No goals in almost 400 minutes? Iowa visits 'M'

LOUIS BROWN/Daily The Michigan soccer team starts a big weekend by hosting Iowa tomorrow. Minnesota visits on Sunday.

By Vaughn R. Klug
Daily Sports Writer

If poor play continues to follow the Wolverines' next opponents when they come to Ann Arbor this weekend, the No. 24 Michigan soccer team is in luck.

Iowa and Minnesota, the Wolverines' opponents tomorrow and Sunday, respectively, combined for an 0-4 record and scored just one goal between them last week. Not scoring last weekend represented a meager slump for Iowa (0-3 Big Ten, 5-3-1 overall).

The Hawkeyes have gone over 396 minutes without a Big Ten goal, their last coming Oct. 17 - of 1997. During that season Iowa scored in just two conference games.

The Hawkeyes do not score, quite simply, because they do not shoot. During their loss to Wisconsin this past Sunday, Iowa fired just six shots on goal and launched only two corner kicks.

"We are hungry to play again after last weekend's tough losses," Iowa coach Stephanie Gabbert said in a written statement. "We know we can play with the best teams in the conference."

Despite the obvious weaknesses of an Iowa program in its second season, the Wolverines are not overlooking the Hawkeyes.

"Our focus in practice today was Iowa, we are treating them as a serious threat," standout defender Vanessa Lewis said. "Complacency is dangerous. No matter how poor their record is, it only still only takes one kick to score a goal."

Michigan coach Debbie Belkin recognizes the strengths of the Iowa squad despite the lack of offensive productivity.

"Iowa is a really aggressive team who plays with a lot of intensity. They do a good job of applying pressure all game."

The Wolverines, in turn, have a game plan in store to counteract Iowa's tendency to overcommit on opponents.

"We are going to try to stretch them out as much as possible," Belkin said.

As for Minnesota (1-2-0 Big Ten, 5-3-0 overall), the Wolverines are hoping to claim their first win over the defending Big Ten champions. The Gophers are 5-0 versus Michigan, 2-0 in Ann Arbor.

Minnesota has several offensive threats, one of which - forward Laurie Seidl - leads the nation in both points-per-game and goals-per-game.

While Seidl poses a clear threat to the defense, Lewis will not build a game plan around the star foreword.

"I will not let her intimidate me. My focus as a defender is always the same, shut every player down."

Speaking for her team, Lewis reveals the confidence Michigan will bring to the field against the Gophers.

"We really feel that Minnesota is beatable. In the past, no matter what we did, we could not beat them. This time around, we are not intimidated at all."

10-01-98