8B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - September 13, 2004
'M'runs
Out o
Steam
1n OT
By James V. Dowd
Daily Sports Writer
Whenever you introduce a ball into
a game, you can never be sure which
way it might bounce. Game-to-game,
even half-to-half, the bounces it takes
for the Michigan field hockey team
seem to be as predictable as Michi-
gan weather.
When Syracuse and Old Domin-
ion visited Ocker Field on Friday and
Saturday, respectively, first-half scor-
ing droughts turned into second-half
shootouts as shots that had been just
missing began to find their way into
the back of the goal.
After a scoreless first half on Sat-
urday, Old Dominion (2-1 overall)
edged the Wolverines 3-2 in over-
time, just one day after Michigan (3-
3) had scored four second-half goals
to beat Syracuse 4-0 on Friday.
The Wolverines started strong
against the Monarchs on Saturday,
forcing Old Dominion goalkeeper
Mary Cate Gordon to make five first-
half saves. Though the teams fought
back and forth through the first 20
minutes, Michigan sophomore Mary
Fox created the first great chance
of the game with just under 12 min-
utes to go in the first half, but Old
Dominion's defense was able to snuff
out the threat.
Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz
used her deep bench to bring in sub-
stitutes. This also gave her an oppor-
tunity to consult with starters on the
Wolverines' strategy. She knew a
change was needed to have a shot to
win the game.
"We had a lot of chances," Pan-
kratz said of the first half against Old
Dominion. "If we had been able to
finish them early, we would have had
a couple of goals, and we would have
won. It takes a while to get the attack
going and hopefully we can start fin-
ishing our chances."
After halftime, the Wolverines
came out determined to make sure
the bounces went their way, and,
just 47 seconds into the second half,
junior Katie Morris slid one past a
sprawling Gordon for the first goal
Heaton nets two in Blue victory
By Matt Singer
Daily Sports Writer
We finally put it together."
The words of women's soccer coach Debbie Radem-
acher resonated after playing three close games against
overmatched opponents, The Wolverines broke through
in a big way yesterday, blanking No. 22 Boston Uni-
versity 3-0 at the Varsity Soccer Field. Junior Therese
Heaton led the Wolverines (3-2-1) with two goals, while
sophomore Megan Tuura made six saves en route to her
first shutout of the year.
"We've dominated so much and have had a hard time
putting the ball away," freshman Melissa Dobbyn said.
"This was really good for us, especially since the Big
Ten (season) starts next weekend."
The Wolverines wasted little time taking it to the
Terriers (4-1-0). Midway through the first half, Michi-
gan coach Debbie Rademacher substituted in senior
Liz Dosa, who had an immediate impact. Just a minute
after entering the game, Dosa went at the keeper and
fed a charging Heaton, who easily rolled the ball into
the left side of the net.
"(Dosa's) been sick or injured recently," Rademacher
said. "She's healthy today - she did a good job."
Michigan didn't stop there. Less than five minutes
later, Dobbyn fought off a Boston defender and boomed
a monster kick from outside the 18-yard box. The frozen
rope found the right corner of the net, giving Michigan
its first 2-0 lead of the season.
"We felt like we needed to get a third goal, because
2-0 is kind of a scary score," Rademacher said. "Teams
kind of get complacent when they're up two goals."
But it was the Terriers who applied more pressure
in the second half, outshooting the Wolverines 9-4.
Boston's best chance came in the last five minutes of
the game, when junior forward Melissa Shulman freed
herself in front of the net and let loose a powerful shot.
Tuura exploded to her left and snagged the ball, pre-
serving the shutout.
The Wolverines put the game away soon after. Dob-
byn sneaked a perfect pass to Heaton, who outraced
two defenders and put the ball in the net for her second
goal of the game. Dobbyn and Heaton have scored 10 of
Michigan's 1I goals this season.
On Friday. Michigan faced Syracuse (3-1-1). The
Wolverines dominated the first half, but couldn't capi-
talize and went into the break scoreless. Early in the
second half, after freshman Jamie Artsis collided with
the Syracuse keeper and the ball trickled free, allowing
Heaton to put it into the empty net to give Michigan the
lead. But Syracuse netted the equalizer 15 minutes later.
Two overtimes failed to decide anything., and Michigan
was forced to settle for a demoralizing 1-1 tie.
"It's disappointing to put that much pressure on a
team and dominate in stats but not be able to come out
with a win," Rademacher said.
Friday's problems were nowhere to be found when
the Wolverines took the field yesterday.
"It got real chaotic on Friday," Rademacher said.
"We couldn't settle the ball. I think scoring two goals
in the first half (against Boston), we really needed that.
That's the difference, we finished where we didn't fin-
ish on Friday."
a
JOEL FRIEDMAN/Daily
Michigan senior Jessica Blake scored to put the Wolverines up by two
against Old Dominion. Michigan lost 3-2 in overtime.
of the game. Fox brought the ball
into the circle and took a shot that
appeared to be going wide. But Mor-
ris swooped in from the backside
and knocked the ball into the upper
left corner.
Michigan senior Jessica Blake put
Michigan up by two just five minutes
later, but suddenly Old Dominion
began to fight back.
In the 59th minute, Old Dominion
sophomore Dana Sensenig brought
the Monarchs within one. And soph-
omore Carolina Nichols tied it up 10
minutes later on a free hit just outside
the circle. Old Dominion junior Jen-
nifer Angat passed the ball across the
circle, and Nichols was there to put
it in.
Just two minutes remained after
the equalizer, and neither team could
muster a serious threat, so the game
went to overtime. Like the NHL,
NCAA field hockey rules call for sud-
den-death overtime with a reduced
number of players on the field.
Pankratz looked to her bench for
her fittest players, but even they were
no match for a dedicated Old Domin-
ion team. After coming from behind,
the Monarchs were determined to win
the game. And in the 13th minute of
extra time, Angat scored, sending a
shot across the goal, apparently off of
a Michigan defender, and past sopho-
more goalkeeper Beth Riley.
"We just got tired in the last in the
last 10 minutes," Pankratz said. "We
lost the game because we were too
tired to play with them."
The first half of Friday's game
against Syracuse (1-3) also started
slowly - the Wolverines' offense
generated seven shots, but could
not score. The second half brought
an onslaught of 26 Michigan shots
which led to four goals. Senior Adri-
enne Hortillosa scored her fourth and
fifth goals of the season, while Blake
added a goal and an assist. Morris
closed out Michigan's scoring with
an unassisted goal.
Michigan will return to action next
weekend to face Central Michigan on
Friday and Northeastern on Sunday
- both at Ocker Field.
TOMMASO GOMEZ/Daily
Freshman Melissa Dobbyn scored a goal and added
an assist yesterday for the Wolverines.
v. OPEN CHAMPIONSHIP
Federer takes third major of year
NEW YORK (AP) - Roger Federer
is at his best against the best, when it
counts the most, and he was pretty
much perfect in the U.S. Open final.
Federer became the first man since
1988 to win three majors in a year, thor-
oughly outclassing Lleyton Hewitt 6-0,
7-6 (3), 6-0 yesterday to add the Ameri-
can Grand Slam title to those he took at
the Australian Open and Wimbledon.
There hadn't been two shutout sets in
the event's championship match since
1884.
"It was a perfect start," Federer said.
"Tough for Lleyton, obviously, but for
me, a great start."
And here's what was particularly
remarkable: The top-ranked Federer's
opponent was no pushover. Federer
dominated every facet againstpugna-
cious, backward-cap wearing, "Come
on!"-yelling, fist-pumping Hewitt, a
former No. 1 and owner of two major
titles'includingthe 2001 U.S.Opeii.
Federer led the fourth-seeded Hewitt ple probably realize how hard it is."
in winners (40-12), aces (11-1) and ser- With his fluid, all-court game, cool
vice breaks (7-1), and won the point on demeanor and win-the-big-ones deter-
31 of 35 trips to the net. mination, Federer already is inspiring
And now there are all sorts of other talk about whether he can challenge
impressive numbers Federer can lay Sampras' record of 14 major titles.
claim to. No one had won Wimble- Sampras got his fourth at age 22; Feder-
don and the U.S. Open back-to-back er turned 23 last month.
since Pete Sampras in 1995. Including "Roger is a complete player. He has
Wimbledon in 2003, Federer is 4-0 the ability to change his game slightly
in major finals - the first man in the as to what his opponent's doing to him,"
Open era to start a career by winning said 1946-47 U.S. Open winner Jack
his first four. He's won 11 straight Kramer, inducted yesterday into the
tournament finals overall, and he's tournament's Court of Champions.
won 17 straight matches against play- "He's so good on the defense and
ers ranked in the top 10. so good at the return of serve that he's
There's more: No man had captured forcing the other player mentally to get
consecutive major titles since Andre a little bit of scaredeness: I've got to
Agassi won the 1999 U.S. Open and serve a little better or Roger's going to
2000 Australian Open. The18 Slamsw"inek it by me.' I've got to make a bet-
since then was the longest drought in ter approach shot or he's going to pass
the Open era. me.' He's getting errors because of the
"It's an incredible effort,,what he._,eat of his skills. That's why he's the
done," Hewitt said. "I don't think peo- champ."
4
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