2B - The Michigan Daily - Thursday, September 9, 1999
Schmitt succeeds at new role for soccer
By Stephanie Offen
Daily Sports Writer
The current success of the
Michigan soccer team can be credit-
ed to someone you wouldn't normal-
ly expect.
The person who deserves thanks
quit playing soccer in the fifth grade.
Emily Schmitt, a senior tri-cap-
tain and currently the team's leading
scorer, may not even be playing if it
weren't for a childhood neighbor.
"My neighbor's mom signed her
up and she wanted someone to play
with her," Schmitt recalls. "So my
mom agreed and I started playing
zone soccer at the age of five."
And while the neighbor no longer
plays, Schmitt has become a stand-
out player for the Wolverines leading
them to a 2-1 record so far this sea-
son.
The respect that she has from her
teammates and coaches was proven
when she was elected captain for the
1999 season.
"Emily has played well all four
years," coach Debbie Belkin said.
"She takes charge and communicates
well with her teammates."
Despite being elected captain,
Schmitt remains modest.
"I don't think the title really
changes your role," Schmitt said.
"But it is nice because it shows that
your teammates respect you and
what you have to say."
But Schmitt's role on the team
has changed. As a leader she uses her
experiences from her freshman year
to guide this year's large freshman
class.
With ten newcomers to this year's
team, Schmitt and the rest of the
upperclass have made an extra effort
to make them feel welcome. Even
though the freshman are competing
with their other older teammates for
position, Schmitt feels that it is more
important to make the younger mem-
bers feel comfortable on the field
and off to help the team.
"This year we've realized that if
we have freshman starting then that
means they are better than the people
we already have which is better for
the team," she said.
Schmitt's role has changed on the
field as well.
She had the chance to play in the
Adidas summer league with the best
college players from all over the
country.
"I thought that was a great oppor-
tunity for her," Belkin said. "She got
a chance to play with some of the
best players and stay physically fit."
Schmitt has also been asked to
take on a more offensive role. Even
though she stated that scoring isn't
her speciality, the coaches thought
differcntly and were proven right.
In the first game of the season
against Oakland University, Schmitt
tied a career high with two goals and
five points. She also became just the
sixth player to exceed 40 points at
Michigan.
Schmitt added to her record-
breaking point total by adding an
assisted in Michigan's victory over
No. 19 Vanderbilt last weekend at the
Tiger Invitational. Her aggressive
play was what led her to be named to
the all-tournament team for the tour-
nament.
But even with the push from her
coaches and her impressive perfor-
mances on the field, Schmitt still
does not call herself a go-to player.
"Our forwards are the people who
are going to score the goals for us,"
Schmitt said. "Those are the people
that I look to score for us. But it is
good when the scoring can come
from the midfield.
I don't thinkI will score a lot of
goals this year and I don't think the
other midfielders will either, but if
we all put in our fair share of goals
we should be fine."
And not only is Schmitt versitile
on the soccer field, but on other ath-
letic surfaces as well.
As a three sport athlete in high
school, she excelled at soccer as well
as basketball and volleyball. A
Basketball was always her pas-
sion, but she realized she could go.
farther on the soccer field.
Schmitt never thought about play- H z
ing at a collegiate level until her
junior year of high school.
"All of a sudden I was going to
college and people asked me if I
wanted to play soccer too," Schmitt
said. "I realized that I could play
soccer at a school like Michigan and
I could never play basketball here.
"Soccer had also become my
favorite sport."
And this all thanks to a five-year- LOUIS 8rOWNf
A ndighisra hth os htsfi c-er- Senior Emily Schmitt has led the Michigan soccer team to a 2-1 start while
old neighbor who thought soccer recording personal records of her own.
might just be fun.
'M' freshmen to make impact for
talented women's tennis team
By Dan Wiloms
Daily Sports Writer
The two freshmen on the Michigan
women's tennis will compete with eight
returning players from last year's squad
for playing time. It speaks well for
Jennifer Duprez and Joanne Musgrove
when Michigan coach Bitsy Ritt pre-
dicts they will make an immediate
impact.
"There is going to be good competi-
tion among freshmen and returning
players for starting positions," Ritt said.
Duprez is a 5-3 all-court player out
of Westhampton, N.Y. She picked the
Wolverines over Rice, Wisconsin, and
Northwestern. After officially visiting
the campus for the Michigan vs.
Syracuse football game, Duprez found
what she was looking for in a universi-
ty.
"It has good academics and a reputa-
tion for treating the athletes very well,"
Duprez said. "Also I came from a small
town and wanted to go to a big col-
lege."
Duprez also stated that she found
what she was looking for in a coach
with Ritt..
"I wanted a coach that was kind of
lenient" Duprez said, "I didn't want a
drill sergeant."
Duprez's most notable accomplish-
ments thus far in her tennis career
include a third-place finish in the state
Men face s
of New York high school tournament.
She also has won the sportsmanship
award from the Eastern Tennis
Association in the 16-and-under age
group and has been ranked as high as
third in the state in doubles.
Ritt hopes that Duprez will see
action in both singles and doubles in
the upcoming season. Ritt said Duprez
is an all-court style player with the
shots in her arsenal to hurt her oppo-
nent.
Duprez aspires to play at number
four or five singles this season, but she
understands if she has to wait her turn
behind some of the more experienced
players.
"The three seniors will probably get
to play in a lot of the tournaments,"
Duprez said, "I won't be upset if I have
to wait. They probably had to wait their
turn in the beginning too."
While Duprez is the prototypical all-
around player, the 5-5 Musgrove is
more of a speedy, consistent baselines.
Ritt said, Musgrove's mental toughness
and her quickness give a similar style
of play to junior Alison Sinclair.
Since she's from Lasalle. Ont..
Musgrove didn't gain the experience of
high-school tennis in Canada. She did
play in provincial and national tourna-
ments, which she believes will be ade-
quate preparation for college tennis.
"I want to be in the lineup."
Musgrove said, "I'm, definitely prT
pared for the college level."
Musgrove chose Michigan over Ohio
State, Purdue, Kansas, and Virginta.
She cited meeting the team during her
official visit in November as the decid-
ing factor in her choice.
"They seemed like they really want-
ed me to come here, and there was
good chemistry between the girls on
the team and Bitsy," Musgrove said.
Some of Musgrove's highest honor
include her 1997 victory in the Western
Open in Monroe. and her ranking of
fourth in Canada in the under-16 divi-
sion.
The two new faces in the lineup
seem to fit right in with the Michigan
tennis program. Both players are expe-
rienced in cold weather and indoor ten-
nis.
"I'm used to playing indoors plus
don't handle the heat well and get hW
stroke," said Musgrove.
While Ritt is optimistic concerning
her two new prospects, she isn't ready
to call them the best recruiting class
she's ever had, especially not before the
team's first practice.
"Danielle Lund, Brook Hart, and
Erryn Weggenman won the Big Ten
championship their freshmen year
playing four, five, and six singles" R
said. "Our players have great qualifice
tions every year."
FILE PHOTO
Two freshmen, Jennifer Duprez and Joanne Musgrove are spoke highly of by coach Debbie Belkin and are expected to replace
the departing seniors quickly.
eason with new coach
Mees and four freshmen to fill void left by captains Raiton and Farah
i
YOU
TI
cons,
REl
'VIESA
By Dena Krischer before becoming the director at the
Daily Sports Writer Cleveland Racquet Club in
After placing second behind Cleveland.
national powerhouse Illinois in the Mees knows the territory, he
Big Ten conference last season, the knows how important coach Eisner
Michigan men's tennis toam unwill- was to the tennis organization, and
ingly said farewell and good luck to most effectively, he remembers what
three of the biggest contributors to it was like to play for and coach
their success in the past fbur years - alongside Eisner.
coach Brian Eisner, and senior co- Along with Mees came Chris
captains Will Farah and Jake Raiton. Rolf, Chris Shaya, Zach Held, and
Eisner announced his retirement Jeremy Edleson, freshmen who are
after 30 years of running the show, working hard to fill the voids that
leaving the Wolverines with plenty of Raiton and Farah left behind.
questions in the seasons to come. Unfortunately, with so much tal-
But on June 14, a former ent, it's going to be tough to assign
Michigan tennis All-American took the singles spot that opened up at
over after the 30-year reign of his for- Farah's departure, and senior Brad
mer coach, with hopes and dreams of McFarlane is going to need a new
leading this year's team through a doubles partner after pairing strictly
difficult season. with Farah for the past two years.
Mark Mees graduated from "We'll get a better feel for the sea-
Michigan 16 years ago, and contin- son once we start practice," Mees
ued on with his tennis career, remain- said. "There will be some individual
ing at Michigan as an assistant coach competition, but everybody has the
to Eisner for six seasons, 1984-'89, opportunity to practice and play hard.
They all have the opportunity at (the
singles) spot."
The rookies aren't going to let a
of the competition get in the way
the team chemistry. They all played
numerous matches against each other
since grade school.
This season will definitely be dif-
ferent with so many new faces, but
that won't change the hunger that
each of the players has to win.
"We should have a good chance at
winning the Big Ten," Rolf said. "We
have a good team. It'll be tough, butg
think we can do it.
"We're all very excited, myself
included," Mees said. "We won't
know a lot until we get in there, roll
up our sleeves, and start practicing'"
The season's home opener at the
Varsity Tennis Center isn't until
January 23, but the team will be
heading out east to play in their first
tournament in Maryland on
September 18.
HENDRICKS
Continued from Page 1B
"There were certain technique
drills that got us into position. And it
was just repetition from there. Once
we did that, well, it wasn't easy, but
it was easier because we had it down
mentally."
Hendricks led Michigan with 10
tackles, nine unassisted. Jones and
Patmon both had eight.
Big-time tackles started the game
off, and they may have finished it.
too.
As time ran down Patmon and
senior linebacker Dhani JIones,
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