14-- The Michigan Laiy - Fridqy, September 15, 2000 IPowers emerges I: n-By Sarah Ensor assists, raising her : Daily Sports Writer to a lofty 12, good team. This season, the No. 4 Michigan Powers is "such field hockey team has seen the Michigan coach1 *'Powers that be dominate its offense. said. "Her stick ski Molly Powers, a sophomore for- to her speed and h ward from Oak Park, Ill., has really goes for the cmerged as one of :he Wolverines' If it's laying there main offensive threats, filling the pounces on it first boxscores and stat sheets with her thing happen." contributions. After scoring six goals That has become in 24 games during her freshman to players and fans campaign, Powers has lit up the one of the Wolveri scoreboard this season, netting five sive players, freque goals in Michigan's first five con- ball at all costs a tests. ground to make a c While that streak was broken in In Sunday's matc Michigan's 6-1 victory over Ohio on along the goal line Sundav, Powers still added two April Fronzoni's se as big-time threat for 'M' field hockey season point total for second on the a quick player," Marcia Pankratz ills are catching up er quickness. She ball in the circle. open, she usually and makes some- e readily apparent s alike. Powers is nes' most aggres- ently attacking the nd diving on the rucial play. A, her diving pass set up freshman cond score of the game and earned her the adulation of the crowd. "I'm definitely more comfortable with my stick skills" this season, Powers said. "When the ball comes, I'm more confident with it on my stick. I'm moving a lot better with the other forwards, and we seem to be clicking right now." While being among the team's leaders in points and goals is some- thing new to Powers, scoring in clutch situations is not. In last year's NCAA semifinal against Connecticut, she tallied the game- winning goal that gave the Wolverines a 4-3 victory and a ticket to the national championship game. This season, she has already scored two game-winners, leading Michigan to victories over Duke and American. Powers attributes her success not to any special techniques or strate- gies, but rather to her natural matura- tion as a player. She has only been playing the game since her freshman year of high school, and is still grow- ing accustomed to the intricacies of collegiate competition. "I stayed here for a month (this summer) and practiced stick skills," Powers said. "The longer you play, the more comfortable you get. I'm getting more comfortable with my teammates and on the turf." ' She's also modest about the nature of her contribution to the team, insisting that she's merely "in the right place at the right time" on a regular basis. "I think it could be anyone scoring those goals," Powers said. "It just comes to me on my side. My goals are finishing in the circle, when the ball pops loose I just step up and put it in the goal, or it's just a dribble and I have to push it in. I don't do fancy shots like Jessica Rose." Fancy or not, it's working for the Wolverines, especially as its sched- ule gets increasingly difficult head- ing into the conference campaign. Power(s) surge Name: Molly Powers " Age: 19 Height: 5'4" Pos.: midfield Home: Oak Park, 111-.L Powers Powers saw action in 24 games as a true freshman, including a pair of starts. Her stellar freshman season was highlighted by a game-. winning goal against Connecticut< in the NCAA semifinal. e As a sophomore, Powers has started a pair of games in a strong Michigan midfield alongside upperclass stalwarts such as Courtney Reid, Ali Balmer, Regan Wulfsberg, and Jeanne Shin. - 0 Her speed and quickness have proven problematic for opponents. She has also improved her stick skills and has opened up numerous scoring chances, as evidenced by her five goals in Michigan's first five games. Former Marquette coach McGuire has leukemia NEW YORK (AP) - Al McGuire, the former Marquette basketball coach who was hospitalized in July with an unspecified illness, has leukemia, Sports Illustrated magazine reported. Columnist Rick Reilly said the ill- ness has whittled McGuire to 115 pounds. Leukemia is a cancer of blood- forming tissues. Last week, the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel reported that McGuire was liv- ing in a managed care facility. The newspaper said McGuire, 72, entered a Milwaukee-area hospital July 27 and some days later was transferred to the managed care facility where he is being treated for an unspecified illness. When McGuire retired from CBS as a broadcaster after calling the Wisconsin-Indiana game March 5, he said he had a form of anemia, a blood disorder. He has been no more specific about his ailment. When hp entered the hospital, his wife, Pat, said he was being treated for a viral infection, apart from his blood disorder. Interim IU boss Davis refuses Knight's office BLOOMINGTON, Ind. (AP) - Mike Davis may have followed Bob Knight as basketball coach at Indiana. but he won't move into The General's office. "I could never move in there," Davis said. "It's just too special of a place and there's too many memories. I wouldn't feel comfortable." He said that as long as he is part of the Indiana coaching staff, Knight's office in Assembly Hall will remain unoccupied. "I'll have the same desk, the same phone number, the same everything," Davis said. "I don't need any extra room. I may get new carpet but that's about it." Davis, an assistant coach the past three years, was appointed interim coach on Tuesday, two days after Knight was fired for violating a zero- tolerance behavior policy. 0; Neuheisel returns to Boulder with Huskies BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - Rick Neuheisel returns to Boulder tomor- row with his ninth-ranked Washington Huskies, hoping the focus will be on football and not his abrupt and bitter departure from Colorado 20 months ago at the height of recruiting season. While Colorado players say Neuheisel has been forgotten, fans may Neuheisel acknowledges he's likely to receive a rude reception. "I don't anticipate a lovefest or anything like that," he said. "If peo- ple are bitter that I left, then that's part of college football." Neuheisel watched with interest the return of former Mississippi coach Tommy Tuberville - nowat Auburn - to Oxford, Miss., last weekend. Some Rebel fans wore T-shirts fea- turing Tuberville's face and "Liar, Liar" printed under it. "There's a lot of passion associated with college football," Neuheisel said. "If the passion manifests itself in a distaste for me, I've got big enough shoulders to handle that." Updated at i p.m. Home teams in CAPS 'M' SCHEDULE Today: Field Hockey vs. Ball State. 4 p.m. at Ocker Field Women's soccer at Purdue. 5 p.m. Volleyball vs. Houston at Arkansas Invitational. 5:30 p.m. Tomorrow: W Golf hosts Wolverine Invitational. 9 a.m. at Michigan Golf course W cross country at Spiked Shoe Invitational (State college) 10 a.m. Volleyball vs. Virginia at Arkansas Invitational. noon Field Hockey vs. Rutgers. 1 p.m. at Ocker Field Football at U.C.L.A.. 3:30 p.m. Volleyball at Arkansas in Arkansas Invitational, 8:30 p.m. MLB STANDINGS AMERICAN LEAGUE Central Chicago Sox Cleveland Detroit Kansas City Minnesota East NY Yankees Boston Toronto Baltimore Tampa Bay West Seattle Oakland Anaheim Texas W L Pct GB 87 58 .600 - 77 64 .546 8 71 74 .490 16 68 78 .466 19.5 63 82 .434 24 W L Pct GB 84 59 .587 - 75 68 .524 9 75 70 .517 10 66 80 .452 19.5 61 85 .418 24.5 W L Pct GB 80 66 .548 - 77 67 .535 2 74 72 .507 6 66 80 .452 14 NATIONAL LEAGUE East Atlanta NY Mets Florida Montreal Philadelphia Central St. Louis Cincnati W L Pct GB 86 60 .589 - 83 62 .572 2.5 69 76 .476 16.5 61 83 .424 24 60 85 .414 25.5 W L Pct GB 85 61 .582 - 75 71 .514 10 I