SPORT,
Blue loses to Indiana to end its
The Michigan Daily - New Student Edition - Fall 2005 - 5E
season in the NCA
By Anne Uible
NOVEMBER 24, 2004
Daily Sports Writer
BLOOMINGTON - The Michigan
men's soccer team isn't used to playing
under the lights. And when they shone
down brightly on Armstrong Field, the
Wolverines ended up __HGAN___
just a little bit short. NAnALT
Michigan's tumul-
tuous season concluded in a 1-0 loss to
No. 2-seed Indiana in the second round
of NCAA tournament play.
"We'd heard the rumors that playing
under the lights in Bloomington was spe-
cial," Michigan coach Steve Burns said.
"And it was everything we thought it was
going to be."
"I am extremely proud of the way this
team has played all year long. Five years
ago when this program started, I didn't
have this vision in my mind of playing in
the NCAA second round, and to see these
guys play as they did is a testament to a
rising program. Michigan didn't lose this
game, we just ran out time."
The Hoosiers' (15-4-1) winning goal
was scored by forward Kevin Robson
at 86:10. Robson broke away from his
defender and was able to get the ball past
Michigan goalie Peter Dzubay.
"He caught me leaning a little to my
right," Dzubay said. "He shot it and it
took a nice little skip and it went right
underneath me. I guess this just was not
my night."
The defense played tougher than it had
in previous games, and Dzubay realized
this right from the beginning of the game.
"Our defense played wonderful
tonight," Dzubay said. "I thought I was
going to come in here and make 10-12
saves and have a big night, but they were
ready for this game. We played with heart
and energy the whole year, and especially
in this game."
The Wolverines (11-8-4) opened the first
half with a similar aggressiveness to that
of their first-round win over Akron. They
outshot the Hoosiers 3-2 and collected 11
fouls by the end of the half.
Most of the fight during the game was
found in the midfield, where the play-
tourney
ers became the most aggressive. Hoosier
Danny O'Rourke - one of Indiana's two
Hermaan Trophy candidates - caused the
Wolverines the most difficulty.
"One of our philosophies is to control
the midfield," Burns said. "We haven't had
an answer to Danny for four years and he's
a difference maker on their team."
One problem with trying to gain an
advantage in the midfield was that the
field itself was extremely slippery due
to a steady misting that refused to let up
throughout most of the game. The wet-
ness of the field caused the players to fall
after most quick turns and fakes. The
conditions also enabled the ball to roll
more quickly on the grass and hindered
many of the passes and shots that the
players made.
The Wolverines concluded a season
packed with injuries and emotionally-
charged games. And while it seemed
like they had just started to hit their
stride in the past two games during the
NCAA tournament, like the theme of
the game last night, they just ran out
of time.
Sophomore Tral Blanks fought hard in the midfield, but Michigan lost to Indiana in the second round of the NCAA
tournament. In Its short five-year history, the men's soccer team is 0-5 against the Big Ten rival.
Stickers wi
By James V. Dowd
NOVEMBER 8, 2004
Daily Sports Writer
EVANSTON - Having played a grueling regu-
lar season during which any secret weapons were
forced out into the open, the Big Ten Tournament
is a time when teams are forced to rely purely on
heart and talent.
All seven teams had played w u
each other by the time they
reached the Leonard B. Thomas
Sports Complex , so there were no dark horses to
be revealed. In the end, top-seeded Michigan pre-
vailed, using lessons learned from its sole confer-
ence loss at Iowa City to defeat the second-seeded
Hawkeyes 3-2 in the tournament final.
"There weren't too many surprises out there,"
Iowa coach Tracey Griesbaum said. "It was just a
matter of who would capitalize on them. In the first
game of the year there might be surprises, but at
this point we have played them once and seen them
play other times. It's just a matter of execution."
Iowa capitalized early, taking a-lead when Deb-
bie Birrell put one past Michigan goalkeeper Beth
Riley. Hawkeyes forward Sarah Dawson worked the
ball deep into the circle and shot. Birrell found the
rebound amongst heavy traffic in front of the Michi-
gan goal and tipped it past Riley.
Though her team fell behind early, Riley had
confidence that her defense would help her keep the
game within reach.
n Big Ten tournament
"I've got the best defender in the Big Ten year against Iowa.
(junior Lori Hillman) right in front of me," Riley After trailing 3-0 at halftime of their regular-
said of Hillman, the tournament's most valuable season meeting, the Hawkeyes stormed back for a
player. "I'm pretty confident with her, and every- 4-3 overtime win. Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz
one else on the team, that it's not even going to was confident that there would be no repeat of the
get back to me." collapse at Iowa City.
The teams continued to battle in the midfield "I don't know about the players, but me, I was
and Michigan caught a break when it was awarded comfortable and confident," Pankratz said. "(My
a penalty corner 27 minutes into the match. After mind) didn't go back to (Iowa City) at all. We did a
sophomore Kara Lentz put the ball into play, Jes- little bit better at time management of the clock. We
sica Blake took a shot from the left side, but Iowa made some changes and learned some things from
goalkeeper Barb Weinberg turned it aside. Lentz that loss at Iowa City. So it was nice to see that the
was waiting in the corner and tried again to put it team grew and learned from previous games."
in, but Weinberg again got a piece of it. This time, Hillman felt the pressure that comes with a
however, Wolverines' forward Katie Morris was one-goal lead, but had faith in herself and her
waiting on the doorstep and lifted the ball into the teammates.
top right corner of the net - her third goal of the "It's nerve-wracking," Hillman said. "But I have
weekend - tying the game at one. confidence in all of my teammates. I know that
Just before halftime, Michigan took its first they are going to do all that they can to keep the
lead when sophomore Mary Fox tapped in another ball up there."
rebound. Lentz again took a shot from the corner, The win gave all but two of the Wolverines their
but after the ball made it past Weinberg, it clipped first conference tournament victory. Only fifth-
the post and bounced out to a wide-open Fox. year seniors Kate Dillon and Molly Maloney were
While Michigan's defense continued to hold around for Michigan's last win in 2000. Pankratz
strong in the early parts of the second half, the was thrilled for her departing seniors who had fall-
offense became stagnant. Once again, a penal- en short several seasons in a row.
ty corner was the spark Michigan needed, and "It is a hard tournament," Pankratz said. "It has
Blake bounced a shot off of an Iowa defender kind of escaped us for the last four seasons, so I am
and into the net. really happy for (the departing seniors)."
Though Iowa managed to pull within one just five With the win, the Wolverines earned an automat-
minutes later, the Michigan defense took control of ic berth in the NCAA Tournament, where they lost
the match, refusing to collapse as it did earlier in the to Michigan State in the second round.
JOEL FRIEDMAN/Daily
Junior defender Lori Hillman was named most valuable player of the Big Ten
Tournament.
&I
Hockey Band
The tradition continues...
C' Ya there!
Rehearsals will be on Thursdays
beginning at 7:30 PM
M
'.. .
Men's Basketball Band
Be a part of the Amaker Era...
On the road to victory with
the Men's Basketball Band.
Rehearsals will be on Tuesdays
beginning at 7:00 PM
Auditions will be held at Revelli Hall
Sunday, September 18, 2005
through
Wednesday, September 21, 2005
Audition will include scales and sight reading.
7
To schedule a time for an audition
Woren's seb Band
please call 764-0582.
6
I