6E - New Student Edition - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, September 8, 1999
Ever since becoming a varsity team in 1994, the Michigan women's soccer team has been
KICKING DOW TI-l DOOR
By Geoff Gagnon
Daily Sports Writer
NOTRE DAME - Michigan soc-
cer coach Debbie Belkin was hoping
her team could put its experience to
use as it entered second-round
NCAA Tournament competition for
the first time in the team's five-year
history.
Belkin wanted to capitalize on the
experience it gained by winning its
first NCAA Tournament contest ear-
lier in the week, the experience
gained in returning to the NCAA
Tournament for the second time in as
many years. But perhaps the most
important experience Belkin hoped
to capitalize on was the team's slim
1-0 loss several weeks ago to the
previous day's opponent, Notre
Dame.
Yet as the Irish wrapped up a 3-0
win over Michigan, at Alumni Field
in South Bend, it became clear that it
was the tournament-savvy Notre
Dame squad that finally asserted its
experience.
"We were not afraid of Notre
Dame one bit," Belkin said. "We
knew 'we were playing a final-four
caliber team, and they would demon-
strate their experience, but we were
confident. We wouldn't back down."
Despite their confidence, the
Wolverines fell behind when Monica
Gerado slipped a shot past Michigan
netminder Carrisa Stewart off a cor-
ner kick to put Notre Dame ahead at
21:11 mark in the first half.
The Irish managed another score
just prior to halftime as senior
Shannon Boxx gave the Irish a 2-0
lead on a shot that sailed over
Stewart's head, finding the center of
the net with just five minutes
remaining.
"After those first two scores we
really tried to tighten things up,"
Belkin said. "Leading 2-0 is always
real dangerous because some teams
tend to get complacent, but to Notre
Dame's credit they hung on and did-
n't let up."
Protecting its 2-0 lead, the Irish
defense flexed its muscle in the sec-
ond half, holding Michigan without
a shot in the game's final 55 min-
utes. Instead, the Big East champi-
ons managed another score, as
Gerardo found the back of the net for
her 71st career goal. Coming off a
feed from Boxx, Gerardo scored
from the left side at the 77:04 mark,
notching Notre Dame's third and
final goal in what would prove to be
Notre Dame's 36th straight win over
a Big Ten opponent.
"We knew in the second half we
would have to play more as a unit,"
senior defender Vanessa Lewis said.
If the Big Ten had
expanded, then
big games like
4 nMichigan-Notre
z :-Dame would
affect the confer-
ence standings,
x; too.
MARGARET MYERS/Daily
STen expects.
to Say at eleven
{
teams for now
01
DANA LINNANE/Daly
Junior Amber Berendowsky helped defeat the Wildcats in the first round of the Big Ten Tournament last November. Yet the
Wolverines fell prey to host Penn State In the semifinals.
"We knew that if we played more
focused and more together, we
would be okay. Unfortunately things
didn't work out for us."
Lewis anchored a defensive effort
that held one of the most potent
offensive teams in the country to just
a single goal when Michigan hosted
Notre Dame Oct. 23.
Lewis said the Irish differed very
little from the one that bested
Michigan yesterday.
"They hadn't changed from when
we played them earlier, and we were
confident that we knew what we
needed to do to win," Lewis said.
"The difference is this time their
shots just connected. Things work
well for them."
Despite the disheartening realiza-
tion that the season had ended,
Belkin said she was optimistic about
the strides her program made this
season.
"I think that things will continue
to improve for us," Belkin said.
"Each year as we go a little further,
we see improvement, and recruits
notice those types of things. Its no
secret that the best players want to
play at the best schools, and I think
we are working towards that."
Blekin contends that the contribu-
tion by the team's seniors was a cat-
alyst in achieving this success.
"I'm very proud of the way the
seniors handled things this year, and
I told them that," Belkin said, "The
way they stepped things up really set
an example for the younger players."
And as Lewis walked off the field
for the final time yesterday, she said
she too was proud of the example
she and her senior teammates set.
"The reality of being down hasn't
yet hit me," Lewis said.
"But I can say that we are proud of
the legacy we leave behind. We
brought leadership, communication,
and dedication and I am happy with
how we are leaving things."
By David Den Herder
Daily Sports Writer
It has been quite a year for the Big
Ten Conference.
Besides posting a 5-0 record in bowl
games and sending two teams to the
Final Four, the elite and storied confer-
ence has had the entire Midwest abuzz
with talk of Big Ten expansion.
But, for now, the buzz has subsided.
In February, officials at Notre Dame
were preparing to discuss the possibili-
ty of joining the Big Ten, despite what
appeared to be negative sentiment from
the Notre Dame Alumni Association.
D'juan Francisco, the association's
Director of Student Programs, summa-
rized the popular opinion among alum-
ni days before the Big Ten issue went
before Notre Dame's board of trustees.
"It's beyond football, it's beyond ath-
letics and it's beyond academics," said
Francisco. "Notre Dame has a brand
name. Notre Dame has been indepen-
dent. Doing something like that would
change what a lot of people thought
Notre Dame stood for."
The following weekend, in London
- where the Notre Dame Trustees
were dedicating a new academic facili-
ty - they voted against initiating for-
mal dialogue with the Big Ten. Instead,
they opted to maintain the school's
independence in football and affilia-
tion with the Big East in most other
sports.
This was an exciting time for the
conference and also for Notre Dame,
as it was probably the closest the two
have ever come to an alliance.
But the trustees agreed with the sen-
timent that seemed so popular with
alumni.
"Just as the Universities of Michigan
or Wisconsin or Illinois have core iden-
tities as the flagship institutions of their
states, so Notre Dame has a core iden-
tity," Notre Dame president Edward
Malloy said after the vote. "At the core
are these characteristics: Catholic, pri-
vate, independent."
After the Irish opted out, University
Athletic Director Tom Goss spoke up
on the future of the conference.
Goss, who was in favor of adding
Notre Dame, warned that the Big Ten
should proceed with caution.
"If you look at Penn State, they
brought value academically and athlet-
ically," Goss said. "Just to go out and
add another team just does not make
sense.
Penn State joined the conference in
1993, bringing the total number of Big
Ten members to 11. But then, the
moniker has been inaccurate in the
past. In 1939, the University of
Chicago left the Big Ten, leaving only
nine schools in the conference. It was
not until 1953, when Michigan State
was granted membership, that the total
was back up to 10. in its 103-year exis-
tence, the Big Ten has only been a 10-
team league for 83 years.
Now, in the age of corporate sposor-
ship and major televison contracts,
there is sentiment to add one more
school to the conference. In football, a
12th team would add the possibilty of
two separate divisions and a revenue,
generating championship game at the
end of the season - much like in the
Southeastern and Big 12 conferences.
"A lot of people are thinking 1
teams for a (football) playoff," Goss
said after Notre Dame's decision this
winter. "I don't necessarily support a
playoff. It's an additional game - it's
probably close to our finals time, so.
academically it doesn't make sense."
Alhthough the expansion genie
seemed out of the bottle after the Notre
Dame dialogue (both Syracuse and
Missouri were in the rumor mill), spec-
ulation was quiet this summer.
Syracuse athletic director Jak
Crouchamel said in June he had not
talked to anyone from the Big Ten, and
despite rumors, said the Big Ten had
never contacted him.
"We have a very positive and strong
relationship with the Big East,"he said.
"We have no plans to leave, and even if
we wanted to, we wouldn't have the
option," since there has not been so
much as dialogue between the tw
institutions.
Missouri is in a similar situation.
Although location and academic stand-
ing seemigly make the Tigers next best;
option for the Big Ten (should it wish'
to expand), as of June, there had been
no communication.
As far back as February, Missouri
officials echoed Syracuse's statements.
Missouri is content in its relationship'
with the Big 12, they said.
Far from the negative stance at Notr
Dame, The Missouri alumni associa-
tion has not even taken the possibilty of
Big Ten membership into considera-
tion.
"It's a non-issue," said member Todd
MCubbin. "We're in the Big 12, and
we're happy in the Big 12."g
Get Your Season
Started Right Iw
MAIL BOXES ETC.®
ATTENTION: FRESHMEN & PARENTS
RENT A MAILBOX HERE FOR:"
* Secure parcel and mail receiving.
* Permanent address-eliminates the confusion of address changes,
and assures receipt of all mail (no lost job offers, etc.)
* Confidential service.
* Acceptance of deliveries from UPS, Fed Ex, DHL, USPS, and
other carriers.
* Three FREE months with 12 month rental.
" Convenient, safe location in the heart of the campus.
" Friendly service.
ADDITIONAL SERVICES INCLUDE:
OVERNIGHT DELIVERY.
FAX-SEND AND RECEIVE WORLDWIDE.
UPS AUTHORIZED SHIPPING OUTLET.
COPY SERVICE (INCLUDING CANON COLOR COPIES)
PACKAGING SUPPLIES.
CUSTOM PACKING.
PASSPORT AND ID PHOTOS.
USPS.
FREIGHT (PACKING & SHIPPING)
LOOK FOR US ON THE GROUND FLOOR
OF THE MICHIGAN STUDENT UNION
615 E. Liberty off State
A UM Tradition
since 1939
M-F 8:30-5:20
SAT til 4:20
U _
uV
!i
I
RESTAURANT
SPORTS $At
4
P'
Sports
Bar
The Michigan Daily
Readership Poll 1995-19
PLYMOUTH GREEN CENTER
(734)662-6666
Fax (734)662-7225
3588 Plymouth Road
Ann Arbor, MI 48105-2603
WOODLAND PLAZA SHOPPING CTR
(734)662-7777
Fax (734)662-9779
2232 South Main Street
Ann Arbor, M 48103
MICHIGAN STUDENT UNION
(734)662-8585
Fax (734)662-8833
530 South State Street
Ann Arbor, MI 48109
-3 Big Screen TV's
-10 additional large TV's
-Satellite Coverage of College & Pro Football
L
1I __ _ I
I
I
I
rI
I
{
i