University of Michigan - Michiganensian Yearbook (Ann Arbor, MI)

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season, theTield hockey team won five straight games. 5. Jerome photo I Northwestern 6 ' P r rt 1 Commomvealdi ! 5 5 0. fi ' 3 2T 3 3 fQ 3 s u 1 c I rt 3 2 rt S- OP ' M 1 P 0- J o re 3 P GO P rt 1 Louisville D3 oo P (-t rt IQld Dominion 1 Richmond Cyn - p rt 1 Providence Irorest Connecticut i i3 O 2 % j p P o TO ACC ' Hiy k ? 3 ' r t 1 2 2 r 1 - t- sports 1 33

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ter four straight losses to open the 2006 season, the en ' s field hockmp team resiliently battled back over the next six games, winning five and evening out their record. Historically, the team had excelled, particularly over the last decade. Infact, they had won the NCAA Championship just five years prior. 2006 marked Coach Nancy Cox ' s second season running the team. She had success in 2005, taking third place in the Big Ten Conference and coaching the team to the second round of the NCAA tournament. In the off-season, Cox recruited a lot of new talent, and was excited about the new freshmen joining the team. We are thrilled about this entire class, she said. Indeed, on the whole, the team looked very promising. Cox stressed the importance of practice while she praised the incoming freshmen hockey players, commenting, It is a very well-rounded group, and they are all playing hockey right now, which is one of the best things we can say about them. Among these new recruits were kinesiology student Jenner Johnson, and LSA students Alissa Pullos and Morgan Perry. Referring to Pullos, Cox said, I think Alissa will be a prolific collegiate ball striker. Cox said Perry, a New Zealander, will bring that international flair, and she praised Johnson, whom she also anticipated to be a prolific collegiate ball striker. But it was not all about the freshmen on the 2006 team. The team was led by senior captains, biomedical engineering major Mary Fox, as well as communication studies majors Eleanor Martin and Kara Lentz. The goalkeeper, Beth Riley, a sport management and communications studies major, ield h Sophomore defender Michaeb McDermolt races against a Michigan State player to reach the ball. Michigan won the game 2-1 . S. Jerome photo The women of the field hockey team gather around each other after scoring a goal. The women congratulated players after shooting goals. C. Leonard photo returned for her fourth year as well. The 2006 women ' s field hockey team was rich in experience, and full of vibrant young talent. With Coach Cox at the helm, the team was poised for another great season. by chrisalbanese 132 field hockey

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he ounding was the only phrase to describe the mens soccer season. The Wolverines snuck by last few minutes (and in overtime) in a number ;ames this season. The first major win for the team came with -1 upset of No. 14 Kentucky University. The ize and Blue demonstrated patience and agility gntucky led the Wolverines 1-0 during the first hrdf. The team quickly came back and tied the match before the half was up; the second half went scoreless. As soon as the game went to overtime, the team knew that they had to make some quick decisions. Five minutes and 18 seconds into overtime, sophomore mid-fielder Alex Morisset took a shot and made the game winning goal, the first of his college career. It ' s a huge goal. Before overtime Waldir [DeSousa] told me to look for a long shot, so the first time I got the ball, that ' s what I did. So early in overtime I took a shot, it ricocheted off a guy and we got a corner. Then the next one I got the ball, I was just thinking shoot. I got it and just took a shot from about 30 yards out. I didn ' t think it went in at first. It hit the crossbar at first and went in the back of the goal, and I looked around, yelled and ran for the corner, said Morisset. We have to learn how to keep our cool. If we just stick to our game plan, I think we can pull out any game. We just have to stay calm, no matter if the other team scores and gets the momentum. We just have to keep our head in the game. On the win, Morisset said, The win is huge. An overtime win, it is always huge, but this is the third time we ' ve beat them in overtime, so it ' s great. The third win in a row, we ' re just going to have to build off of it. It ' s a great feeling. After this inspiring win, the Wolverines gained the confidence they needed to perform to the best of their abilities for the rest of the season. Senior defender Kevin Hall, tri-captain of the team, said, We ' re definitely really happy with how things are going right now, but we can ' t be complacent. We can ' t settle for just above .500, we have to keep pushing ourselves. We ' re not going to be happy with just a 4-3 record. We want to finish out the season strong and do well in the Big Ten season and make an NCAA berth. On his younger teammates, Hall said, The younger guys are stepping up and we love that. No one on this team really sees a class, we ' re just a team. Freshmen hang with seniors every weekend; every day we ' re in there practicing together, joking around. It doesn ' t matter who ' s scoring as long as balls are getting in the back of the net. Senior goalie Ryan Bennett takes a goal kick. Michigan tied Michigan State 1-1 on October 8 lh , 2006. L. Worcester photo Freshman defender Julian Robles makes sure to keep the ball out of the opposing Spartan player ' s control. After the game, the Wolverines were 3-3-2 on the University ' s Soccer Field. L. Worcester photo by mike marzano