The Wolverine: Covering University of Michigan Football and Sports
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/575020
OLYMPIC SPORTS selection, and a four-time member of the All-Catholic League, all-dis- trict and all-region teams. She was even the placekicker on Notre Dame Prep's football team as a junior and senior. To put it mildly, Timko was a star. Now a sophomore forward at U-M, not much has changed for Timko. She was leading the women's soccer team in goals (seven) and points (15), and was second in minutes played (791), through 10 games. Ryan knew that he was getting someone special when Timko com- mitted to the Wolverines, and he says he always expected big things from her. "We thought Taylor could be very good, but we knew she'd have a lot to learn," Ryan said. "We played a very different style from her club team, but we saw her ability and talent. "I'm not surprised at all that she's been a starter from day one. I think what I've been most impressed with is her ability to learn and adapt to a different style of play." Ryan was a little surprised by how she picked things up so quickly, but because of her physical gifts, it wasn't exactly a shocker. "She's a very interesting player," Ryan said. "She's very athletic, very skillful and she has a powerful shot. She has a knack for scoring goals, and I don't know quite how to explain it. She can also run all day and has an engine that won't quit. All of those things are reasons why she's done so well." While confident in her own abili- ties, Timko didn't know what to ex- pect when she got to Michigan. The only thing she could control is her effort, and she did that to the best of her ability. So far, it's paid off. "I don't know if I was expecting to play and contribute this much, but we all work so hard that every- one on our team expects to contrib- ute," she said. "Everyone is com- peting for a spot and working so hard that it pushes me when I'm out there." After starting all 20 games and be- ing named to the Big Ten All-Fresh- man Team and Michigan's Female Rookie of the Year last year, Timko is now a focal point of the team. "This spring was a big growth point for me and everyone in my class," Timko said. "I finally got to take advantage of being with my coaching staff and learning things from the previous year. During the spring there isn't the pressure of the upcoming season right away; it's just a time to grow, learn and get better. Now that the season is here you can DIGITAL BONUS: CLICK THE ICON TO PLAY OR STOP THE PODCAST Soccer coach Greg Ryan on his team's 7-3 start.