Soccer enjoys success

Years down the road, when Debbie Flaherty's playing career at Michigan is all over, the native of Sutton, Mass., will smile when she thinks of her experiences on the soccer team.

Flaherty's career ended on a series of positive notes. No. 15 Michigan's success during her senior season will always overshadow the program's growing pains her first three years.

"It's really hard to leave this team," the four-year starter said. "Especially since we just had a great year. I might have left with a bitter feeling other years, but this year, it's tough.

"This was finally the first year we were able to truly unite as a whole. We all got along with each other, and that led us to a successful year."

In just the program's fourth year, the Wolverines (7-1-1 Big Ten, 18-4-1 overall) rose to second place in the Big Ten, eclipsing almost all team records in the process. They capped it off with a Big Ten tournament championship.

"We made great strides this year," Michigan coach Debbie Belkin said. "The tournament was big because we gained a lot more respect with it."

This season will be remembered as the year the Wolverines jumped about four flights of stairs on their way to national respectability - four because that's how many more Big Ten games the Wolverines won this season than last.

Michigan's only major blemish was a poor showing in the program's first appearance in an NCAA tournament game - a 5-1 loss at Nebraska last Sunday. But that season-ending loss was only one step backwards.

The Big Ten tournament may have been the last hurrah for Flaherty and fellow seniors Ruth Poulin and Karen Montgomery, but Michigan's nucleus consists of underclassmen.

"I think we'll be even better next year," Belkin said. "We'll have the core back. We already got a taste of success, and we'll be hungry for more."

MALLORY S.E. FLOYD/Daily Sophomore Shannon Poole will have a lot to look forward to next year. The Michigan soccer team will be able to build off of a young squad and the Wolverines' phenomenal success during the 1997 season.

11-20-97