The Michigan Daily - Friday, April 13, 2001- 9
*Eyes on tennis for
last season match
The first half of the guarantee has
cgme true.
CO-captain and No. 1 singles player
Henry Beam's prediction that the
-Michigan men's tennis team would
beat both Michigan State and Iowa has
*aken its first step toward completion,
as the Wolverines took out the Spar-
tans"Wednesday night in East. Lansing.
But one match remains.
Michigan will travel to Iowa to take
on the Hawkeyes on Sunday.
Although Michigan has beaten Iowa
seven-straight times, the match will
not be a pushover by any stretch of the
imagination.
Iowa comes in with a 1-5 Big Ten
record, but looks can be deceiving.
everal of those losses were tight 4-3
matches, and the Wolverines have
dropped their share of close games.
But there seems to be a different
attitude in the air at the Varsity Tennis
Center these days. With the team one
match away from equaling its season-
high of five wins in a row, the Wolver-
ines are starting to gain confidence and
omentum.
Three matches to go, and the
Wolverines stand at 4-3 in the Big
Ten. Last year, Michigan made it to
the NCAA Tournament with a 6-4
record.
The Wolverines are streaking, but
momentum doesn't mean much if they
lose-the next match.
-Albert Kim
Singing late, two
new guards join M'
b uring the late signing period, the
Michigan women's basketball team
added two guards to its 2001 recruiting
class. 5-10 Mie Berlin from Chalotten-
hund, Denmark and 5-8 Sierra Hauser-
Price from Van Nuys, Calif. complete
the five-member 2002 freshman class.
The new recruits join fall signees
*reAnne PcPhilamy, Tabitha Poole and
Katrina Mason.
Berlin recently joined former Michi-
gan, guard Anne Thorius (1998-2000)
on the Danish National Team. This sea-
son on her club team, Berlin averaged
12 points and six assists per game.
Hauser-Price averaged 18 points and
five assists in her senior year. She will
also compete with Michigan's track
team, running the 100 and 200 meters as
Iell as the 400-meter relay.
SPORTS BRIEFS
Shanahan fractured,
Yzerman sprained
DETROIT (AP) - Brendan Shana-
han and Steve Yzerman, two of the
Detroit Red Wings' top players, are
bothout with injuries.
shanahan, who had two goals and an
assist in the Red Wings' 5-3 win over
Los Angeles Wednesday night, is out
indefinitely with a fractured left foot. He
was hurt blocking a shot during the
game.
Coach Scotty Bowman said Yzer-
man, the team's captain, has a low ankle
sprain and will miss the next two
games, in Detroit tomorrow afternoon
p4 in Los Angeles Sunday night.
.Bowman said Yzerman could not put
his weight on the injured ankle during
the first intermission. Bowman said he
wouldn't say which leg was injured
evpynif he knew which one it was.
Yerman, who had 18 goals and 34
assists in the regular season, missed 25
games because of a right knee injury
that required surgery. He also sat out
two March games because of an injured
$grgip.
Arenas, Arizona's
fourth, turns pro
TUCSON, Ariz. (AP) - Gilbert Are-
nas declared for the NBA draft yester-
day, the fourth player from Arizona's
NCAA Tournament runner-up to leave
school early. Sophomore point guard
Jason Gardner declared for the NBA
draft Wednesday. Forwards Michael
rjght and Richard Jefferson also
-announced this week they will forgo
their senior seasons.
"When I came here two years ago
without much recognition, I always
thought I'd play here for four years,"
Arenas said. "But after two great years
in.Tucson, I feel like I'm ready to take
the.next step and play in the NBA."
* Arenas, a 6-foot-3 sophomore shoot-
ing -guard, led the Wildcats with an
average of 16.2 points per game. He
shot 47.9 percent from the floor in 36
games this season.
Two-year sentence
awita Hin i' salnker
Witheysaed
Blue trveS west
By David Roth
Daily Sports Writer
There's a bulletin board in the Michigan softball team's
lockerroom. You'd think that with-an 11-game win streak
and an undefeated conference record to lead the Big Ten,
perhaps a line like "Keep on rolling" might be appropriate
to pin up on the board.
But when the Wolverines entered their lockerroom yes-
terday, on the board was coach Carol Hutchins' aphorism:
"We have accomplished nothing yet."
AMAKER
Continued from Page 8
a program and I was trying to make a
hire, Tommy Amaker would ask Rick
Pitino also.
TMD: The last four years have not
exactly been a time that a lot of Michi-
gan students would like to identify with
the history of the basketball program.
How do you feel about the negative air
that this program has right now and the
negative response to Ellerbe, who still is
a member of the coaching fraternity?
Amaker: Brian is part of the coaching
fraternity and Brian is a friend of mine
and I think given some of the circum-
stances that Brian had to deal with, or the
time that he was named the head coach
here, he did the best he could do, and
probably the best that anyone could do.
Sometimes those things are very unfortu-
nate that they end the way that it ended.
Nonethekss, we're here to try to
make it bette and do the best that we
can with it and I think it's a good oppor-
tunity for kids that want to come here
and be part of a good school and a great
program. It's never easy for a coach to
go through some of the things that Brian
had to deal with.
TMD: Did you ever have to deal with
any of those things?
Amaker: Not to that degree. Not to
the way in which Brian lost his job.
That's a pretty steep situation there. As
a coach, we're all in this profession
together and you never want to see any-
one go through that because we all
know that we're not that far removed
from being in those shoes that Brian had
to walk in.
TMD: You've really been all smiles
since you got here. Can we expect that
in February?
Amaker: Depending on our record.
One of the best compliments that a per-
son ever gave me - and I don't even
know her name and I've never seen her
before - but an elderly woman stopped
me on campus and said to me, "I never
know if you've won or if you've lost."
That was the nicest thing anyone's
said to me in terms of me being me
since I've been a head coach.
TMD: What do you want from the
students?
Amaker: I think the students are
going to be here for us. That's what
we're striving for - their presence.
Anyone can be supportive. You can be
supportive by writing a check and send-
ing it in the mail.
But there's nothing like the support of
your presence and so if we're going to
have the presence of the students here
and have that felt, then I'm going to be
grateful and very happy.
MINNEAPOL IS AND MADISON
Who: Michigan (6-0 Big Ten, 21-11-1 overall)
vs. Minnesota (2-6, 2315.1) and Wisconsin
(5-3, 2315)
When: 2 p.m. today, 2 p.m. Saturday,1 p.m.
Sunday
Latest Melissa Taylor and Kelsey Kollen hold
the hot bats for Michigan's 11-game win streak.
There's no doubt
Hutchins is thrilled
with how her team
has been playing the
past two weeks.
She's merely point-
ing out that with
four Big Ten games
this weekend - a
doubleheader
against Minnesota today at 2 p.m. and a pair against Wis-
consin on Saturday and Sunday - there's no room for rid-
ing on the coattails of old victories.
"We're not going to get too excited about our wins,"
Hutchins said. "We're not going to worry about anything
other than the games in front of us.
"You can't go up there and worry about winning four
games. You've got to worry about the first game and then
worry about the next game."
Michigan's pitchers have been suffocating the competition
with the one-two punch of Marissa Young and Marie Barda.
Young is usually known for starting slow but heating up as
the game goes along. That might be a problem because the
Golden Gophers aren't a team she wants to get behind.
Minnesota has a 16-1-1 against record when it scores
first, including a 12-0 record when scoring in the first
inning.
But Hutchins doesn't worry about stats - she worries
about her team's effort. And Michigan has been consistent-
ly playing at a high level in and out of conference games.
"The one thing this team has gotten really good at doing
Flawless freL~IC;shn 94
By Seth Klempner the Big Ten Tournar
Daily Sports Writer Sunday. Michig
- Mi-------
BRAQQUINN/Daily
Rebecca Tune will he% the Michigan softball team strive to
continue its 31-game win streak this weekend.
the last two weeks is playing intense regardless of who
we're playing," Hutchins said. "We were just as iintense for
Central Michigan as we were for Indiana and Purdue last
weekend. I'm really pleased to see that."
The Badgers have allowed 56 stolen bases, which is
chop-licking information for Michigan's leadoff batter
Melissa Taylor. Taylor is batting .481 and often gets to first
by beating out bunts. She leads Michigan in steals and will
be looking to exploit Wisconsin's catcher Nicki Starry.
Taylor "had her hardest effort ever in the weight room,
and I think it's paild off," Hutchins said. "You oount on the
seniors, especially a four-year starter to come back, lead by
example and get it done for us."
Hutchins also hopes Michigan secondbaseman Kelsey
Kollen, who was named Big Ten player of the week, will
step it up.
Kollen has "really gotten it done for us," Hutchins said.
"She's having a great year and she's worked very hard."
Kollen has turned Michigan around from a team that
struggled early in the season to one that is sure of its ability.
It's "good news is we're playing with good confidence -
we're a very conifident team right now," Hutchins said. "It's
a beautiful sight."
ian battle Iowa
ent. One thing the team can usually
;an will face off depend on is a victory in doubles frog"
at the Varsity Ten- the freshmen sensations, Tipimeni awd
home match of the Chrissi Nolan, who have been flawless
zesi, the only regt- since the Notre Dame match. They
,n the team, needs have an 8-1 overall record and are cur-
tory to break her rently on a seven-match winning
singles wins and streak.
Lst seven matches. In lieu of their recent success, Bitsy
'in my last match at Ritt has left her options open to mov-
. "Right now I am ing the pair up in the seeding. Their
it. Maybe when I outstanding play has meant that tie
it me." Wolverines have needed just one vioto-
are motivated to ry from the two higher seeds in order
ay as well as they to gain the all-important doubles point.
'M' Nine in Minneapolis
GOPHERS
Continued from Page 8
Minnesota swept Michigan at home
last year. The Wolverines have not
beaten the Gophers since the 1999 Big
Ten Championship game in Colum-
bus.
While the players eagerly anticipate
climbing the Big Ten ladder this
weekend, coach Geoff Zahn tries to
keep things in perspective.
"Every series is important right
now," Zahn said. "Minnesota is one of
the top teams in the Big Ten. It is a
great opportunity for us."
Michigan's 5-3 victory over Eastern
Michigan capped its seven-game win
streak. But its 12-9 loss against West-
ern Michigan ended all bragging
rights.
Minnesota will present a greater
challenge to Michigan than the two
MAC teams.
The Golden Gophers "don't lose ball
games, they make you beat them," Zahn
said. "They are a good, solid ball club."
One reascui Minnesota does not give
games away is its veteran coach, John
Anderson. He reached a milestone last
weekend, winning his 300th Big Ten
game.
After winning three of four games
last weekend, Anderson is now the all-
time winningest coach in Big Ten his-
tory, with a record of 303-160 (.653).
Anderson has placed second or
higher in the Big Ten in 10 of the past
13 seasons, including the conference
crown last year.
If the Wolverines are going to over-
take the Gophers this weekend, they
will need a strong performance from
the starting pitching staff.
"Our pitching has kept us in ball-
games," Zahn said. "The guys are rec-
ognizing that our pitching is strong,
and our hitting is coming around."
Michigan ace Bobby Korecky will
start the Wolverines off on Friday and
look to extend his complete game
streak to six.
Nick Alexander and Tim Leveque
will start for Michigan on Saturday,
weather permitting. Leveque and his
microscopic 0.34 ERA have been
"weathered out" of two Big Ten starts
already this season.
Sunday's game will feature'the
Wolverines' strikeout king, Rich Hill.
He leads the staff with 43 strikeouts in
33 innings.
m
9
The Michigan women's tennis team
knew it would go through awkward
growing pains this season. But it could
not have expected the pains to have
been like this.
After coming out strong against
Wisconsin, Michigan fell short against
Minnesota three weeks ago. Then last
weekend, it came a head short of upset-
ting No. 27 Ohio State.
The Wolverines are frustrated, tired
of their recent letdowns and looking
toward this weekend to turn it around.
"The way the team performed was
the most disappointing," freshman
Kavitha Tipirneni said.
With just three matches left in the
regular season, Michigan is still within
striking distance of a first-round bye in
against No. 33 IowaF
nis Center in its lastr
season. Szandra Fuz
lar starting senior o
just one more vic
career record of 20
has won six of her la
"I would like to w
home," Fuzesi said.
not thinking about
get out there it will h
The Wolverines
win, and if they pl
did against Ohio St
able walk away with
"We are hungry,'
said. "We will have
want it more than
lose, especially twig
did last weekend."
ate, they should be
1a "W".
'Joanne Musgrove
to bear down and
Iowa. It sucks to
e in a row like we
I. U
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