Weekly Release #13
11/11/2003 12:00:00 AM | Women's Soccer
NCAA Tournament
Fri-Sun., Nov. 14-16 -- NCAA First/Second Rounds (South Bend, Ind.)
Nov. 14 -- Oakland vs. Michigan, 4:30 p.m.
Nov. 14 -- Loyola (Ill.) vs. Notre Dame, 7 p.m.
Nov. 16 -- Michigan/Oakland winner vs. Notre Dame/Loyola (Ill.) winner, 1 p.m.
Fri-Sun., Nov. 21-23 -- NCAA Third Round (campus sites)
Fri-Sun., Nov. 28-Nov. 30 -- NCAA Quarterfinals (campus sites)
Friday, Dec. 5 -- NCAA Semifinals (Cary, N.C.)
Sunday, Dec. 7 -- NCAA Championship (Cary, N.C.)
This Week
The University of Michigan women's soccer team (9-7-6) will make its seventh consecutive appearance in the NCAA Tournament this weekend. The Wolverines will meet Oakland University in the first round on Friday (Nov. 14) at 4:30 p.m. Should U-M win that game, it will advance to face the winner of the Notre Dame/Loyola (Ill.) contest on Sunday (Nov. 16) at 1 p.m. All games will be played at the University of Notre Dame's Alumni Field.
Scouting the Field (First and Second Rounds)
Oakland -- The Golden Grizzlies (15-4-1) earned a bid to the NCAA Tournament with their fourth straight Mid-Continent Tournament championship. Top-seeded Oakland posted a 3-1 victory over No. 2 seed Oral Roberts in the title game (Nov. 9). Freshman Marianne Samdal leads the OU offense with 25 points (11 goals, three assists), while senior goalkeeper Sarah Buckland has held a strong presence in net for Oakland, posting seven shutouts and 78 saves in almost 1,750 minutes of action (0.82 GAA). Head coach Nick O'Shea is in his 10th season at the helm of Oakland and holds a career record of 128-48-8 at the school. Michigan has already faced Oakland once this season, losing 1-0 in its home opener Sept. 5 at the U-M Soccer Field. Coincidently, U-M opened up the 2002 NCAA Tournament with a matchup against OU, pulling out a 1-0 victory in Ann Arbor (Oct. 27) on its way to an appearance in the national quarterfinals. The Wolverines are 4-1-1 in six all-time meetings with the Golden Grizzlies.Oakland on the Internet: www.ougrizzlies.com.
Notre Dame -- The host Irish (19-2-1) look to rebound after a 2-1 loss to Boston College in the semifinals of the Big East Tournament (Nov. 7). Notre Dame has outscored its opponents by an amazing margin of 68-11 this season. UND's offense is paced by senior forward Amy Warner, who has a team-leading 10 goals and 12 assists for 32 points. Sophomore Erika Bohn has started all 22 games in net for the Irish and holds an impressive 0.48 goals-against average and 11 shutouts. Head coach Randy Waldrum is in his fifth season at the helm of the Notre Dame women's soccer program and holds a career record of 93-18-4 at the school. The Irish returned 17 letterwinners from last year's team, which finished with an overall record of 13-8 and reached the third round of the 2002 NCAA Tournament. Michigan handed then No. 2-ranked Notre Dame its first loss of the season with a 3-2 decision in South Bend, Ind., in both teams' regular-season finale (Oct. 29). The win gave U-M its first win in eight tries against the Irish (1-7). Notre Dame on the Internet: www.und.com.
Loyola (Ill.) -- The Ramblers (10-10) earned their first trip to the NCAA Tournament, receiving an automatic bid after winning the 2003 Horizon League championship. Loyola defeated Detroit by a score of 1-0 in the title match last weekend (Nov. 9). Freshman Mary Dale led the Rambler offense with 13 points in the regular season (six goals, one assist), while goalkeeper Emily Peick allowed 22 goals in 17 regular season games (1.41 GAA). Head coach Brendan Eitz is in his ninth season at his alma mater and has compiled a career record of 57-111-8. The Ramblers return 10 starters and 18 letterwinners from last year's team, which finished with a 7-9-3 overall record. Michigan and Loyola have never met on the soccer field. Loyola on the Internet: www.loyolaramblers.com.
Big Ten Representation
U-M is one of five Big Ten Conference teams in the field of 64. Big Ten regular-season champion Penn State is the fifth seed and will take on Navy, while Big Ten Tournament champion Illinois will match up with Western Michigan in first-round action. Rounding out the league teams are Purdue, which faces DePaul, and Ohio State, which will take the field against Dayton.
Michigan in the NCAA Tournament
U-M will make its seventh consecutive NCAA Tournament appearance with its game against Oakland on Friday (Nov. 14). The Wolverines are 7-6 all-time in NCAA competition, having advanced to the second round every season since 1998, including a quarterfinal appearance last year. Michigan lost its first-round contest in 1997, the first year the Maize and Blue qualified for postseason play.
| DATE | OPPONENT | RESULT | SCORE |
| 2002 | |||
| Nov. 15 | Oakland | W | 1-0 |
| Nov. 17 | Miami (Ohio) | W | 4-0 |
| Nov. 23 | Pepperdine | W | 2-0 |
| Nov. 30 | at Santa Clara | L | 1-3 |
| 2001 | |||
| Nov. 16 | at Marquette | W | 1-0 |
| Nov. 18 | vs. Dartmouth | L | 0-1 |
| 2000 | |||
| Nov. 8 | vs. Miami (Ohio) | W | 4-3 ot |
| Nov. 12 | at Notre Dame | L | 1-3 |
| 1999 | |||
| Nov. 10 | Wright State | W | 5-0 |
| Nov. 13 | at Wake Forest | L | 0-1 |
| 1998 | |||
| Nov. 11 | Xavier | W | 4-2 |
| Nov. 15 | at Notre Dame | L | 0-3 |
| 1997 | |||
| Nov. 16 | at Nebraska | L | 0-5 |
Last Week
The Wolverines turned a few heads at last weekend's Big Ten Tournament in Madison Wis., earning two solid victories to advance to the championship final against Illinois. Michigan, the No. 4 seed in the eight-team field, defeated No. 5 seed Ohio State 2-1 in two overtimes on Thursday (Nov. 6) behind two goals from sophomore forward Katie Kramer (Andover, Mass./Andover HS). Kramer scored early in the first half and added the game-winner late in the second extra period to send U-M to the semifinals. Freshman goalkeeper Megan Tuura (Tucker, Ga./St. Pius X Catholic HS) made seven saves in the win. In the semifinal match against No. 8 seed Wisconsin on Friday (Nov. 7), junior midfielder Theresa Dwyer (Metairie, La./Mount Carmel Academy) notched her first goal of the season to lead the Wolverines to a 1-0 victory. The Michigan defense held the Badgers to just six shots in the game, including just one in the final 45 minutes to help preserve the win. The Wolverines' bid at the tournament title was halted by the No. 2 seed Fighting Illini on Sunday (Nov. 9), as Illinois scored two goals in the final 10 minutes to run away with a 2-0 win. With the loss, Michigan fell to 2-2 in Big Ten Tournament finals.
All-Tournament Tandem
Senior forward Stephanie Chavez (Shorewood, Wis./Shorewood HS) and freshman defender Brenna Mulholland (Ann Arbor, Mich./Pioneer HS) were named to the 2003 Big Ten All-Tournament Team following the championship match between Michigan and Illinois (Nov. 9). Chavez recorded a team-high seven shots over the three games, while Mulholland played a significant role in the Michigan defense, which allowed just three goals in the tournament. Both Chavez and Mulholland started all three contests in which U-M played.
Cottrell Nabs All-Freshman Team Accolades
Freshman defender Lindsey Cottrell (Kalamazoo, Mich./Central HS) was named to the Big Ten All-Freshman Team, selected by the league coaches and announced Wednesday (Nov. 5). Cottrell has been an integral part of a strong U-M defensive corps that has allowed just 23 goals in 23 games this season. Cottrell has started 18 games in the backfield in her first season with the Wolverines.
Heaton Earns Academic Distinction
Sophomore forward Therese Heaton (Wheaton, Ill./Warrenville South HS) was selected to the Academic All-District IV third team by the College Sports Information Directors of America last Thursday (Nov. 6). Heaton is enrolled in the College of Literature, Science and the Arts and has not declared a major. She has played in 22 games for U-M this season and ranks fifth on the team in points, notching two goals and three assists for seven points.
Kramer Continues Late-Season Surge
Katie Kramer paced the Michigan offense last weekend with a two-goal performance against Ohio State in the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament (Nov. 6). Kramer notched the first goal of the game at 8:40 when she collected an open ball at the top left of the box, turned and sent a nice shot into the top right corner past the arms of OSU goalkeeper Emily Haynam. After a Buckeye goal in the second half sent the game to extra periods, Kramer scored the game-winner in a scramble in front of the net at 105:08 to give the Wolverines a 2-1 victory and a trip to the semifinal round against Wisconsin. Kramer, who has tallied four goals in Michigan's last seven games, ranks second on the team in points this season with 11 (five goals, one assist). Her multi-goal game against OSU was the first of her career and the first by a Wolverine this season.
Third Time is Really A Charm
Theresa Dwyer's third career goal might have been the biggest for the Wolverines at the Big Ten Tournament. With time winding down on the first-half clock against Wisconsin (Nov. 7), the Wolverines were threatening down on the left side of the Badgers' end. Dwyer chased a ball down the left side and made a cross back to Therese Heaton. Dwyer stuck with the play and cut toward the right endline, where Heaton fed the ball back to her. Dwyer corralled the pass and lofted a shot near the far post, where the ball deflected off the upper post and back into the net to lead Michigan to the 1-0 win. The junior's goal was her first of the season and the third of her career. All three of those goals have been game-winners. In 40 career games, Dwyer has recorded three goals and three assists for nine points.
Holding Her Own
Megan Tuura continues to make strides in her first season in net for the Wolverines, as the freshman has allowed just 10 goals in more than 1,330 minutes of action this season (0.68 GAA). Tuura, who holds a 6-3-5 record, including three shutouts, capped off a remarkable regular season with a career-high eight saves in the win at then No. 2 Notre Dame (Oct. 29). Tuura, who earned Big Ten co-Defensive Player of the Week honors (Sept. 29), ranked first in GAA for regular-season conference games (0.35) and third in Big Ten shutouts (two) during the regular season.
Meet the Coach
In 10 seasons at the helm of the women's soccer program, Debbie Rademacher has posted a career record of 127-73-19, including a Big Ten mark of 50-29-11. She has led her team to seven consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the quarterfinal round in 2002. Rademacher reached her 125th career victory with a 3-2 upset over No. 2-ranked Notre Dame on Oct. 29, 2003. In 2001, she reached her fourth major coaching milestone with her 100th win on Nov. 3 against Western Michigan. Rademacher has coached her teams to Big Ten Tournament championships in 1997 and 1999 and was named the Great Lakes Region Coach of the Year by the NSCAA in 1997.
Michigan Against Ranked Opponents
With a 2-0 victory over then No. 20-ranked Ohio State in the quarterfinal round of the Big Ten Tournament (Nov. 6), the Wolverines earned their second win of the season against a nationally ranked opponent. U-M's only other win over a ranked foe was on Oct. 29, when Michigan upset then No. 2-ranked Notre Dame 3-2 in South Bend, Ind. Earlier in the season, the Wolverines earned ties against Brigham Young (No. 24), Ohio State (No. 12) and Purdue (No. 17). Michigan was unable to upend Penn State (No. 16) and Illinois (No. 11) this year, which brings its season record against ranked teams to 2-2-3.
Overtime Bring It On...
The Maize and Blue have not allowed a game-ending goal in eight overtimes this season. Three games have ended in scoreless draws, while three others have ended in 1-1 ties.
Stephanie Chavez netted a game-winner against Michigan State at home (Oct. 24) for U-M's first overtime win of 2003, while Katie Kramer scored in the second extra period to send Michigan to a 2-1 victory over Ohio State in the opening round of last weekend's Big Ten Tournament (Nov. 6). The Wolverines are 2-0-6 in overtime games this season.
Wolverines Break Back Into Top 25
After reaching the final of the Big Ten Tournament last weekend, Michigan earned its first appearance in the NSCAA/adidas national rankings (Nov. 10) since the preseason rankings were released Aug. 18. U-M holds the 24th spot in the rankings after victories in six of its last eight games. The Wolverines did not earn a spot in last week's rankings (Nov. 3) but did receive votes after defeating then No. 2-ranked Notre Dame in their regular-season finale.
NSCAA/adidas National Poll (Nov. 10)
RANK, TEAM RECORD LAST 1. North Carolina 21-0-0 1 2. UCLA 16-1-3 2 3. Santa Clara 12-3-5 4 4. Notre Dame 19-2-1 3 5. Portland 16-3-1 6 6. Penn State 16-2-3 7 7. Tennessee 15-4-2 18 8. Florida 16-3-2 8 9. Illinois 16-3-2 11 10. West Virginia 15-3-2 10 11. Colorado 15-3-1 5 12. Florida State 13-7-1 19 13. Boston College 15-2-3 22 14. Utah 16-2-1 17 15. Villanova 14-5-3 NR 16. Kansas 16-5-1 21 17. Cal Poly 18-1-2 24 18. Duke 13-6-1 NR 19. Connecticut 10-5-3 15 20. Virginia 12-5-2 9 21. Nebraska 12-7-1 NR 22. Arizona State 12-4-3 NR 23. Texas A&M 12-5-2 14 24. MICHIGAN 9-7-6 NR 25. Ohio State 12-4-3 20
U-M Earns Season-High Regional Ranking
With a successful weekend at the Big Ten Tournament, the Wolverines were awarded with a No. 3 ranking in the NSCAA/adidas Great Lakes Regional Rankings (Nov. 10). It marks Michigan's highest regional ranking of the season. Oakland, U-M's first-round opponent in the NCAA Tournament, is ranked sixth. Notre Dame, who could possibly matchup with the Wolverines in the second round of the NCAA's, holds down the top spot in the region.
NSCAA/adidas Regional Poll (Nov. 10)
RANK, TEAM RECORD LAST 1. Notre Dame 19-2-1 1 2. Illinois 16-3-2 2 3. MICHIGAN 9-7-6 4 4. Ohio State 12-4-3 3 5. Purdue 12-5-3 5 6. Oakland 15-4-1 6 7. Dayton 14-5-2 8 8. Michigan State 12-8-0 7 9. Wisconsin 10-9-2 8 10. DePaul 14-6-2 NR
Contact: Marc Ressler (734) 763-4423
