Morris shows 4confidence in breakout year By James V. Dowd Ibaily Sports Writer When Wayne Gretzky dominated the NHL in the'80s and '90s, people described his playmaking ability as a "sixth sense." Gretzky had the ability to think several plays ahead and seemed to always be in the right place at the right time. With forwards and midfielders like seniors Jessica Blake and Adrienne Hortillosa firing shots from all angles, the Michigan field hockey team was in need of someone with a sense for picking up rebounds and errant passes. Junior Katie Morris fit the mold. She has used her "sixth sense" to propel her from perpetual bench warmer to one of the Wolverines' top scorers. Growing up in Ann Arbor, Morris began playing field hockey in fourth grade and immediately fell in love with the game. Her father is a lifelong ice hockey fan, so Mor- ris saw field hockey as her opportunity to continue his legacy. "I'm his only child, so I think that field hockey being for girls kind of pushed me in that direction," Morris said. "The first time I played, I liked it, and I just kept doing it." Morris spent her weekends around Michigan's field hockey teams, serving as a ball girl. Playing for the Wolverines was a dream of Morris's, but the continuous improvement of Michigan's program had her questioning if she would ever make it. "I remember being a ball girl for the Michigan team ahnd thinking they were so cool," Morris said. "It was always in the back of my head that I wanted to come here. They kept getting better and better, and, in 2001, I watched them win the national championship. Then I started having doubts if I could really come here." Having seen her develop as a player, Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz gave Morris an opportunity to play for the Wolverines. After earning her spot at Michi- gan, Morris redshirted during her freshman year and still had lingering doubts as to whether she really belonged. The limitless faith that her teammates have in her helped her develop into one of the Wolverines' key players. "A lot of times I don't think I had the confidence to be sure that I could make it out here," Morris said. "Advice from (field hockey teammates) or positive words of encour- agement like 'Morris, we want you out here, you belong' have helped to build me up and build my confidence." After a strong spring season, Morris has seen increased playing time and has earned a starting job on the Wolver- ines' roster. Spring field hockey offers the team a chance to work on individual skills and it gave Morris an oppor- tunity to develop confidence that she lacked. "After last fall, I got in a few games, but I didn't really know what this year would bring," Morris said. "This spring, when we played scrimmages, I could see it devel- oping that I did have an opportunity to become a role player and to contribute. I had a good spring season and The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 7, 2004 - 11A Blue duo splits time at keeper Dzubay, Zawacki compete on field, remain friends off it By Jamie Josephson Daily Sports Writer JOEL FRIEDMAN/Daily Michigan junior Katie Morris goes after the bail during the Wolverines' 4-2 win over Harvard on Sunday. just had to carry it over to the fall." While Blake has emerged as one of the nation's pre- mier scorers, even the best miss shots at times. Morris has capitalized on many of these near misses scoring 10 times, good enough for second on the team. "(Morris) is just always a half second or a second ahead," Pankratz said. "When everyone else thinks they are going to shoot, she has just got great timing. She's got special hands when it comes to goal scoring." Realizing that this sense is a rare gift, Morris focuses on developing skills necessary to convert missed chances. "I won't be having those beautiful goals like Jess Blake with the big windups," Morris said. "I focus on rebounds and tips, timing and cutting. I'm trying to think two steps ahead where the ball is going to pop out so that I can tap it in." On Saturday, the Wolverines defeated Northwestern 4-2, when Morris used her knack for finding rebounds to put one in. After Wildcat goalkeeper Sherrie Anne Nyberg stopped a shot, it bounced across the circle, and right on to the stick of Morris, who put it in the back of the net. Morris also added two more goals on Sunday, twice capitalizing on good position and accurate passes from teammates. Pankratz is thankful for Morris's sixth sense and real- izes that is a gift that not even the best coach can give. "I don't think that you can coach it," Pankratz said. "It's a really natural thing, and she has it for sure." The No. 19 Michigan men's soc- cer team (7-1-2) has held its oppo- nents to a "goose egg" five times this season and has allowed less than one goal per game. Even with this goalkeeping consistency, one question still remains: Which goal- keeper should start? In the team's 10 games, Michi- gan coach Steve Burns has divided the number of starts almost evenly between goalkeepers - four for junior Peter Dzubay and six for fifth-year senior Joe Zawacki. Recording four and three wins, respectively, Dzubay and Zawacki have been competing all season for the starting spot in front of the net. "It's nice to have that competi- tion there, where we are always pushing each other in practice and keeping each other on our toes," Zawacki said. "We're (still) friends off the field and both respect each other. We both feel we would like to see the team win first, and we both know we are both good goal- keepers." This competition is nothing new for the teammates, as both have been fighting for the starting posi- tion for the past few years. In 2002, Dzubay and Zawacki started in 11 and nine games, respectively. But last season, injuries kept Zawacki on the sidelines. Regardless of this history of com- petition, the mutual sense of friend- ship is still evident between the two goalies. Dzubay said that the two are usually roommates on road trips and even play poker together when they're not competing on the field. As one of the captains, Zawacki has tallied two shutouts and 16 saves, and he has allowed five goals thus far. "(Zawacki) is a pretty good orga- nizer," Dzubay said of his team- mate. "He makes sure the defense is in the right place. He's pretty smooth." In his last year playing for Michi- gan, Zawacki said it would be best if the starting time could be split exactly evenly throughout the sea- son between himself and teammate Dzubay. But because this cannot be the case, he has tried to make his presence felt in a leadership role, even when he's not playing. "I'm always trying to make sure everything is in the best interest of the team and keeping people down to Earth no matter how high we are ranked," Zawacki said. "I see myself as a guy they can come to who has been through a lot and weathered a lot of storms." "Storms" for Zawacki have included dealing with several inju- ries throughout his career at Michi- gan He said that although these injuries have limited his playing time on the field, they've allowed him to observe the game more from the sidelines and see how his team reacts to different situations. Even though he is competing with Dzubay, Zawacki recognizes the younger goalie's strengths. Dzubay has led the team to two shutout wins, allowed just two goals and tallied 12 saves. "(Dzubay) is a very good shot stop- per," Zawacki said. "He's fairly strong in the air, on crosses and air balls. He's a very athletic goalkeeper." But the fact that both goalkeep- ers have kind words for one another doesn't change the reality that only one can play at a time. Zawacki, especially, has had to cope with the let-down of not play- ing in every game in his last year with the team. "It's a bummer when you're not playing - a disappointment," Zawacki said. "But I've learned that it is the coach's decision, and you have to trust your coach. You have to take your negative energy or attitude and make it positive or that will affect the team, especially as a fifth-year senior and captain." Zawacki has provided a model for leadership that has not gone unno- ticed. "(Zawacki) is a good guy and gets along with everyone," Dzubay said. "We're going to miss him a lot. He was a big part of the Michigan pro- gram, so it will be a big loss." Zawacki and Dzubay will have to push their intra-team competi- tion to the side this Sunday, when Michigan travels to Bloomington to play No. 3 Indiana in the first game of the conference season. MIKE HULSEBUS/Daily Michigan goalie Peter Dzubay punts the ball against Detroit earlier this season. The junior is 4-0 in the net this season with two shutouts. The U ofM class of 2oo8 would like to thank the following donors for helping make our transition to college life more memorable! WE LOVE YOU! BARNES & NOBLE MICHIGAN UNION BOOKSTORE, Ground Floor-Michigan Union BD's MONGOLIAN BBQ, 200S. Main Street BRIARWOOD MALL, Briarwood Circle GREAT LAKES CYCLING, 2107 W Stadium Blvd. MARSHALL FIELDS, Briarwood Mall MICHIGAN THEATRE, 603 E. Liberty MICHIGAN WOMEN'S BASKETBALL MICHIGAN WOMEN'S GOLF MICHIGAN WOMEN'S GYMNASTICS NOODLE & COMPANY, Washtenaw Ave. and State St. OFFICE OF STUDENT ACTIVITIES AND LEADERSHIP, 2205 Michigan Union UM SCHOOL OF MUSIC .4 k j4 in I