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Kal Gannon has
pushed Michigan
upfield all sea-
ao, and now
she's pushed the
Wolverines Into
the Final Four,
gnning Friday ""-~
In Boston.
DAVID ROCWIIND/Daiy
'Fed' gre
head to Be
Noavid Roth
loy Sports Writer
Though the Michigan field hockey
program has been around 26 years,
only-this year have the Wolverines
stepped their game up to not only
winning the Big Ten Tournament, but
also triumphing in the first and sec-
and rounds of the NCAAs.
But what has been motivating the
Wolverines during post-season play
0 year? What has been their dri-
ving force leading them into the
NCAA Final Four?
The fame? The glory? Trips to
Boston, North Carolina and
Columbus? Championship shirts and
hats? Seeing their names in the
paper?
Nope It's Towanda, a character
from the movie "Fried Green
Tomatoes." In the movie, Towanda is
red on by a group of girls. After
constantly being made fun of, she
builds up a great- deal of rage and
delivers the ultimate spaz attack.
Michigan coach Marsha Pankratz
tali<ed about Towanda's energetic
explositivity in a pep talk to try to
mqtivate her own players.
The trend started one game into
the Big Ten Tournament. After trail-
ing, 1-0 and 2-1 to Northwestern, a
tt- which was 0-10 in Big Ten con-
ference play, Pankratz felt that her
team needed to unleash its emotions
Ellerbe chl
deeper ho
By Mark FrtllA nC11tti
Daily Sports Writer
Last season, filling out the lineup
card wasn't the toughest pre-game
activity for Michigan basketball coach
Brian Ellerbe.
The Wolverines suffered from
trenendous lack of depth and had to
count on a roster of seven players.
ut this season, Ellerbe has an ocean
layers to consider when Michigan
begins it season this Friday against
Oakland.
"It's interesting. I think we're going
to be a team that changes its lineup a
lots' Ellerbe said. "There's a possibility
we'll go with a small lineup against
Oakdand."
If Michigan does choose a smaller
lineup, sophomore Leon Jones may
find a starting spot. Jones has
i, ressed the coaches so far, netting 31
tuM points and averaging 25 minutes in
the two exhibition games.
Ellerbe's choice is especially hard
aftar all but one of Michigan's post
players struggled in the first two exhi-
bition games.
"They have to cash in more - too
any bobbled balls, not securing
rebounds, finishing around the basket a
little bit better, being a more opposing
e inside. We have to have that."
-Ellerbe can't use the exhibition
ares alone as a determinant of his
~k~eLtd tgau~atf
Tracking 'M' bubbles
The Michigan women's cross country team received a
bid to Monday's NCAA Championships yesterday. Read
ali about it on page 14.
Tuesday
November 16, 1999
13
THE BATTLE FOR THE BOWLS:
No. 10 Michia vs. Ohio State
lenty
at
stake
en Stickers
'antown
out on the field. She wanted her
squad to feel a sense of immediacy
because losing a tournament game
would be fatal to Michigan's season.
"We had to play Northwestern in
the first round, and I felt that we
came out a little bit afraid and a litte
bit nervous," Pankratz said.
"Knowing that we probably were the
stronger team, but that it's a tourna-
ment and anyone can win on those
days, we (knew we would be out) if
we lost.
"I know how important it was for
the players to do the best we could,
but we just were really tentative. We
squeaked by that game and got out of
it with a win, but it was very scary."
Disappointed with herteam's play
and effort, Pankratz gave a motiva-
tional speech the night before the
Wolverines played arch rival, and the
team they lost to twice during the
regular season, Penn State.
"The next day playing Penn State,
we had to figure out a way to per-
form - to get out there and feel the
fear and feel the nerves," Pankratz
said.
"She told us that it was okay to
have butterflies and play a little ner-
vous, but to just get past that and do
your best," senior Jocelyn LaFace
said of Pankratz's speech.
Pankratz felt that her team needed
See BOSTON, Page 16
0oses from
Sroster
A peek inside
Michigan's men.
in the paint:
freshman
50 Leland Anderson
sophomore'
45 Chris Young.
junior -
25 Josh Assetin
senior
55 Peter Vignier
n Effort,
% 3
abound
this week
'' \"* - By Rick Freeman
Daily Sports Editor
SOhio State week brings out the
cliches in Michigan's football
players. Don't think so? Look in
the trash can. That's where you can
throw the records. Or out the win-
dow. Or look on the field. That's
where the Wolverines will leave
everything. But Don't look ahead
to the Wolverines' bowl chances.
"We're not even thinking about
that," senior linebacker James
Hall.
They know if they do, those
bowl chances might lose some of
their shine. If Michigan wins, a
Bowl Championship Series bowl
- the Orange or the Fiesta - is a
likely proposition for the
Wolverines. If they lose, the
Outback or Citrus Bowl would be
more likely. The Buckeyes have no
such safety net. Since they played
an extrta game this season - the
Kickoff Classic against Miami,
3 Fla. - they need to get their sev-
enth win in Michigan Stadium,
where they have a 19-14-3 all-time
record, and are 2-8-1 in both loca-
tions under their current coach,
John Cooper.
But all those cliches have a ker-
nel of terrible truth. If Michigan
overlooks the Buckeyes - a cardi-
nal football sin if ever there was
one - no amount of bloomin'
onions could ease the sting.
Even if it is a cliche, Ohio State
week is not the time to hold back.
It's the last game in the Big House
for Michigan's seniors, and to a
man they know they don't want to
9.Vt eE-bring anything back into the lock--
k y'erroom butt an exhausted smile.
They know of effort what Robert
LOUIS BROWN/Daily Frost knew of it: "Strongly spent is"
Special teams miscues helped do in the Wolverines in Columbus last season. Michgan's players feel that everyone, See MICHIGAN, Page 15
including quarterback TomBrady and kicker Hayden Epstein, will have to have his best game on Saturday.
Buckeyes ee bittersweet redemption
By Geoff Gagnon
Daily Sports Writer
COLUMBUS It slid slowly down the wall
and landed at the floor near John Cooper's feet with
a whimper. Folding over once before giving up its
fight like a beaten soldier, the black buckeye banner
that stood behind the Ohio State general came to a
crumpled rest.
The symbolism of the falling banner as Cooper
addressed the media yesterday seemed to echo the
story that the coach and his Ohio State team have
been penning all year long. Beaten and battered to a
dismal 6-5 record, the Buckeyes have fallen to the
Big Ten's eighth spot with seemingly one chance for
a hint of redemption -_ this week's game against
Michigan.
"We're going to be juiced up regardless of what
our record is," Cooper said. "It's the Michigan game.
Its the biggest game of the year for both teams. It's
why kids come to these schools."
And the Buckeyes know that when they come to
Ann Arbor on Saturday the added incentive of a bowl
berth will likely be at stake -something unusual for
an Ohio State squad that has made New Year's day
plans for I I straight years.
"We have never been in a position to have to win
in order to get in a bowl game, so it's a bit strange;"
senior tight end Kevin Houser said. "Playing in a
bowl is a primary concern for this team each year."
So too is beating Michigan for a school that has lit-
tle left to salvage in a season marred by disappoint-
ment. As the two teams ready for their 82nd straight
meeting in what has become a conference ritual and
arguably college football's most storied rivalry,
thoughts have already begun to turn to a promise of
hope here.
"When it comes down to it, it's Ohio State-
Michigan. You can throw all of the records to the
wind" Senior captain and fullback Matt Keller said.
"It's Buckeyes and Wolverines Saturday in Ann
Arbor."
And in a season plagued by uncertainty and doubt,
that's about the only thing Keller that says the
Buckeyes have to worry about.
"We have nothing to lose" Senior Captain Matt
Kellar said. "We just have to go out and beat
Michigan. We just have to play."
Despite their current underdog status, the
Buckeyes would like nothing more than to play
spoiler to a Michigan squad entertaining visions of a
BCS bowl bid on the heels of last week's win.
In the last four seasons, the matchup has featured
national championship implications as Michigan
See OHIO STATE, Page 15
front court strengths. Michigan didn't
face many post players in the scrim-
mages against the California All-Stars
and Team Prestige.
"They have yet to play against guys
like them, which is hard. If you're 6-
foot-11 and 270 pounds, you're going
to look better playing against another
guy like you, not a 6-foot-9, 210-
pounder who can run and jump. That's
hard for them."
Senior Peter Vignier and junior Josh
Asselin will likely carry much of the
load in the post. Asselin, the bright spot
thus far, had 16 points in 19 minutes
against Team Prestige. Due to
See DEPTH, Page 16
I
cnsv" "- .0AAA7