There are not many athletes in today’s world that gain more out of a particular sport than simply wins and losses. For Lindsay Yach, the sophomore forward of the women’s soccer team, soccer reflects her entire life.
Yach grew up in Carrollton, Texas, a town just north of Dallas. It was there that she started to play soccer in elementary school. Ever since she was young, Yach has played for the people around her, and has never thought otherwise.
In high school, Yach broke the team record for most goals scored in a single season. She also was a part of the Dallas Sting, a soccer club that competed all over the state. The Sting changed coaches every two years, which allowed Yach to receive different coaching techniques and advice. Because of this, her Texas style of play became more versatile, which helps even today being on a team that features many different styles of play.
Although she is grateful for having her overall game improve during this time, Yach illustrates this is a minuscule point when considering how the coaches helped her define her character.
“The [soccer] club helped made me who I am today,” Yach said.
Yach’s biggest inspiration in soccer comes from a person who transcends off the field and into her daily life. She attributes much of her soccer success to her father.
“He’s like having a personal trainer or coach,” Yach said.
Yach emanates a greater understanding in soccer that exceeds beyond the sport and all of athletics into the basic principles of life.
Yach arrived at the University of Miami last year. Growing up in Carrollton, Yach noticed the lack of variance in style.
“You see a lot of the same [soccer] styles [in Texas],” Yach said.
When arriving at UM, Yach found out that every player had a different style that worked.
“I chose Miami because it was far away from home, it was by the beach, and the team chemistry,” Yach said.
As a freshman for the Hurricanes, Yach was second on the team with 19 points, including eight goals and three assists. In ’02 Yach tallied two game-winning goals and already has a game-winning goal this year.
“I was just at the right place at the right time, it really is because of my teammates,” Yach said.
At the end of her freshman year with the ‘Canes, Yach was named to the Big East All Rookie Team, a feat that she feels made her want to play harder.
At the start of the 2003 season, Yacht wants to take her game to the next level. She doesn’t want to merely score more points, hoping to become a stronger all-around player.
“I want to improve and make an impact in every game,” Yach said.
Yach feels the team will further improve due to a new formation head coach Tricia Taliaferro has prepared.
“The new system is easier to learn…and will be more successful in the future,” Yach said.
Yach currently leads the team with 14 points on the season, including six goals and two assists. The Hurricanes are currently 6-4 after a 3-1 win over No. 10 Connecticut.

Spencer Weinkle can be reached at Fontier34@aol.com

LINDSAY YACH
CLASS ————Sophomore
HOMETOWN——-Carrollton, TX
HIGH SCHOOL—-Creekview
HEIGHT————5 feet 5 inches
POSITION———Forward/Midfield

Although our beloved Hurricanes were idle this weekend, there were still several intense football games on Saturday that could indirectly effect the ‘Canes’ season.
The early games did not fail to excite, as No. 25 Florida had an impressive come-from-behind 24-21 win in Kentucky. The Gators were down 21-3 in the third quarter, but thanks to two fourth-quarter touchdowns by Carlos Perez and a Johnny Lamar interception that led to Ran Carthon’s go-ahead touchdown run with 3:15 left in the game, UF was able to avoid an upset that would have knocked them out of the Top 25.
The Gators’ victory can be looked at as a good news/bad news result for the Hurricanes. The game may not have any impact on UM in the near future, but as of right now the ‘Canes’ win over UF ranks as their highest-quality win. If the ‘Canes are in a tiebreaker, a win over a 10-2 Gators team would look much better than a 7-5 Gators team. This could have absolutely no ramifications, or it could be an important factor in UM earning a BCS berth.
The bad news is simply that the Gators won, which always leaves a bad taste in Hurricane fans’ mouths. As one of our fiercest rivals, it is hard to root for UF in any situation.
The victory over Kentucky was crucial for two people: quarterback Chris Leak and Head Coach Ron Zook. Leak led the charge in the fourth quarter and proved that despite being an inexperienced freshman, he can still be counted on to win games for UF and should be the Gators’ signal-caller for the next four years without any question.
For Zook, this win could be monumental in saving the second-year head coach’s job. It is obvious that the players give their all for Zook, and despite the fans calling for his head, he really has done a solid job this year. The Gators could have easily tanked the season after blowing the UM game, but they still play hard every week, and the credit for this has to go to the head coach. If the Gators run the table the rest of the way, then Zook should be retained without hesitation.

SHOCKING UPSETS
In a game that could have more of a direct effect on UM, No. 3 USC was stunned in overtime by California 34-31. With that loss, only Oklahoma, Ohio State, and the Hurricanes are left as undefeated teams in the Top Five (although that should change when the next polls are released).
What is amazing about this is that there have been so many gigantic upsets in the first five weeks of the season, but the Sooners, Buckeyes, and ‘Canes, who stayed undefeated for the longest period of time last season, are still perfect thus far. We could be in for the same three team race as last season. This is probably quite presumptuous given that Oklahoma still has to play the meat of the Big 12, Ohio State still has Michigan in their sights, and UM has road tests against Florida State, Virginia Tech, and Pittsburgh.
The USC shocker wasn’t the only big upset coming out of the Pac 10. Only a week after knocking off Michigan, No. 15 Oregon was crushed by No. 21 Washington State 55-16. No. 24 Arizona State lost to Oregon State 45-17.
In Big 10 action, No. 9 Iowa was outclassed by an unranked Michigan State team 20-10. The Spartans, who were in disarray after a poor season in 2002 and a coaching change, have had a complete turnaround under John L. Smith. This probably won’t be the last highly-ranked opponent they defeat this season.
In a minor upset in the Big 12, Kansas had their way with No. 23 Missouri 35-14. It seems like things have turned around for the Jayhawks as well.

OTHER NOTABLES
There were three other overtime games featuring Top 25 teams besides the USC loss. Arkansas battled back from a 31-10 deficit to beat Alabama, 34-31, in overtime. No. 8 Tennessee had to squeak out a 23-20 overtime win over South Carolina, and TCU rallied to knock off Arizona 13-10….B.J. Symons of Texas Tech set a Big 12 record for passing yards with 661 in the Red Raiders’ 49-45 win over Mississippi. Symons went 44 for 64 with six touchdown passes. I wonder how terrible Texas Tech’s running game and defense must be considering that they threw the ball 64 times and gave up 45 points, having to squeak out a last-minute victory in a game where their quarterback throws for an ungodly amount of yards….No. 20 Minnesota looked impressive in their 20-14 win at Penn State. At 5-0, look for the Golden Gophers to make a run in the surprisingly deep Big 10….With no one standing out in the Heisman race, look for long shots like Derrick Knight of Boston College (553 yards, two touchdowns) and our own Frank Gore (453 yards, four touchdowns) to at least garner some consideration in the coming weeks. Both backs have put up a substantial amount of rushing yards in the first third of the season, and expect the two to produce about 100 yards a game each the rest of the way. It probably won’t be enough to overtake high-profile candidates like Kevin Jones and Phillip Rivers, but Knight and Gore could earn a spot on the “Heisman Watch List” soon.

Cross Country
University of Miami sophomore Alex Brutvan was the Hurricanes’ top finisher at the Great American Cross Country Festival in Cary, NC.
Brutvan finished 67th completing the 8,000-meter course with a time of 27:18.20 marking the third consecutive meet this season in which he has been the Hurricanes’ top finisher. The 22 team field included 10 nationally-ranked teams and 154 of the top runners in the nation.
Miami freshman Tom Berry continued his strong first season finishing 98th with a time of 27:58.20.
The men’s cross country team returns to action on October 11 at the Disney Invitational in Orlando, FL.

Volleyball
The University of Miami volleyball team downed Big East foe Seton Hall, 3-0 at Walsh Gymnasium in South Orange, N.J. on Saturday afternoon.
The Hurricanes improved to 11-4 on the season and capitalized on 14 service errors by SHU to sweep the Pirates in three games and earned the victory in the conference opener.
“This was a great win for us over a very good Seton Hall team,” Head Coach Nicole Lantagne Welch said. “Valeria Tipiana and Elizabeth Tyson were strong for us attacking the ball and Jamie Grass turned in another great performance. Seton Hall had won five straight home matches up to this point. It was a big win to start the conference 1-0 and a great win on the road.”
Tipiana led the Hurricanes with 14 kills, posting a .313 hitting percentage and Tyson turned in nine kills for a team-high .381 hitting percentage – the junior’s second highest this season. Grass totaled 13 digs on the day while senior Leyre Santaella Sante collected 13 kills.
The Pirates Katherine Whitney and Jenna Meyers each had a match-high 18 kills to lead SHU.

Men’s Tennis
The Miami men’s tennis team had another strong showing winning four-of-five singles matches in day two of the Gator Fall Classic in Gainesville, Fla. Saturday morning.
The Hurricanes faced Mississippi State in the hidden dual tournament hosted by Florida.
Miami came out flat losing both doubles matches before an impressive singles performance from the team.
“I am very proud of the way the guys responded when they were challenged by the coaching staff,” said head coach Bryan Getz. “They didn’t get down after doubles play they came out in a strong positive manner in singles.”
Tim Krebs continued on the winning path at No. 1 singles beating Joses-Carlos Pinto in straight sets 6-4, 6-1.
Eric Hechtman beat Luiz Carvalho 6-4, 6-4 at the No. 2 spot, while Colin Purcell downed Florent Girod 6-2, 6-2 at No. 3 singles.
Newcomer Jonathan Ounjian won his third match in a row beating Matt Armstrong 7-5, 6-4 at the No. 5 spot.

The Hurricanes enter Thursday’s contest against West Virginia with a 4-0 record. They will probably be 5-0 on Friday morning. So what?
The perfect record should be no surprise to anyone except the most extreme pessimists and ultra-concerned Hurricane fans. Sure, there have been a couple of twists and turns along the way. The five-point victory over Florida was supposed to look more like the 41-16 score in Gainesville last year. And Miami’s last Big East contest in Chestnut Hill was expected to be a major test, not a 33-14 laugher.
But if you look past the flawless record, the No. 2 ranking, and the steady play of Frank Gore and most of the defense, there are several problems with the ‘Canes that need to be fixed. Problems that can quickly erase that zero in the loss column.
So, with beginning of the second trimester rapidly approaching us, let’s evaluate the Hurricanes’ performance through the first four games.

Quarterbacks
Take away the last 21 minutes of the Florida game, and everyone would be noticing Brock Berlin’s seven turnovers compared to five touchdowns much more. I am not saying he doesn’t have great potential or that his receivers are always helping him. But the next few games will reveal whether Berlin is an elite QB going through the learning process, or one who won’t ever graduate past being a mid-level signal caller. In a limited role, Derrick Crudup has been fine.
Grade: B-

Tailbacks/Fullbacks
Frank Gore has proven to be the ultimate workhorse of the offense. He’s averaging 113 rushing yards a game on 21 carries, has shown a strong ability to catch the ball out of the backfield, and his blocking skills are severely underrated. We only wish he broke a few more tackles. UM has the most depth at this position in years, with Jarrett Payton and Tyrone Moss both playing well.
The fullback position, on the other hand, has very little depth with only two players healthy. However, Kyle Cobia is putting together his best season as a ‘Cane.
Grade: A-

Wide Recievers/Tight Ends
The most disappointing aspect of the team so far has been the receiving corps. Kellen Winslow, who many (myself included) thought had a good chance to be the first Heisman winner at tight end, has just 15 receptions and a single touchdown so far. At the same time, no wide-out has helped pick up the slack or prevented opposing defenses from double-teaming #81. Kevin Beard had a career game against Florida, but has had just 33 receiving yards since. Roscoe Parrish has been non-existent, one 50-yard TD notwithstanding. And the one pleasant surprise, Ryan Moore, is still dropping too many passes.
Grade: C+

Offensive Line
For a starting unit with its left guard (Joe McGrath) still on the sidelines, as well as two others (Vernon Carey, Carlos Joseph) in and out of the lineup with injures, the numbers have been pretty good. Chris Myers and Carey anchor a line that has allowed only three sacks this season, and has opened up holes for 166 rushing yards per contest. The O-Line still was outplayed by the Gators front four, however, and their eight penalties in that game was unacceptable.
Grade: B

Defensive Line
While they haven’t been overly spectacular, the defensive line has erased most of the concerns of skeptics. This is especially the case at left defensive end, where Baraka Atkins (3 sacks) is a star in the making, and freshman Bryan Pata offers the total package. Vince Wilfork has matched Atkins’ sack total, even with the constant double and triple-teaming “Big Daddy” faces. And Orien Harris has been able to fill some of Wilfork’s void, although the third DT, Santonio Thomas, has gotten off to a slow start.
Grade: B+

Linebackers
After struggling to stop the run early in the season, the LB core made big strides against Boston College, helping hold Derrick Knight to 83 yards. Jon Vilma and D.J. Williams lead the team with 25 sticks apiece, although both have missed their share of tackles. Rocky Mcintosh got his first significant action against the Eagles, and Darrell McClover has proven to be more than just a special teams standout. Leon Williams is a superstar waiting in the wings.
Grade: B

Secondary
They didn’t play that well against Florida, but otherwise the nation’s top-rated pass defense in 2002 has picked up right where they left off. Sean Taylor (3 interceptions) is a playmaker almost in the same vein as Ed Reed, while Al Marshall has outplayed Kelly Jennings at right cornerback. The secondary has done a better job aiding the front seven in stopping the run, and Antrel Rolle corner blitzes have caused problems for opposing offensive lines.
Grade: B+

Special Teams
The kick return team can be summed up in two words: Devin Hester. The freshman gives UM their best returning threat in a long time. Two punt returns for touchdowns this season isn’t bad either. The coverage, for the most part, has been first-rate.
The performance of punter Brian Monroe leaves much to be desired, however. Monroe has averaged just 34.5 yards per punt, including a crucial five-yarder against UF. Place-kicker Jon Peattie has been consistent from within 40 yards (5-5), as coach Larry Coker hoped. His lone miss was from 42 yards against La. Tech.
Grade: B+

Coaching
I like to evaluate a head coach’s performance on how the crucial game situations are handled. Larry Coker has been forced to make one major decision, and keeping Berlin in the Florida game solidified Coker’s status as one of the nation’s best coaches. I would like to see defensive coordinator Randy Shannon continue to implement more blitz schemes, and it wouldn’t be Hurricane football, of course, without a plethora of penalties.
Grade: A-

Hurricanes stun Huskies

There have been two constants for the women’s soccer team over the past few seasons. One was that the ‘Canes always won their Big East opener, and the other being that they never beat Connecticut. So when the Hurricanes took on UConn in their Big East opener Friday night at Cobb Stadium, something had to give.

The Hurricanes used two goals from Lindsey Yach and a third from Britney Butcher to shock the No. 10 Huskies for the first time in school history 3-1. The ‘Canes improved to a perfect 5-0 in conference openers with the victory, and beat a Top 10 opponent for the first time in school history.

“I’m really proud of my team,” Head Coach Tricia Taliaferro said after the game. “It has been a frustrating year because we have outplayed a lot of teams and had not been able to finish, and tonight, we were able to put things together and this should help us get over the hump.”
The Hurricanes jumped out to an early lead just eight minutes into the match on Yach’s fifth goal of the season off of a pass from freshman Sheuneen Ta. Yach would later score what turned out to be the game winner from a Butcher pass late in the first half, putting the ‘Canes up by two heading into halftime.

“I was just trying to help us get momentum and my goals gave us confidence that carried us throughout the game,” Yach said.
In the second half, the Huskies pulled within one on a goal from Jessica Gjersten, but then Britney Butcher sealed the deal off of passes from Yach and Ta that made it 3-1. The ‘Canes two offensive juggernauts, Yach and Butcher, combined for three goals and two assists in the victory.
“I think this victory showed that we can play with the top teams and it is just a matter of confidence,” Yach said.

The ‘Canes benefited from another solid effort from Alex Alford in net, allowing just one goal and making four saves. Alford has been solid in the net so far this season and has helped keep the team in games.
“Alex has been fantastic,” Taliaferro said. “You are asking a lot putting a freshman in goal going into the season, but she has stepped up big. She has got a lot of confidence and the players are building off of that because they know she is going to be a presence.”

With the victory, the ‘Canes improve to 6-4 on the season. The Big East has several good teams, and there is a lot of the season left to play, but the victory over the Huskies proves that UM is a force in the conference. UConn had dominated the Hurricanes in every prior meeting between the teams, outscoring the ‘Canes by a 21-2 margin. With the victory, the Hurricanes took a lot of pressure off themselves because they finally proved they can play against a good team. The win shows how far this program has come and that the team is on the rise.

“I think this win proves we are a great team and that this win shows we can compete with the other good teams,” Taliaferro said. “Beating a top ten team is huge and will help us get into the NCAA Tournament.”