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WOLVERINE INTERREGIONAL
Soccer fails to clinch Big
Ten title
By Dan Williams
Daily Sports Writer
It was an honest mistake on Saturday night at
the Michigan hockey game when the announcer
declared that the soccer team had clinched at least
a share of the Big Ten title with its 2-0 win over
Minnesota.
It certainly seemed like Michigan was destined
to finish at the top of the conference when they
overcame a long-time nemesis in the Golden
Gophers. After Michigan disposed of Minnesota
for the first time ever, the Wolverines moved to 8-
0-1 in the conference,
But the problem was that after playing nearly
perfect for the first nine games of the Big Ten sea-
son, Michigan stumbled yesterday against
Wisconsin, 3-1.
Michigan (8-1-1, 11-4-1) was a heavy favorite
in its match against Wisconsin. Wisconsin (3-5-1,
7-5-3), after a promising early record in all non-
conference matches, came into the matchup with
the Wolverines second to last in the conference
standings.
Wisconsin pounced on Michigan in the first
half, taking a 1-0 lead on a goal by Jaime Barbian.
The game remained tied until late, as Michigan
scurried for an equalizer. But in the 72nd minute
of play, Winter Pero gave Wisconsin a 2-0 advan-
tage.
Seven minutes later, Mari Hoff put Michigan
back within striking distance, as she scored from
the top of the box.
Hoff's first goal of the season was set up by a
pass from senior Emily Schmidt.
But just over two minutes later, Wisconsin's
Heidi Wesleiter put a dagger in Michigan's heart
when she scored the Badger's third goal. Michigan
was unable to mount a comeback.
On Friday, Michigan defeated a Minnesota team
that was in the middle of the conference standings.
The Wolverines had never beaten the Golden
Gophers before the 2-0 victory. They were previ-
ously 0-6 against Minnesota.
Kacy Beitel was integral for Michigan in the
See UPSET, Page 6B
FRIDAY
Michigan 8, Mass.-Lowell 1
SATURDAY
Michigan 5, Mass.-Lowell 1
Ie
goes
LOUIS BRNOWVN/Dl~y
hn Butsic and the Michigan men's cross country team refused to let anyone
ance on their home turf at yesterday's Wolverine Interregional, taking first place.
Vin's crosscontr
jownedagi at ho-me
ly Jon Schwartz
or The Daily
Michigan coach Ron Warhurst said
hat his men's cross country team was
repared for yesterday's Wolverine
nterregional at the University of
dichigan Golf Course. They were.
More importantly, he said that the
Volverines would have to perform as
as, if not better than, their last
wo meets - both of which they won.
'hey did.
Michigan's victory, its third in a
aw, was a big one for the team.
3esides running on its home course,
he Wolverines were competing
gainst, among others, No. 8 James
vadison, a team that had beaten
4ichigan earlier this year.
Senior co-captain Steve Lawrence
( played the revenge factor that
night have pushed the Wolverines to
un the race they did.
"We didn't really have anything to
se because they had beaten us earli-
r- in the year and they were ranked
h'ead," he said. "They had everything
o hose."
The battle between two of the top
5 .teams in the nation lived up to
xpectations as James Madison and
J Al11 Michigan led the race
i ghout. In the end, though, the
'aierines' 34 team points were
nrtugh to claim the victory, defeating
amen Madison by 18 points.
We ran very well," Warhurst said
fer- the meet.
Lawrence was willing to go a bit
uIrter.
"It was definitely our best race of
he season," he said.
,r Michigan and the rest of the
field, the pace was set by senior co-
captain Jay Cantin. At the three-mile
mark, the race was being led by a
seven-man pack. But by the fourth
mile, Cantin was alone in front, lead-
ing his closest pursuer by more than
100 meters.
His time of 24:43 was a full I I sec-
onds ahead Washington's David
Bazzi, whose 24:54 mark was good
enough for second place. In the last
fifty meters, Bazzi beat out Lawrence
in a duel that had lasted the whole
race. Lawrence finished in third
place, three seconds behind Bazzi.
Following Lawrence for the
Wolverines were Mark Pilja (fourth
place), Mike Wisniewski (seventh)
and John Butsic (19th).
Cantin summed the meet up very
simply.
"It's always good to win on your
home course," he said.
Especially one as tough as the
University of Michigan Golf Course.
Warhurst pointed out that there is
really only one, flat straight-away -
that being the finish line. Except for
that, the course is full of turns and big
hills.
For Cantin, there were challenges
involved in running the last mile-and-
a-half alone. Without much competi-
tion, he had to draw the strength
needed to finish strong from a source
other than the other runners.
"Listening to the announcers say,
'he has 100 meters [on the next run-
ner],' was kind of an adrenaline rush,"
Cantin said.
Also, he worried that he would not
have the energy for the homestretch
See REVENGE, Page 7B
on.
Goal barrage,
O'Malley spark
pair of victories
By Stephanie Offen
Daily Sports Writer
Last weekend, the Michigan hockey team's victories
over Massachusetts-Lowell were anything but regular.
In Friday night's 8-1 win, the Wolverines scored
seven of their eight goals on the power play.
Saturday evening was more of the same. Of
Michigan's five goals, only two were scored at regular
strength.
Winger Geoff Koch started off the evening with a
short-handed goal 12:55 into the first period.
The short-handed goals continued into the second
period. Center Mike Comrie intercepted a pass from a
Lowell defensman and shot it through the five-hole of
Lowell goalie Cam McCormack.
But the River Hawks brought themselves back into
the game late in the period.
Following a face-off, Lowell freshman Geoff
Schomogyi shot it by Kevin O'Malley for only the sec-
ond regular strength goal of the series.
And with only a 2-1 lead, a very frazzeled and unfo-
cused Michigan team went into the locker room.
"They came out and put a lot of pressure on us,"
Koch said. "We lacked a lot of focus in the first two
periods, but we made up for it in the third period and
buried our chances."
The Wolverines third-period scoring came in one
three minute spurt. Andy Hilbert, John Shouneyia and
Mike Cammalleri, the only three scholarship freshmen
not to have a goal yet, scored back to back to back.
The three newcomers all got the first goals of their
See LOWELL, Page 5B
DAVID KALZ/Daiy
Injured goaltender Josh Blackburn watches his teammates celebrate this weekend's wins without him.
Blackburn on the outside looking in, for now
Women disappointed
with fifth-place finish
By Geoff Gagnon
Daily Sports Writer
The earth-toned shirt with the light
brown suit looked fine.
It was the large blue and grey foot
brace next to a shiny brown loafer
that didn't seem to fit.
And like the man who donned both,
Josh Blackburn seemed oddly out of
place as he watched this weekend's
home series from the press box.
Roughly one week after tearing lig-
aments in his left foot following an
accidental fall at home, the sopho-
more netminder reluctantly took his
place high above the game, far from
the team he helped lead to a CCHA
title a year ago. And as Blackburn
leaned his crutches against the railing
he sat behind, the bars seemed to cage
the goalie. The separation seemed
poignantly literal as he watched the
Wolverines huddle around his
replacement before the opening face-
off.
"It was tough," Blackburn said. "To
have to sit up there and watch things
happen and be completely helpless.
Its hard to have to be away from the
team like that."
And as Blackburn watched his
Wolverines roll past non-conference
foe Massachusetts-Lowell this week-
end, he watched his fill-in and friend
Kevin O'Malley hold the River
Hawks to only two goals on the series.
While the squad will lean on
O'Malley until Blackburn's return, the
injured goalie will also be leaning on
O'Malley as he begins his recovery.
Since coming to Michigan together a
year ago, the two have grown to be the
best of friends both on and off the ice.
So it comes as no surprise to learn that
the O'Malley's family will be with
Blackburn when he goes in for
surgery later this week.
Following his operation to repair
the torn ligaments with a series of pins
and screws, Blackburn will be con-
fined to a cast for a little over a month
See BLACKBURN, Page 5B
By Arun Gopal
dailv Sports Writer
Wday's Wolverine Interregional at
heaMichigan Golf Course was the last
:hance for the Michigan women's
:ross-country team to run competitive-
y before the Big Ten Championships at
renn State on October 30. The results
vere not totally encouraging.
The Wolverines finished fifth in the
welve-team field, with a total score of
44 points. The University of
ington claimed the top spot with
ints.
Again leading the way for Michigan
vas: junior Lisa Ouellet, who clocked a
)Q~mal-best time of 17:52 en route to
i1a~Tg eighth overall. Ouellet seemed
ileased with her performance after the
out there in the pack."
Michigan coach Mike McGuire was
visibly disappointed with the team's
showing, describing the overall perfor-
mance as just "ordinary".
"There was absolutely no improve-
ment from last week," McGuire said.
"We had a couple people out of the
lineup, such as Lyndsi Gay and Angie
Stanifer, but the other teams don't care
about that. Marcy Akard was one per-
son who ran a little bit better today, but
only time will tell how we're going to
do at Big Tens."
Along with Washington and
Michigan, the field at the Wolverine
Interregional included a number of
other large Division I programs, includ-
ing Purdue, Tennessee, and Nebraska.
This meant that there was a higher level
. .Michigan destroys State, 5-0
By Dave Roth
Daily Sports Writer
Yesterday at Ocker Field, the No. 7 Michigan
field hockey team shallacked No. 15 Michigan
State 5-0. It was the second time this season
Michigan shutout the Spartans.
Michigan's offense exploded out of the gate,
as freshman forward Jessica Rose fired a shot
barely wide only a minute and a half into the
game. Rose continued to challenge Michigan
State goalie Mireille Evans, as she blasted a
shot with 28:00 left in the half but was denied
by Evans.
Finally, after continuing to penetrate the
Spartan defense, the Wolverines (5-1 Big Ten,
pounced on the it and put it in the net with
21:12 left in the first half.
Less than 90 seconds later, junior forward
Kelli Gannon found Rose wide open near the
net. Rose was not to be denied this time, as she
rifled the ball into the net, past the out-
strectched arms of Evans.
The fired up Wolverines bombarded Evans
with shot after shot about midway through the
first half, but Evans kept the Spartans (8-7, l-
5 Big Ten) in the game by making several
tough saves.
Michigan State not only tallied zero shots on
goal in the first half, but also never had more
than three players touch the ball on Michigan
race.
4a