Oakes jumps in, takes charge of defending Big Ten champions

When goalkeeper Amy Helber left after helping lead the Michigan field hockey team to a Big Ten championship last year, she left big shoes for her successor to fill.

Kati Oakes, the Wolverines' goalkeeper, has filled those shoes admirably thus far this season. After redshirting in 1996, her first season - while Helber recorded five shutouts - Oakes has stepped in and provided similar numbers.

Ever since she took the goalkeeping reins from Helber this season, Oakes has won defensive player of the week honors two consecutive times. So far this season, she has 3 1/2 shutouts and a 6-1 record.

Oakes has accomplished much without any buzz to boost her ego. She doesn't need any such confidence-builders, her coaches say.

"Kati is quite mature for her status," says head coach Marcia Pankratz.

"Everyone's confident with her back there," agrees assistant coach Tracey Fuchs. "She's a good communicator - she keeps the defense solid. We like to play aggressively, and she allows us to do that."

With her 3 1/2 shutouts putting her in the race to reach Helber's record of shutouts, Oakes focuses surprisingly little on the tally.

"I haven't really thought about that. Shutouts are more of a team thing than an individual thing," Oakes said.

"When we talked about team goals at the beginning, we didn't talk about that."

She also claims that any comparison to Helber is misplaced. She describes herself as a risk taker who's not afraid to call out orders as the game progresses.

It's not uncommon for Oakes to suggest a daring play to one of her teammates at a pivotal point - but these traits are Oakes originals. She is unaffected by Helber's legacy and, beyond seeing the graduated goalie as an inspiration, she sets her own goals.

"You can't compare Kati to Amy because they are two different-style goalkeepers," Fuchs explains.

During the BC and Northeastern games "she kept us in the first half." Fuchs said. "We want to play attacking - we can concentrate on the offensive game with Kati."

But while Oakes is an individual, her coaches are definitely taking a hand in her development.

"She got a chance to learn from Amy," Pankratz concurs. "We sit down and discuss how we're going to develop every player. So, yes, we do have goals" for Oakes.

The recent trip to Boston didn't seem to detract much from Oakes' focus. The team easily beat Northeastern and narrowly missed an upset at Boston College.

"In one respect, traveling makes it easier to focus," Oakes said. "On a weekend, there are football games and everything - on a road trip, you really don't get to do that kind of stuff."

Next up is Michigan State and the Big Ten season. Oakes said she is confident in her team's ability to succeed, and cites its depth of talent and communication skills as major advantages.

09-22-98