10 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, November 17, 2004 leers face daunting schedule By Gabe Edelson Daily Sports Writer With roughly a quarter of the season in the books, Eric Nystrom has captained the No. 2 Michigan hockey team (5-1-0 CCHA, 7-2-1 overall) to a strong start. But the senior recognizes that the team's toughest tests lie in the immediate future. "You can't ever be satisfied," Nystrom said: "There's always a little more that you can do. I try my best to lead by example and work as hard as I can every day. Hope- fully that rubs off, but there's always more you can do." The Wolverines will need to play their best hockey during an upcoming stretch of games, as it may be the toughest string of contests they will face for the rest of the regular season. Michigan will play a home-and- home series with No. 14 Michigan State (3-3-0, 5-4-1) this week. The first game will be played in East Lansing tomorrow night, followed by a match at Yost Ice Arena on Saturday. If the challenging set against an in-state rival isn't enough, the Wolverines will proceed to play back-to-back away games at No. 3 Minnesota and No. 4 Wisconsin on Nov. 26 and 27, before returning to conference play with a home-and-home against a feisty Notre Dame squad (2-5-4, 1-4-3) the following week- end. Nystrom realizes that his leadership and atten- tion to detail will be necessary for his team to produce results on the ice. "I think the younger guys are going to look for some leadership to step up and take charge," Nystrom said. "This is where I need to emerge as a leader. We can't have any lapses against good teams." Selsky thrives on beach and indoors By H. Jose Bosch Daily Sports Writer The California sun, sand and Beach Boys tunes represented vol- leyball for freshman Stesha Selsky during her childhood. That's a far different scene from the fluorescent lighting, hardwood floors and Pat Benatar music found at Cliff Keen Arena in Ann Arbor. When Selsky was a child, her mother, a professional volleyball player, formed a club team with her daughter. Because it was difficult to pay for practice time on a court, Sel- sky practiced on the beach. Her defensive capabilities can be attributed to her years playing vol- leyball on the beach. The heavier ball, smaller court and the other variables one cannot find indoors - like wind and the sun - make the game much more difficult than the controlled six-on-six environ- ment seen in high school gyms across America. "I didn't actually know people played indoors," said Selsky of indoor volleyball. "That was new for me." The rest of the Big Ten is wishing she never found out. Selsky is having an amazing fresh- man year, having recorded 237 digs so far this season - enough to place RYAN WEINER/Daily Michigan's Al Montoya will be facing some stiff competition In the next few weeks, beginning with Michigan State. That's not to say that Nystrom isn't optimistic and proud of the team's play so far. "We're taking strides," the forward said. "We've had some good experiences. This is a great stretch of the season. It's nothing to be nervous about, especially with all the experience we have on this team. We've all played in these big games. Obviously everyone's going to be a little nervous because that's just human nature. "I think we're definitely looking forward to seeing how we fare against ranked teams." But the team's mood will largely hinge on how the Wolverines fare in East Lansing tomorrow. The team hasn't won in Munn Ice Arena since Jan. 7, 2000. Not a single player on the current roster has traveled to Michi- gan State and emerged victorious. "Thursday night will be a great challenge for us," Nystrom said. "(Munn) is a tough place to play. This is the last chance (for the seniors to win at Michigan State). They're going to be geeked up to play us, and we're excited to go in there and hopefully steal a couple points, so it should be great." Nystrom realizes that Michigan has had some trouble getting off to quick starts in games, a problem he has been trying to fix by keeping himself and his team- mates on task. The captain also feels his team must be sharper in practice. But he can't wait to get back on the ice in a game situation after having last weekend off. "Last week was one of the best practice weeks I've had in a long time," Nystrom said. "I'm anx- ious to play." her among the top-three in school history for digs in a season among fresh man. But Michigan coach Mark Rosen is happy with the way Selsky has adjusted to the hardwood. "She's done a great job adapt- ing to the speed of the game at this level," Rosen said. "She's adjusted really well." Selsky was recruited as a possible setter or back-row player, but has had to fill in at the libero position for the injured senior Sarah Allen - a tough spot for a freshman. Not only is Allen one of the team cap- tains, but the position itself is dif- ficult. The libero is expected to be a sta- bilizing force and the spark plug for the defense, according to Rosen. A big defensive play, like a dig, can be all the momentum the team needs to change the course of a game. Selsky has been able to step in flawlessly for the Wolverines. She tallied career highs for digs in con- secutive games, notching 24 against Purdue on Nov. 6 and 30 against No. 5 Minnesota last weekend. It was the first time a Wolverine had recorded at least 30 digs in a game in four years. "I didn't even know I had 30 digs," Selsky said. "No one really told me. I was just playing defense." As well as Selsky has done defen- sively, she still has to work on the offensive aspect of her game. To be a stabilizing force for the team, a libero must be able to control the ball and pass the ball well. "There are new passing tech- niques that I've had to. learn,,=S.l4 sky said. "I'm still working on that one actually." But as frustrating as it may get for the freshman at times, Selsky's best technique for dealing with the frus- tration of learning something new is to just ignore it. "If I think too much about it, then I'm absolutely horrible," Sel- sky said. Michigan is glad Selsky isn't doing much thinking these days - the freshman is always focused on the task at hand and not worried about the technical aspects of her game. PFUL C \4BIA L. Fic r. i s 1 11 *4 You are invited to attend an educational event that highlights the opportunities available to k: students with an engineering, health, science, business, social science, or liberal arts back- ground who earn a law degree. Law professionals with a specialized concentration are among the most sought- after professionals. When you combine your undergraduate degree with a law concentration in a related field, you will have a career advantage because of your specialized knowledge. Your legal degree can be used in business, government, environmental agencies, or law practice. This will expand the number and variety of opportunities open to you and significantly increase your earning power. Attend this educational event to gain valuable information on: " Discovering career opportunities that combine your undergraduate degree with a similar concentration in a legal education program " Preparing for and taking the Law School Admission Test (LSAT) - Understanding prelaw preparation and admission procedures . Iirn nrinn IA crhnrl Ar crh l-:rchin nrnr m' fnr trn ztiid nt(; MIKE HULSEBUS/Daily Freshman Stesha Steisky picked up her defensive skills on the beach. ' 'NOTES McGuire and Walter named best in region The Women's Intercollegiate Cross Country Coaches Associa- tion named junior Rebecca Walter Athlete of the Region yesterday and crowned Michigan's Mike McGuire regional Coach of the Year. Walter won the regional meet last weekend and finished second at the Big Ten Championship on Oct. 31. Walter has won a postseason award in three straight seasons. She was awarded Big Ten Freshman of the Year two years ago and was recog- nized as anAll-Big Ten selection last year. This is McGuire's fourth regional Coach of the Year award in his 13- year career. He won the award three straight times from 1992-94. The Wolverines have won four NCAA Great Lakes Regionals under McGuire's tenure, the most recent coming last weekend in Ypsilanti. Michigan will travel to Terre Haute, Ind, for the NCAA Champi- onships on Monday.