Scoreboard-. COLLEGE seattle 5, FOOTBALL TAMPA BAY 3 BRIGHAM YOUNG 34 NATIONAL Coiorc~do State 13 LEAGUE AMERICAN SAN FRANCISCO 6. LEAGUE Florida 5 KANSAS CITY 7, Chicago 7, Anaheim 1 CINCINNATI 6 New York 7. CLEVELAND 5 NHL EXHIBITION Florida U.. NASHVILLE 4 OT Montreal at BOSTON, mc. MLS New York 2, COLUMBUS 1 ZIIlte zi ztitigttn ttilir S Tracking 'M' teams The Michigan soccer team opens Big Ton play on the road this weekend. The Wolverines take on OhIo Statr this evenig in Columbus and Penn Stat e i St ate College on Sunday. Friday September 17, 1999 12 7~ _ . j0 nto e ji cer IL E I IY1 1 FILE PHOTO i The departure of Mike Van Ryn and two other defensemen has left Michigan short on the blue line. Diefense O * is st n ,eed for hockey By Stephanie Offen gaily Sports Writer Usually Michigan hockey coach Red Berenson doesn't hold his breath when it comes time for walk- on tryouts. But this year may be different. After top defenseman Mike Van Ryn announced last week that he will not return for the 1999-2000 season, Berenson said he has his eye on a replacement. The Wolverines usually carry nine defenseman on the squad, and cur- rently they only have six. Even though the team might be thin on the blue line, Berenson is not willing to compromise the team's strength just to fill vacancies. "We usually don't take any walk- ons," Berenson said. "We will just have to wait and see. This year we are probably looking at defense- men." Michigan is currently looking at Brad Fraser, a defensman, as a pos- sible replacement for Van Ryn. Fraser and the other perspective walk-ons take the ice next Thursday during the Wolverines' first practice. That will be the first time they will be evaluated and critiqued by the coaches. The Michigan club hockey team will be heavily represented at next week's tryouts. Last year, five club team members tried out for the var- sity team, and this year it is unknown how many will try to make that next step. But the real challenge for the club members is to see how they stand against the scholarship players. "I'm just going out there to see how well I match up against those guys," Justin Yanalunas, a perspec- See WALK-ONS, Page 15 Del Verne usedto squeeze playk By Andy Latack R)aily Sports ELditor Before he had even attempted a collegiate field goal, Jeff Del Verne still knew a thing or t\wo about kicking under pressure. While he had yet to line up ' for a kick in front of thousands of screaming fns, the crowd that Del Verne battled was almost as tough. At the end of practice, coach Lloyd (arr would gather the team together to watch Del Verne attempt a field goal. If he made the kick, practice was over. If he missed, the team would have to run laps. So they made sure Del Verne knew what was riding on the field goal "They kind of bark at you out there," Del Verne said. "And it's a little more personal-" But Del Verne never let his teammates get to him. One time, after watching his kick sail through the uprights, he turned around and did a little dance for them. "He's one of the funnier guys on the team,' quar- terback Tom Brady said, remembering the incident. But on Saturdays this season, Del Verne has been all business. He was crucial in Michigan's season- opening win over Notre Dame, converting four of five attempts. He was also three-for-three against Rice, , and is perfect on point-after attempts so far. But both of those games were played in front of the Michigan faithful. Tomorrow, as No. 6 Michigan (2-0 ) travels to Syracuse (2-0), Del Verne faces a new challenge. Barring an absolute disaster. Del Verne will attempt his first career kick on the road either a field goal or an extra point - against the Orangemen. And he wivill do so in the Carrier Dome, which figzures to be a little louder than some tired teammates screaming in his ear. But Del Verne, who assumed Field goal duties because of Hayden Epstein's offseason knee injury, isnt worried about the crowd. "All I see is Tommy (Brady) and the snapper, so it won't make that much of a difference to me," Del Verne said. If a hostile crowd wasn't enough of a change for the junior, he will also be kicking off artificial turf in a game for the first time. But Del Verne is equally unworried about that. "Every kicker I've talked to says they kick better on turf, just from the standpoint of seeing the ball better and always getting a good spot" Del Verne said. " It should be fun kicking on the turf." Hopefully. Del Verne won't have to do any tackling on the turf. But Syracuse's team speed - particularly kick returner and receiver Quinton Spotwood - has Carr concerned. Spotwood had 135 yards receiving and two touchdowns in last week's 47-7 win over Central Michigan. "Spotwood is a great threat both as a kick returner and a receiver," Carr said. "This Syracuse team prob- ably has better overall team speed than any team we've played since we played them a year ago. And a year ago, the outcome was not something Michigan wants to repeat. The Orangemen handed the See SYRACUSE, Page 14 I' of J,.op 1- lk LOUSBROWN/DaA Although he has four touchdowns in two games, tailback Anthony Thomas is the only Michigan running back to have produced for Michigan's offense. If a second back doesn't show up, the Wolverines' season could begin to fall apart. Cuse has dome-team advantage By'T.J. Berka Daily Sports Writer One down, two to go. Michigan has already conquered Notre Dame - barely -- and gets its chance at redemption tomorrow night against Syracuse. Both teams are going into this game unde- feated. Both teams have things to prove in the Carrier Dome. Michigan wants to prove that it is a legiti- mate contender for the national title while Syracuse wants to prove that life doesn't end with the departure of Donovan McNabb. With a national television audience watch- ing on CBS, this game will do a lot in answer- ing those questions. But there is one question that the Wolverines or Orangemen won't be able to answer after the game -- 'What is that orange blob which is the Syracuse mascot supposed to be?' Without further adieu, on to the matchups: MICHIGAN RUSHING OFFENSE VS. SYRACUSE RUSHING DEFENSE: Lloyd Carr isn't happy. Yes, Anthony Thomas has rushed for 225 yards and four touchdowns in the first two games. , But Thomas has been the only Wolverine to gain quality yards on the ground. Neither full- back Aaron Shea nor running backs Walter Cross, B.J. Askew. or Charles Drake has emerged as a solid second rusher. Syracuse also returns Butkus-nominee Keith Bulluck to the linebacking corps this weekend. Bulluck sat out last weekend's 47-7 win over Central Michigan while serving a one-game suspension for a DUI offense. The Orangemen have a talented front seven, led by Bulluck, defensive end Donald Dinkins and linebacker Morlon Greenwood. And the Michigan running attack is only aver- aging 3.3 yards per game. But the Wolverines pride themselves on rushing the ball, so this should be a good duel within the trenches. Advantage: EVEN. MICHIGAN PASSING OFFENSE VS. SYRACUSE PASSING DEFENSE; See MATCHUPS, Page 14 R t1}; . 1 NCAA places State on two-year probation, Share! to take a cabN when you SHARE A RIDE 6 0' 1 Up to Four Friends ; a Can Share a Cab! * reserved rides available* - - - - --aman EAST LANSING (AP) -- Citing violations in Michigan State University's women's track and field program and the men's wrestling program, the NCAA said Thursday it was extending the school's probation for two more years. Michigan State. which this year was to have come off of probation issued in 1996 for violations in its football program, will remain on probation until 2001 and suffer addi- tional penalties for "major viola- tions" in the two sports programs, the NCAA said. In a decision Michigan State has accepted, the NCAA said it found violations of bylaws governing extra benefits, recruiting, coaching limita- tions, eligibility and ethical conduct. The NCAA said many of the viola- tions were secondary. The NCAA didn't name the coach- es involved, but Michigan State con- firmed they were a women's track and field coach no longer with the school, and wrestling coach Tom Minkel. The NCAA praised Michigan State for discovering the violations on its own and the fact the school "put appropriate corrective measures in place and imposed its own mean- ingful penalties." For that matter, Michigan State President Peter McPherson andl the school "did a fine job," said Jack Friedenthal, chairman of the NCAA's infractions committee. The NCAA said it did not impose repeat-violator penalties because there was "no finding of a lack of institutional control and the involved sports differed from that of the previ- ous case." Michigan State officials voiced, satisfaction with the NCAA's find- ings. "We were very thorough in our investigations afte-r charges were made several years ago regarding both the track and wrestling pro- grams," McPherson said. "We will continue our policy of having a culture of compliance in our athletic department, supported by a strong compliance program." Minkel said he was responsible for compliance and his staff. adding that compliance will be "at the core of our wrestling piogam here at Michigan State." The NCAA committee imposed "show-cause" requirements on the former head women's track coach and a former assistant coach, both until June 30, 2000, which require any NCAA institution seeking to employ them to appear before the panel. According to the NCAA, the com- mittee found that: * Two ineligible women's track and field athletes were allowed Ao practice in the 1995-96 academic year. Another track athlete was improperly recruited in 1996. The former head women's track See SPARTANS, Page 15 - - I Introducing U U=..a a ,.w ex --I