Field hockey youth movement paying off

Youth is an attribute that has haunted many teams in collegiate athletics. Often youth is used as an excuse for younger players making mistakes, or as a sign for the future. Michigan's field hockey team doesn't use youth as an excuse, instead it uses it to win games.

Michigan starts five underclassmen, and two more get significant playing time. Amongst the roster of 23, there are only four juniors, and four seniors.

The lack of older players means that for the team to be successful, the younger players have to step up.

FILE PHOTO Michigan's field hockey team fought and scrambled to a Big Ten split this weekend - and wound up in a three-way tie for first place in the Big Ten standings.

They have.

The youth movement has been led by sophomore forward Kelli Gannon. After a season in which Gannon won Freshman of the Year honors in the Big Ten, big things might have been expected. Adding to the pressure of following up her impressive freshman year, Gannon was moved to a new position - forward.

She has responded in a manner that would have been unfair to expect, leading the team in goals scored and points. She added to her totals this weekend by scoring the game-winning goal against Ohio State.

That goal came a week after she scored three goals and had two assists in two Michigan wins. Gannon also netted a game winning goal against Michigan State in the previous game.

Gannon's recent surge has led Michigan to the top of the Big Ten standings, and earned her the praise of her coach.

"We have her playing somewhere she's not used to, so there was a transition for the first couple games," Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz said. "I think she's made the adjustment, she's been playing great."

Gannon has not been working alone. Freshmen Jessie Veith and Catherine Foreman have also made a great impact on the team.

Veith scored her sixth goal of the year yesterday against Penn State, giving her the new freshman record. This weekend she received some additional playing time because of an injury to captain Amy Philbrook. Although she seems to have had no problems, there was a transition.

"Definitely it is different - the level of play, the turf. I had never even seen turf until I came here," Veith said.

Foreman also stood out against Penn State, netting a goal and an assist. Coming here from Australia, the freshman might have had the greatest adjustment to make of anyone on the team.

"We use more fast passes there, but I'm starting to pick up the way things are done here," said Foreman. "I don't notice the difference anymore."

The Wolverines do not have to make excuses for their youth because they are helping to lead the team to victory, not holding them back. They also don't have to look to the future, success is happening now, and championships are a real possibility.

Despite their great success, the young players are not getting egotistical. "We all know where are place is on this team," said Gannon.

Halfway through the Big Ten season, their place is atop the conference.

10-12-98