ANN ARBOR, Mich (Wednesday, November 8, 2000) -- Freshman Stephanie Chavez ended a thrilling game by finding net for the second time -- this one early in a second sudden-death overtime period -- to lift No. 24 Michigan to a 4-3 decision over Miami of Ohio in a first-round NCAA tournament match at U-M Soccer Field this afternoon.

Next up for UM is a visit to No. 1 Notre Dame Sunday at 1 p.m. "We go into the game having nothing to lose as the underdogs against the tournament’s top seeded team said Michigan coach Debbie Belkin Rademacher. "Notre Dame is a good, experienced team, and maybe they are ripe for an upset. We will need to focus and play confidently with aggressiveness.

Three times the Wolverines (13-8-1) saw one-goal games disappear. "We didn’t make it easy on ourselves," Rademacher said. "I felt we had the game in hand and made it difficult on ourselves. Every time we got ahead, there was a letdown on our side."

At 108:42, Chavez took a pass from senior midfielder Kacy Beitel and netted her eighth goal of the season for the 4-3 final score.

"The offense worked well and created chances. I just put it in," Chavez said.

"The ball was played into the box close to the goalie," Beitel said. "I was able to jump in front and deflect the ball clear and get it to Stephanie. She finished it out."

Miami (13-8), making its first appearance in the NCAA postseason, forced overtime when Danielle Berkemeier scored an unassisted goal at 87:57.

"A lot of people were nervous at the start and early in the game," said Berkemeier said. "Once we got going and got into the flow, we began to play our game and the nervousness was gone."

Michigan went up 1-0 when Beitel caught a cross from senior Marie Spaccarotella and slid a shot past goalkeeper Laura Degelleke at 15:23.

At 48:47, the RedHawks tied on a goal by Julie Gross off a pass from Courtney Julian.

Michigan jumped ahead 2-1 when sophomore Laurie Peterson recorded her first goal of the season off a corner kick from sophomore Andrea Kayal at 62:40.

Miami answered again on an unassisted tally by Danielle Altiero at 68:58.

Chavez took a pass from freshman Amber Wilson and tucked it behind Degelleke to make it 3-2 at 76:57.

Illinois 2, Xavier 0

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. -- Illinois won its first NCAA tournament game ever, using two goals from sophomore Laura Freeman to blank Xaiver 2-0.

Illinois (14-7) next goes to Big Ten champion Penn State for a Sunday 1 p.m. (ET) match, It took PSU three overtimes to defeat Illini 2-1 Friday in the conference tournament.

Xavier (14-7-1) saw a 14-match unbeaten streak end

Illinois went ahead 1-0 off a corner from Hollie Schurr. After the ball rattled between Illinois and Xavier players, Freeman knocked the ball off a Musketeer defender and into the net at 16:55.

"It was a just a great cross," said Freeman. "I happened to be standing there. It bounced around and before you know it was in the net."

Margaret Broe provided Xavier¹s best chance in the first half, but a shot just went wide of the net.

The Illini took control at 2-0 after junior defender Heidi Holtzman, who managed to dribble into the Xavier defense several times on the evening, did so again as the second half started. Her penetration left Freeman unmarked and Holtzman found her teammate, who deposited her seventh goal of the year just 49 seconds after intermission.

"The space just opened up," Holtzman said. "Our wing middies were going touch line, so that opened space in the middle. I was just there to capitalize on the opportunity."