6B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - November 8, 2004 M' optimistic after defeat FILE PHOTO Freshman Steve Hecker and the Wolverines suffered another disappointing loss this weekend at the hands of Ohio State. Beye s pop Blues bubble ay Anne Uible Paily Sports Writer The look of disappointment on Michigan men's soccer coach Steve Burns' face said it all. It was a game the Wolverines needed to win, but like so many previous times this season, the unex- pected got in the way once again. The Wolverines' bubble of hope for a bid to the NCAA Tour- nament all but burst yesterday after the team dropped its season finale to Ohio State 2-0. In an intense and penalty-ridden game, the Wolverines were unable to get into an OHiOSTATE 2, open scoring position and protect their M6cRIGAN dome field advantage. With the loss, they will likely have to win the Big Ten Tournament to continue play- ing this season. While the loss was tough for every player on the team, it was especially hard for the seven departing seniors, who were hon- ored before the game. Having to succumb to their biggest rival in their final home contest was not the way the seniors wanted to leave things. "It was definitely disappointing," senior captain Matt Niemey- er said. "It's our last regular season game, and we needed that win. But also, it was important to the seniors. We wanted the win." The first half of the game was uneventful and at times slow- paced. Both teams were lacking in strong offensive attacks and fierce competitiveness. The game was still scoreless at halftime and still either team's game to win. The second half was a different story. In the first three minutes, Niemeyer was charged a yellow card for pushing Ohio State's Justin Cook from behind while he was attempting a shot. The call was argued intensely by both Nie- meyer and the Michigan bench, but Cook was ultimately awarded a penalty kick on Michigan's net. With a tough shot sent to the lower left end of the net, Cook was able to get the ball past Michi- gan goalie Peter Dzubay to give the Buckeyes a 1-0 lead at 47:27. "It's tough to see (the penalty) from 70 yards away," Michi- gan coach Steve Burns said. "But when your captain - who is a Rhodes Scholar -argues so vociferously with the referee, you have to scratch your head a little bit." The penalty against Niemeyer started a flow of cards and fouls called against the Wolverines. By the end of the second half, Michigan had racked up 13 fouls, five yellow cards and one red card on Bobby Trybula. "I thought we were rather undisciplined out there," Burns said. "That is very uncharacteristic of our team. We are normally a very disciplined team. I think we did some dumb things today. Goals that came against us were because we did things that were out of our character, and that's disappointing." The Buckeyes scored their second and final goal at 75:34, and the Wolverines were unable to put anything up on the scoreboard. Burns attributed much of the quiet offense to his players' fatigue. "This team has nothing left in their legs right now;" Burns said. While a portion of the team's problems may have been due to fatigue, Burns also pointed to an unwillingness on his players' parts to battle fiercely for the win. "I was extremely disappointed in the fire in our belly for what statistically was a relatively evenly matched game," Burns said. "We did not show the fire in our belly against arguably our biggest rival, and I'm extremely disappointed with myself and the coach- ing staff that we couldn't get that out of our players." On Thursday at 2:30 p.m., the Wolverines will face off against the Buckeyes once again in the first round of the Big Ten Tour- nament. Burns hopes that his team will come out as a different squad for the game, given rest and time to let the loss sink in. "I think that this game is enough motivation to prepare us for Thursday," Turpin said. "We know what we have to do." By Matt Singer Daily Sports- Writer The Michigan women's soccer team has finally wrapped up its roller-coaster Big Ten season. And now, the Wolverines must wait until this afternoon to find out whether they will make their eighth consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Just a day after Michigan beat Wisconsin 1-0 in the quarterfinals of the Big Ten Tournament, Friday night's 5-2 loss to No. 13 Ohio State (8-1-3 Big Ten, 16-3-3 overall) dashed the Wolverines' hopes of earning an automatic bid to the NCAA Tourna- ment. The semifinal loss in Colum- bus means that Michigan's (7-4-1, 11-8-2) fate is now in the hands of a selection committee, which will determine the recipi- ents of the 35 at-large bids. "I'm actually pretty optimistic," Michigan coach Debbie Rademacher said. "I feel like we needed to beat Wisconsin on Thursday to really increase our chances." The Buckeyes' offensive firepower prevented a repeat of Michigan's hard-fought victory over the Badgers. Buoyed by its home crowd, Ohio State scored three times in the first 20 minutes of the game and never let up. The Wolverines rallied back with offensive oppor- tunities of their own, but could not quite match the Buckeyes' intensity. When it was all said and done, the two teams combined for 42 shots and 44 fouls, both incredibly high totals. "I don't know what it was, but Ohio State definitely came out on fire," Rademacher said. Within three minutes of the opening whistle, the Buckeyes were on the scoreboard. Ohio State's Danielle Dietrich took a pass from Lisa Grubb and headed the ball into the net to put Ohio State on top. Ohio State's Big Ten Freshman of the Year, Lara Dickenmann fol- lowed by booting a free kick to a streaking Dietrich, who found herself one-on-one with Michigan sopho- more goalkeeper Megan Tuura. Dietrich's shot was stopped, but Michigan freshman Kandace McLaughlin accidentally tapped the ball into her own net, giving the Buckeyes a 2-0 lead. The Buckeyes continued to pour it on, scoring another bizarre goal when Ohio State defender Melissa Miller booted a direct kick from 50 yards out. The blast found its way past three Michigan defenders and Tuura, pro- viding Ohio State a 3-0 advantage in the 20th minute. "Ohio State was pumped up to play," Rademacher said. "They haven't lost at home this year. They have two of the top players in the Big Ten. They just played a great game." To their credit, the Wolverines never gave up. With halftime approaching, Michigan finally trimmed the lead when senior tri-captain Laura Tanchon drilled a ball from the top of the box into the right side of the goal. Even after Ohio State put in two more goals early in the second half, Michigan kept on chugging. Tanchon racked up her fifth assist of the season when her corner kick found freshman Melissa Dobbyn, who pulled the Wolverines to within three goals. But a miracle come- back didn't materialize, and Michigan was eliminated from the Big Ten Tournament. With the win, Ohio State moved on to the Big Ten finals, where they ended up beating No. 3 Penn State 2- 0 on Sunday. Meanwhile, the Wolverines left Columbus hoping to play again this season - but until they see their name in the bracket, they can't be sure of any- thing. The tournament pairings will be announced today at 4 p.m. on ESPNEWS. 0 TOMMASO GOMEZ/M Freshman Melissa Dobbyn scored against Ohio State in yesterday's loss. Dobbyn's goal, which came off of a corner kick, made the final score 5-2 in favor of the Buckeyes. Ragtag Tech band goofy in team's loss 0 MEN'S TENNIS Duo makes good first impression By H. Jose Bosch and Max Kardon ]aily Sports Writers "1, 2, 3, 4 ... what the hell are we fighting for?!!?" Shouting this fight song, the jumbled nass of brass and woodwinds wielded ley the unorthodox Michigan Tech Pep Band heralded the Huskies' arrival to the long-anticipated Bash at the Big House. Its spirit reflected the revival of i program left for dead a year ago, and the enthusiastic exhortations reflected Ohe resurgence of its pulse. Though Michigan Tech's hope for an undefeated season was dashed by a 24- 7 defeat to two-time defending Division II National Champion Grand Valley State, Michigan Tech still gained from its loss. 'Michigan Tech was lucky to play a single game this season, so riding a nine-game winning streak into the Big House was a miracle in itself. The foot- ball program was cut in the spring of 2003 because of budget constraints, but an alum's donation of $400,000 resur- rected the team just a month after its sudden termination. "5, 6, 7, 8 ... we think you should integrate!" This cheer's relevance to the scheme of the game is puzzling, but enthusiastic nonetheless. No set uniforms, no marching, no Problem. Michigan Tech is the "Bad News Bears" of pep bands. Junior Michigan Tech saxophonist Chris Dupriest wears a beer helmet to games - a notable item despite the emptiness of his brown-bagged pair of cans. In his yellow and blue pinstriped overalls and personalized hockey jer- ey, Dupriest's wacky attire comprises the "standard" uniform of the Michigan fech Pep Band. "We don't have a music major at Tech," Dupriest said. "So we're all in it for the fun, and we're tougher and more creative than the competition, even though we don't march in the snow. We're proud of volunteering to do what we can to push our team to victory, and unafraid of pushing the limits of decen- cy. Our band director censors us more than he conducts us." The ragtag volunteer organization thrives on the controlled chaos of its performances, reflected by the diversity of its headwear. The cranial adornments range from menacing Kaiser Wilhelm- esque spiked military helmets to decid- edly less-intimidating patterned hats floppily inspired by Dr. Seuss. Scanning the scattered ranks of the band, there is no lack of visible varia- tion in dress and manner, but a united spirit rises above the madness. Confor- mity is clearly not a priority, but unbri- dled enthusiasm is a prerequisite. "9, 10, 11, 12... What the hell rhymes with twelve?" Many band members answered "Beer!" But the group was unable to reach a consensus. The Michigan Tech pep band doesn't march - it mean- ders. The goofy antics and silly hats of the Michigan Tech pep band represented the nature of the Bash at the Big House this past Saturday - an exciting chance for teams that have made the most of their small school status to perform on a marquee stage. Though the game was guaranteed at the beginning of the season, Michigan Tech's performance this year wasn't. The Huskies have put together the best performance in the '82-year history of the program, securing their first playoff berth under the guidance of coach Ber- nie Anderson. The revitalization can be partially credited to the generosity of the University of Michigan's athletic department. The tremendous fundrais- By Tyler Hagle Daily Sports Writer ALEXAMNDERKDZIADOSZ/Daily The Michigan Tech band sported an interesting look during Michigan Tech's 247 loss to Grand Valley State at the Big House on Saturday. ing opportunity presented by a game at Michigan Stadium gave Michigan Tech's beleaguered football program a chance to recuperate the enormous investment of the revival. The two schools' relationship began in the early '70s when Michigan Tech first invited Michigan to be a partner in the Great Lakes Invitational hockey tournament. Michigan Tech is no lon- ger a premiere team in the tournament, but the two schools still have a strong relationship, and it was only natural for Michigan to help a fellow in-state pro- gram. Both Michigan Tech and Grand Val- ley State benefited enormously from their meeting - Michigan Tech met its monetary needs while the Lakers saved themselves from postseason elimina- tion. The competitive atmosphere in the stands was overpowered by the mutual joy of the circumstances. Though the crowd fell short of the NCAA Division 11 attendance record of 61,143 - the total attendance was 50,123 - the intensity of the devoted fans echoed through the stadium. Grand Valley State alum Will Fred- erick was uninterested in the financial implications. "All that matters is that both teams are fired up to play at the Big House," Frederick said. "You see both bands coming through, raising the excitement. Alumni are coming together from all over. I haven't seen a lot of these people in years. We may not fill the stadium with numbers, but for a Division 11 game, this is as good as it gets." Michigan Tech hopes to continue its unprecedented march into the Division II playoffs, secured by a No. 4 ranking and a ragtag band. NOTE Exon lone Wolverine to advance in Invitational The Michigan women's tennis team made the trek out to Arizona State for the 2004 Thunderbird Invitational. Sophomore Elizabeth Exon made the journey back to Ann Arbor as the only Wolverine to advance in, cham- ninn'r.chin nrl i v r~r, Adf't-tnedA ri 'rnn Job interviews, the first few days of classes, meeting the new girl- friend's parents: What do all of these things have in common? And no, the answer is not just "sweating profuse- ly." While it may be true that a little extra deodorant is in order, these all require one other vitally important thing: A good first impression. This is exactly what Michigan's Brian Hung and Ryan Heller were looking for in the semifinals of the ITA National Indoor Champion- ships. The doubles team advanced with a victory over North Carolina on Friday, setting up a Saturday morning showdown with the No. 2 seed and defending national cham- pion, Stanford's K.C. Corkery and Sam Warburg. The Wolverine duo showed that they could hang with the best of the best, but a few untimely mistakes proved costly, giving Stanford an 8- 6 victory. Hung and Heller, a wild card entry in the tournament, knew of their underdog status and that they'd have to prove they could play with the nation's elite from the start. The duo wasted no time, with big serves from Heller right off the bat, taking the first game and showing the Cardinal that they could compete. "You could tell by the way they carried themselves and the energy they had that they weren't intimi- dated," Michigan head coach Bruce Berque said. "That was something we had talked about the night before, but I wasn't sure if they would be or not." The match then followed a back- and-forth storyline, with each team holding its serve. However, Stan- ford did so relatively easily, while Michigan struggled to hold its serve as the match progressed. In many of Michigan's serving games, the score continually found itself deadlocked at deuce. The first example came with the match tied 2-2. The advantage went back and forth with neither team being able to claim the game. Finally, Michigan put together two successful points in a row, holding serve to lead 3-2. Stanford held to tie such as Stanford did, they have the tendency to become frustrated and more vulnerable for a break of their serve," Berque said. "On the nega- tive side, just by the law of averages, I knew that the more times we went to deuce, the more likely they were going to win one." Either way, by holding serve for five games, Hung and Heller had made their first impression, and it was a good one. They had prov- en that they could win games and looked poised to possibly take the match. But first impressions only go so far. Those job interviews and first meetings possess another necessary aspect to make them successful: a bit of luck. In this match, Stanford would get its best chance at a break first. After holding its serve, the match remained at 5-5. With Hung serving, Michigan took a 15-0 lead. Hung then found himself with a routine volley to take a 30-0 lead, but missed, sending the ball into the net. On the very next point, Heller had a chance to put away a cross court shot but didn't execute, and Stanford went up 15- 30. The Cardinal would then win the game and take control of the match, up 6-5. Those two small points had made a huge impact on the match. "Going into that game, I was thinking to myself how huge it was to hold and put the pressure back on them," Berque said. "I thought our decision making and competitive level was good, but that we were just a little behind in some of the skill level (as shown on those two points)." The match was not to end without the Wolverines getting their own real chance at a break. Trailing 7-6, Hung again found himself at the net with the chance to put away a shot and take a lead in the critical game. But again, the execution just wasn't there, and he put the ball into the net. Unable to capitalize, Hung and Heller would go on to lose the game and the match. Although a disappointing loss, Michigan was still able to take away many positives from the match and tournament as a whole. "Overall, I thought it Was a good result," Berque said. "It was also good for the other guys on our team 0 STICKERS Continued from page 11B Ininutes later, the Michigan defense took control of the match, refusing to collapse as it did earlier in the year against Iowa. After trailing 3-0 at halftime of their regular-season meet- ng, the Hawkeyes stormed back for a 4-3 overtime win. ichigan coach Marcia Pankratz was confident that there vould be no repeat of the collapse at Iowa City. "I don't know about the players, but me, I was comfortable end confident," Pankratz said. "(My mind) didn't go back to (Iowa City) at all. We did a little bit better at time manage- inent of the clock. We made some changes and learned some :. ..:y..:v.. ,. M I .