Weekly Release #10

Upcoming Schedule
Friday, Oct. 24 -- vs. Michigan State (U-M Soccer Field), 4 p.m.
Sunday, Oct. 26 -- vs. Kansas (U-M Soccer Field), 1 p.m.
Wednesday, Oct. 29 -- at Notre Dame (South Bend, Ind.), 4 p.m.

This Week
The University of Michigan women's soccer team (5-5-6, 3-2-4 Big Ten) wraps up its 2003 home schedule this weekend, as it hosts Michigan State and Kansas at the U-M Soccer Field. U-M will take on the Spartans on Friday (Oct. 24) at 4 p.m. and finish the weekend against the Jayhawks on Sunday (Oct. 26) at 1 p.m.

Scouting the Opponents
Michigan State -- The Spartans (9-6, 4-5 Big Ten) are coming off a 4-0 defeat of Iowa on Sunday (Oct. 19). Senior Tiffany Laskowski leads the MSU offense with five goals and six assists, while senior goalkeeper Stacy Heller has made 15 starts and has allowed 17 goals (1.14 GAA). Tom Sexton is in his 13th year as head coach of the Spartans. Last season, Michigan State made its first appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The Wolverines played MSU to a 1-1 double-overtime draw last season (Oct. 25) and hold a 7-2-2 all-time advantage over the Spartans. Michigan State on the Internet: www.msuspartans.com.

Kansas -- The Jayhawks carry a 12-4-1 record into the week after a 1-0 victory over Nebraska last Sunday (Oct. 19). The KU offense is spearheaded by sophomore forward Caroline Smith, who leads the team with 15 goals and two assists. Junior goalkeeper Meghan Miller has played in 17 games this season, allowing 14 goals for a 0.81 GAA. Head coach Mark Francis has collected a 51-39-6 record in five seasons at Kansas. The Jayhawks, who finished 2002 with a 11-7-2 overall record, return eight starters and 14 letterwinners. This will be the first meeting between the two schools. Kansas on the Internet: www.kuathletics.com.

Last Week
The Wolverines improved their record to .500 last weekend, earning a pair of hard-fought 1-0 victories over Iowa and Central Michigan. On Friday (Oct. 17), senior Stephanie Chavez (Shorewood, Wis./Shorewood HS) scored her third goal of the season in the first half to give the Wolverines the early edge, and the U-M defense held strong the rest of the way, holding the Hawkeyes to just 10 shots in the game. Sunday (Oct. 19), sophomore Katie Kramer (Andover, Mass./Andover HS) headed home her second goal of the season, while goalkeepers Suzie Grech (Narberth, Pa./The Shipley School) and Megan Tuura (Tucker, Ga./St. Pius X Catholic HS) combined for four saves in the shutout victory over the Chippewas.

A Final Farewell
Sunday's (Oct. 26) 2003 home finale against Kansas will be the last regular-season game at the U-M Soccer Field for five seniors. Stephanie Chavez, Nicole D'Hondt (Grosse Pointe, Mich./South HS), Suzie Grech, Erika Kleinholz (North Ridgeville, Ohio/Elyria Catholic HS), and Shannon Reid (Centerville, Ohio/Archbishop Alter HS) will make their final appearances on home turf for the Maize and Blue. The senior class will be honored prior to the 1 p.m. match with the Jayhawks.

Eye on the Prize
If the women's soccer team defeats the Spartans this Friday (Oct. 24), U-M will bring home the inaugural Pontiac Challenge Cup for the fall season. The trophy, which the two rival schools compete for, is awarded three times throughout the athletic year to the university with the most success against the other. U-M currently holds 2.5 points of the six available in the fall standings, and a soccer victory on Friday would give Michigan 3.5 points and bragging rights until the winter season.

U-M Climbs Back into Great Lakes Regional Poll
With the successful weekend, the Wolverines have earned a No. 9-ranking in the latest NSCAA/adidas Regional Rankings released Monday (Oct. 20). This is the first time U-M has appeared in the poll since the opening regional rankings on Sept. 1, when Michigan was slotted in the No. 6 spot. Notre Dame, Michigan's final regular-season opponent, holds a 16-0-1 record and a No. 1 ranking in the Great Lakes Region.

Big Ten Standings (through 10/19/03)

PLACE, TEAM RECORD PTS 1. Penn State 8-1-0 24 2. Illinois 6-1-2 20 3. Purdue 5-2-2 17 4. Ohio State 4-2-3 15 5. MICHIGAN 3-2-4 13 Indiana 4-4-1 13 7. Michigan State 4-5-0 12 8. Northwestern 3-5-1 10 9. Wisconsin 3-6-0 9 10. Minnesota 2-6-1 7 11. Iowa 0-8-2 3

Chavez on Top
Stephanie Chavez's goal against Iowa (Oct. 17) moved her into a tie for the team lead in points this season. Chavez, along with junior Kate Morgan (San Jose, Calif./Archbishop Mitty HS) has posted eight points this season (three goals, two assists). Her second goal, which came against Ohio State (Oct. 3), gave her 50 points for her career. In 76 career games, Chavez has collected 20 goals and 12 assists for 52 points.

Stepping Up at the Right Time
Both of Katie Kramer's goals this season have been game-winners for Michigan. In addition to her winning marker against Central Michigan last Sunday (Oct. 19), Kramer notched her first career goal 57 seconds into the game to help lead Michigan past Wisconsin 2-0 on Sept. 26. Kramer has appeared in 13 games this season and has two goals off of 14 shots.

Vince Notches 30th Career Assist
With an assist on Stephanie Chavez's game-winning goal against Iowa (Oct. 17), junior Robyn Vince (Holt, Mich./Holt HS) reached her 30th collegiate assist. Vince, who played two seasons at Tennessee Tech, has a team-leading four helpers this season. Vince left Tech as the career leader in assists (26) and was second all-time in total points at the school (60).

Boyles Tallies First Point of 2003
Sophomore Stephanie Boyles (Arvada, Colo./Pomona HS) earned her first point of the season with an assist on Katie Kramer's goal against Central Michigan (Oct. 19). Boyles served up a nice ball off the restart and Kramer headed the ball past CMU goalkeeper Kari Alexander to put Michigan up 1-0 with 21:10 to go in the game. In 39 career games, Boyles has totals of three goals and two assists for nine points.
 
Rademacher Nears 50th Big Ten Win
Head coach Debbie Rademacher needs two conference victories to reach 50 for her career. In 10 seasons at the helm of the women's soccer program, Rademacher has posted a career record of 123-71-19, including a Big Ten mark of 48-29-11. She has led her team to six consecutive NCAA Tournament appearances, including a trip to the quarterfinal round in 2002. Rademacher needs four wins to reach her 125th career victory at U-M. In 2001, she reached her fourth major coaching milestone with her 100th win on Nov. 3 against Western Michigan.

Next Week
The Wolverines conclude the regular season at No. 2-ranked Notre Dame. The match is scheduled for a 4 p.m. start at Alumni Field in South Bend, Ind. U-M will then await seeding for the 2003 Big Ten Tournament, which will be held Nov. 6-9 in Madison, Wis.