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THURSDAY
SEPTEMBER 5, 2002
13A
'M' kickers get-
a shot on U.S.
national team
By Bob Hunt
Daily Sports Writer
When the U.S. Men's National Soccer Team played
Mexico in the second round of the World Cup this past
June, there were Mexicans falling down all around
them. Many fans believed their intent to be that refer-
ees would take pity upon them.
When Wolverine forward Knox Cameron and
the U.S. Under-20 National Team played Mexico
this past July, the setting may have been different,
but the passion, and the diving Mexicans,
remained the same.
"It's just like the full team," Cameron said. "If
you come within five yards of them it's over.
They're falling. It's just the gamesmanship, the way
they were taught."
Just like the men who put on the stars and stripes in
Korea, this summer Cameron and women's soccer for-
ward Abby Crumpton were following American dreams
of their own. Cameron spent part of the summer train-
ing and competing with a mix of young professional
and collegiate players on the U-20 Men's Team while
Crumpton played with the U-21 Women's Team.
Cameron played 17 games for the United States,
scoring three goals. The summer was headlined by
appearances against some of the world's top youth
teams - such as Brazil and Italy - and a second-
place finish at the XIX Torneo Internacional de Futbol
in Spain in August. He also played in the United States
Amateur Soccer Association Festival in Houston
against continental rivals Canada and Mexico in July.
Crumpton played in her first ever international
tournament in July, when she helped the U-21
women's team win the Nordic Cup in Finland, the
world's top tournament for college-age players.
Cameron started in the national team system in
1998 when he entered the Olympic Development
Program playing for a New York state all-star team.
He progressed onto an east regional team and then to
the national Under-18 team in 2001.
The Bronx native then went on to see action in
JOE
SMITH
Disturbing trend won't
change Berenson s
style
BRENDAN 0 DONNELL/0aily
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photo, the people in it, and all that fun stuff.
exhibitions against the Los Angeles Galaxy and
Columbus Crew of Major League Soccer and played
against the likes of U.S. World Cup stars Brian
McBride and Cobi Jones.
"I was really hyper about it because those are the
players you watch TV" Cameron said. "But after a
while it just becomes another game."
Crumpton, a Rochester Hills native, has been
invited to national team development camps since
she was a freshman. She was in intense competition
with the team pool of about 40 players.
"You can't have .a bad day," Crumpton said.
Despite her camp experience, the senior had never
played internationally until she played in an exhibi-
tion against Mexico in January. After attending more
training camps over the summer, she was off to the
Nordic Cup where the U.S. had to defeat Greece by
at least four goals and hope for Finland to defeat
Denmark - whom the U.S. has stunningly lost to the
previous day --- to advance to the championship
game. Lo and behold, Crumpton played the entire
second half as the U.S beat Greece 4-0 and Finland
beat Denmark 2-1. The Americans then defeated
See NATIONALS, Page 15A
Big Ten leaders face
lackluster Saturday
Michigan hockey coach Red
Berenson fondly remembers
when his most legendary All-
America player, Brendan Morrison,
scoffed when the NHL asked him to
leave college early in 1996.
Morrison had just came off a story-
book junior year in which he scored
the game-winning goal to win the
national title. It could have been a
picture perfect ending to a fulfilling
college career, right?
Wrong.
Morrison firmly stated "I'm not leav-
ing Michigan," as if someone asked him
to do something as absurd as drinking
paint thinner.
Morrison stayed at Michigan, com-
pleted his degree and is now a first-line
forward for the Vancouver Canucks, and
he's supporting a family of his own.
Boy, how times have changed since
those good-ol' days of five years ago.
Five All-Americans have left the sto-
ried Michigan hockey program in the
past three years. Playing in one of hock-
ey's most treasured barns in Yost Ice
Arena, competing for a record 10th
national title and gaining a degree from
one of the most prestigious universities
in America have not added up to a large
enough carrot to keep many talented
hockey players from leaving.
Berenson doesn't like it.
He'll freely admit he doesn't under-
stand why kids rush out of college to play
in the minors for non-guaranteed con-
tracts, when he feels they'd get similar
salaries if they would stay and graduate.
"There's so many intangibles here
you can't put a price on," Berenson said.
"And some people, they don't care
about it. Even the kids, the families and
the agents - who have no respect for
college hockey or the kids finishing
school - they're ruthless."
But Berenson knows certain things
are out of his control. He also said that
"no player is bigger than the program"
and that even if the coaching staff is out-
numbered by outside sources, he's not
going to change his philosophy.
Berenson's not going to change the
way he recruits and pass over the top tal-
ent in the nation. He's not going to
change the way his team plays - an up-
tempo offensive game that lets players
utilize their offensive talents - because
he believes in preparing those special
players for the NHL.
Heck, often times that's what draws
kids to come to Michigan in the first
place. They feel they have a chance to
showcase their skills and make it to
the next level.
Meanwhile, some other schools, like
Michigan State and Boston Univ. still
compete nationally without recruiting
the "high-profile" kids who may be
tempted to leave early.
It's hard to argue with the success
Berenson's teams have had since he
took over the limping program in
1984 and brought it back to national
prominence and title contention
every year.
But in recruiting such kids, he must
realize if he lives by the sword, he can
die by the sword as well. No matter
how solid the character is of his recruits,
the "times" he speaks about will most
not likely return to the days of the Mor-
risons.
And he, unfortunately, has to be pre-
pared to lose his top talent to the pros
sooner than he'd like.
But wouldn't recruiting second-tier
prospects rid Berenson of his problem?
But the 17-year NHL veteran and
former St. Louis Blues coach says it
isn't the kids that are changing, it's
the times. That's a major reason why
he won't dramatically alter the way he
recruits. He points the finger at out-
side influences that push the envelope
with young kids.
"Players are hearing it from the team
and they're hearing it from their agents
at that point," said former Michigan
goaltender Steve Shields, now a mem-
ber of the Boston Bruins in the NHL.
"Especially when they're trying to get a
kid out of school."
Shields played four years at Michi-
gan, ranking among the top goalies to
ever wear the maize and blue, but he
still paid his dues in the minors for two
years before getting a shot at the NHL.
"The minors aren't very fun," Shields
said. "Nobody wants to be there. No one
wants to ride the bus. When you turn
pro, it's your job now. When you play in
the minors, you're playing in towns you
don't want to be in with guys who are
battling for spots. If you're leaving col-
lege to play in the minors, then it's a bad
decision. If you're a goalie or a defense-
man, you're definitely going to pray
right away in the minors 99 percent of
the time."
Players are, however, making the deci-
sion that they'd rather play minors now
instead of later on. And those are the
times we are in, according to Berenson.
Still, one can't help but notice that
teams like Michigan State haven't felt
the burden of seeing players leave early
- other than Ryan Miller - and they
can still compete on the national level.
They may not have a ton of kids that
NHL teams are drooling over. But they
have very solid players, like a Brad Fast
or a Rustyn Dolyny, and ultimately they
maintain a lot of seniors through the end
of the four-year cycle.
A possible reason for that is that
ever since Ron Mason became coach
of the Spartans, they have relied on
more of a defensive-orientated trap
instead of the offensives freedoms
that Michigan players tend to enjoy
under Berenson. The Spartans style
has still delivered plenty of NHL
players, they just didn't leave early.
The Spartans may play boring hock-
ey with just a handful of high-pro-
file names on the ice.
But it'll make a damn good college
hockey team.
Isn't that what any coach wants?
Joe Smith's column will run every Thurs-
day.He can be reached a
josephms@umich.edu.
By Steve Shears
For the Daily
The contenders in the Big Ten,
other than Purdue, will not be chal-
lenged this weekend. Michigan still
seems to be the
favorite after last AROUND T-E
week's heroics, BgT
however Ohio g
State is right in
the running with freshman running
sensation Maurice Clarrett. Neither
team will have trouble this week as
the Wolverines face Western Michi-
gan and look forward to traveling to
South Bend next weekend while the
Buckeyes have their eyes set past
Kent State and focused on No. 12
Washington State.
PURDUE (1-0) AT No. 23 NOTRE
DAME (1-0) - SATURDAY, NOON
NBC: Unsure Irish fans were com-
forted while the skeptics were
silenced last Saturday night when
Notre Dame proceeded to slaughter
Maryland 22-0 in the swamps of
New Jersey. In one game, Willing-
ham accomplished what former
coach Bob Davie couldn't produce
in five years - a shut out.
But it's hard to be sure if the Irish
are the real deal just yet. Maryland
barely resembled the ACC champi-
onship team they were a year ago,
suffering from the huge loss of All-
American candidate Bruce Perry on
the sidelines with a groin injury.
The absence of Perry was evident in
the lack of production from the run-
ning game (16 yards), as the Terps
could barely run out of their shell.
On offense, quarterback Carlyle
Holliday helped control the ball for
41 minutes for the Irish, while the
secondary held Maryland's one-
dimensional offense to 133 yards.
The complete package that Notre
Dame can bring will be too much
for the Boilermakers to handle.
Notre Dame 34, Purdue 14
Illinois (0-1) at Southern Mis-
sissippi (1-0) - Saturday,
12:10 p.m. ESPN2: Defending
Big Ten champions from Illinois
can join Maryland and Colorado as
the biggest busts of the season. The
ugly performance by the Fighting
Illini furthered doubts, as they
couldn't capitalize on two fumbles
by Missouri back Zack Abron.
Southern Mississippi won convinc-
ingly over Jackson State, especially
with new running back D'errick Nix,
who showed he could also catch the
ball well, finishing with 73 yards
See BIG TEN, Page 14A
AP PHOTO
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and should tell a bit about the photo, the people In it, and all that fun stuff.
Women's basketball excited
by challenging 2002 schedule
UU
By Courtney Lewis
Daily Sports Writer
The Michigan women's basket-
ball team will open the 2002-03
season with four straight home
games, a welcome change from last
year, when the Wolverines hit the
road for nine of their first 10.
But don't think the home swing
means this year's schedule will be
easy. Michigan matches up against
five 2002 NCAA Tournament teams
- and that's before it faces the
intensity of the Big Ten conference.
When asked which games will be
big for the Wolverines, head coach
Sue Guevara had a simple answer:
"All of them."
early in the season.
"They aren't going to have very
much time to be freshman," Gue-
vara said.
The Wolverines' preseason foes
represent at least two major confer-
ences (the Big East and the ACC)
and varying styles of play. A poten-
tial clash with Florida in the State
Farm Classic December 28-29
could provide Michigan with an
SEC opponent and a sixth team that
made the NCAA Tournament last
season.
"I think it's a competitive sched-
ule and I think it's a good schedule
for us," Guevara said. "It's definite-
ly a schedule that will get us ready
for the rigors of the Big Ten."
The returning Wolverines are all
too familiar with the strength of
their conference. After starting the
2001-02 season 10-1, Michigan
See SCHEDULE, Page 15A
Women's So
Friday, Sept
U-M vs. Western N
4 p.m.
Sunday, Sep
U-M vs. Eastern M
2 p.m.
Home games at the
Soccer Field on Stat
Admission is FR
Men's Soc
Friday, Sept
nccer Volleyball.
t. 6 Friday, Sept. 6
Michigan F -p
Pepsi Challenge
>t. 8 Michigan vs. Cincinnati
7 .m
Aichigan '
Welcome Back Party...
eu-M Free Pizza and Pepsi
e Street. for the first 400
.EE! .fants!
Cliff Keen Arena courtyard'
Doors open at 5:30 p.m.
cer
t. 6... Tuesday, Sept.
Field Hockey
Saturday, Sept. 7
Michigan vs.
Central Michigan
10 a.m.
Sunday, Sept. 8
Michigan vs. Ball State
1 p.m.
Home games played at
Phyllis Ocker Field on
State Street.
Admission is FREE!
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