THE MICHIGAN DAILY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5, 1060 TUE MICHIGAN DAILY FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 5,1960 SiDE LINEs by Jim Rena gh, Sports Editor I I 11 Michigan Icers Face Rugged Trip By MIKE GILLMAN -j . '1 1 MICHIGAN'S brightest newcomer in the school's colorful hockey history will carry the Maize and Blue and pressure of the big reputation on the Minnesota ice tonight in a long-awaited moment for coach Al Renfrew and Wolverine backers. "I'm not worried about it, though," says man-on-the-spot Gor- Bere son, a sturdily-built Canadian who has just become a first- semester sophomore. Berenson, a 20-year-old who's carried the name "Red" with him most of his life, has psyched himself up to meet the expectations of him which are based on 13 years of superb amateur hockey. The only thing that bothers Red is that he worries about how his teammates will react to his tremendous advance billing. "But how else can you describe a guy with all that potential?" questions Renfrew, one of his biggest supporters. "Red has more potential than any kid I've ever coached," he added, after quickly recalling his nine years of teaching hockey at North Dakota, Michigan Tech and Michigan - a trio of college hockey hotbeds. Renfrew, using a typical coaches' caution, emphasizes that the Redhead still has to prove himself in a game but points out that the ace center's talent, size and speed (he's 6'0" and 185) and that extra special "tremendous amount of desire" that leads to greatness. The coach is quick to mention thta Red Ls very coachable, even though the rookie is better than the coach ever was. AS FOR PROVING himself, Red has a fine background already. He began playing hockey at seven for the Montreal Canadien's system in hometown Regina, Sask., and has been under their rights ever since. He advanced fast and finally reached the Regina Pats, a highly- regarded outfit that was runnerup to an Ottawa team (which has sent National Hockey League rookie-of-the-year Ralph Backstrom, Bruce Gamble and John Trembley to the majors) for the 1958 Cana- dian junior championship. Berenson and NHL star Bill Hickey were the two top scorers on that team. Last year, Red dropped out of spring semester to join a Cana- dian team which won the world amateur tournament. Red led all pointmakers with 10 goals and two assists in eight games. That's when the pressure came: "Should I return to school or concentrtae on the pros?" pondered the serious Berenson. Fortunate- ly for Michigan, he decided on the former. It meant turning down a possible $10,000 a year contract for each of the next two years for a boy who just gets room and rent in "the cheapest Ann Arbor apartment" for himself and his wife of five months, tuition and books. Montreal asked him to join its Rochester club after the world tourney. It also meant hampering his professional career, since college hockey - to Red - is played without the tough body checks and with fewer games than the pros can offer. But Red has figured that a college education is worth more than pro hockey in the long run. He backed up his talk with his tran- script, which showed a 3.0 average for the past semester. However, he knows that the "pro money comes fast" and liopes to get a share of it upon graduation as a petroleum geologist. To improve himself, he stays out with the freshmen after varsity prac- tice is over to try new tricks and perfect old ones. Until that pro money comes, the Redhead will have to prove himself in college. The recent surge of Billy Hay with the Chicago Black Hawks has been encouraging, though. Hay, a potential NFL 1960 rookie of the year, is a former Colorado College ace who was the first collegian to star in the majors. Only the next three years, which begin for Red at Minneapolis onight, will tell. Ready for the New Year. Get Your 1960 Calendars & Appointment Books at MORRI LL'S 314 South State (Giving Morrill Support For 50 Years) TO SEE FIRST ACTION-Red Berenson, Michigan's newly eligi- Now, withekl ble center, will be first seen on Coliseum ice a week from Tuesday behind them, Renfrew's charge against Michigan State. Berenson came to Michigan via the are faced with a grueling schedule Regina Pat Junior "A" championship team of 1958, and saw of six games in the next 12 days action last winter with the Canadian national team in Europe. the first five on the road. Former Teammates Aid Wolvernes; Regina Pats Lead 'M' Resurgence By MIKE GILLMAN The final buzzer sounded and the blue-shirted team skated off the ice 4-0 victors. The roster of this winning team included such names as Joe Lung- hammer, Gerry Kolb, Bill Kelly, John Palenstein and Red Beren- son. A close follower of the Michi- gan hockey team might recognize the names and think he was read- ing of another Wolverine win. But he's be wrong. Win Western Canada Title The time was March, 1958, the scene was Regena, Sasketchewan, and the Regina Pats had just won the Western Canadian Junior "A" championship from the St. Boni- face (Winnepeg) Canadians. Today, less than two years later, the nucleus of one of Canada's finest Junior "A" teams has be- come the key to the Wolverines' current success and future hopes. And the strangest part of the story is that in a period in which extensive recruiting is engaged in and accepted by all American col- leges, this sophomore quintet of icers were not approached by Wol- verine mentor Al Renfrew, but came to him instead. Top Team That this team was among the best junior teams collected in re- cent years can be best demon- strated by tracing a few of its players that have scattered through the hockey world. Among the leading Pat gradu- ates who played with the five now wearing the Maize and Blue are Bill Hickey (Montreal Canadians), Aut Erickson (Boston Bruins) and Dave Balone (just moved from the minors up to the Toronto Maple Leafs). Supplies Colleges Surprisingly enough, that same team has had 13 players move into American college ranks. This is despite the fact that Canada's Junior "A" teams are primarily designed to feed players into the National Hockey League. In fact each team is considered coaches are eager to see players get to college, Junior "A" coaches offer no assistance to their charges in contacting schools. Says Lunghammer, "They're in business to get players for the major league clubs and don't want to send anyone to school if they can help it." But in spite of this, Michigan now has five of the Pats, Denver has five, Michigan Tech has one, and one matriculated briefly at North Dakota. Led Pats The first line for the champion- ship Pat team of 1958 included Lunghammer, Berenson and Hick- ey, who is now with Montreal in the NHL. Kolb played on a line with two of the current aggrega- tion, and Kelly's linemates went to Denver and North Dakota. The five Wolverines from Regina have become good-will agents for Michigan and are currently trying to attract Kolb's linemates to Ann Arbor. One of these, Gord Wilkie, is now the second highest scorer in the league. Another player that Lungham- Ili' %/% HAMBURGERS 15c ~~D a FRENCH FRIES 10c THE SNACK THAT S A T I S F I E S . . S SHAKES 20c Coin- Operated Laundry JOE LUNGIJAMER ... spokesman for the Pats Something New at Kwik 'n Kleen SUNDAY 9 A.M. 'til 7 P.M. Mon. thru Saturday 7:30'til Midnight WASHING 20c Per Load DRYING lOc 10 Minutes FAR Awl 1.i. - 1 mr- -T - m - m r I i