By B.J. Luria
Daily Sports Writer
Here come the Cardinals - again.
No, not the Ball State Cardinals, who beat the Wolverines in Muncie, Ind., but Louisville, the other Cardinals in the Mid American Conference. Louisville will visit Ocker Field tomorrow at 10 a.m. as the Michigan field hockey team tries to return to its winning ways.
The No. 15 Wolverines (5-2) will also host Central Michigan (4-2), its third consecutive MAC opponent, on Sunday as the Wolverines conclude their last weekend of play before the Big Ten season.
Michigan is coming off only its second loss of the season, a 4-0 shutout at No. 7 Ball State. Both of Michigan's losses this season have come at the hands of top 10 opponents. The Wolverines also fell to No. 1 North Carolina Sept. 6.
Senior captain Julie Flachs was shut down against Ball State and was held scoreless for the first time this season. Without Flachs performing up to her usual level, Michigan managed only nine shots on goal.
Louisville is not quite the field hockey powerhouse that Ball State is. In fact, these Cardinals are actually pretty bad. They have started out this season 0-5 after winning only two games all last season. During coach Cate Clarke's three year tenure at Louisville, the Cardinals have posted a miserable 3-42 record.
About the only good news for the Cardinals is that they lost only two starters from last year's squad.
This year's team is led by co-captains Casey Carwile and Angie Frame. Carwile recorded two defensive saves against Radford and will be expected to contribute defensively against the Wolverines.
The leading Louisville scorer is Kelli Lesak, with two goals. Freshman Lainey Habeeb has been a pleasant surprise for the Cardinals, recording one goal.
Despite the Cardinals' troubles, Flachs, for one, will not be looking past Louisville this weekend.
"We never give less respect to any team we play, no matter who they are," Flachs said.
While Flachs's good sportsmanship can be respected, Michigan should not face much of a challenge in this contest
Central Michigan, however, should give the Wolverines a better game on Sunday. The Chippewas won two games last weekend against Davidson and Richmond. The Wolverines have faced their intrastate opponents 32 times and lead the close series, 16-14-2. Michigan has shut out Central in each of the last two years, both times facing the Chippewas after a losing streak.
The Wolverines are looking to gain momentum and confidence as they gear up for the Big Ten season just around the corner.
But for now, they have to keep their minds focused on the Mid American Conference - at least for two more games.
09-18-97
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