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Regainin
resepct will
take another
Zbig comeback
member that feeling in your stomach as Tom Brady
marched the Wolverines down the field on the first come-
ack drive -the one in which they needed just a field
goal to win it? That's what it must feel like if you worry about
th status of Michigan's football program on the national scene.
'me was running out - the same way it was on Brady and
whoever was going to kick that last-second field goal on
Saturday. They were close, a 45-yarder away. Hayden Epstein
makes those with a bad knee. And the look in Jeff Del Verne's
eyes as he warmed up, after Illinois' Rocky Harvey turned
Michigan Stadium into the Wolverines'
owrt'horror show, seemed to say he could
too.. Rick
But geither one got a chance. And Freeman
Michigan won't get a chance this season
to play with the big boys in a Bowl
mpionship Series bowl. The BCS
r ings, released for the first time yes-
terday, just confirm what was readily
apparent on Saturday (although it proba-
bly took you a while for it to sink in) -
Michigan does not belong with the
nation's elite football programs: FREEMAN OF
LET'S DO THETIME wARP... " PRESS
It was 1996. Michigan's last national
title had come the same time the Cleveland Indians last won the
World Series, in 1948. A shaky Michigan team tore through its
fofive games. Then an emotional letdown cost the Wolverines
a game against Northwestern. The strength of the Big Ten was
cited. Hope for the Rose Bowl still flickered. Then came Purdue.
another bunch of Big Tei bottom-feeders came bouncing onto
the field, helmets held high. Michigan said goodbye to the Rose
Bowl. Its seniors became the first class since before Bo
Schembechler took over to never play in Pasadena. Those who
stayed were not champions. as promised. Lloyd Carr. then in his
second year as coach, was not happy.
Now, there wre some differences between that year's team
and this year's. That year's team beat Illinois at Michigan
sium. And it had a running game. There was no need for
tNhigan to fall on its sword in the name of the ground attack.
Especially with Anthony Thomas gone with a jammed finger.
The 1996 team couldn't muster more than three points against
the Boilermakers that year. This year, Brady has a more intimi-
dating selection of wideouts and more polish than Scott
Dreisbach did. Still, Michigan turned to its running game.
"We're going to run the football or we're going to die trying:'
Carr said before the game. Come to think of it
IsTHE MAGIC GONE?
After that magical New Years' Day in January 1998 - the
othat ended with TV audiences everywhere hearing Carr s
voice in the lockerroom telling his team that they were the
national champions - the program seemed ready for the big-
time.
So what about the split-title controversy? Michigan was one
of the best. Now all the Wolverines needed to do was preserve
that legacy. They promptly lost two - the fault of big heads,
maybe, but Donovan McNabb did his part to send Michigan to
an 0-2 start. Until Saturday, that loss was Carr's last one at
Michigan Stadium. The Wolverines helped their cause with a
10-win season. But losing to another team of nobodies in orange
and blue has left them in a perceptual limbo.
0 10-win season is still a possibility, but perhaps all anyone
will remember is that the Wolverines lost nearly half a seasons'
worth of games in the two years following a national title.
They'll remember that these Wolverines blew a 20-point lead to
an unranked team.
Now, to be fair. The Wolverines lost on Saturday to a well-pre-
pared team. And they weren't well prepared themselves. They
said they were flat. They had two weeks to prepare, but what of
it? They haven't been fired up for a game since they played
Purdue nearly a month ago.
I 'sIMOTiVATION
inois, of course, did its firing up the night before in a meet-
ing room of the Ypsilanti Marriott. Ron Turner, the only Big Ten
coach to have played in Michigan Stadium and never have lost,
had a plan.

In fact, he had a plan all week. After watching his team drop
its first three Big Ten games. he called a full-pads workout for
the Sunday after last week's loss to Minnesota. He told his play-
ers on Wednesday that he had meant to piss them off. His play-
ers said it worked.
Then on Friday. in their navy-and-orange warmups, they gath-
ered for some healing.
from the previous three weeks. Turner had culled every good
p , every example of hustle and good football he could. And
there in that ballroom, he might have turned two teams' seasons
on their heads. In Ypsi. If they played 60 minutes in the Big
House (which was the team's first stop after the Illini's charter
landed at Metro), he told them, they could win.
Less than 24 hours later, their dreams came true. They
bounced onto the field - Michigan's field - with helmets held
high. They jumped into their fans' seats at the south end of the
stadium. Greg Lewis, a freshman wide receiver, appropriated the
orange I' flag from the cheerleaders, and ran up the field with
Jhis hands, beaming and "whooooo"-ing all the way.
The Wolverines haven't been able to celebrate that way since
that New Year's Day that brought them back to the national
prominence that all Michigan fans have claimed as a birthright.
They lost to Ohio State last year. And beating Michigan State
last year made them a 2-2 team. They know that top teams don't
celebrate a return to the .500 mark.
Rut then again ton teams don't blow 20-noint leads too often.

Soccer seniors shine, 6-0

By Dan Dingerson
Daily Sports Writer
It was a day of celebration and
record-tying at the Michigan soccer
field yesterday as the women's soccer
team defeated Butler 6-0 on senior day.
The game marked the last regular
season game that the six seniors played
at home. Because of the possibility of
hosting an NCAA Tournament game,
though, it is unknown whether or not it
was the last time that the seniors played
in Ann Arbor.
In what could have been the final
chance for the seniors to shine in front
of a home crowd they didn't disap-
point. All six seniors were in the start-
ing lineup, including goalkeeper
Lauren Clister, who made her first start
ever at Michigan. Joining her were fel-
low seniors Mari Hoff, Emily Schmitt,
Shannon Poole, Amber Berendowskv
and Jen Stahl.
"This senior class has been instru-

mental in our success and the building
of the program. (The seniors) have bro-
ken a lot of records, and had a lot of
firsts for Michigan," Michigan coach
Debbie Belkin said. "Thev will be
extremely hard to replace, and we will
miss them."
Shannon Poole and Emily Schmitt
tied the school record for most games
played at Michigan with 82. Poole, who
has started every game in her Michigan
career, also tied the record for most
starts ever. The beginning of the game
was very emotional for the Wolverines.
'When we first walked out there and
were receiving our flowers we were
upset and we started crying a little"
Berendowsky said. "We just wanted to
come out today play hard, have our last
game be fun and definitely play well."
The game was especially important
for Clister, one of the emotional leaders
of the team.
"I don't think that I can explain how

exciting this is," Clister said. "I've
always said that all I really wanted was
to run down the tunnel, get out there
and start with exerybody. I think that it
was really important that the seniors got
to start today. It was a really special day
for everybody."
Amidst all of the emotions. Michigan
needed to record a win, after coming off
a disappointing loss to Wisconsin that
cost the Wolxerines a share of the Big
Ten regular season title. Early in the
game, it seemed that the Wolverines
were going to be plagued with an
inability to score. Although they had
opportunities, they could not get a shot
past converted goaltender Meghan
Partenheimer. Fortunately for the
Wolverines. Clister shone even brighter
and stopped the Bulldog attack before it
could gain momentum.
Finally, with 5:15 left in the first half,
Michigan got on the board. Fittingly, it
See SENIORS, Page 6B

in her final home game, Shannon Poole and teammate Emily
Schmitt tied the Michigan record for most games played.
The team recorded a 6-0 victory over Butler on Senior Day.


Half-baked

Nanooks beat
M' for first
' 'time, split series'
By Chris Grandstaff
Daily Sports Writer
FAIRBANKS, Alaska Harsh, biting, merciless.
These are adjectives usually reserved for describing the
weather of central Alaska or the wildlife of the region, not
the team that plays inside Alaska-Fairbanks' Carlson
Center.
But after spliting a pair of games with Michigan this
weekend and displaying a ferocious physical style of play,
the Nanooks appear to be bringing a few of their native
elements inside.
Under the leadership of first-year head coach Guy
Gadowski, the Nanooks took the first game of the week-
end on Friday night, 4-2. It was Fairbanks first victory
ever against Michigan. But on Saturday night, the
Wolverines evened the series with a 4-1 victory.
But for Michigan. getting a win wasn't easy.
The two teams entered the final period of play on
Saturday, deadlocked at one goal apiece. Junior Mark
Kosick changed that quickly.
Kosick put the Wolverines ahead for good with a power
play goal off the left side of the crease, just 1:31 into the
weekend's final session.
The goal sparked the Wolverines' power play, which
had played well for most of the game, but had been unable
to net a goal. Michigan increased its lead after scoring
another power play goal with 13:50 remaining in the peri-
od on a rocket by Jay Vancik from near the blue line.
*'Our power play finally clicked for a couple key goals,"
Michigan coach Red Berenson said. "Both teams' power
play killing was very good, and it made the power plays
look pretty average for most of the game."
The Wolverines sealed Saturday night's victory when
junior Geoff Koch knocked home a goal right in front of
the net with less than four minutes remaining in the game.
The goal sent the raucous Nanook crowd back to the
freezing temperatures outside and the Wolverines on their
way back to Ann Arbor.
But the Wolverines left Fairbanks with a growing admi-
ration for the CCHA's northern most team.
"They're off to a good start," Berenson said. "They're
going to beat some good teams this season. They're play-
ing well, they're playing with a lot of enthusiasm, they're
goalie is giving them some confidence and he can win a
game all by himself."
Which is exactly what freshman netminder Lance
Mayes did on Friday night. The-Nanook goalie virtually
shut down the high powered Wolverine offensive attack for
three periods robbing the Wolverines of several golden
opportunities.
See NANOOKS, Page 38


Scott Matzka and the Wolverines didn't lie down after
upset by defeating the Nanooks, 41, on Saturday.

ERC ENGMAN Facaarks Ca y News-Mner
Friday's 4-2 loss to Alaska-Fairbanks. Michigan responded to the


Prince Hamed roughs

By Josh Kleinbaum
Daily Sports Editor
DETROIT - With the Temptations
singing, the Prince grooving, fire-
works blazing and Joe Louis Arena
rocking, championship boxing
returned to an arena named for a box-
ing legend after a 12-year absence
with a bang Friday. Several bangs,
actually, as part of Prince Naseem
Hamed's extravagant entrance to the
ring for his featherweight unification
fight with Cesar Soto.
Hamed described the entrance,
which included explosions and fire-
works, rap music and some Motown,
as "wicked."

were there, from body slams to head
butts,
During the 12 rounds, neither
fighter knocked the other down,
although four times a fighter hit the
canvas after a Hulk Hogan-esque
maneuver. Hamed claimed a unani-
mous decision, 114-110, 115-110,
116-108, unifying the World Boxing
Organization and WBC featherweight
titles.
"The two styles that clashed tonight
just made it a shitty fight," Hamed
said.
Soto, a one-dimensional fighter,
stayed hunched over most of the
fight, head down, chin against chest,

up the Joe
ly. He keeps his fist down by his belt,
instead of up to protect himself
against punches, and uses his speed to
bob and weave around punches, giv-
ing the appearance of a slithering
snake. He delivers punches from the
belt, putting more power into them.
"If you try to rough me up, I'm
going to body slam you and do what I
have to do," Hamed said. "I'm no
goody two-shoes."
And Hamed did just that. In the
fifth round, Hamed ducked under a
right hook. Soto lost his balance and
leaned on Hamed's back. The Prince
stood up and flipped Soto, slamming
his opponent, who held the WBC belt,

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