Page 10-The Michigan Daily-Thursday, March 14,1991
BLUE DEFENSEMAN SET FOR DRIVE TO FINAL FOUR:
Sorensen will savor final games
by Jeni Durst
Daily Hockey Writer
At the tender age of five, Mark
Sorensen dragged himself to prac-
tice at the ice rink every day, lug-
ging heavy skates over his shoul-
der. The routine did not differ
much from other budding hockey
players, except for one.
Sorensen used his skates for
figure skating.
After Mark and his younger
brother, Kelly, pestered their father
to play hockey, the voice of reason
spoke: first, learn how to skate..
Much to their embarrassment,
Mom signed them up for figure-
skating lessons.
"I hated going to figure skating
because I thought it was really
stupid," Sorensen said. "But I
managed to get through it for the
year... and in the long run it's re-
ally helped with my skating and
gave me some of the fundamentals
I needed."
The lessons were just one of the
things Sorensen has endured on his
way to becoming a defenseman for
the Michigan hockey team. As he
grew older and hockey became a
bigger part of his life, Sorensen
made the decision to move away
from his home in Ontario to play
for the Penticon Knights in British
Columbia, where he was named to
the BC Junior Hockey all-star
team. He left high school, family,
and friends to pursue the sport he
loved.
That sacrifice led him to
Michigan and collegiate hockey.
And after four years and 153
games as a Wolverine, he has gar-
nered 34 points, a +11 plus/minus
ratio, and a kaleidoscope of mem-
ories - from his first goal scored
at the north end of Yost Ice Arena
in his first game four years ago to
this season's third straight Great
Lakes Invitational Championship.
And now an NCAA bid, Michi-
gan's first since 1977.
Yet in only two quick losses, it
could all be over. Most of the
Wolverines will have another
crack at it all next year. Not so for
Sorensen and fellow seniors Don
Stone, Kent Brothers, and Jim
Ballantine. Each must go into
every game realizing it may be the
last. _
,A
.A
end of hockey for Sorensen.
Though he was selected in the
10th round of the 1988 draft by the
Washington Capitals, Sorensen
has yet to decide if he will pursue
professional hockey.
But if not, it won't present a
problem or a letdown. Sorensen
has faced the reality of life without
hockey and has prepared himself.
He hasn't focused himself on just
the lessons learned on the ice, but
those learned off, and has used
them to shape the person he has
become.
"When he came in he was the
kind of kid that comes from a
small town to the much bigger city
of Ann Arbor," Sorensen's room-
mate Stone said. "He's certainly
matured and evolved as a player
and a person."
"Michigan's enabled me to be-
come a more individual, responsi-
ble person," Sorensen explained.
"We have responsibilities at
school every day and down at the
rink and I think that's instilled in
me things that I'm going to need
the rest of my life.
"As we all know, there are a lot
of horror stories out there about
guys becoming college athletes
and getting pushed through the sys-
tem. I'm fortunate I've been given
the opportunity to take advantage
of Michigan's resources and be a
part of the tradition."
Those opportunities have led
him to a BGS degree concentrat-
ing in Business and Communica-
tions, which he will receive in
May. Unlike many college athletes
involved in major sports, Sorensen
will not have to wait for someone
to draft him and decide his future
for him - he has a base for mak-
ing all the decisions himself.
"I think Mark has that special
insight on the idea that I'm a
hockey player first and last and
that's all I am,"' Michigan coach
Red Berenson said. "A lot of kids
come in thinking that, but he's got
things in perspective."
Sorensen has laid his own path
to follow. But no matter where his
road may lead, there will always
be trails leading back to Ann Ar-
- bor, hockey, and the memories.
MICHIGAN SPORTS
1oune'*
Women's rugby set for spring
by Charlie Wolfe
Daily Sports Writer
Are those irritatingly long and sleek fingernails getting you down?
When standing in line, do you often get the sudden urge to charge
forward and stiff-arm everyone out of your way?
Are you the type of person who believes in the beautifying and
healing potentials of mud?
If you answered yes to one or more of the above questions, then
YO U may be eligible for a spot on the Michigan women's rugby
team.
Actually, the requirements for the club sport are not nearly so
stiff. If a person simply has a sincere interest in playing rugby and is
willing to devote the time necessary, then the women's rugby team
wants her.
"We'll be starting our spring season up again soon, but we're still
doing a lot of recruiting," said team president Erika Wolf. "So we
want people to know that anyone who's interested in rugby, they can
come out and we'll give them a run."
Many of the present Wolverine team members have been
practicing since mid-January at Oosterbaan Fieldhouse. But with the
resurgence of warmer weather, the squad plans to move practice
outside in the next few weeks.
"We're going to begin practicing on Tartan Turf, which will be a
little better by being outside," coach Bryn Chivers said. "But it's
still not the same, because rugby wasn't meant to be played on As-
troturf."
The squad's yearning to play on grass will be fulfilled this week-
end. The women get their spring season underway by hosting Illinois
and Bowling Green at Palmer Field on Saturday.
With over 30 members on the roster already, the Wolverines hope
to field both a college team (13 undergraduatess and two graduates)
and a club team (any combination of undergraduate, graduate, and
non-collegiate players). After going undefeated against college
teams in the fall, Michigan looks to have a shot at the Collegiate
Nationals later this spring.
"We needed to stiffen up our college competition so we can go to
Collegiate Nationals," said Chivers. "Plus we're a little quicker, a
little bigger, and probably better conditioned. So we'll be pretty
good."
Men spikers finish second
by Caryn Seidman
Daily Sports Writer
"A good spanking" is how Rico Latham described his team's
championship loss in the Big Ten Tournament last weekend at
Northwestern. The Michigan men's volleyball club lost to Michigan
State in the finals, 15-5,15-8.
After eliminating Purdue in the quarterfinals, the Wolverines
notched a three-set semifinal victory over Minnesota, 15-8, 12-15, 15-
10.
Michigan defeated the Spartans at the beginning of the season at
the Iowa-Big Ten Tournament. They placed placed first there, but
have been unable to beat Michigan State State since..
"They are the product of the maturing of a team with an entire sea-
son behind it," Latham said.
Keith Baar, the only Wolverine named to the All-Tournament
team, sees ways for Michigan to improve its game.
"In practice we will be concentrating more on using the block,
controlling the game and ourselves in the game, and basic
sportsmanship and concentration," Baar said.
The Wolverines will have a chance to implement these changes
this weekend against Ferris State and Grand Valley State.
r
w
SPORTS INFORMATION
Senior defender Mark Sorensen hopes to lead the Wolverines against
Cornell this weekend in the first round of the NCAA hockey playoffs.
Michigan is in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1977.
"It's scary," Sorensen said of
ending his career as a Wolverine.
"It's a family atmosphere being
around all the guys, coming down
to the rink every day. I'm sure all
the seniors on the team feel like
that. Once our last game is over,
what's going to happen next year?
We won't find out until Septem-
ber, maybe even later than that,
what's going to be out there in the
world for us.
"It's pretty scary to think that
four years ago we didn't even
dream of this day coming; and now
it's here and we still don't have
any answers to the questions that
we were supposed to have when
we came here."
And it very well could be the
S
Women gymnasts to host last home meet
by Andy Stabile
Daily Sports Writer
Saturday afternoon, Michigan
State and Central Michigan storm
into Keen Arena for the Michigan
women's gymnastics team's last
home meet of the year. The meet
is the final hurdle facing the
Wolverines before this year's Big
Ten championships March 22 and
23 in Champaign, Ill.
"The girls will be fired up,"
Michigan coach Bev Fry said.
The Wolverines have performed
well at home this year, breaking
their own shool record for points
three times this season at Keen
Arena.
Winning this weekend may call
for another record performance, as
MSU beat Michigan last month in
East Lansing. Although Fry down-
plays the significance of revenge
in Saturday's meet, she did note
that the Michigan/Michigan State
rivalry had special significance in
itself.
"All three teams are very
closely matched up," Fry said..
"And there's always something
about facing Michigan State."
Although this is the last chance
for the team to improve its home
composite score for entry into re-
gional competition, Fry feels that
the time has come for the team to
focus on the events at hand,
namely Saturday's meet and Big
Tens next week.
"We've been trying to de-emR
phasize regionals lately, and just
take things one week at a time."
Fry said. "We don't really know
what to expect at Big Tens, but
hope to go in there, perform as
well as possible, and finish in the
top three."
J
"College Students Just Don't Get
A Summer Job Like This"
Campus Concepts publishes the most dynamic
college student guide today. Each year
hundreds of thousands of college students use
the Unofficial Student Guide. Campus
Concepts is looking for aggressive, motivated
individuals to join our team in Michigan as
sales associates this summer.
A Campus Concepts sales associate soon
learns a new range of self-confidence that
lasts a lifetime. Plus the summer compensation
of $4,000 to $5,000 makes a Campus Concepts
summer just about the best internship you
can find.
Campus Concepts will be at The University of
Michigan for an information session on
Thursday, March 14 from 6:00 pm to 7:00 pm
in the Michigan Union Kuenzel Room. _
Interviews will be the following day in the
Office of Career Planning and Placement.
Y
U
SP CCION
"My job provided irreplaceable work experience and
was financially rewarding as well."
Don Johnson, Campus Concepts sales associate
University of Kentucky
All it took was a whisper.
IVIA DMlED DDA Q -
Stop by Career Planning and Placement and
. ~1 a, * -