2B - The Michigan Daily - SportsMonday - November 7, 2005
CLUBSPORTSWEEKLY
Women's s ccer used to success
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Athlete of the Week
Name: Stesha Selsky Team: Volleyball
Hometown: Manhattan Beach, Calif. Class: Sophomore
Why: Selsky's 29 digs in Michigan's victory over Iowa gave
her 476 on the season, a Michigan single-season record. It was
Selsky's 14th match with over 20 digs this season. Alija Pittenger
held the previous record with 455 digs in the 2000-2001 season.
'M' SCHEDULE
By David VandeVusse
Daily Staff Writer
Domination is a word which has accurately summed up the season of the
Michigan women's club soccer team thus far. The Wolverines have won each of
their 16 contests and have outscored opponents by a jaw-dropping 48-3 margin.
A week ago, they charged through the regional tournament with four straight
wins and capped the weekend with a 4-1 victory over Purdue to take home the
Region III crown.
Success is nothing new for the women's club soccer team. The program has
won two national titles in recent years - in 2000 and 2002.
"The tradition of the women's club program (has pushed us toward success),"
senior co-captain Samantha Epstein said. "We hold our standards very high."
This year, Michigan has built on its success with consistency on both
sides of the ball. The offense has been solid, putting up an average of
three goals per game. The defense has been stellar as well, posting a
0.1875 goals against average, which equates to less than one goal every
five games.
"We've really come together," junior co-captain Dana Restrick said. "There
is no lacking position (on the field)."
The numbers are impressive, but the cast of characters who have put up
those figures are even more remarkable. Of the 23 members on the team,
only seven are upperclassmen, leaving the Wolverines to rely on young
talent.
Still, three seniors anchor this squad. Epstein, Kelsey Lutz and Bre Bennett,
who were freshmen during the team's 2002 national title run, provide leader-
ship and experience for the Maize and Blue.
"Everybody looks up to them," Restrick said. "They are like coaches on the
field."
Up next for the Wolverines is their biggest test yet. From Nov. 17-20, they will
travel to Tuscaloosa, Ala. to compete in the 2005 Collegiate Soccer Sport Club
Championships, where a national champion will be crowned.
The disappointment of last year's national tournament has left a bad taste in
the Wolverines' mouths.
In 2004, Michigan made it to the national semifinals in Austin. The
Wolverines left the tournament for home without a loss, but also without
a championship. The tournament was cancelled due, to weather and never
completed - leaving Michigan, UCSB, Colorado, and Colorado State in
a four-way tie for tops in the nation. The achievement should not be over-
looked, but the Wolverines are determined to claim sole ownership of the
championship this year.
This week, the team will be up at 6 a.m. to practice, and they will return to
the field again at 6 p.m. They hope to prepare for a possible six games in three
days at nationals by enduring three days of two-a-day practices. It's a demand-
ing schedule, but the Wolverines are determined to do what it takes.
"We work really hard in practice and in games," Epstein said. "Knowing
what it takes to win a national championship gives us motivation to do it every
year."
Michigan has defined success in every sense of the word. But it has not
achieved all of its aspirations yet. There is one more that looms large - win-
ning another national title.
"We talk about it every day," Epstein said. "That is our ultimate goal."
Date Event
11/9 Volleyball vs. Michigan State
11/10-13 M Soccer at Big Ten Tournament
11/11 W Swimming/Diving at Ohio State
11/11 Volleyball vs. Indiana
11/11 M Basketball vs. Northern Michigan
11/11 Ice Hockey at Northern Michigan
11/11-12 W Basketball at WSF Challenge l
11/12 M Cross Countryl
at NCAA Great Lakes Regional
11/12 W Cross Countryl
at NCAA Regionals
11/12 Football vs. Indiana
11/12 Ice Hockey at Northern Michigan
11/12-13 Field Hockey at NCAA Tournament
11/12-14 M Tennis at Big Ten Singles Champs.
11/12-13 Wrestling at Michigan State Open1
Location
Ann Arbor
Evanston
Columbus
Ann Arbor
Ann Arbor
Marquette
Eugene, Ore.
Bloomington
Bloomington
Ann Arbor
Marquette
TBA
East Lansing
East Lansing
Time
7 p.m.
TBA
3 p.m.
7 p.m.
7p.m.
7:35 p.m.
8 p.m.
12 p.m.
S 12 p.m.
12 p.m.
7:35 p.m.
TBA
TBA
TBA
10 shots, but
no goals for 'M,
By Anne Uible
Daily Sports Writer
COLUMBUS - They had their chances - 10 to be
exact. But like most of the season's opportunities, the
Michigan men's soccer team fell short and its chances
failed on the goal line.
The Wolverines finished their regular season on Fri-
day night with a 1-0 loss to Ohio State. The game marked
Michigan's third consecutive loss in the past two weeks.
The Wolverines racked up 10 total shots but remained
scoreless at the conclusion of the 90 minutes.
"The effort was there, and I think the overall willingness
to win was there," Michigan coach Steve Burns said. "We
had some chances that, if we were able to finish, the game
would have gone another way. Ohio State had their one
good chance, and they finished on it. Each team is going to
have their moments to score. It's a matter of being able to
weather the storm and take advantage of those moments.
The game was lost because we weren't able to convert on
our moments."
The matchup between the conference rivals was played
under the lights of the Jesse Owens Memorial Stadium in
Columbus. Before Friday night, the Wolverines had never
lost a game to the Buckeyes on the field. The venue was
packed with over 1,300 fans for Ohio State's senior night.
"It's tough to lose a big rivalry game like this," senior forward
Trai Blanks said. "But we had our chances to win it."
The game opened up strong for the Wolverines when
senior forward Ryan Alexander drove through the Buck-
eyes defense at the 13th minute and slid the ball into the
feet of Blanks who was up front on the right side of Ohio
State's goal. Blanks booted the ball at the net, but Ohio
State's goalkeeper Ray Burse Jr. made a diving save to
keep the game scoreless. Even late into the first half, the
Wolverines had several opportunities to convert balls but
remained unsuccessful as the first half wound down with
a score of 0-0.
As the second half started, the Buckeyes (3-2-1 Big Ten,
10-6-2 overall) came out strong and kept the pressure on
Michigan's defensive end. After several missed attempts,
Ohio State finally got their opportunity.
The Buckeyes' senior forward Kevin Nugent had pos-
session of the ball just above the 18-yard line and passed
it into sophomore Xavier Blac, who was positioned in
RODRIGO GAYA/ Daily
Senior Tral Blanks and the Wolverines had 10 scoring chances but couldn't convert on a 1-0 loss to rival Ohio State on Friday.
the center of the penalty box. Blac sent the ball back to
Nugent, who was then at the right side of the Wolverines'
goal. Michigan's senior goalkeeper Peter Dzubay came out
of the box to make a play on the ball but arrived just a little
too late, and Nugent slid the ball past Dzubay and crossed
it into the left corner of the net.
"I was late coming out of the goal, and I tried to make
a play," Dzubay said. "It didn't work, and the player was
able to beat me."
After the Buckeyes scored, the Wolverines began to play
with a sense of urgency. Michigan players began grabbing
at their opponents and trying their best to steal the ball.
Their aggressive play was greeted with two yellow cards
given to Alexander and freshman Chase Tennant and an
ominous red card for Bobby Trybula after he intentionally
ran into an Ohio State player.
Burns thought the aggressiveness proved that his team
still has a lot of fight in them, which makes him eager to
get to tournament play.
"I think winning makes you stronger and losing makes
you tougher," Burns said. "And right now, we're tough and
strong. It's a good position to be in for the Big Ten Cham-
pionships. I think we've got the fight in us."
With their regular season closed, the Wolverines' next
venture will be the Big Ten Championships, which starts
this Thursday at Northwestern. The only way Michigan (2-
4-0 Big Ten, 8-9-1 overall) will continue on to the NCAA
Tournament is with a solid performance and at least two
wins at the conference tournament to give Michigan a
record of at least .500.
"We've got to win," Dzubay said. "We're in a little bit of
a losing streak, but it's a whole other season now."
WRESTLING
Youngsters
open up
Grapplers'
season
By David Murray
For the Daily
YPSILANTI - The Michigan wrestling
team showcased its depth this Saturday at.
the Eastern Michigan Open. Despite hav-,
ing none of last year's starters wrestle,
the Wolverines placed in four of the nine
weight classes at the Bowen Field House,
Coach Joe McFarland used the tournament
to give his younger wrestlers some experi-
ence before the dual matches begin against
Penn State Nov. 26.
Sophomore Casey White, who fin-
ished in fifth place at last year's Eastern
Michigan Open, dominated his first three
matches at 197 pounds, winning each by
four points or more. White's impressive
winning streak ended in the finals, where,
he lost a 2-1 heartbreaker to Purdue's Nate.
Moore in overtime.
Sophomore Tyrel Todd also had no trou-
ble reaching the finals in the 184-pound
weight class, outscoring his opponents a
combined 39-9 in his first four matches.
But Purdue's All-American Ben Wissel
gave Todd all he could handle in the finals,
beating him 7-3.
The two others who placed for the Wol-
verines were juniors Jeff Marsh and Hassen
Berri, who wrestled in the 157-pound an d
174-pound weight classes, respectively.
After convincing wins in his first two
matches, Marsh fell 5-3 to Columbia's
Devin Mesanko but persevered to win his
final four matches and finished in third,
place.
Junior Hassen Berri ended up in fifth.,
place with a 4-2 record. It was Berri's best,
finish in his collegiate career.
"I thought the guys did a nice job today,"
Michigan coach Joe McFarland said. "They
wrestled hard, they hustled, and this gives
us a good idea of where we're at right now
We did a lot of good things, but we came
away with a lot of things we need to work
on and improve on."
The Wolverines have high expectations
after finishing as the team runner-up at
last year's NCAA tournament. McFarland,
whose squad returns four All-Americans
from last year, hopes no team will pick up
where the team left off at the end of last
year.
"It has been a building process to get
where we were last year, and we would like
to build off of that this year," McFarland
said.
Michigan will travel to East Lansing next
weekend for the Michigan State Open.
I
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RENOWNED AUTHOR AND SPECIALIST IN THE HISTORY OF BUSINESS
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