Women’s soccer coach Debbie Rademacher relies on her
captains to have their fingers on the pulse of her team. After two
consecutive road losses, senior captain Laura Tanchon has been the
liaison Rademacher needed to lift the Wolverines back up for their
final Big Ten game at Michigan State tomorrow.

“I’m asking (the captains) to step up,”
Rademacher said. “This is the part of their job that is hard
æ pick the team back up after a loss, help them get their
confidence back æ and they’re up to the
challenge.”

Among Michigan’s three captains æ Tanchon, senior
defender Rachel Rothenbach and junior Stephanie Boyles æ
Tanchon’s experience is unique, because it is her second year
as captain.

As a junior, Tanchon was hesitant to be a vocal leader. She was
intimidated and reluctant to speak out to seniors who had been in
the program longer than she. Instead, Tanchon relied on then-senior
co-captain Erika Kleinholz to be the outspoken one.

“This year, I’m not afraid to talk to the team and
tell them what they need to hear,” Tanchon said.
“I’m not as intimidated, so I’ll say what needs
to be said and not think twice about it. I’m definitely more
vocal than I was last year. I definitely consider myself more of
leader by example, but I am trying to work on being more
vocal.”

Like Kleinholz, Tanchon plays midfield æ a position that
demands hard work and stamina.

“Being central midfielder, you definitely have to work
hard,” Tanchon said. “That’s where I get my
leadership by example. I work really hard on the field because I
have to. I think it comes from the position I play,
definitely.”

Tanchon’s style of play resembles her leadership style
æ she quietly gets the job done.

“She’s not flashy,” Rademacher said. “If
you go watch a game, she’s not going to stick out because
she’s the fastest or the loudest, but she’s always
going to give a great pass. She’s just smart. She’s got
great vision. She’s got stamina, so she can go for 90
minutes.”

Despite Tanchon’s edge in experience, Michigan’s
trio of captains pride themselves on being equal and working
together. Even if they disagree about something, they present a
united front to the team.

But the trio faces the hard part of the job following two
difficult road losses æ a 1-0 loss to Oakland and a 3-1 loss
against Wisconsin. Oakland æ a team the Wolverines feel they
should have beaten æ was able to stifle Michigan’s
attack by collapsing its entire team in the defensive zone after it
took a one-goal lead. Wisconsin jumped out to a 2-0 lead after just
19 minutes and was able to stave off any comeback attempts.
Michigan dropped from No. 13 in the country out of the national
rankings after the losses.

“It’s frustrating to lose two games,”
Rothenbach said. “We have to pick it up from there æ
we’re not a team that quits. Last year, we had a lot of
losses at the beginning of the year and we never stopped, so
it’s motivating going into the Michigan State game. We can
use that as ammunition to just beat them up (tomorrow).”

Michigan’s captains have been able to relay that sense of
frustration to Rademacher, who has adjusted practice this week to
lift the team’s spirit. On Tuesday, Rademacher challenged her
team to work hard with a physically and mentally rigorous
practice.Yesterday, she made the atmosphere more lighthearted.
Players were clearly upbeat during shooting drills, which
Rademacher hopes will help their offensive woes by the time they
travel to play the Spartans.

The match will play an important role in the Challenge Cup
æ the second annual aggregate athletic competition between
the intrastate rivals. A Michigan win will bring the Wolverines
within a half point of clinching the fall portion of the
competition.

But Tanchon and company don’t need any extra
motivation.

“It’s definitely a rivalry,” Rothenbach said.
“It’s a game we always get up for. I have no doubt we
are going to come out strong for that game.”

In addition to bragging rights on the line, Michigan has a sense
of urgency with its season winding down. Michigan State is the last
opponent on the Wolverines’ conference schedule, and a win
combined with an Ohio State loss would clinch the second seed in
the Big Ten tournament for Michigan. Penn State has already
clinched its seventh consecutive league title, and avoiding the
Nittany Lions until the championship game would benefit the
Wolverines.