The Michigan Daily - SportsWednesday - October 20, 2004 - 9B
Feelin'
Women continue
to falter on offense
Blue
By Matt Singer
Daily Sports Writer
Goals have been in short supply lately
for the Michigan women's soccer team.
After putting up 13 tallies in a six-game
stretch early in the season, No. 13 Michi-
gan (6-2-1 Big Ten, 9-5-2 overall) has
found it increasing-M GN
ly difficult to tickle
the twine. The Wol-
verines have scored just four goals in their
last six games, stumbling to a 2-3-1 record
over that span.
The trend continued Sunday, as the
Wolverines rolled into Madison hoping to
erase the memory of Thursday's crushing
1-0 loss to Oakland. Unfortunately, Wis-
consin (5-4-1, 11-4-1) took a page out of
the Grizzlies' book. Much like Oakland,
the Badgers came out with more midfield-
ers and defenders than usual - making
life difficult for Michigan's forwards.
Despite the defensive formation, the
Badgers were aggressive on the counter-
attack, putting in two goals in the first 20
minutes and handing the Wolverines their
second Big Ten loss of the season, 3-1.
"They came out ready to play, and we
came out a little soft," senior Laura Tan-
chon said. "By the time we started to fig-
ure out anything together, it was already
3-0 and it was a little too late."
While both teams produced early scor-
ing chances, only the Badgers were able
to capitalize. Wisconsin junior Amy Ver-
meulen drilled a penalty kick home in
the 12th minute. Six minutes later, fellow
Badger Marisa Brown followed her own
shot off the post and tapped it past Michi-
gan keeper Megan Tuura to give Wiscon-
sin a 2-0 advantage.
"(The early goals) were disappoint-
ing," Michigan coach Debbie Rademach-
er said. "It was back and forth, back and
forth, and then it just happened."
The second half brought continued
frustration. After the Badgers added
an insurance goal with 28 minutes left,
Michigan couldn't convert a penalty kick.
Sophomore Katelin Spencer ended the
Wisconsin shutout by netting her first goal
of the season, redirecting a Tanchon cor-
ner kick into the net.
But the late goal didn't snap Michigan's
recent offensive woes. Freshman Melissa
Dobbyn and junior Therese Heaton, who
poured in 13 total goals in their first eight
games, have been held to just one in the
eight games since. With the loss of senior
foi ward Kate Morgan to injury, those two
have been forced to shoulder all of the
offensive burden - a task made all the
more difficult by defenses designed spe-
cifically to shut them down.
"Other teams obviously know who
our goal scorers are," Rademacher said.
"They pay extra attention to Melissa and
Therese."
All teams, especially young ones, must
endure some bumps along the regular-sea-
son road. But Michigan's upperclassmen
know that a few tough losses can help the
team grow and lead to great things once
the postseason rolls around.
"I absolutely think regular-season
adversity strengthens a good team," Tan-
chon said. "Sometimes you need to lose to
keep yourself honest and to let you know
if you don't show up to play, you could
lose the game and end your season early."
The Wolverines will face a huge test
Friday when they travel to Michigan State.
A win would give them a chance to earn
the second seed in the Big Ten Tourna-
ment.
"I think the best thing we can take
from these games is to remember the
disappointment we had at the end of the
weekend," Tanchon said. "We need to
carry that disappointment over to Friday
and take that out on Michigan State."
TOMMASO GOMEZ/Daily
Michigan junior Adam Bruh hangs his head after the Wolverines were knocked off by Michigan State 3-2, in overtime Sunday.
Men fall to Spartans in extra session
By Dan Ketchel
Daily Sports Writer
The bad thing about an up-and-down
game is that someone ends up being
down.
The Michigan men's soccer team was
forced to endure that IG .
feeling, after it lost
a 3-2 heartbreaker
at home to Big Ten rival Michigan State
(2-2-0 Big Ten, 8-4-0 overall) on Sunday.
The 22nd-ranked Wolverines had a victo-
ry snatched from them just 2:34 into over-
time in front of a record crowd of 2,306
people at Varsity Soccer Field.
Michigan spent most of the match play-
ing catch-up as the Spartans controlled the
majority of the game, forcing Michigan
junior goaltender Peter Dzubay to make a
season-high eight saves.
Trailing 2-1 at halftime, the Wolverines
came out swinging to begin the second
half with a golden opportunity in the first
minute of play. Some quick footwork near
the Michigan State goal allowed mid-
fielder Adam Bruh to receive a pass from
senior Mychal Turpin and push it across
the net to forward Bobby Trybula. But
Trybula couldn't finish the chance as he
drove the ball just wide of the net.
After some sporadic pressure through-
out the half, the Wolverines finally capi-
talized as a rocket from Bruh found the
upper-right corner of the Michigan State
goal to tie the game at two.
Spartan midfielder Ben Pirmann
blew his assignment on Bruh, allowing
him to get free for an opportunity. Bruh
received a pass just outside the 18-yard
line from senior Karl Lopata and didn't
hesitate - he promptly turned and fired
the equalizing shot, which sent the game
into extra time.
Michigan coach Steve Burns felt that
Bruh's first goal of the season was just
what his team needed at that moment.
"We allowed the game to stay open,"
Burns said. "Thinking that momentum
was with the cimwd, the players on the
bench and everyone on the field, it looked
like it was going to turn our way."
But after the tying goal, the game
opened up for either team to take. Both
teams had genuine scoring chances,
including a one-on-one with the goal-
keeper for Turpin, who pushed the ball
just wide of the net.
Things only got worse for Michigan as
the Spartans controlled the ball for almost
all of overtime and put the game away
in the third minute of the extra session.
Jordan Gruber, Michigan State's senior
midfielder, found the net on a rip from 15
yards out to score the game-winning goal
for the Spartans.
"I thought we did a good job of crawl-
ing back into the game," Bruh said. "We
put away a couple of chances, and they
just scored a great goal to beat us. You
have to give them credit."
Said Burns: "All in all, it was a game
where I thought both teams played to their
full potential. We had a lot of chances and
certainly it is a difficult one to swallow,
but we move on."
Dzubay was beaten for the first time
in the 19th minute of the first half, when
a Michigan State corner kick was sent
towards the near side. The cross found
forward John Mingawa-Webster, who
used his head to put the ball just inside the
post, giving the Spartans a 1-0 lead.
The Wolverines kicked it into gear and
evened the score just six minutes later on a
goal by veteran striker Turpin. His team-
leading fifth goal of the season came after
an assist by junior defender Ryan Sterba,
who sent a far-side cross towards the net.
The long ball caught Michigan State goal-
keeper Jason Tillman out of position, and
Turpin finished the play with a diving
header to even the score at 1-1.
Just before the end of the half, the Spar-
tans pulled ahead 2-1 with yet another
header, this time from junior Ryan McMa-
hen. A flip pass from Gruber allowed
McMahen to find the left side of the goal
in the 44th minute, giving Michigan State
the one-goal advantage at the half.
Michigan (0-2-0 Big Ten, 7-4-2 over-
all) will look to break even in the confer-
ence with matches against Wisconsin and
Northwestern this week.
RYAN WEINER/Daily
Sophomore Katelin Spencer scored
Michigan's lone goal on Sunday.
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