Punchless Wolverines scoreless on weekend

By <BR>By Melanie Kebler
Daily Sports Writer  On  September 21st, 2003

It wasn't the way the Michigan women's soccer team wanted to start its Big Ten season. Not since 1998 have the Wolverines gone into their opening weekend of conference play and emerged without a victory. Michigan also hadn't lost to Northwestern in four years. But yesterday, both of those things happened. Michigan fell to Northwestern 1-0 after allowing a goal early in the first half. Those results, combined with the Wolverines' 0-0 double-overtime tie with Illinois on Friday, meant that Michigan went winless for the weekend. "We need to figure something out quick," Michigan coach Debbie Rademacher said. "We (have been) playing good defense and having some shutouts these past few games. We should be winning games." Strong defense just wasn't enough to put Michigan over the top. The Wolverines have been plagued by a tendency to fall behind early, and that makes emerging with a win much more difficult. "We came out flat and Northwestern scored on a corner kick early in the first half," Rademacher said. She cited fatigue as one of the reasons why the Wolverines may not have been prepared to play yesterday, but was quick to say that it wasn't the only reason. "It started with the mental (mistakes). If you underestimate a team then you play a little bit more lethargic," Rademacher said. "I think it had a little bit to do with both." Michigan might have been worn out after playing 110 minutes on Friday against Illinois. The game went int double-overtime - the third double-OT game the Wolverines have played this season already - and it ended in a scoreless tie. "Illinois is a great team, and they're very dangerous," Rademacher said. "We played real solid and real physical. If there was any tie that was going to be good, it was that one." Freshman goalkeeper Megan Tuura - who played all 110 minutes - made a save with less than five minutes to go in the second overtime to preserve the tie. Tuura is part of a solidifying Michigan lineup that Rademacher says has lately become more consistent but it still open to change. "If someone wants to step up and be that person to take over the game offensively, then they will earn a starting spot," Rademacher said. "We've become more consistent in our lineup, but that starting lineup can be broken in on." For now, Rademacher says, the focus will shift from the defensive to the offensive side of the game. "We focused a lot on our defense early in the season because we have new people back there (on defense)," she said. "Now our focus is going to be on our offense. We know what we need to do and now we just have to turn our attention to the attack." There won't be much room for mistakes from now on, though, as Michigan enters the Big Ten season. "Every game in the Big Ten is tough," Rademacher said. "There are no breathers. There are no predictions. We're just going to take it game by game." Michigan continues conference play next weekend when it hosts Wisconsin and Minnesota at U-M Soccer Field.        

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