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. 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