8
WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 7,2005
FRIDAY, SEPT. 9
■ MEN'S SOCCER
vs. Rutgers, 7:30 p.m.
Fetzer Field
■ WOMEN'S SOCCER
at San Francisco,
7:30 p.m.
San Francisco
■ VOLLEYBALL
vs. Purdue, 7 p.m.
Carmichael Auditorium
■ MEN'S TENNIS
at Napa Valley Invitational,
All Day
Napa Valley, Calif.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 10
■ FOOTBALL
at Georgia Tech, 3:3opm
Atlanta
■ VOLLEYBALL
vs. Coastal Carolina,
10 a.m.
Carmichael Auditorium
■ VOLLEYBALL
vs. South Carolina,
7:30 p.m.
Carmichael Auditorium
■ FIELD HOCKEY
at Temple, 1 p.m.
Philadelphia
■ MEN'S TENNIS
at Napa Valley Invitational,
All Day
Napa Valley, Calif.
■ BUNTING'S BOYS
DTH football beat writer
Jacob Karabell posts more
tidbits from Tuesday's press
conference, as well as his
own predictions for the Tar
Heels' season. Check it out
in View from the Press Box
at: http://apps.dailytarheel.com/
blogs/pressbox.php
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COMPUTERS | COMPONENTS [ ELECTRONICS |
Bolowich and
Shelton deserve
student support
First, an admission: I have
never been to either a North
Carolina men’s soccer or
field hockey game.
Like most other students on
this campus, I’ve been to my share
of football and basketball games,
even a handful of volleyball and
baseball games. But never men’s
soccer or field hockey.
Second, a revelation: On
Saturday, field hockey coach Karen
Shelton won her 400th career
game with a 3-1 win at William &
Mary, and the next day, men’s soc
cer coach Elmar Bolowich notched
his 200th win behind a 3-0 shutout
at Richmond.
Shelton, who’s in her 25th sea
son as the UNC head coach, has
logged all 401 of her wins while
in Chapel Hill. (The team won
its home opener Monday against
James Madison.) Her squads have
won four national titles while win
ning games at a rate of 78 percent.
Under Bolowich, the men’s soc
cer team won the 2001 national
championship and placed two
players on the 2002 U.S. World
Cup team and 15 on pro rosters
this year. He was the 2001 national
coach of the year.
Continually overshadowed by
the University’s big-ticket sports
and their coaches, Shelton and
Bolowich have quietly built pro
grams whose national prominence
and supremacy rival that of most
on campus and around the country.
And you shouldn’t be surprised
that they’re up to it again this year
the Tar Heel men’s soccer team
is ranked No. 2 in the country.
While field hockey national
rankings haven’t come out yet, rest
assured that North Carolina will
get consideration for the top spot.
The country’s finest field hockey is
played in Winston-Salem, Chapel
Hill and Durham, and expect the
top three positions in the first poll
to be distributed along 1-40.
The exemplary programs that
Karen Shelton and Elmar Bolowich
have orchestrated are extensions of
the exceptional people they are.
Bolowich’s players routinely
Sports
la as
MATT ESTREICH
STREICH ZONE
appear on ACC and national honor
rolls, and in 1999 he was recog
nized by the NCAA with a merit
award that praised his coaching
style as respectful and professional.
Shelton is the only collegiate
field hockey player to win player
of the year honors three times in a
row, and it’s appropriate that the
only challenger to that feat was
Cindy Werley, who twice won the
award at UNC under Shelton.
Third, a challenge to you and
me both: Attend either a field
hockey or men’s soccer game here
on campus. They’re easy to get to
and free with a UNC OneCard.
Think of it as fulfilling your
General College perspectives
except in terms of sports. You’ll
always have your “major” teams
whose games you look forward to
attending. Now is your chance to
branch out and try other sports.
In lieu of a pickaprof.com for
this type of thing, allow this column
to serve as a recommendation.
May I suggest soccer’s Friday game
against Rutgers; the 7:30 start is
the opener of the Carolina Nike
Classic. At 7 p.m. on September
23, field hockey hosts Duke. I’ll be
at both, learning along with you (I
hope) the finer points of penalty
comers and comer kicks.
These fine ambassadors to UNC
have lurked in the background
long enough. On the heels of their
striking milestones, we should give
them and their first-class teams
the recognition they deserve.
Besides, you never know when
that one required class you didn’t
think you were going to like turns
out to be the best one you ever had.
Contact Matt Estreich
at estreich@email.unc.edu.
Baker s backup still unknown
BY JACOB KARABELL
SENIOR WRITER
The last time Matt Baker
attempted to slide during a game,
it didn’t look very pretty.
“I don’t know if you remember,
but back in Little League Baseball,
you were pretty bad,” Baker’s father
told him recently.
“For whatev
er reason, you
just couldn’t
figure out the
slide, so you’d
go in there and
you’d just look
awkward all the
time.”
While
the parental
reminder was
COUNTDOWN
\ DAYS
in jest, Baker knows that an effi
cient slide could be the difference
between a promising and a disas
trous season for the North Carolina
football team in 2005.
That’s because the Tar Heels’
backup quarterback situation looks
as tenuous as ever heading into
Saturday’s season opener against
No. 17 Georgia Tech.
As of Tuesday, UNC coach John
Bunting had not decided whether
redshirt freshman Joey Bozich or
walk-on sophomore Ben Johnson
UNC s trip answers few questions?
BY BRANDON PARKER
SENIOR WRITER
A curious buzz surrounded Coach
Roy Williams and his North Carolina.
Tar Heels when they departed last
Friday for the Bahamas.
But after handily defeating the
Real Deal Shockers and the Y-
Care Wreckers, Williams returned
Tuesday with few conclusions to
quiet the constant questioning of
his young team.
“I’d like to tell you all these great
things (that I learned), but it was
just a couple of good pickup games,”
he said. “I’m not trying to downplay
it, But these games did not show me
anything glaring that I did not per
ceive or did not expect The freshmen
gained more from it than anybody.”
While it’s true that UNC gained
a taste of the all-important experi
ence and chemistry, several first-year
players brought back a lot more.
Forward Danny Green suffered
a thigh bruise Saturday, forcing
him to sit out Sunday’s game, while
will back up Baker in Atlanta.
Neither player has played a snap
in college the two players likely
would have battled for third-string
duties had Roger Heinz not under
gone season-ending back surgery
Aug. 24.
A couple weeks ago, it seemed
that Bozich had secured the job,
and his name has surfaced on
the depth chart for the past two
weeks.
But Bunting steadfastly has
maintained that the position
remained open, a stance he kept
after Johnson completed eight of
13 passes in the team’s final scrim
mage Aug. 31.
A recruited walk-on that played
on the scout team at wide
receiver last season, Johnson
thinks that he has surprised some
of his teammates during training
camp.
“I dreamed something like this
would happen, but I really had no
idea that an opportunity like this
would come,” said the Fairview,
N.C., native. “I’m really, really
grateful right now that things have
happened the way they are.”
And while Bunting has lauded
Johnson’s preseason performance,
don’t be surprised if the fifth-year
coach gasps if Baker fails to slide.
guard Bobby Frasor sustained a
shoulder stinger that limited his
play during the weekend. Neither
injury will force the players to miss
any significant playing time.
But freshman guard Marcus
Ginyard will need an estimated
month and a half to recover from his
injury. He underwent successful sur
gery for a broken left wrist Tuesday,
an injury sustained in July during
what else? —a pickup game.
Asa result, the burden of showing
just where the freshmen class stands
fell upon forwards Tyler Hansbrough
and Michael Copeland. Williams
said that both provided solid play
off the bench, though Copeland has
lots of room for improvement on the
defensive end.
“The freshmen could have gained
so much,” he said. “Tyler and Michael
did, but the rest of them didn’t
because of the health situation.”
As for the “veteran” players, junior
forward Reyshawn Terry displayed
his ability to score by averaging 23.5
(Hit Hatty (Tor Hpri
“I’m sure if he went in the game,
he’d certainly be pressed,” Bunting
said of Johnson. “It’s different from
high school. It’s a lot different.”
Carey, Edwards set to start
While Bunting left the door ajar
for either Bozich or Johnson to win
the backup quarterback spot for
Saturday’s game at Bobby Dodd
Stadium, the coach has nearly
finalized the rest of his starting
lineup.
Senior Mahlon Carey will start
at strong safety, emerging victo
rious in a camp-long battle with
sophomore Trimane Goddard.
The coach also said that junior
Larry Edwards will begin the
game at strong-side linebacker
after starting in just two games in
2004. He received the nod in place
of senior Jeff Longhany.
“I can’t tell you how proud I
am of both (Carey and Edwards),”
Bunting said. “They have really
put their nose to the grindstone
in terms of learning what to do,
focusing in on the right keys and
leads and responding in a way that
makes them successful.”
Contact the Sports Editor
at sports@unc.edu. *
points a game —a number that could
be adjusted, depending on who or
which box score you consulted.
And Williams voiced satisfaction
with the play of sophomore point
guard Quentin Thomas, who record
ed 15 assists and just three turnovers,
according to the box score estimate.
Guard Wes Miller and forwards
David Noel and Byron Sanders also
started, but all 10 active players
logged significant playing time.
The trip also allowed UNC to
take part in four 75-minute prac
tice sessions before departure. But
Williams understands that it will
take more than just two “pickup
games” to prepare this bunch for
the 2005-06 season.
“(Chemistry) was the biggest
benefit from the trip,” he said. “I’ve
never had this kind of situation, so
it’s probably an approach where
we’ve got to be more patient.”
Contact the Sports Editor
at sports @unc.edu.