The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - November 2, 1998 - 78
Berendowsky punches Blue past Kentucky
By Vaughn R. Kiug
Daily Sports Writer
Two days after suffering a humbling
loss to No. 19 Brigham Young, Amber
Berendowsky scored a game-winning
goal with just five seconds remaining to
push the No. 20 Michigan soccer team
past Kentucky in the season finale.
Yesterday's victory was especially
gratifying for the seniors playing their
last game on Michigan Soccer Field.
"When I saw Amber's goal I almost
cried," senior Vanessa Lewis said. "It
was really important for the morale of
this team because it starts the momen-
tum for the Big Ten tournament and
picks us up from Friday's loss."
While Michigan dominated
Kentucky during the majority of the
game, the Wolverines were unable to
capitalize on several promising offensive
drives. Michigan even sent three shots
past the Wildcat goalkeeper, only to
watch them bounce off the goal post.
"We had a lot of opportunities in the
game," Michigan coach Debbie Belkin
said. "I was hoping that sooner or later
one of our shots would go in."
As the final seconds of the second
half ticked away and with overtime
seeming virtually inevitable,
Berendowsky dribbled across midfield
and fired an unassisted shot into the
upper left corner of the net to break the
89-minute tie.
"I was beginning to prepare for over-
time when Amber scored," Belkin said.
"But I always tell my players not to give
up. I like to remind them to make things
happen whether there is one second or
twenty minutes left in the game."
Following the goal, the team huddled
around Berendowsky to celebrate the
dramatic finish and the victory.
"Scoring that goal was a great feel-
ing," Berendowsky said. "Our big goal
was winning the last game for the
seniors and ending the season right"
As for Friday's matchup with
Brigham Young the 2-0 defeat marked
Michigan's second consecutive shutout
loss at the hands of a ranked opponent
and lowered the Wolverines record ver-
sus top 25 competition to 1-3-1.
The Cougars took control of the
game early as standout forward Shaunna
Rohbeck found the back of the net at the
14:29 mark, thanks to an assist from
Karen Robbins.
"They were pretty quick," Lewis
said. "They were definitely one of the
fastest teams we have played against this
season."
Only 15 minutes later, Brigham
Young struck again when Staci Reynolds
notched an unassisted goal that brought
the lead to 2-0, a margin that lasted the
remainder of the game. Upon allowing
the second goal, it became evident that
Michigan was not playing with the level
of team solidarity that has led to victory
in the past.
"We had a hard time working as a
unit today," Lewis said. "It was not their
defense that held us back, it was us."
"Coach Belkin pointed out at half-
time that we looked like a different team
than we did against Notre Dame."
Enduring the two goals for the
Wolverines, yet turning away nine shots
on goal in the process, was senior co-
captain Jessica Jones, who echoed the
sentiments of Lewis in explaining
Michigan's shortcomings at the hands of
the Cougars.
"I was not expecting the kind of
quickness I encountered," Jones said.
"Our team shape held us down. We just
did not have the intensity we needed.'
The bottom line was the fact that
Michigan could not stop the Brigham
Young forwards, Rohbeck and Robbins.
"They were said to have two of the
best forwards in the country," Belkin
said. "And they just proved it."
Laurie Peterson and the Wolverines lost to
ing Kentucky in yesterday's season finale.
STICKERS
Continued from Page lB
ut none could beat the Iowa goal-
reeper.
It was a sad day for the seniors
playing for the last time at Ocker
Field. The seniors all were emotional
after the game.
Even in defeat, Michigan coach
Marcia Pankratz could only praise
her departing leaders.
"They lead by example, they
work hard in everything they do,"she
said. "They will bounce back, they
re competitors, and they are suc-
Messfiul."
The weekend was not completely
full of despair for the Wolverines.
Michigan had the opportunity to win
the Big Ten yesterday only because
of its win on Friday against
Northwestern.
Although the Wildcats have had a
terrible season, they were not ready
to lie down for the Wolverines, and
ught to a 1-0 loss.
Philbrook scored the lone
Michigan goal with 11:07 remaining
in the first half. She was assisted by
fellow senior captain Wilkinson. It
seemed fitting that the two senior
captains scored the final Michigan
goal at Ocker Field for the season -
despite the fact that it happened in
the second-to-last game.
Goalkeeper Kati Oakes recorded
another shutout by making three
ves, leaving her one short of the
single-season record for shutouts.
The result of the weekend is a dis-
appointed Michigan field hockey
team. The Big Ten championship was
one of the major goals for the team
this year.
But the players and coaches think
that the team will be ready to go for
the Big Ten tournament, and that the
ss will not hurt them that much.
"'Don't get too excited about a
win, but don't be devastated by a
loss.' We've said that all year, and the
team has been good about it,"
Pankratz said.
DANA LINNANE/Daily
Brigham Young on Friday, before beat-
Last game at Ocker disappoints
By Jason Emeott
Daily Sports Writer
Sometimes, things just don't go as
planned. If everything worked out the
way it should have, there would have
been a celebration at Ocker Field yes-
terday. Instead, there were tears.
It was all set up for the perfect end-
ing. The Michigan field hockey team
entered yesterday's contest with Iowa
tied with Penn State at the top of the
Big Ten standings at 7-2. To repeat as
conference champions, the Wolverines
just had to beat Iowa.
It was going to be great - the final
game of the regular season, at home,
Big Ten champs, Senior Day ...
Senior Day. The stage was set per-
fectly for Lindsay Babbitt, Erika
Lorenson, Amy Philbrook and Loveita
Wilkinson - the four Michigan
seniors.
They had worked for four years, and
in the final game they would ever play
at Michigan they had the opportunity
to win the Big Ten championship.
These were the women that helped
rescue Michigan field hockey from
years of mediocrity. Things were sup-
posed to go their way.
After an average freshman year,
they got a new coach in Marcia
Pankratz and struggled through the
growing pains with a 2-8 conference
record. But they grew with the new
system, and brought home a Big Ten
championship in 1997. In 1998, they
led their team to a No. 9 national rank-
ing and another opportunity for the
conference crown.
Along the way, the seniors broke
new ground in the program. They
gained national respect and even broke
a 31- game losing streak against Iowa
last season. Not only did they break
the losing streak, but they beat Iowa
three times in a row. Michigan swept
last season's series with the Hawkeyes,
and proceeded to shut them out, 2-0, in
Iowa City earlier this season.
DANA IINNANE/Daily
Courtney Reid's Michigan team beat Northwestern, but lost yesterday to Iowa and
fell out of a tie for first place in the Big Ten.
In the end, it was Iowa that came
back to ruin Senior Day. The
Hawkeyes beat Michigan 3-0 and
ended the Wolverines' conference title
hopes. The Michigan seniors that had
done so much for the program had to
leave Ocker Field for the last time
knowing the Big Ten championship
had slipped through their fingers.
Coach Pankratz looked beyond the
loss and expressed the importance of
the four seniors to her program.
"They play with a lot of heart,"
Pankratz said. "They lead by example
in everything they do, on the field and
in the classroom. Great class and char-
acter - they're going to be successful
in whatever they do."
After yesterday's tough loss,
Pankratz said she's looking for her
seniors to lead the squad in the Big Te n
tournament next week.
"This was not how it was scripted,
but that's sport," Pankratz said. "That's
the name of the game. They're com-
petitors, they're successful. They
bounce back."
Senior co-captain Loveita
Wilkinson reflected on how Michigan
field hockey has changed her life over
the past four years.
"This team has meant everything to
me. I wouldn't trade it for anything,"
Wilkinson said.
Wilkinson said she's learned a lot
as a Michigan field hockey player, and
she knows her team will be back.
"If you can't take a positive from a
loss, there's no point in playing,"
Wilkinson said. "We're definitely
going to bounce back. We always
come back hard - always."
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