14 The Michigan Daily - Monday, September 25, 1998 - 15 .Field hockey needs extra stanza to stick it to Spartans Gannon's overtime goal gives Michigan solid Big Ten start Jon Zemke Daily Sports Writer The defending Big Ten champs usually have a common problem. Every team jealous of the success is gunning in order to get it. The Michigan women's field hockey team - defending Big Ten champs - is faced with this problem. "I think that now each team is going to play their 'A' game or try to bring their 'A' game, and we're going have to be up for everybody," coach Marcia Pankratz said. Michigan opened the Big Ten sea- son with a 2-1 overtime win against in-state-rival Michigan State. The eighth-ranked Wolverines hosted the game at Ocker Field. Michigan put its 6-2 record on the line against unranked (2-4) but inspired Spartans. * "It doesn't matter what the records are, Pankratz said. "The teams real- ly come to play. Michigan State is a very excitable team. They're emo- tional, especially when they play a game like that they're supposed to be right in it. So it doesn't matter what Linksters prep for Hawkeye Michael Shafrir For the Daily * Michigan men's golf coach Jim Carras finds himself in a predicament. His problem? How to be successful with a precocious bunch of underclassmen bouyed by superstar junior Michael Harris. As the Wolverines prepare for this weekend's Hawkeye Intercollegiate in Iowa City, Carras is continuing his line- up shuffle that he expects to continue throughout the season. The only constant has been Harris, Qho has shown the kind of game that makes people whisper about "the next level' He won the prestigious Northeast Amateur in Rumford, R.I., this summer against a top flight field of amateurs. Carras expects nothing less than at least a repeat of Harris' all-Big Ten sta- tus of a year ago. He is also pleased with the leadership role Harris has taken on. "Mike has been exceptional this sea- *n. He works with the team, he's done everything I've asked and he's really earned the respect of every player on the team," Carras said. "But we have to guard against players sitting back and expecting Mike to do everything, both on and off the course." it is on paper. It's always a battle. I think it'll be indicative of the Big Ten conference. Every game is going to be nip and tuck." The Wolverines started out strong by scoring early in the first half on a Loveita Wilkinson goal. Wilkinson, a senior, scored on a corner shot that went right in. This was one of many opportuni- ties for the Wolverines, who con- trolled the ball for a majority of the game. Michigan couldn't cash in on all of the opportunities as the score remained 1-0 with 14 minutes left in the second half. "If we are struggling in scoring like we were today then it's going to be a long season," Pankratz said. "Where we'll have to fight and scrape each match to win it." Michigan State came back with a goal of its own by freshman Marleen Tuip. Michigan returned with more ball control to finish out the game, but kept missing numerous break- away and corner shots. The game went into overtime tied and neither team was able to sustain constant pressure on their oppo- nent's goal. Then sophomore Kelli Ganno.n scored for the Wolverines with 3:40 to go in the sudden-death overtime. Michigan State is "very emotion- al," Pankratz said. "So they come to always try and knock us off as we do them. Whoever can get the edge on that given day is probably going to win it." The Michigan defense again played to its usual standards, holding its opponent to under two goals - as it has all season. Pankratz compli- mented juniors Erica Widder and Ashley Reichenbach on great games, but had a few choice words for her offense. "We struggled today with (the offense)," Pankratz said. "Our execu- tion was not good, and so conse- quently it was a 2-1 game." Michigan takes on Louisville at Ocker Field on Sunday. "It'll be a good game and hopeful- ly give our younger players some opportunities to get some experi- ence," Pankratz said. -:. :. :. :.:: Michigan opened its Big Ten sea- son with a 21 overtime victory over Michigan State. FILE PHOTO Tourney to preview Big Tens By Geoff Gagnon For the Daily After a one-week break in tournament action, the Michigan women's golf team will head to Purdue this weekend to take part in the Lady Northern Intercollegiate. The event will serve as a fall preview of the Big Ten Championships to be held at the same site this spring. "I'm really excited about the Lady Northern," coach Cathy Teichert said, "it will be used to seed the teams for the Big Ten, so I'm hopeful that we can play well." Teichert's squad is coming off a tie for fifth place among the 12 teams that com- peted two weeks ago in the Mary Fossum/Spartan Invitational. "I wasn't exactly displeased with the way that we played at the Spartan. but I wasn't happy either"' Teichert said. "I just think that we need to put some things together. We've put new people in new spots and that will hopefully give us the combination we're looking for." That shuffling has included the addi- tion of two freshmen, Stephanie Bezilla and Misia Lemanski, to the line-up set to compete today. The two join freshmen Le Anna Wicks and Bess Bowers on the squad. "I'm happy for some of our younger players who are now getting a chance to see some action," Teichert said of the young roster. "I hope we can continue to see consistency out of Bess Bowers and Le Anna Wicks." If the early performance of Bowers and Wicks is any indication of what can be expected from fellow classmates Lemanski and Bezilla, Coach Teichert and her staff have little to worry about. "Wicks and Bowers are already play- ing well,' Teichert said. "I've seen a tremendous amount of improvement just over the summer and so far this fall." With such attention being placed on the younger members of the squad, Teichert is thankful to have Park - the team's lone senior - in a position to provide leadership as well as competitive scoring. "I'm really expecting Sharon to be a leader this season," Teichert said. Aside from taking a more defined leadership role off the course, Park, who finished seventh in the Big Ten Championship last spring, also will be expected to provide the type of numbers to lead the squad on it. "She is going to be probably our best player, so along with that I'll need her to help the younger members of the team adapt and adjust," Teichert said. "I'm looking just looking for her to step up her confidence level and post some good numbers." Despite the hope of developing some of the squad's younger talent, coach Teichert insists that the team's primary focus is contending for the Big Ten title. "We're putting things in place for the future with our younger players, but we're doing the best we can to contend now," Teichert said. ANDREW YOUNG/Daly Junior Mike Harris and the Michigan Golf squad will continue their lineup shuffles this weekend in Iowa City at the Hawkeye Intercollegiate. This weekend also marks the debut of Brian Seipke a freshman from Traverse City. "There's not a lot you can do to pre- pare (Seipke) for this. He's ready to go and has been playing better and better," Carras said. a Seipke is replacing junior Mike Affledt in the lineup after Affledt's tie for 59th last weekend. This shuffling is all part of Carras' plan. "I'm trying to find a lineup that works and if that means leaving (Affledt) home this weekend, then so be it." Carras said. Carras emphasized that his rotation is far from set in stone and that only Harris is a constant. Sophomore Scott Hayes has been thrust into the lineup after only one year of varsity experience. "He's been responding well to the pressure,' Carras said. "He needs to learn how to go low and keep it low" The brightest surprise of the season has been the play of freshman Andy Matthews who finished tied for 20th in his first glimpse of varsity action. Carras admitted that he needs more time to truly evaluate Matthews' play, "It was a pleasant surprise but one tourna- ment does not make a kid a player. He's going to get a lot of time this year." The final Wolverine travelling to Iowa City is freshman Kyle Kilcherman who happens to be Seipke's cousin. x I I r - 1 ft-f , .,. Now if you don't know the answers on the test, you can call someone who does. /- ,O Okay, so maybe you're one of those Einsteins who and no long-te no credit checks, rm commitments. Plus, knows all the answers. Well, what you may not know is, with AirTouch Student Prepaid Cellular, you purchase whatever airtime you want in advance. 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