Field Hockey can earn respect

Last season, the Michigan field hockey team lost in the Big Ten championship game. Despite their defeat at the hands of Penn State, the Wolverines thought they were talented enought to earn an at-large bid to the tournament.

But being a Midwestern team in an East-coast sport has a way of bursting bubbles prematurely, and the tournament selection committee passed the Wolverines over last season.

With this weekend's trip to Boston, to face No. 7 Boston College and unranked Northeastern, Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz wants to make sure her team doesn't go overlooked again.

"You know, it's five coaches on a call, and they say 'This person's terrific. This person's second.' And so if you go out and have impressive wins against teams that they respect, they have to put you up there. That's part of the plan."

But first, the plan calls for a "shindig" at the house of junior forward Amy Philbrook, whose six goals lead the Wolverines this season.

FILE PHOTO Michigan goalies coach Peggy Storrar said this weekend's trip to Boston will be a good opportunity for the Wolverines to play tough, non-conference opponents.

"Marblehead is a very New England, seaport town, so probably lobster and seafood" will be for dinner Pankratz said.

Maybe the only thing they're hungrier for is the respect that would come along with victories over two East coast powerhouses.

"A trip like this it's really big. Just because, yeah, you've got Boston College right ahead of us. We've never really been respected as it is," said junior goalie Katie Oakes, who won the Big Ten playr of the week award for the second straight week.

"If we play well this weekend,"Oakes said, Michigan will do well "not only statistically, but there's gonna be people that are watching us and they're going to see that we're not a joke out here."

Last season Michigan missed receiveing an at-large bid to the NCAA Tournament by the slimmest of margins.

"We have a round-robin, (in the Big Ten), so we have to play everyone twice," goalies coach Peggy Storrar said.

"And that really hurts us, because we don't get outside of our conference much to play the North Carolinas and Old Dominions. And if we could play them and beat them, like Penn State did, then we'd get more respect."

Hemmed in by their schedule, the non-conference season is where the Wolverines must make their mark.

"We have a very tough conference, so the only way to make the NCAA tournament is to either win the Big Ten tournament, or get an at-large bid," Storrar said. "So when you're playing against teams like Penn State and Ohio State and all the other teams that are very very strong ... to win that Big Ten tournament is very tough. It's a one-in-six shot. So the only other way to make it is an at-large bid. Which means the rest of the country has to think that you're in the top seven."

It's all part of the plan.

09-17-98