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Sports Desk: 647-3336

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rlachs leads Blue
to tourney final

Berendowsky 20T goal nets
'M' soccer's first Big Ten title

By Rick Freeman
Daily Sports Writer
~W A CITY - Michigan senior
goalkeeper Amy Helber stood at the
end of her bench, removing her
equipment after the Michigan field
hockey team dropped a 2- heart-
breaker to Penn State in the finals of
the Big Ten tournament. Her lips
were pressed firmly together, trying
to prevent tears.
Moments later, she had found the
s ie that she had worn all season.
n though the Wolverines lost the
biggest game in their 25-year histo-
ry, it wouldn't have meant so much
without such a tremendous regular-
season effort.
Julie Flachs scored the lone goal
for Michigan yesterday, her only of
the tournament.
"At this point, a little luck never
hurts," said Penn State coach Char
Morett.
Hockey
splits with
Wildcats
By Fred Link
Daily Sports Writer
MARQUETTE - Traveling to
Michigan's upper peninsula, a few
things stand out - colder weather,
funny accents and, of course, casinos.
Had the Michigan hockey team been
playing the slots when it went up north
this weekend, it would have broken
n.
fter netting five goals on only 16
shots in a 5-3 victory over Northern
Michigan on Friday night, the
Wolverines were shut out Saturday, los-
ing, 1-0, to the Wildcats.
Saturday night's contest was scoreless
until 15:41 of the third period, when
Northern Michigan's Fred Mattersdorfer
put a rebound past Michigan goaltender
Marty Turco to score the game's only
I.
I went to knock (the initial shot) into
the corner," Turco said. "But it was like
a knuckle ball and it went the opposite
way.
"Mattersdorfer flubbed (on the
rebound), but I was already down and he
went right over top of me."
Turco kept Michigan in the game for
most of the night, making numerous
clutch saves. In all, he stopped 21 of the
22 shots he faced.
When Turco plays like that, we
shouldn't be on the losing side of the
scorer's sheet," Michigan coach Red
See WILDCATS, Page 8B
Russians set
to invade
risler today
By -Jim Rose
Daily Sports Editor
If Michigan had trouble preparing
for Athletes In Action, a team that
travels throughout the United States
playing whomever it can, imagine
the problems the Wolverines will
have getting ready for tonight's
Wonent - it comes from the other
side of the world.
The Russian Select Team invades
Crisler Arena at 7:30 p.m. for

Michigan's second and final exhibi-
tion game - one last tune-up before
the start of the regular season on
Saturday against Western Michigan.
Michigan lost its first preseason
contest one week ago, 95-93, to
A IA. But more important, the
*lverines lost their backcourt
leader and surest ball-handler during
the game. Travis Conlan fractured
his wrist diving to the floor and will
be sidelined for 3-5 weeks.
His absence means Robbie Reid's
presence takes on additional impor-
tance - the transfer guard will have
to handle the vast maiority of the

Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz
found no fault with her team's play
nor with Penn State's.
"We all played as hard as we could
and it just didn't go our way today."
The Wolverines advanced to yes-
terday's title game by running past
Ohio State, 3-1, on Saturday. Loveita
Wilkinson and Big Ten freshman of
the year Kelli Gannon provided the
scoring in the semifinal victory over
the Buckeyes.
The Wolverines "were able to get
to every ball they wanted," Ohio
State coach Anne Wilkinson said.
"That's what really was the differ-
ence ... their fitness level was so
strong that we couldn't match their
speed."
Six Michigan seniors have played
their last game on Phyllis Ocker
Field, and this weekend, every game
could have been their last.
"All the seniors went into this

Julie Flachs scored Michigan's only
goal as the Wolverines fell, 2-1, to
Penn State in the Big Ten final.
game knowing that we had to play
each game like it was our last,"
Helber said.
Each player went after the ball with
a fire that cut through the damp Iowa
chill running, lunging and diving until
she controlled it on her stick.
Senior defender Shelley Johnson
led by example. Johnson, offensively
See LIONS, Page 3B

By Andy Latack
and Jacob R. Wheeler
Daily Sports Writers
BLAINE, Minn. - Four years ago, Debbie Belkin took
over a Michigan soccer team with no history and an uncertain
future. Four years later as the Wolverines celebrate their first-
ever Big Ten tournament championship, the program has a
solid past, a bright future and an even more exciting present.
Michigan claimed the title yesterday with a 1-0, double-
overtime victory over Northwestern. For the Wolverines, who
knocked off Ohio State and Penn State on their way to their
victory over the Wildcats, the run through the tournament
couldn't have been sweeter.
"I've never had a greater moment in my life," said Michigan
forward Amber Berendowsky, who netted the game-winning
goal in the second overtime. "It's a great feeling."
The game was not typical for the Wolverines, who were
used to having their high-powered offense lead them to victo-
ry. Instead, while both teams mounted offensive threats
throughout the game, stellar goalkeeping kept the game score-
less through both halves and through the first overtime.
Then, four minutes into the second overtime, Berendowsky
wound up from just outside the box and blasted a shot into the
See TITLE, Page 7B

PAUL TALANIAN/Daily
The Michigan soccer team celebrates after winning the Big
Ten tournament title last night. The victory gives the
Wolverines an automatic NCAA tournament bid.


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Michigan is No. 1 after Judgment Day' dominance

Five highlights of
'Judgment Day'

1 .
2.
3.
4.
5.'

Michigan handed Penn
State its worst defeat
since 1950, the year Joe
Paterno first arrived in
Happy Valley.
Michigan sits atop the
Big Ten and leads the
Rose Bowl race after the
convincing victory.
Cornerback Charles
Woodson proved to the
country that he is a
legitimate Heisman
Trophy candidate.
The Wolverines broke a
three-game losing streak
against the Nittany Lions.
'U' President Lee
Bollinger 'hosted' an
unplanned party after
Saturday's Michigan vic-
tory, allowing hundreds
of students to storm his
house.

Freshman running back Anthony
Thomas gave the Wolverines their first
touchdown with this run in the first
quarter of Saturday's game at Penn
State. His score, and the ensuing
extra point, put the Wolverines up
10-0, en route to their 34-8 victory.
SARA STILLMAN/Daily

Michigan's magical season has begun and needs to befinished

TATE COLLEGE - Rows of red tail-
lights streamed from Beaver Stadium
midway through the third quarter
Saturday, signaling the abrupt departure of
Penn State from the national title picture. It was
quite a sight for the Wolverines, who have
arrived on the scene with swagger and purpose,
insisting that their plundering of the Nittany
Lions is just part of their march toward a magi-
cal season.
"We saw the seats emptying, their fans going
home, and we said to ourselves, 'They're leav-
ing! They're leaving!"' said Michigan linebacker
Rob Swett. "They gave up, and we knew it. We
were dominating, and you could feel a wave of
fire going down the sideline. There was a feeling
like something special was happening."
The Wolverines are the No. 1 team in the
nation right now, and they deserve to be after
putting together such a complete masterpiece.
But magic means more than a No. 1 nod from
the media, the same media that, as a whole, gave
the Wolverines no chance a few short months

cial of which Swett speaks is an internal matter,
a Michigan matter, not a media matter or even a
national championship matter - and every stu-
dent is involved. Make no mistake, the
Wolverines would love to
finish as the top team in
the land, but that's not
what this is about.
Magic resides in every
Michigan flag and
bumper sticker that dot-
- ! ted the highway from
NICHOLAS J. here to Ann Arbor this
COTSONIKA weekend. There were
The Greek thousands. Some
Speaks belonged to those with
tickets, some belonged to
those without tickets.
But all belonged to students, alumni and fans
who wanted to be identified with a piece of
glory.
Just when it seems athletics are in trouble
somewhere at Michigan, the magic shows up

Then, there was basketball in 1989 and later its
Fab Five era of Final Fours. Then, of course,
there was hockey's wonderous run that culminat-
ed in a national championship, soothing the pain
of basketball's tournament failures and football's
four-loss seasons.
Now, it's football again. Hockey is rebuilding,
and basketball in embroiled in innuendo and tur-
moil. So here come the Wolverines, not one of
whom have played in a Rose Bowl, stung and
hurting but strong, winning and uniting an entire
campus like the old days. "Michigan is back,"
linebacker Sam Sword said.
Magic resides in Marcus Ray's determined
words as he told the nation to "watch us in our
last two games; we still have something to
prove." Ray wasn't talking about No. 1. He was
talking about Wisconsin, Ohio State and the
Rose Bowl. He was talking about getting the job
done completely and the Wolverines' unwilling-
ness to share any of this.
Team first, school first. No one else's goals or
expectations matter to them, and they refuse to

practice, co-captain Jon Jansen said, they have
bonded, golfing together and laughing together
and hanging out together. They've made an
effort like never before to play as one. Saturday
it showed.
This is a Bo Schembechler-type team - but
could be better. As lead-footed quarterback
Brian Griese waltzed his way down the sideline
in the second quarter, Schembechler removed
his glasses and inspected them in his private box
as if he couldn't believe his eyes. He was kid-
ding about Griese's new-found scampering abili-
ty, but it might have meant more.
With three more victories, the Wolverines will
be 12-0 and may be national champions for the
first time since 1948. Bo won 13 Big Ten titles,
but he never went 12-0.
Credit can go all around, to the seniors, the
captains, the youngsters playing like veterans,
Griese, Charles Woodson or the running backs.
But the magic might reside with coach Lloyd
Carr. For the past three years, the media - of
which I am surely a part - have pecked away at


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