Wolverines happy to see 'the best player in the nation' leave town

When the Michigan field hockey team stepped onto Ocker Field Saturday afternoon, it had every intention of stopping North Carolina's Cindy Werley. The Wolverines found that the defending Honda Award receipient for best player in the nation, not to mention a former Olympic athlete, is basically unstoppable.

With just more than 11 minutes played in the first period, Werley scored her first goal of the day. At 2:46 left in the first, she had achieved a hat trick, on her way to scoring four goals in just 35 minutes and leading the top-ranked Tar Heels to a 6-3 victory over the Wolverines.

"You can't really stop Cindy," Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz said. "You've got to let her have her goals, and hopefully, we can outscore them. ... She's certainly, by far, the best player. She's polished, and she's not going to make mistakes."

The players knew that their coach was right. The only way to stop a player like Werley is to be on top of your game.

"She's not going to mess up, so you've got to make her," defender Sandra Cabrera said. "She's got the skills. She's a very skilled player. All you have to do is worry about your own skills. If you do that right, I think you can get her."

Although playing against someone as talented as Werley could cause frustration for opponents, Michigan also sees it as an opportunity. In order to become the best, the Wolverines know that they have to beat the best.

"She's definitely, I would say, the best collegiate player in the nation," goalkeeper Amy Helber said. "When I look at a hat trick being scored by anyone against me, I guess I'd have to choose Cindy Werley to do it."

As much as the Wolverines respect Werley's talent, no one appreciates her value as much as the Tar Heels themselves. The players surrounding Werley are not too bad, either.

"Cindy's doing a wonderful job," North Carolina coach Karen Shelton said. "All three of our forwards together combined to kind of create some of Cindy's goals. She just happened to be the end pass. Kate Barber, Nancy Pelligreen and our midfield worked together to set it up.

"But Cindy, certainly, she had a wonderful game (Saturday)...She certainly is establishing herself as a scoring threat. She was player of the year last year, and there's no question she's a strong candidate for player of the year this year."

Shelton is not the only one who realizes the importance of teamwork. Werley sees her teammates as one of the main reasons for her personal success.

"I don't know that I necessarily dominate," Werley said. "I think my teammates make me look good. I think we make each other look good. At least three of my goals, if not all four, were totally perfectly set up.

I didn't have to do anything but just put the ball in an empty net. I give all the credit to Nancy and Kate. They played excellent. Sometimes it's better to have a good assist than a goal."

As with all team leaders, Werley brings more than just physical dominance to the Tar Heels. She makes the people around her play better through her attitude and her example.

"She brings up everybody's level of play by her intensity," Shelton said. "To have a person out there that plays with that kind of a presence, that brings up the people around her."

MARK FRIEDMAN/Daily
Sandra Cabrera and the Michigan field hockey team lost to North Carolina, 6-3, this weekend, but hopes to rebound Friday against Kent State.

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