2B-The Michigan Daily - Monday, October 9, 2006 CLUB! WEEKLY Rugby set for match with rival By Colt Rosensweig Daily Sports Writer Two years ago on a miserable, sleeting day, the Ohio State rugby team beat Michigan 29-5 in a friendly match. Last year, fight- ing for a spot in the regional play- offs, the Buckeyes triumphed once more, 59-0. The two teams will face off again this Saturday, and only one thing is certain - this will be no ordinary game. In Division I, the 12 Midwest teams comprise four three-team pools, with the winner of each pool advancing to the playoffs. Michigan is grouped with rivals Michigan State and Ohio State. The Wolverines beat the Spartans on Sept. 30, so, with a win against the Buckeyes, they will head to the postseason with hopes of compet- ing for a national title. No one will take the contest lightly. "The last time Ohio State played here was my freshman year" said Dan Kuriluk, senior center and winger. "We were leading at halftime. The guys saw that and crapped their pants and gave (the game) away (because they'd never been in that situation before) ... I think if we get a lot of people out here to support us and get a good start, we can pull this game from them and surprise a lot of people." The Michigan rugby club has progressed in leaps and bounds over the past several years. Club members once viewed the team as a casual hobby, but now play- ers often attend extra practice to improve their games. Even senior club president Evan Barclay, who injured his back so badly that he may never play again, never misses a practice. Last season the team struggled in its first year at the Division I level, dropping several close con- tests. But now all those trials are paying off - Michigan has just one loss in five games heading into this weekend's crucial match. New and old members alike now have three capable captains to look up to - Kuriluk, the backs cap- tain; senior Nick Harris, the for- wards captain; and fifth-year senior scrumhalf Karl Seibert, the team captain. The efficient communica- tion between the three on the field helps the team run smoothly. As the scrumhalf, Seibert organizes the team, linking the forwards and the backs. He is usually the one to distribute the ball from scrums, rucks, mauls and line-outs. "If Karl (Seibert) goes into a scrum or a ruck, Ducky (Kuriluk) knows that Harris might be the one making the call, or Ducky might (have to) make it," said Barclay. "There are three people who have a definite leadership role. It's a lot more helpful to the other guys who might not know quite as much." In addition to the captains, many other players have stepped up this season. Fullback Nick Dyrda has come through repeatedly with crucial runs, tackles and game- saving plays. Flyhalf Aaron Dodd has provided extra leadership and vision for the back line. And senior Matt Russell, the club's vice presi- dent, has developed into a line-out threat and kicker. Russell demonstrated the tough, gritty spirit of rugby at the Michi- gan State game, when he was "blasted in the face" and had to come off the field because he was bleeding. But once his nose and mouth had stopped bleeding, Rus- sell was back on the pitch. "He came back in ready to go, and he had screws knocked loose," Kuriluk said. The team is also better con- ditioned than ever before, often earning their victories in the sec- ond half. Even in its lone loss this season to Bowling Green, Michi- gan outscored the Falcons after halftime. The Wolverines' fitness is an important factor in overcoming their small size relative to other teams. "After the first half, most of the guys are tired,' Kuriluk said. "It doesn't matter how big you are, because if you can't move (and) you're walking on the field, that's an opportunity for us to start turn- ing the tables on other teams." But despite the club's recent suc- cess, professionalism and spring break trips to Thailand and Mex- ico for relief work, it still does not receive the respect from the Ath- letic Department that the players feel it deserves. "It seems like the University still has the image of us as a bunch of hooligans," Kuriluk said. "I just think it's ridiculous that a school as small as Bowling Green can give (its rugby team) a field (with a scoreboard and stands), and a school with as much money as this school, and with as much prestige as this school has, can't do one thing for us." A win against the elite Buckeyes Saturday would be a huge step toward commanding respect from the University and the entire rugby community. Mile fiicb-an 1aflu Athlete of the Week Name: Scott Bell Team:Daily football Hometown: Fremont Class: Junior Bell caught the game-winning touchdown in a dramatic 42-35 victory against The State News on Friday. The catch capped a seven-reception, three-touchdown per- formance for the junior. He also added an interception to his stat line early in the game. 'M' Schedule Date Event Location Time 10/10 Field Hockey g Ann Arbor 3 p.m. vs. Centrai Michigan 10/11 Volleyball Ann Arbor 7 p.m. vs. Michigan State 10/04 M Soccer Ann Arbor 7 p.m. vs. Notre Dame 10/13 Volleyball Ann Arbor 7 p.m. vs. Iowa 10/13 W Soccer Ann Arbor 7 p.m. vs. Iowa 10/13 M Soccer at Milwaukee 8 p.m. Wisconsin-Milwaukee 10/13 Ice Hockey vs. Ann Arbor 7:35 p.m. Alabama-Huntsville 10/13 M Tennis Midland, Texas TBD at Racquet Club Collegiate Invitational 10/13 W Golf Knowxville, Tenn. TBD at Mercedes-Benz Classic 10/14 W Cross Country Terre Haute, nd. 11 am. at NCAA Pre-Nationals 10/14 M Cross Country Terre Haute, Ind 12:10 at NCAA Pre-Nationals p.m. 10/14 W SwImmIng/Diving Ann Arbor 1 p.m. vs. Florida 10/14 Ice Hockey Ann Arbor 7:35 p.m. vs. Connecticut 10/14 Football State College 8 p.m. at Penn State 10/15 W Soccer Ann Arbor 1 p.m. vs. Illinois 10/15 Field Hockey Ann Arbor 1p.m. vs. Indiana 10/15 M Soccer Evanston 3 p.m. at Northwestern 10/15 M Golf at Edmund, Okla. TBD Oak Tree Intercollegiate 'M' scores late, settles for tie By Jamie Josephson Daily Sports Writer After falling behind early on - in both players and goals - against Michigan State at the U-M Soccer Field yesterday, the Mich- igan men's soccer team came back, tying the score at one and sending the game into overtime. The Wolverines created several chances to net the game-winner in overtime, but the contest ended in a 1-1 draw. "We're happy to get a point in the Big Ten standings, but we all feel like we should've and could've won that game," senior co-captain Kevin Hall said. But Michigan coach Steve Burns will not settle for near- victories. "Shoulda woulda couldas aren't good enough at Michigan," Burns said definitively. Michigan (0-1-2 Big Ten, 5-6-3 overall) found itself in a hole 15 minutes into the first half that it struggled to climb out of for the rest of the game. Off a counterattack, Michi- gan State (0-2-2, 6-4-2) sent the ball into the Wolverines' 18-yard box. With Michigan goalkeeper Patrick Sperry coming out of the net to challenge the Spartans' attack, sophomore Michael Hol- ody entered the scrum. After a Michigan State forward took the shot, the referee claimed Holody used his hands to deflect the sure- goal. Collegiate rules deem that such an infraction on a shot head- ing toward the net is cause for an automatic red card. Despite Hol- ody's claim that the ball didn't hit his hand, but rather the facemask he was wearing to protect a bro- ken nose - which Burns said was cracked in half after the play - the referee slapped the defend- er with a red card and automatic ejection from the game. Michigan State also earned a penalty kick because of the infraction. At 15:47, the Spar- tans' Matt Kreikemeier sent the shot passed Sperry's outstretched hands and into the upper.left cor- ner of Michigan's net. Though Burns said that he will check the tape on the con- troversial call and possibly send it into the league office, the fact remained that Michigan was now down 1-0 and would have to play the remainder of the game with a one-man disadvantage. "It was a tough break for us," Burns said. "But we battled very nicely in the face of that adver- sity." The shorthanded Wolverines were not about to roll over after entering the second half down a goal. With more than 15 minutes remaining in the period, fresh- man Peri Marosevic was fouled just outside the 18-yard box, giv- ing Michigan a free kick oppor- tunity. Fellow freshman Mauro Fuzetti took the kick in the face of a daunting wall of green defenders. Though the newcomer has recently struggled to convert since his lone goal against Ken- tucky on Sept. 13, Fuzetti finally earned his place in the sun - on a bright and beautiful Sunday afternoon at that. Fuzetti's shot found a hole around the Spartan wall and tied the game at one. "There was a lot of pressure because we were down, and I hadn't made (a free kick) all sea- son," Fuzetti said. "The keeper set the wall, and I think he was expecting me to go over the wall. So I saw the little space near the back post and just hit it there.... I'm glad I stepped up and finally got one in there." With the wave of momen- tum clearly on Michigan's side, the Wolverines were hopeful to steal the come-from-behind vic- tory after the end of regulation. After a scoreless first overtime period, both teams had 10 addi- tional minutes to try and break the deadlock. Michigan compensated in fit- ness what it lacked in players and kept the ball near the Spartans net. Marosevic hit a shot from 4 NOTES Blue opens season with scrimmage Sophomores Hannah Smith and Payton Johnson, junior Justine Mueller and senior Kaitlyn Brady put the Blue squad on the board with a win in the 200-yard Medley Relay in Saturday's women's swim- ming and diving intrasquad scrim- mage held at Canham Natatorium. Senior Lindsey Smith, Hannah's older sister, took the 200-yard free- style and the 100-yard freestyle to answer for the Maize team. Han- nah won the 50-yard freestyle and Mueller claimed victory in both the 200-yard individual medley and 100-yard breaststroke in response. But it was not enough. The Maize squad used its superior depth to take the final event - the 650-yard pine- apple relay that featured 13 swim- mers from each squad - and defeat the Blue team, 48-44, winning the coveted case of pineapple that is awarded to the victor each year. Kickers grind out two points on road BENJI DELL/Daily Freshman Mauro Fuzetti scored the tying goal late in the second half of Michigan's 1-1 tie against Michigan State. the right side of the 18-yard box in the first minute of the second overtime period, but the ball went out just wide to the left. A few minutes later, the ball found the feet of sophomore Jake Stacy in the middle of the box. The for- ward's right foot connected with the ball, but the shot went straight into the open arms of Michigan State goalkeeper Jason Tillman. The Wolverines on the bench went from jumping out of their seats in anticipation to nearly rip- ping their hair out after each one of these near-goals. These highlights from yester- day's match - which recorded Michigan's fourth double-over- time contest in its last five con- tests - have become the familiar picture of the Wolverines' up-and- down roller coaster of a season. With yesterday's draw, Michi- gan's winless streak extended to five games, including three ties. "The heart and soul of this team stirs me," Burns said. "I love what they give. Now it's just a matter of finding ways to win." Studentis Fly Cheaper Sample Roundtrip Airfares From Detroit to: Buffalo $151 Amsterdam $365 Toronto $180 Frankfurt $386 Charleston,SC $202 Sydney $1188 Terms: Al les e based on roundnp travel and in ude a Stude Universe service of $5.Domestc fares icude a 7,5% US transportation tax. n 3StudentUniverse.com LIKE SPORTS? LIKE WRITING? JOIN DAILY SPORTS. By Robert Kaitz Daily Sports Writer Ninety minutes didn't settle any- thing. Neither did 110. The Michi- gan women's soccer team CN added two ties to its record, earning two N TETERN hard-fought points in the Big Ten standings on the road over the weekend against Wisconsin and Northwestern. The Wolverines (1-2-2 Big Ten, 5-5-4 overall) played two physical and highly competitive games, but couldn't get the timely goal. They settled for a 1-1 tie on Friday against the Badgers before playing to a scoreless draw yesterday in Evanston against Northwestern. Michigan jumped on the Wild- cats early and dominated the first half, collecting seven shots to the Northwestern's one, including five on goal. But the Wolverines couldn't get anything past goalkeeper Lauren Johnston. "We had a lot of opportunities, but it was unfortunate we couldn't take advantage," Michigan coach Debbie Rademacher said. Northwestern (3-2-1, 7-6-1) was a little more effective in the second half, but the best chance of the period went to Michigan. Freshman defend- er Kylie Neschke unloaded a rocket toward the right post in the 55th min- ute, but Johnston got her hands on it. Neither club generated significant scoring chances in the overtimes. Senior goalkeeper Megan Tuura made three saves to earn her fifth shutout of the season. The missed opportunities frustrat- ed Michigan, but the team's leader- ship knows there is no need to push the panic button. "We are still competitive and get- ting chances on goal, so there's no reason to be concerned,' junior co- captain Sarah Banco said. "If we weren't getting chances, then there'd be reason to be concerned." Banco and her co-captains led by example on the pitch. Senior Katelin Spencer played every minute of both games, and Judy Coffman scored the Wolverines' lone goal of the weekend. Rademacher singled out the solid play on the backline of the team's fourth co-captain - redshirt junior defender Lindsey Cottrell. The weekend started promisingly for the Wolverines on Friday night. They jumped out to an early lead after the striker duo of Coffman and junior Melissa Dobbyn connected. Dobbyn hit an open Coffman at the top of the penalty box, and Coffman scored her fourth goal of the season in the 16th minute. The rest of the half was evenly matched, and the teams headed to halftime with Michigan leading 1-0. Though the Wolverines stayed aggressive in the second half, they were burnt for the tying goal on a set piece. Wisconsin (3-2-1, 6-4-3) scored off a free kick, as Allison Preiss received the ball and shot it past senior goalkeeper Megan Tuura. The game was chippy, as the teams committed a combined 42 fouls. Wolverine freshman defender Amy Klippert received a red card seconds before heading to overtime, so Michigan was a player down for both overtime periods. The booking was the result of jousting between Klippert and a Badger forward who was on the ground that the referee deemed dangerous. Michigan was thin on defense already, as junior starting midfielder Jamie Artsis left the game with an injury. "Playing down a man in over- time and still managing a point was important for us," Banco said. Both teams generated a few scor- ing chances during the additional 20 minutes, but the score remained unchanged, and each team received a hard-earned point. "It's disappointing we didn't put (the game) away earlier, but I thought we played well:" Rademacher said. Get above the crowd. 9 SUBURBAN HUMMER' 1.866.385.8366 Corner of Jackson and Wagner Rd. 35"Jac"o Rd.""