IOB - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - September 14, 1998
Lack of shots a positive sign
for Michigan goalkeepers
By T.J. Berka
Daily Sports Writer
The life of a soccer goaltender is
one of loneliness. The goalie stands
in the box, watching her teammates
move the ball up the field toward the
opposing goal. She yells at her team-
mates, encouraging them and help-
ing them find the open man.
How well the goalie does these
tasks is the barometer of whether a
team is a championship contender, a
mediocre pretender, or a joke. If a
goalie has to deviate from standing
around and actually has to defend
against shots, the margin of error is
usually too much for her team to
overcome.
In its 4-0 start, the 14th-ranked
Michigan soccer team hasn't had to
depend on its goalies very much. In
this weekend's action, a 3-1 victory
over Detroit yesterday and a 5-1
thumping of Massachusetts on
Friday, the Michigan goalkeepers
faced only I1 shots.
The defense "comes from all 10
field players," Michigan coach
Debbie Belkin said. "If you can
defend from the front back, it makes
it easier."
With all 10 players playing
defense, the goalie has a chance to
ponder many things, some of which
aren't exactly related to soccer.
While Michigan goalies Jessica
Jones and Carissa Stewart, are often
barking out commands to team-
mates, effective defense in front of
them yields time to think about more
worldly things.
"I was back there thinking, 'Oh
my God, I'm so hot, I'm roasting,"'
Jones said. "But other than that, we
just try and communicate with the
other players."
While all the talking is good for
Michigan's undefeated record, the
idle time sometimes doesn't fulfill
the goalies' competitive natures.
Many times, the goalies wish they
could handle the ball as much as
their teammates in the field.
"It's hard, because whenever they
come in and the shot is taken, you
have to be ready," Jones said.
"Sometimes it would be easier if the
shots were more continuous."
While the Michigan goalies might
secretly yearn for more action, you
won't see the rest of the Wolverines
suddenly play softer defense. In fact,
the Michigan defenders take shots
on goal personally.
"Personally, for me, I get upset if
somebody gets through and gets a
shot on goal," de fense man Vanessa
Lewis said. "I believe all the defend-
ers feel the same way.
The defenders not only feel that
way, they also get constant
reminders on what their job is -
from the coaching staff and the
goalies.
"When we come out in the begin-
ning, we make a little circle and we
have a little defensive talk," Jones
said. "I tell them that I don't want
any shots on me. If I don't get any
shots on me, then they are doing
their job."
With the effective defensive play
in front of them, the Michigan
goalies have learned to relax and
play the role of cheerleader. While
they may dream of the time when
they make the game-saving stop, the
goalkeepers realize that it might
actually be better for them to worry
about the late-summer heat than the
opposing forwards.
"There is no way that I want to
take that chance," Jones said about
seeing more shots. "I'm just content
to sit back in the box and watch."
The goalies have seen a lot of pos-
itive things happen in front of them
this season.
While the explosive forward com-
bination of Kacy Beitel, Amber
Berendowsky and Jessica Limauro
gets much of the attention when talk-
ing about Michigan soccer, the best
indicator of success is the lack of
action by Jones and Stewart.
SOCCER
Continued from Page 1B
there to bury the rebound. Limauro
scoreitwo goals for the second straight
game. She leads the Wolverines with
12 points in the season.
Detroit scored a late goal with eight
minutes remaining to ruin the shutout.
Michigan coach Debbie Belkin did-
n't have to worry with the defense
allowing just six shots.
Friday's match was no different.The
Wolverines limited Massachusetts to
seven shots in their 5-1 victory.
With Massachusetts suffering from
injuries and inexperience on defense,
the Michigan offense was able to cap-
italize all day.
"We actually have one defender"
Massachusetts coach Jim Rudy said.
"In fact, we had midfielders playing
defense out there. We're still trying to
learn how to play defense."
Newcomer Peterson earned her first
career goal one minute into the match
on a header from the right corner.
"We have a few injuries on our team
right now, and the key to this game was
coming out strong, and we did that,"
Limauro said.
Junior Shannon Poole also scored
for the Wolverines, who travel to
Eastern Michigan tomorrow.
JOSH K I L' VLU111
Michigan freshman midfielder Laurie Peterson heads a ball during the Wolverines' 34 victory over Detroit yesterday.
Defender Lewis has become.
the 'roadrunner' of 'M' socce
September 19 - December 21
Lifeguards
Entrance Monitors
Equipment Room
More
$5.15 - $5.50/hour
Contact Lorelei
936-0617
ldm@umich.edu
By Mark Francescutti
Daily Sports Writer
The roadrunner has been spotted in
Ann Arbor.
But she isn't running away from coy-
otes. She's running away from opposing
defenses.
The fast culprit is senior defender
Vanessa Lewis of the Michigan soccer
team.
Watching Lewis on the field is a tir-
ing experience. You get tired just watch-
ing her. She's fast, she's quick, and she
has the intensity of a winner.
Intensity means when others quit, you
keep going.
And Lewis keeps going.
As other players tire in that 88th
minute, out of nowhere the roadrunner
zooms through an opening between two
defenders that tire just thinking about
chasing after her.
But Lewis's job is to stifle the other
team's offense. Let's just say the
Michigan goalies haven't been too busy.
This weekend the Wolverines allowed
only 13 shots in two matches against
::x s
yr
Katie McGregor
and Elizabeth
Kampfe finished
1-2 in Saturday's '
ttiangular meet
against Bowling
Green and Ohio. }ZR
LOUIS BROWN/Daily
Massachusetts and Detroit.
"We didn't really need to work that
hard," Lewis said. "Debbie has been
saying all along, 'take that open space,'
and I just started to do it."
Still, Lewis acknowledges her team-
mates for her success.
"When you're teammates work for
you it's easy," Lewis said. "If the for-
wards work, it makes the midfielders
work, which makes the defenders
work."
Lewis teammates have never seen her
play with such drive and tenacity.
"I've never seen.her play this great;"
junior Amber Berendowsky said.
This weekend, Lewis' performance
was close to perfect.
"Her touches were on, her crosses
were great, she really stepped up,"
junior Mari Hoff said.
The roadrunner also likes to show off
for the home crowd.
"It's nice to have a crowd," Lewis
said. "You like to show off for the crowd
a little bit."
In the past few games, Michigan has
RECENTLY,
MORNINGSTAR GALLED
USO CHEAP.
IT'S NOT EVERY DAY
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LIKE THAT.
been showing off its defense. If th
defense runs smoothly, the offense wi
come.
"We're just more focused,' Hoff sai
Once someone settles the game d
its so much easier to play."
And this is a team that returned on
one starting defender.
"The freshmen came out hard, whic
helps us a lot," senior Jessica Limaur
said.
With such a young team, the chanc
for defensive domination looks possib
and other coaches agree.
"U of M is a Big Ten school that
a squad of 20 girls that any one of the
can be an impact player or stgr
Detroit coach Mike Lupenec sai
"They can do very well this year."
Michigan is coming off its most su
cessful season in program history. Wit
a Big Ten championship behind the
could more be in store for t
Wolverines?
As long as the roadrunner runs, t
coyotes of the NCAA may not be able t
catch her.
RADKEWICHw
Continued from Page 4B
Not only has Radkewich helped out i
the meet standings, but she has provid
a boost where every team needs one
off the course.
"Katy's helped the team with h
mental approach," teammate Julie Fro
said. "She gears people up, she pulls f
the team and she works very hard, ji
makes the rest of us work hard"
The Wolverines can only wait to s
whether Radkewich can continue 'h
success. After a runner has had an inJ
it will always be a question whether
not she can withstand the training a
racing demands of a full season.
So judgment on Radkewich real
should be reserved until Novembe
when the big meets come. But
Michigan makes a trip to La &,L
Kan., on Nov. 23 for the NA
Championships, maybe Ka
Radkewich can bury her pain and h
regret, once and for all.
WOLVERIES TAKE BJAI
Michigan will be rewarded for its tar
season prowess with off-weekends bo
this Saturday and Oct. 2, givin
McGuire a chance to implement spec
work into his practice routine for
extended period of time.
After attending a grueling teann
in August and running twice in' h
weather early this month, tI
Wolverines run next at the Sunddg
Invitational in Seattle on Sept.f26 -td
only time during the regular season fl
they leave the Midwest.
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