34 - The Michigan Daily - Orientation Edition 2002 Field hockey wins first championship for Blue women 0 By Bob Hunt Daily Sports Writer KENT, Ohio - Years from now, people won't remember that the Michigan field hockey team played the consensus No. 1 team in the country in the National Championship Game. They won't remember that its opponent had six senior starters. They won't remember that its opponent riad beaten the Wolverines just two years ago in the same game. But they will remember that these women were the leaders and the best. Led by senior goaltender Maureen Tasch and a great all-around defensive effort, the Michigan field hockey team knocked off top-ranked Mary- land 2-0 on Nov 18 to capture the NCAA Division I National Championship and Michigan's first national title in a varsity women's sport. "I'm happy to bring another one home for the Wolverines," Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz said. "Men's programs, women's programs, rev- enue, non-revenue, it doesn't matter. We're just really proud-to be a part of the University." This completes a resurgence of a program that had never made the NCAA Tournament until 1999, when the Terrapins defeated the Wolverines in the title game. "It's pretty darn exciting," Michigan Athletic Director Bill Martin said. "Being the first of any- thing is pretty historic." Tasch pulled out the first shutout in a champi- onship game since 1996. She stopped 13 shots against the nations No. 1 scoring offense, giving the first field hockey title to a school west of Vir- ginia since Iowa won in 1986. "Obviously nothing could be better than this and it still hasn't quite all processed in my mind," Tasch said. "I haven't cried like everyone else yet." Maryland controlled the play early, but with two minutes remaining in the first half, Kristi Gannon sent a crossing pass from the far right side through the Maryland defense and Maryland keeper Ash- ley Hohnstine and somehow found Big Ten Fresh- man of the Year Adrienne Hortillosa in front of a wide-open net to put the ball home, giving Michi- gan the lead. Just after intermission, Michigan stunned the crowd of 984 again as Gannon found Rose at the top of the circle off a penalty corner. Rose blasted it into the net to give the underdog Wolverines a two-goal advantage. Maryland dominated play for the rest of the game, but the Michigan defense staved off the Terrapins. "The last 20 minutes they really had us on our heels, but we held on," Rose said. Maryland fired 11 shots in the second half, but Tasch made one incredible save after another. Even after Michigan forward April Fronzoni left with about 12 minutes remaining for a yellow card for tackling a player from behind, the constant adversi- ty only made Michigan stronger. "I felt like with each little new challenge they were put with, I just knew that we would get even stronger," Tasch said. While they were not as highly ranked as the Ter- rapins, the ups and downs that Michigan experi- enced throughout the season gave them confidence going in. The Wolverines were at one point ranked No. 2 in the country but toward the end of the sea- son, dropped two conference games and lost in the semifinals of the Big Ten Tournament. Meanwhile, Maryland had rolled through its regional and came into the game having won nine in a row. "I felt like the number one team today maybe didn't have the ups and downs and the adversity to relish what we had been in," Johnson said. "So we knew what sort of great opportunity we had been presented with today." In the semifinals, the Wolverines used a second- half surge with goals by Powers, Fronzoni and a penalty stroke by Stephanie Johnson to put away Ivy Champ Princeton 4-2. "We're doing so well in so many women's sports," Martin said. "We've come so close in gymnastics and softball. Crew was a boat-length away last year. This will be the start of a wonder- ful trend." They got next Field hockey may have been the first women's sport to win a varsity title, but here are the top five who might be next. 1) Gymnastics: Calli Ryals and Elise Ray are two of the top gymnasts in the country. And don't count out the rest of the team. 2) Softball: Two straight World Series berths and loses just three seniors next season. 3) Crew: Poor show- ing at the NCAAsathis year, but always a #~ threat. 4) Basketball: Off < i year, but will retain most of the team and ? add solid recruits. I 5) Water Polo: Advanced to the Final Four in its sec- ond year as a varsity DANNY MOLOSHOK/Da sport. Center LeeAnn Bie a 4 Piccolo 6 e: 0. dy1 t1e 0iLt4e, Clarinet Alto Saxophone Tenor Saxophone Trumpet Horn Michigan Marching Band Open Auditions During Orientation Auditions start at 3:00 PM Playing Auditions will be held at Revelli Hall on the final day of your Orientation Session. Audition will consist of: - two major scales " one chromatic scale two octaves - two excerpts of contrasting musical style no more than one minute in length Call 764-0582 for more information Trombone Euphonium Tuba Percussion Flag - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -