8 — Tuesday, September 20, 2016
Sports
The Michigan Daily — michigandaily.com
Abby Wambach visits
Rackham Auditorium
Many know Abby Wambach
for her success with the United
States
Women’s
National
Soccer Team. Almost 11 months
after the star announced her
retirement, a new, post-soccer
Wambach
visited
Rackham
Auditorium on Saturday night to
discuss her life after retirement
and her new memoir “Forward.”
She
discussed
her
book
with Doug Tribou, the host for
Morning Edition on Michigan
Radio, and mentioned how the
story not only highlights her
successful career, but also casts
a light on the darker times in
her life.
At the event, sponsored by
Literati Bookstore, Wambach
discussed times during her
childhood and growing up with
six
siblings.
She
said
she
searched
for
attention
at
home
and
didn’t
receive
it, so in order
to satisfy her
craving for the
limelight,
she
became one of
the
greatest
soccer
players
of all time.
Wambach didn’t always love
being in the spotlight, though.
She describes herself in two
ways: as “intense Abby” and
“chill Abby.” One part of her
would love to compete, while
the other didn’t necessarily
have a passion for the game.
Unlike
many
athletes,
Wambach didn’t know right
away that playing soccer is
what she wanted to do with
her life. Growing up, she was
never able to watch soccer on
television and didn’t think her
career was possible.
It wasn’t until she saw the
U.S. win the World Cup in 1999
that she knew being on the
national team was something
she had to do.
After playing in the 2008
Olympics, Wambach became a
household name, and with fame
came more stress into her life.
In her memoir, Wambach
doesn’t shy away from her
struggles
with
alcohol
and
substance abuse. In fact, it is the
highlight of her book.
She knew that she wouldn’t
be able to tell her full story the
way she wanted to if she wasn’t
honest.
For Wambach, there was
not a moment that sparked
her realization that she had
a problem. At first, it was her
crumbling
marriage
due
to
her intense training and travel
schedule.
Then,
it
was
her decreasing
minutes on the
soccer
field.
And
finally,
it
was
her
impending
retirement and
the fear of what
came next.
Her arrest for
a DUI in April
was her rock bottom.
Wambach
described
her
feelings of shame and said she
felt like a fraud.
It may have appeared on
the soccer field that she had
everything figured out, but
that wasn’t the reality. She
said writing “Forward” was
therapeutic and has given her a
chance to look ahead.
Even
after
all
the
championships and the records
she
has
broken,
she
said,
“Forward” may be the one thing
she’s the most proud of.
PAIGE VOEFFRAY
Daily Sports Writer
Retired soccer star discusses new book,
life after retirement, substance abuse
AMELIA CACCHIONE/Daily
Abby Wambach scored more goals in her career (184) than any player in soccer
history. She recently released her new memoir, “Forward.”
Skjodt shows leadership, improvement
After a difficult first set in
which the No. 23 Michigan
volleyball team unexpectedly lost
to Colgate, the Wolverines needed
a big play to separate themselves
from the Raiders. With the set
tied at 18, sophomore libero Jenna
Lerg served the ball. Players
watched as it shot off her hand,
and they began to hit back and
forth until Colgate outside hitter
Katie Stebbins jumped to spike
the ball to the Wolverines’ side.
Senior middle blocker Abby
Cole and sophomore outside
hitter Carly Skjodt knew their
task. The two players anchor
Michigan’s offense, leading the
team with enthusiasm from their
positions in the front row.
Saturday
night,
the
duo
combined for a powerful block,
giving the Wolverines a lead
they would not relinquish en
route to a set and eventual 3-1
match victory over Colgate at
Cliff Keen Arena.
Skjodt finished with seven
kills, five digs and two block
assists, despite leaving the final
set due to a leg injury. In Friday
night’s game against Auburn, she
notched eight kills and nine digs.
As a sophomore on a team with
seven new freshmen, Skjodt has
found herself in a leadership role.
“We had a huge freshman
class, but as sophomores we still
know the ‘Michigan way,’ ” Skjodt
said. “(We tell the freshmen)
what we’re supposed to do and
help them through.”
With the help of her strength
and conditioning coach Mike
Favre, Skjodt spent the winter
and spring terms in the weight
room improving her physicality
and strength. And it looks like
her work is beginning to pay off.
Skjodt averages 2.79 kills per
game — 0.91 more than last year
— and improved her attacking
accuracy by .63.
Her coach and teammates have
noticed her efforts. Michigan
coach Mark Rosen emphasized
her tremendous physicality and
versatility on the floor, while
Cole detailed Skjodt’s passion for
competition. After their dynamic
block, the duo high-fived and
embraced their teammates.
“She’s touching higher. (She is)
more physical with everything
she does, and she’s hitting the
ball harder so it’s allowing her
to compete in those situations,”
Rosen said. “One of the things
we look for in her on the court is
her full game. She’s a six-rotation,
five-skill-set type player who can
do everything.”
Added Cole: “(What stands
out is) her ability to compete . . .
she’s coming in and competing
her hardest every single match.
She’s just doing a very good job of
competing and I think that’s an
edge that we haven’t always had
on our team.”
Though
Skjodt
is
just
a
sophomore, she has asserted her
status as a veteran teammate
throughout
Michigan’s
non-
conference schedule. Even from
the sideline, she could be seen
yelling words of encouragement
and giving high-fives as players
returned to the bench.
Heading into Big Ten play — a
conference that both Cole and
Rosen termed the most difficult
in the country — the Wolverines
will look to Skjodt to help mentor
the younger players through
vocal leadership during games.
And if she continues this
guidance
and
continues
her
physical presence at the net, it
bodes well for Michigan’s future
this season.
AVI SHOLKOFF
Daily Sports Writer
HALEY MCLAUGHLIN/Daily
Sophomore outside hitter Carly Skjodt now ranks second on the Wolverines behind Abby Cole with 106 kills this season.
Diverse attack leads
Michigan in easy win
When sophomore forward
Marleise Emrhein scored her
second goal Sunday for the
Michigan field hockey team,
it didn’t change much in terms
of the game. The Wolverines
were
already
up
9-0
on
Central Michigan with less
than 10 minutes remaining,
and the outcome had long
been decided.
But the goal came from an
unusual scorer, one of many
contributions
from
bench
players Sunday.
Six different players scored
for Michigan (1-0 Big Ten, 6-1
overall), and all
22 on the roster
saw
playing
time
against
the Chippewas.
And with tough
matchups
approaching
this
weekend
against
Ohio
State and No. 4
Penn State, that
kind of spread
out attack is
exactly what the Wolverines
were looking for.
“We need everybody’s fresh
legs,” said Michigan head
coach Marcia Pankratz. “So
getting experience and having
people play in positions that
we’re going to need this
weekend was good practice
for them.”
The bench players did more
than just relieve tired legs,
though. In the midst of one of
the toughest stretches of their
schedule, the Wolverines were
given a confidence boost that
could prove valuable in the
long run.
“It’s actually really fun when
the goals keep coming back
and back,” said senior forward
Courtney Enge. “We get more
hype, and we know what the job
is — we know that we need to
stay cool and composed. But once
we get more goals, it’s like we feel
more comfortable and we have
more confidence on the field.”
Added
junior
midfielder
Katie Trombetta: “Being able
to see everyone get thrown
into these positions and keep
the level of intensity and the
style of play that we started
with — no matter who’s in, the
level is still the same.”
The 10 goals on Sunday were
the most scored in a game
by Michigan since 2013, and
it came thanks to a diverse
scoring output.
Along
with
Emrhein’s
offensive
outburst,
freshman
midfielder Meg
Dowthwaite
earned her first
career
goal,
while freshman
goalkeeper
Claire Stemper
was
called
upon to preserve the shutout at
the end of the game.
But even with the positive
results the Wolverines enjoyed
this weekend, the team knows
the road gets harder from here.
“Obviously, winning 10-0,
it’s a fun game,” Pankratz said.
“But we still have to focus on
the things that will make us
better for the next match. So
that was kind of the focus.”
Still, the experience gained
by Michigan’s depth player’s
left the team with a good
feeling in the end. And if
nothing else, that confidence
has the Wolverines feeling
poised to take on the next
portion of their schedule.
MIKE PERSAK
Daily Sports Writer
‘M’ can’t capitalize on
shot advantage at MSU
EAST LANSING —If soccer
games were decided by shots
instead of goals, the Michigan
men’s soccer team would be 6-1
this season.
But
they
are
not,
and
instead, the Wolverines are
still searching for their first
win. Sunday, Michigan (0-3-
0 Big Ten, 0-4-3 overall) once
again outshot its opponent, by
a margin of 16-10, but still fell to
Michigan State (2-0 Big Ten, 5-1
overall), 1-0. A goal in the eighth
minute by Spartan defender
Brad Centala proved decisive.
“(Soccer) is a game of inches
and margins,” said Michigan
coach Chaka Daley. “We had
four or five chances down there
and the goal is cursed. That’s
college soccer.”
In the first half, Wolverine
freshman
forward
Jack
Hallahan created the majority
of Michigan’s scoring chances.
In the 14th minute, Hallahan
found senior defender Rylee
Woods, but Woods’ shot went
high. Later, Hallahan found
redshirt
junior
midfielder
Michael Kapitula in the 38th
minute but was blocked by a
Spartan
defender.
Hallahan
tallied three shots for the day.
“We’re able to get in and
around the opponents’ net,”
said senior midfielder Brett
Nason. “It shows that we’re
looking to score. Some games,
unfortunately, we’ve not scored.
The only way you can score is by
shooting. A lot of shots is not a
bad thing for sure.”
Sophomore midfielder Robbie
Mertz also threatened to cause
problems for Michigan State.
With less than one minute
before halftime, Mertz got
his head on a cross from
Kapitula in an attempt to
walk into intermission tied
at
one.
Unfortunately
for
Michigan, Spartan goaltender
Jimmy Hague was perfectly
positioned to intercept the
header and preserve his team’s
1-0 advantage.
Mertz did not have to wait
long into the second half for
his next opportunity. Three
minutes
after
intermission,
Mertz
came
up
with
an
interswinging
service
from
the left that found Kapitula.
Once again, Hague successfully
defended it and the Wolverines
remained scoreless.
Michigan was largely devoid
of shots after that until the 75th
minute when Mertz kicked the
ball from the left side to Hague.
The Wolverines got a better
chance three minutes later
when Mertz earned a corner
kick, but they were unable to
capitalize on it. Mertz finished
Sunday with four shots.
“We’re young in a lot of
places,” Daley said. “We’re
youthful in a lot of ways, but it
still doesn’t excuse what I think
was a missed opportunity with
the quality of chances we had.”
Sophomore
midfielder
Francis Atuahene — who was
Michigan’s lead scorer last
season — saw his first scoring
opportunity in the 81st minute
when he made a toe poke shot
that was caught by Hague.
Senior
defender
Lars
Eckenrode
was
nearly
the
Wolverines’ hero, but his volley
with 1:20 remaining in the game
went just above the goal.
For
Michigan,
the
task
moving
forward
will
undoubtedly be turning its shot
advantage into a goal advantage.
“We
just
need
to
fight
harder,” Nason said. “There
were a couple of shots late in the
second half where the ball hit
the crossbar and the ball was
just bouncing in front of the
net. Just fight harder, be in the
right spot at the right time. Just
keep to the game plan and on
forward from there.”
The Wolverines will get a
quick opportunity to capitalize
on their shots when they return
home to face Western Michigan
on Wednesday.
NATHANIEL CLARK
Daily Sports Writer
Ten goals come from six different
players against Central Michigan
FIELD HOCKEY
MEN’S SOCCER
“Once we get
more goals, it’s
like we feel more
comfortable.”
She said
writing
“Forward” was
therapeutic.