones and the defense holding their own
against this high-powered offense.
The Wolverines' defense has kept
them in every game when the offense
has struggled to produce goals.
Along with Jones, sophomore
Vanessa Lewis and freshman Shannon
Poole are the biggest reasons that
Michigan was able to achieve its best
conference finish.
They have recorded six shut-outs this
season while Jones has a 1.21 goals-
against average.
The offense has picked up the pace in
the last four games, as they have
outscored opponents, 10-1.
The increase in scoring isn't the only
change on the field as Michigan had
also altered their attack strategy.
Instead of two players up front and
five at midfield, they are now playing
with three up front and four at midfield.
"We knew that in order to win, it
wasn't just defense," Jones said. "Our
forwards have been working harder to
not let the ball get out of the other teams
defense and have been pressuring them
more."
Michigan shouldn't have a problem
attacking Valparaiso's goal on Sunday.
The Crusaders (1-14-1) pose really
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LOLO Schedule
Tomorrow
FBeld Hockey vs, Northwestern,
Acker Field, 3 p~rm.
Hockey at Notre DameNotre
Dame, 7 p.m.
Vol:eybal1 at Northwestern,
Evanston, 7 p.m.
Men's tennis at District IV charmpi-
onships, East Lansing, all day
Saturday
Men's cross country at Big Ten
championships, Bloomington, 10,
a.m.
Women's cross country at Big Tear
ri
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