8A-The Michigan Daily - Thursday, October 19, 2006
'M' sweepers develop,
keep ball out of net
A
By Robert Kaitz Cottrell's leadership is crucial,
Daily Sports Writer even on a team loaded with expe-
rienced upperclassmen.
The casual fan may over- "Lindsey is vocally the lead-
look this duo's contributions to er on the backline," Andrews
the Michigan women's soccer said. "We can trust each other
team, but the two players who a lot, knowing each other's
comprise it don't care. strengths and weaknesses."
The statistician won'texactly The defensive numbers
appreciate all their hard work speak for themselves. Through
and effort (combined they have 16 games, the team has
no points and just four total allowed just 15 goals, ranking
shots in their careers), but it Michigan third in the Big Ten
still doesn't matter to them. in scoring defense. The feat is
Sweepers Lindsey Cottrell even more remarkable consid-
and Skylar Andrews simply ering the Wolverines allowed
want to keep the ball out of the 39 goals in 21 games last sea-
Wolverines' net at all costs. son.
A little recognition from the Cottrell was still recovering
coach helps, too. from her tough injury the pre-
"They are doing a great vious season, and it hurt her
job anchoring the center of game.
our defense," Michigan coach "Last year was a struggle,"
Debbie Rademacher said. Cottrell said. "I didn't have
Cottrell, a redshirt junior, the speed and agility that I
and Andrews, a sophomore, needed."
have grown accustomed to Added Andrews quickly:
working together on the Mich- "But she's back."
igan backline. Last season was The Kalamazoo native's full
a learning experience for the recovery has played a crucial
duo: Cottrell returned from a role in the improved defensive
season-ending ACL tear early numbers. But it has served
in her sophomore year that another purpose beyond that.
gave her an additional year of "For her, it's been a great
eligibility. Andrews learned transformation," Rademacher
the more physical Big Ten said. "The team sees the prog-
style in an alien climate while ress she made and her work
starting all 21 games. ethic, and it admires her."
Their familiarity is paying Sweeper is one of the hard-
huge dividends this season. est positions to play. It requires
"We complement each other speed, good judgment, tough-
really well," Cottrell said. ness and top-notch one-on-one
"Skylar uses her body well and defending ability. One small
is a great one-on-one defender, mental lapse and the opposi-
so it's easy to have good chem- tion can find a great scoring
istry." opportunity. Allowing just a
little more than three shots per
game shows how solid Cottrell
and Andrews have been on the
backline.
Andrews has become a rock
for the team. The Wolverines
have played 37 games in her
two years on the team, and
she has started 36 of them, far
exceeding anyone's expecta-
tions heading into her fresh-
man season.
"I never know what to expect
(with regards to how recruits
will succeed at the collegiate
level), but she's got some cru-
cial qualities for a defender,"
Rademacher said. "Since day
one, she's impressed and done
great."
Sometimes, Michigan's mer-
curial weather - which hits
its pinnacle this time of week
- makes the Texan rethink her
decision to play up north. But
the Wolverines' style of play
always appealed to her, and it
was a big factor in her deci-
sion to suit up for the Maize
and Blue.
"I saw the fight and tough-
ness of the team, and I really
wanted to be a part of it,"
Andrews said.
She and Cottrell are both
an integral part of the team's
identity.
As for the pair not getting
its due, the people who matter
appreciate its efforts.
"Defense always gets over-
looked, it's part of the posi-
tion," Rademacher said. "But
coaches and opposing teams
will always recognize what
they do."
4
Senior Tim Cook will play out of his natural position on the blue line to help the offense-to-defense transition.
leers need to improve
'D' to beat Redawks
4
Skylar
Andrews
Year: Redshirt
sophomore
Position: Sweeper
In the family: Her
father, Lo Andrews,
played basketball
at Oklahoma State
between 1979-83.
Lindsey
Cottrell
Year: Redshirt
Andrews Position: Sweeper
In the family: Lind-
sey's brother, Scott,
played soccer at Oak-
land University.
By Nate Sandals
Daily Sports Writer
Michigan was solid for five
periods last week-
end. But the one _
period it didn't play
well has the team - To
looking to prove No. 9 Mia
something against No.5A
conference foe - 7-3
Miami tonight. Yst
After giving up
five unanswered
goals to Connecticut
in the second and
third periods of Saturday's 7-5
win, the fifth-ranked Wolverines
know they need to improve their
defensive play to beat the Red-
Hawks.
"We're going to have to play
a really good game," senior cap-
tain Matt Hunwick said. "Just
a lot of the little things we're
going to have to do."
Michigan's (2-0-0 over-
all) defense will be especially
important against No. 9
Miami (3-1-0) features two of
the CCHA's top goalies in junior
Charlie Effinger and sophomore
Jeff Zatkoff.
"It's probably going to be
scrappy goals," said Hunwick,
who has six career points
against Miami. "Just point shots,
rebounds, goals that are going
to be hard to work. They're not
going to come as easy as they
were last weekend."
Facing tough goaltending,
it will be important for Michi-
gan to play solid
defense and not let
the game get out
I GHT of reach. The Wol-
ri (Ohio) at verines will also
Michigan have to cut down
5 {,.m. on their penalties
Arena aftercommitting
- 13 against Con-
necticut, resulting
in two power-play
goals.
Though Michigan put up
seven goals against Connecticut,
facing the Huskies for the first
time was a factor in the close
call.
Michigan coach Red Berenson
said he doesn't foresee a similar
mental lapse against Miami.
"You don't know enough
about your nonconference oppo-
nents maybe to fear them or even
respect them enough," Berenson
said after Michigan beat Con-
necticut. "But there will be no
question about Miami when they
come in."
Berenson sees a need for
the Wolverines to improve
their transition from offense to
defense.
After joining the fourth line
against both Alabama-Hunts-
ville and Connecticut, senior
Tim Cook will move up from
defense to forward tonight, too.
Berenson expects Cook to be
a factor in quickening the shift
from offense to defense and pro-
moting stronger back-checking
from his forwards.
"I liked his enthusiasm, his
hustle, his defensive awareness,
his physicalness and his experi-
ence," said. Berenson, describ-
ing Cook's play at forward last
weekend.
Even with an improved defen-
sive effort, beating Miami will
not come easy for the Wolver-
ines. Last season, Miami - the
regular-season conference
champion - swept its series
against Michigan in Oxford.
Michigan is familiar with play-
ing the RedHawks early in the
season. In the 2003-04 season,
the teams split the two games in
Oxford on Oct. 10 and 11.
For the Wolverines, the early
test may be a blessing. Not only
will Miami necessitate higher
focus, but it will also give Michi-
gan an immediate chance to wipe
out the bitter taste of the near-let-
down against Connecticut.
"It's good that this happened
at the beginning of the season,"
sophomore Andrew Cogliano
said Saturday night. "We have to
get ready for Miami, because if
we have these breakdowns they
are definitely going to beat us."
New deal allows you to
be a fan from the grave
PHILADELPHIA - In the heat
of passion, many crazed baseball
fans have said they would die for a
championship. But are they willing
to take that devotion to the grave?
With a new venture that will put
Major League Baseball team logos
on urns and caskets, the league and
a company that makes funeral prod-
ucts will find out just how many fans
want to be decked out in their team
colors and logos for eternity.
Starting next season, fans of the
New YorkYankees,BostonRedSox,
Detroit Tigers, Philadelphia Phillies,
Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles
Dodgers will be able to have their
ashes put in an urn or head six feet
under in a casket emblazoned with
their team colors and insignia.
Major League Baseball has
entered into a licensing agreement
with Eternal Image, which hopes to
eventually make urns and caskets
with for all 30 teams. The company
also hopes to have similar agree-
ments with NASCARthe NHL and
the NFL, but baseball was the first
to sign on.
The $11 billion a year funeral
industry has moved to add more per-
sonal touches for the deceased, from
Harley Davidson-themed caskets to
ones featuring the cartoon character
Betty Boop.
Kurt Soffe, a spokesman for the
National Funeral Directors Associa-
tion, said the baseball products are
part of a trend of trying to capture
"the life and the passions of the per-
son that has passed away."
"More and more families are
wanting to have something that
respects the personalities," Soffe
said.
Farmington Hills, Mich.-based
Eternal Image, which also makes
a line of Vatican-themed products,
"wanted to break into a sports venue
of some kind," said Clint Mytych,
the company's CEO. "It is the all-
American sport."
He said he has gotten at least
1,000 inquiries since June.
Susan Goodenow, an MLB
spokeswoman, said the league and
clubs have received requests for sev-
eral years for urns and caskets with
team logos.
"Passionate fans express their love
of their team in a number of different
ways," Goodenow said.
The National Funeral Directors
Association is meeting in Philadel-
phia this week and giving its mem-
bers a sneak peak of what the Major
League Baseball urns will look like.
Eternal Image says urns for the six
teams should be available by Open-
ing Day 2007, and caskets for those
teams should be ready later in the
year.
The products have not been
made yet and the exact cost has
not been set.
The Phillies urn was the
first to be designed. Each urn
will feature recognition of the
deceased's passionate support,
stamped with a message that
says "Major League Baseball
officially recognizes (person's
name) as a lifelong fan of
(team)."
The league, the manufacturer
and funeral directors are trying
to fill a need with the products.
But they acknowledge that the
sales will have to be done with
respect, like all transactions in
the sensitive world of funerals
and burials.
David Griffin, funeral director at
L.J. Griffin Funeral Home in subur-
ban Detroit, said fans in many blue-
collar cities have undying loyalty to
their teams, which could make the
MLB caskets and urns a hot com-
modity.
"Looking at it as a consumer,
I was thinking this is some pretty
interesting, unique stuff," Griffin
said.
Nevertheless, funeral homes
will have to be very careful so as
not to offend their clients, many of
whom will surely be scared off by
the idea.
"They are a little bit hesitant
because of what others might think,'
Soffe said.
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