The Michigan Daily - Friday, November 2, 2001 - 9 MOORE Continued from Page 8 and dinner together - something he'll never forget. "Just being with him every day, learn- ing how he acts, learning his mentality was huge," Moore said. "That's a big factor in anything I'm trying to do. "Waking up and talking to him in the morning and eating breakfast with him was an experience because this guy will be in the record books, this guy will be in the Hall of Fame, this guy will be everything I want to be." Moore said that while he enjoyed the delicious cooking of O'Neal's personal chef, Thomas, whom Moore labels, "the best chef on the west side of the Missis- sippi," there wasn't much free time. While Moore didn't attend the Pete Newell Big Man Camp in August as he originally planned, he still had an active summer in order to prepare himself for a year of "heightened responsibility." The camp "costs money, and I'm not rich," Moore said. "I didn't go because of my injuries but I played in the sum- mer leagues back in Jersey and here." Michigan coach Tommy Amaker said that Moores chronic back problems, most likely caused by a herniated disk, have kept him out of about half the drills. But Moore said he isn't too concerned. "I'm all right," Moore said. "It's noth- ing a little Robotussin couldn't cure." And if Moore sees some action on Sunday in Michigan's first exhibition of M) eyes upset over Buckeyes 1 . By Rohit Bhave Daily Sports Writer MARJORIE MARSHALL/Daily Michigan's Josh Moore needs to stay healthy for the Wolverines to be successful. the season, he may run into a familiar foe down low. Forner Michigan center Josh Asselin leads his traveling team, EA Sports All-Stars, into Crisler Area at 2 p.m. Asselin's graduation this past spring has left Michigan lacking in depth in the front court, and the former Wolverine will look to ruin Amaker's Michigan coaching debut. The EA All-Stars, who lost in their first game on Wednesday, 84-74,to Wis- consin-Milwaukee, and will be playing their second game in a challenging 11- game schedule that will have them visit- ing Missouri, Notre Dame, Wisconsin and Texas. But Michigan's primary chal- lenge will be taking strides in formulat- ing a starting lineup before its first regu- lar season game on Nov. 16 against Oakland. Amaker said there's competi- tion at point guard, and with the chance to play against someone other than themselves, the coaching staff will be able to find out who's healthy and which freshmen are ready to step in. "Any coach, you try to be loyal to your seniors and give them first shot," said Michigan assistant coach Chuck Swenson. "But there's only two true scholarship players in the senior class (Leon Jones and Chris Young)." While a Michigan-Ohio State matchup resonates with bitterness in every sport, the two-year old men's soccer rivalry has yet to reach the levels of the other sports. With a third-place tie in the Big Ten on the line tonight against the 14th ranked Buckeyes (1-2-1 Big Ten, 8-3-2), the Wolver- ines (2-3, 8-6-1 ) hope to fuel the clash with spirited, aggressive play on the road in Columbus. On the road this season, Steve Burns' young team has been prone to gaps in its defense, poor offensive finishing. and damaging red cards. Much of this can be attributed to the youth on the squad -- there are only three seniors on the active roster. Youth will be served once again tonight, as Burns said he will be starting a freshman walk-on goalkeeper Bryan Lau. Lau, who gave up just one goal in Michi- gan's 2-1 win against Wisconsin, will be called on to replace first-string goalkeeper Joe Zawacki, who is serving his suspension for a red card last weekend. Zawacki will also have to sit out of the Wolverines first round game. in the conference tournament. If Lau has one thing going for him, it is motivation to beat his hometown team - the freshman grew up in Colum- bus. "My experience tells me that the, kid will play above himself," Burns said. As the season draws to a close, both the Buckeyes and Wolverines know enough about each other's tendencies that execution of the their basic principles will take prece- dent over gimmicky schemes. Ohio State has shown a strong ability to switch the point of attack swiftly from the left defensive midfield position to the right midfield. Crisp lateral movement of the ball can exploit weaknesses on the weak side of the opposing defense, often allowing for one-on-one opportunities. In defending the Buckeyes, the Wolverines cannot allow Ohio State to pressure their young goalkeeper. In Michi- gan's man-marking approach, Joe Iding and Dave George must muzzle their offensive assignments, while rangy sweeper Kevin Taylor needs to clean up loose balls. Defensive intensity will be crucial, but not at the expense of another red card. The Wolverines have been snake-bitten with a bevy of red cards. Thus, Michigan's ALYSSA WOOD/Daily Mychal Turpin will be chasing the Buckeyes down today. " JESSE OWENS STADIUM Who: Michigan (2-3 Big Ten, 8-6-1 overall) vs. Ohio State (1-2-1, &32) When: 7 p.m. latest Freshman walk-on Bryan Lau, a Columbus native, gets his first road Big Ten start against the No. 14 Buckeyes. Michigan has a chance to finish .500 in conference play in just its second season as a varsity program. defenders and midfielders must intelligently walk the line between tenacious play and penalties. "Partly, I think that there is a learning curve that we are involved with," Burns said. "I also think that we have not earned enough respect amongst referees, while playing the top teams, in order to get the benefit of the doubt." On the other end, Michigan will attack the Buckeyes' net with a three forward attack. Forwards Robert Turpin, Mychal Turpin and Jody Keeling each provide a unique set of attacking skills to the offense. Robert Turpin brings his excellent speed and strength in warding defenders off the ball. Mychal Turpin has dazzling ability with the ball, using his footwork to slice through defenders. Keeling uses his speed and hustle to position himself for excellent finishing position. "Our team has confidence that we can create goal scor- ing opportunities with the (three) forward system," Burns said. Bowl berths, dignity on the line By Jenifer Scheyer For the Daily Most matchups this week have huge bowl game implications, whether teams are aiming for a Bowl Championship Series bowl or AROUND just trying to sneak into post the Big Ten season play. But . for a few other teams, only dignity is at stake, and this week is merely a chance to come up with a win. No. 18 ILLINOIs (3-1 BiG TEN, 6- 1 OVERALL) AT No. 15 PURDUE (3-1, 5-1), 12 P.M., ESPN: Sole posses- sion of second place is not the only motivation in this game as both teams are looking further ahead. Illinois and Purdue are competing to stay in the running for the Big Ten championship;i and for a shot at a BCS bowl game. Saturday's game in West Lafayette will be the first time in 78 meetings that both teams are ranked. Illinois senior quarterback Kurt sacks this season - the second best figure in the league. And Kittner's partner in crime, wide receiver Brandon Lloyd, has 710 total'receiv- ing yards this season, ranking him second in the conference. For Purdue, the key to the game will be attempting to contain an Illi- nois passing attack that ranks first in the Big Ten and 25th in the nation. While the Illinois running backs are slowly becoming more involved, 3.6 yards per carry is not sufficient, and the Illini will need to utilize both Antoineo Harris and Rocky Harvey to nullify the pres- sure on the receivers. Both teams crawled home from Michigan Stadium this year with their first loss, but the only ranked opponent each team has played is the Wolverines. With the strength of both teams' schedules in doubt, how good can the Illini and Boilermak- ers claim to be? Saturday's game will be another test to prove the strength of the Big Ten, and whoev- er comes up with the win will be a team that should be taken seriously. Illinois 37, Purdue 30 IowA (2-3, 4-3) AT WISCONSIN (2- 3, 4-5), NOON: Desperation is the theme for Wisconsin this weekend. To avoid missing a bowl game for the first time since 1995, the Bad- gers need to defeat at least two of their final three opponents. And with one of those remaining games against first-place Michigan, tack- ling Iowa is now a necessity. Iowa senior quarterback Kyle McCann will still be starting this week despite juniortransfer Brad Banks replacing him for two posses- sions in the first half against Michi- gan. McCann returned, and was sacked three times and threw two interceptions, helping in Michigan's comeback victory. Home-field advantage will be an important factor, as these two teams are evenly matched in . many respects. It's anyone's guess which Wisconsin team will show up this week, but look for Wisconsin to step up to the pressure and stay in the running for a bowl game. Wisconsin 33, Iowa 27 OHIO STATE (2-2 , 4-3) AT MIN- NESOTA (1-3, 3-4), 7:45 P.M. ESPN: After losing two of its last three games, Ohio State is suddenly in jeopardy of not making a bowl game. With its next three games against ranked opponents (Purdue, Illinois, and Michigan), a victory at Minnesota on national television becomes essential. Ohio State has too much on the line not to go in and make the kill. But Minnesota cannot be underesti- mated and will make a tough show- ing of its own. Ohio State quarterback Steve Bellisari will have to overcome his inconsistency and run'the offense efficiently in order to earn a victory for the Buck- eyes. Ohio State 24, Minnesota 14 Broncos give Michigan last test By Allison Topp Daily Sports Writer Broncos have last three of their last four games. Western will also have to counter an explosive Michigan offense that Kittner is line that1 protected by an offensive has only allowed seven In last Sunday's game against Notre Dame, the Michigan women's soccer team lost 2-1 in overtine in its best out- ing against a ranked VARsiTY: opponent this season. Who: Michi~ The hard-fought loss Ten, 10-6-1 may have broken some Western Mic of the Wolverines' spirit, MAC, 8-9 ov but this weekend will When:1p.r give them a chance to Latest: This gain confidence with a home game win in their final game of Laurie Peter Shaw and BE the season. Tomorrow, the Wolver- ines will host Western Michigan (6-6 MAC, 8-9 overall) at 1 p.m. The most dangerous threat to Michigan's chances is Broncos' forward Kersten Conklin, who has tallied seven goals and four assists this season. But the Wolverines should be up for the challenge. Michigan's defense has posted nine shutouts this year, with six coming at home, and the continues to SOCCER FIELD gan (8-2 Big overall) vs. chigan (6-6 verall). n. will be the last for seniors son, Alissa eck Kotz ik. find the net consistently. Junior forward Abby Crumpton has scored nine goals and has three assists this sea- son, but Crumpton does not have to carry the team herself. Every player on the field has been able to contribute offensively. Last Friday, defender Erica Klein- holz assisted on a goal lbr her first of the sea- season, and has notched a school record eight shutouts. Coach Deb- bie Rademacher and assistant coach Scott Forrester declined to comment which goalie would get the start this weekend. Tomorrow will mark the last time that seniors Laurie Peterson, Alissa Shaw, and Becky Gozlik step onto the grass at the Michigan soccer field. The loss of their presence will be felt next season. "They were great role models for the freshmen and wonderful players to coach," Rademacher said. The Wolverines moved up a spot'to No. 22 in the NSCAA coaches poll this week - the highest they have been ranked all season. It gives Michi- gan hope for a possible at-large bid into the NCAA Tournament. But Michigan is not looking that far ahead. "We are worried about (the) game against Western first of all," Rademacher said. "Then we're looking toward the Big Ten Tournament, not only for the title, but also for the bid into the tournament." son and fellow defender Amy Sulli- vant has done her part as well - scoring four goals and tallying six assists thus far. Sophomore Bre Bennett played a solid game in goal against the Irish. Bennett has been splitting time with fellow goalkeeper Suzie Grech all season. Grech has played the most throughout the I AP PHOTO Illinois' playmaker Brandon Lloyd is expected to have a big game against Purdue. Spikers expect animated crowd By Charles Paradis Daily Sports Writer Playing on the road is never easy, but tor worse, the Michigan volleyball team (7-5 Big Ten, 11-8 overall) will play this weekend in what is arguably the toughest venue in the conference. The Wolverines will take on No. 24 Min- nesota (6-6, 12-8) at the -Sports Pavilion to begin their road trip tonight before taking on Iowa (3-16, 1-11) tomorrow night. The Golden Gophers' dominance at home has fueled student appreciation for volleyball. As a result, the Sports Pavilion is regularly packed with a loud and intimidating Gopher crowd, seated very close to the court. "At Minnesota, they have a big crowd, and on top of you," Michigan coach Mark Rosen sa Michigan has had an up and down season on year. The Wolverines beat Purdue and Indiana o the first time in several years, but fell to Illin Champaig. At one point after a net violation by Michigan's1 Katrina Lehman at Illinois, the crowd chanted as one, "That was stupid." The hostile atmosphere rattled the Wolverines make matters and the they did not execute their system well, ultimately los- ing the match. More recently, when Michigan traveled to MINNEAPOLIS, IOWA CITY East Lansing last Wednesday, it was again con- Who: Michigan (7-5 Big Ten, fronted by a hostile crowd. The Michigan State 11-8 overall) at Minnesota (6- fans disturbed the Wolverines throughout the 6, 12-8) and Iowa (3-16, 1-11). match and again knocked Michigan out of its When: 7:30 p.m, both nights. offensive system. Latest: Cray Golden Gophers' But the Wolverines have a psychological fans will attempt to rattle advantage as they hit the road this weekend. and takes on owa in aslikely Minnesota was the first ranked team Michigan emptyarena. beat this season as it downed the Gophers in four games at Cliff Keen Arena. This win was a confidence boost for Michigan at the time, but they are right is also a source of confidence for the Wolverines as they trav- aid. el this weekend. n the road this Despite what happens in Minnesota, Michigan will need to on the road for take whatever momentum it has to Iowa City tomorrow night, ois Oct. 12 in in the largest but often the emptiest venue in the Big Ten. m a