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 1 r CI Need a break before the flurry of exams? a ,U R (oine experience an evening of great theatre, music G dance - :. pow- I . . '" " 1 . ow f i , UM Musical Theatre Dept. 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