Stickers must fill in holes as Flachs, Helber graduate

By Rick Freeman
Daily Sports Writer

The portable black-and-white TV sat on the bleachers, ignored. The sights of the 1997 Michigan-Penn State football game flashed in silence, unseen. The hundreds of pairs of eyes were focused on a more engrossing game.

Michigan vs. Ohio State was the game of the day . And Michigan had just won its first-ever Big Ten title in field hockey. And that day, they advanced to the title game of the Big Ten tournament in Iowa City, before falling, 2-1, to Penn State.

It took 25 years for the Michigan field hockey team to win its first Big Ten title.

FILE PHOTO Despite finishing its best season in years, the Michigan field hockey team must regroup after the loss of Julie Flachs to graduation.

And when they did, the NCAA powers-that-were didn't feel that the title, along with a one-goal loss in the tournament, were enough to award an at-large bid to an upstart midwestern team. And Michigan coach Marcia Pankratz's season came to a "highly disappointing" end.

But Pankratz remembered her second season at Michigan as a success, and said last year's perceived snub, not just of the Big Ten (she played her college ball at Iowa) but of her team will provide an "awful lot of motivation," for the upcoming season.

They might need it.

The Wolverines have lost some offensive firepower in the form of their intimidator and All-American, Julie Flachs.

"That's always difficult to replace," Pankratz said. "We'll see who blossoms."

She expects a scoring bloom from sophomores Kelli Gannon and Courtney Reid, but maybe the biggest Nikes to fill will be the well-padded ones that patrol Michigan's crease. Amy Helber enjoyed a spectacular four-year career at Michigan. Helber's departure will leave the net in untested hands.

Junior Katie Oakes, who backed up Helber her first two years, "has the inside track," Pankratz said but is far from being the automatic replacement.

"I just want someone to keep the ball out of the net, whoever does that, will play," Pankratz said.

Maureen Tasch, who kept the ball out of the net well enough to win her high school a Michigan state championship, will have a short journey to her new locker at Ocker Field. The Wolverines' new facility is a couple slap shots away from her former field - at Pioneer High School. The other freshman goalie, Adrienne Voutta, had a longer trip. The Colorado Springs native kept balls out of nets in the German Indoor League.

But the longest journey for any player will be for the 5-foot-5 defender from Happy Valley, Catherine Foreman.

But she's no Penn State fan. She's from Happy Valley, Australia.

And Foreman will make an early homecoming Aug. 15-27 when Pankratz takes the Wolverines down under for an eight-match pre-season warm-up. Australia is the defending world champion in the sport so Pankratz expects the trip to be a baptism by fire for Wolverines new and old.

The trip will be good preparation for the double-round robin Big Ten season. The six teams play each other twice, and, Pankratz said, "every year it's a battle."

Especially with Penn State, where "a nice rivalry is developing," Pankratz said.

And a fan base is also starting to grow, something that has been a rarity for the field hockey team.

A record crowd - and the band - turned out to see Michigan polish off Michigan State in the final regular season game at Ocker Field and clinch the Big Ten title.

Even more might show up this season.

Especially if they can bring a TV.

09-08-98