UlbteIu Ohtkak a~ 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 w v The Brown JU 313-760355. South University t 1 .IvIS ifL 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 I 9 Best Prices * Largest Men's & Women Selection on Campus S. "":. U .... I I I II