THE MICHIGAN DAILY
Thursday, January 23, 1969
THE MICHIGAN DAILY Thursday, January 23, 1969
WCHA
By CHRIS TERAS
Before the 68-69 Western Col-
legiate Hockey Association cam-
paign, Michigan coach Al Ren-
frew felt that "all the teams in
the league will be tough." And
tough they have been. The usual
mid-seaso scramble has found
North Dak a, Michigan, Michigan
Tech, and Denver with the best
chance for the league crown at
season's end.
North Dakota is leading the
league with a 10-2 record includ-
ing a split at Michigan Tech last
weekend. Coach Ruben Bjorkman
said he is pleased with his team's
play so far.
He is, however, concerned about
the two-week exam layoff begin-
ning this week.
As Michigan fans well know,
the Wolverines played in Detroit's
Great Lakes Invitational Tourna-
ment last December' following a
similar period of inactivity. They
looked, rusty in losing to Michigan
Tech and Michigan State.
Bjorkman maintains that the
Sioux have good overall balance
yet the Nodaks have four ,men
among the top six WCHA scorers.
,The squad is averaging slightly
under five goals a game. Wing
Dave Kartio and Center Bob Mun-
ro are first-and third respectively
in the individual scoring statistics.
The defense has only two ex-
perienced men out of five, yet has
given up a respectable average of
three goals per game. Goal is the
biggest defensive question mark
as netminded Brian Blanchard,
has been bothered with a bad
back, and there is no experienced
man to take his place.
Michigan Tech is a hotbed of
hotbeds in college hockey. One
icers scramble
for top spot
among top ten WCHA scorers. The
pioneers are led by wingman
George Morrison. But, it is Den-
ver's defense that enables the re-
lentless pressure to be applied to!
opposing defenses. Goalie Gerry
Powers is good, but All-American
defensemen like Keith Magnuson,1
rarely permit any clear shots on
goal.
Michigan defeated State for the1
Big Ten Hockey Tournament title
last December by an 8-3 score.
Thus far, the Spartans are 2-5-1
in WCHA play.
Following State, Michigan hosts!
Minnesota in the first half of a'
four-game home-and-away set. A
weekend at Michigan Tech is in
between. The Wolverines have al-t
ready beaten Minnesota this sea-t
son in the semifinals of the Big
Ten Tourney. Five goals in the
final period resulted in a 6-4 win.
In the conference, Minnesota is
4-5-1, and in fifth place. Minne-
sota's leading goal scorer is Wing
Bill Klatt with 16 points. Two
teammates, center Pete Fichuk
and wing Rick Yurich, have ten
or more points.
Although Coloraao College does
have one of the WCHA's top point
producers in center Bob Collyard,1
the entire team has only averagedr
2.4 scores a game. The defense is7
even worse at its goals permittedl
average of 5.8 is second in medio-
crity only to lowly Duluth. 1
The Bull-dogs are currently in
the league's cellar with a 1-11
record. The inexperienced defenseE
has given up nearly six goals per
game. Star defensemen Rick New-
ell has been plagued with shoulder
trouble, and scoring production
has been just half of the number
of red lights allowed.
NHL STANDINGS
East Division
j WI L T Pts. GF GA
Pistoiis thwart Lakers, 116-115,
while SuperSonics upset Bullets
By The Associated Press its field shots in the first half, feat the New York Knicks 140-
DETROIT-The Detroit Pistons pulled to within 90-87 with 1:23 137 in a double overtime National
fought off a desperate rally by remaining. Basketball Association game last
the Los Angeles Lakers last night Wilkens scored 22 as Seattle night.
to gain a 116-115 NationalBas-won for only the third time in 21 The 76ers trailed 69-52 in the
ketball Association victory, games. Loughery paced Baltimore third period and finally caught
Trailing by as many as 23 with 27. the Knicks on an eight-foot jump
points in the second quarter the * * * shot by Hal Greer with two see-
Lakers rolled back to within 15 PHILADELPHIA - The Phila- onds to play.
at intermission, 11 after three delphia 76ers overcame a 17-point Willis Reed scored a free throw
quarters and finally within a second-half deficit with a field with 24 seconds left to send the
point of a tie when rookie B ill goal with two seconds remaining game into a second five-minute
Hewitt hit a jumped with 54 se- in regulation, and went on to de- overtime period at 128-all.
conds to go.
During the remaining time there
was. no further scoring but with
25 seconds left Fred Crawford
missed three free throws and
then, with a second to go, Elgin
Baylor's driving layup missed and
Walt Bellamy rebounded to save
the game for Detroit.
Eddie Miles with 25 points,
Bellamy with 24, Dave Bing with
21 and Happy Hairston with 20
led Detroit, while Jerry West had
28, Wilt Chamberlain 25 and
Baylor 22 for the losers.
Pistons' coach Paul Seymour
was ejected in the third period
when he suffered his second
technical foul of the game, which
was marked by a fight between V
Detroit's Jimmy Walker and the
Lakers' Keith Erickson. Erickson .(
suffered a seven-stitch cut over
his left eye.
4
WOLVERINE FORWARD Al Brooks lifts the puck past Minnesota goalie Ron Docken on the way
to a 6-4 victory over the Gophers in this years Big Ten Tourney. Michigan hot in contention with
Denver, North Dakota; and Michigan Tech. for first place in the WCHA needs this weekend as
they play Michigan State in away and home contests.
only has to talk to, any person
from Tech to discover that it is
one of the country's few institu-
tions where basketball and foot-
ball are relatively minor sports.
Third-place Tech's WCHA rec-
ord this season is 5-2, and are hot
on the heels of North Dakota and
second place Michigan. The Hus-
kies won the Great Lakes Tourna-
ment defeating Michigan 3-2 in
the process.
Coach John MacInnes stresses
defense. His team has responded
by giving up, an average of just
over three goals a game in con-
ference play.
MacInnes feels his defensemen
lack ekperience, and as a result
have been "inconsistent yet spec-
tacular at times." He feels the
defense was tops this season in
Detroit, but was again unsteady
against North Dakota. Another de-
UNION-LEAGUEt
MIXER
with FRANCIS X and- the BUSHMEN
FRIDAYS JANUARY 24 9-12 P.M.
Free Admission Union Ballroom
fensive weakness is penalty-kill-
ing. Overall, Tech has allowed ten
goals while shorthanded, com-
pared to their opponents' one.
Although the Huskies are strong
on defense, it is not their style
to sit back and rely on it entirely.
MacInnes likes his men to go after
the puck with hard forechecking.
According to MacInnes, Tech
has no individual stars. This is'
also suggested in the scoring sta-
tistics as the team is averaging
five goals a game, yet -leading
scorer Al Karlander barely makes'
it into the top twenty point hus-
tlers.
Denver's record at 8-4, is good
enough for fourth place, but from
their play in Ann Arbor two weeks
ago, it is hard to see how they;
have lost four games.
Against the Wolverines, Coach
Muray Armstrong's players in-
evitably seemed to be in the right
place to take possession of the
puck. It was only through a despe-
ration defensive effort, anchored
by Jim Keough's numerous clutch
saves, that Michigan was able to
stay close enough to take advan-
tage of its scorihg opportunities.
Denver, after last week's double
routs of Duluth, has five men
BALTIMORE - Lennie Wilk-
ens, playing most of the fourth
quarter with five fouls, led the
Seattle SuperSonics to a 98-94
National Basketball Association
victory over the'Baltimore Bullets
yesterday.
The loss ended a five-game
winning streak for Baltimore,
leaders of the Eastern Division,
while Seattle snapped a five-game
losing streak.
Wilkens incurred his fifth foul
with 10:52 remaining. But he di-
rected the Seattle attack and
scored five crucial points during
a 22-second span before fouling
out with less than 50 seconds to
play,
Baltimore, which failed 58-41
after hiting only 30 per cent of
Bost on
Montreal
Toronto
Chicago
Detroit
New York
St. Louis
Oakland
Los Angeles
Philadelphia
Pittsburgh
Minnesota
26 8
25 12
20 12
23 18
21 17
22. -18
9
7
10
3
7
4
61 169 112
57 148 119
56 129 112
49 169 135
49 146 132
48 120 112
West Division
22 11 11
16 24 6
15 20 6
11 23 11
10 28 7
9 29 7
-Associated Press
DAVE BING slips behind Wilt Chamberlain on his way to. two of
his 21 points. Bing along with Walt Bellamy and Happy Hairston
fought off a last minute rally to win over the Lakers, 116-115.
55 126
38 111
36 92:
33 95:
27 115
25 101
88
146
118
125
158
155
Yesterday's Results
No games scheduled.
Today's Games
Oakland at Montreal
Toronto at St. Louis
Los Angeles at New York
Boston at Detroit
Philadelphia at Chicago
Minnesota at Pittsburgh
ASTRO-EXPO DEAL:
Staub traded for Clendenon, Alon
SALE
c25% COFF
GIFT ITEMS and VARIOUS CLOTHING
The Medina Shop
402 Maynard St. 663-4540
HOUSTON, Tex. (MP)-The Hous-
ton Astros gave up their top hit-
ter yesterday by trading outfielder
Rusty Staub to the new Montreal
club in the National League for
first baseman Donn Clendenon
and outfielder Jesus Alou.
Staub, former New Orleans
schoolboy star who became Hous-
ton's first big bonus signee in 1961,
led the Astros with a .291 average
last season. In 1967, he finished
with a .333 mark after having led
the NL in batting a good portion
of the season.
"This has been my toughest
decision since I have been in base-
ball," said Astro Gen. Mgr. Spec
Richardson.
"Rusty is a great ball player
ATTE
THlE,
M'ICHIIIA
4TION:
T969
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rved in the
BOWL
Week
'ow-11:00 to 3:00
ir Yearbook
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College Life
South Quad, East Lounge
9:00 P.M., THURSDAY, JAN. 23
Come and see what it's all about
Sponsored by Campus Crusade for Christ
1
I
MEET
YOUR
MATE
at the
BACH CLUB
TONIGHT!
For details see the Organization
Notices in the Daily Official
Bulletin or posters on campus
and we hate to lose him but Mgr.
Harry Walker and others on the
staff agree in our feeling that the
trade will help the club. We now
feel we have a chance to chal-
lenge for our divisional cham-
pionship."
Montreal obtained both Clen-
denon and Alou in the recent NL
expansion draft, C1endenon from
the Pittsburgh Pirates and Alou
from the San Francisco Giants.
Alou hit .263 with.the Giants
while Clendenon hit .257 $is last
season for the Pirates.
Walker also attended a news
conference and said he believes
Houston now has "its strongest
team in history."
"We've added speed, power, and
defense but have lost one of the
finest hitters in baseball," Walker
said. "We have balanced our
righthanded hitting with our left-
handed hitting and have filled
one of our outfield spots."
p
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