WINNING STREAK NOW SEVEN
leers defeat Irish,
The Michigan Daily-Saturday, November 10, 1979-Page 9
Michigan s Heikkinen trudges
through practice, excels in meets
7-4
By MARK BOROWSKI
Special to The Daily
SOUTH BEND - Last night's hockey
between Michigan and Notre Dame
resembled the old Doctor Jeckyl and
Mr. Hyde movie. Just as one team star-
ted to take control, it unwillingly
changed its personality and let the op-
posing team take over. But the third
period saw Michigan take on the per-
sonality of Dr. Jekyl and come from
behind to edge the Fighting Irish, 7-4.
And after two very sluggish periods
for Coach Dan Farrell's Wolverines
they wasted no time in putting the win-.
ning goal in the net. Murray Eaves tip-
ped a John Blum shot that rebounded
off Notre Dame's Dave Laurion just :57
into the final period, while the Irish
weire one man short.
NOTRE DAME opened the first
period by doing everything a good
hockey team should. 'They outskated,
outpassed, and outshot the Michigan
squad. But Michigan netminder, Paul
Fricker, was determined to keep the
sailing black disc out of the net and did
just that, turning sixteen Irish shots.
Michigan's potent power play was
stymied three times in the first period
as Notre Dame continually controlled
the puck. But then Dr. Jeckyl came into
play as a boarding penalty against the
Irish set up the Blue's fourth power
play attempt in the first period. And as
soon as Bruno Baseotto got his stick on
the puck he slipped a pass to senior Dan
Lerg who slapped his first of three goals
home to put the Wolverines ahead, 1-0.
The second period opened with the
tide still going Michigan's way as
Baseotto picked up his thirteenth goal
of the season. But Coach Farre~s
squad was not able to find the potion
necessary to control the dreaded Mr.
Hyde. Notre Dame came back with four
straight goals, two of which were
scored while Michigan had men in the
penalty box and the other two while
both sides were short one man, giving
them a 4-2 advantage.
JUST WHEN it looked as if the
Wolverines were going to be pushed out
the door they changed their play again
aided by two Notre Dame penalties.
"I was pleased by the fact that we
were able to come back after being
down 4-3. A fifth goal would have
finished us," said Coach Farrell.
Lerg was the man who capitalized on
both power plays, first knocking in a
nifty pass from Eaves and a little over
two minutes later, ripping a slapshot
from the top of the face-off circle that
sneaked past Laurion to tie the score at
four apiece.
By JOHN FITZPATRICK
Dan Heikkinen is an anomaly. He's one of the best
distance runners Michigan has had, having placed second in
the '79 Big Ten steeplechase, and qualified for the U.S.
Olympic Trials next year in that same event. Most runners of
Heikkinen's caliber are totally absorbed in the imperatives
of their sport, getting their daily miles in with a dedication
that approaches obsession.
Heikkinen, however, views track not with enthusiastic
intensity, but with a cool detachment peculiar for today's
breed of the "total runner"; "It's kind of like a job," he
laughs. "I can't say it's been fun."
When Heikkinen came to Michigan as a 4:15 miler from
Adrian High School, he didn't find the transition to college
easy. "When I first came here, it was like starting all over
again. It was something of a shock to go from the number one
runner in your school to a lowly freshman here."
Injuries hampered rapid improvement for Heikkinen,
but an 8: 55steeplechase as a sophomore was an encouraging
sign: "It was sort of like a breakthrough."
Heikkinen's most prolific season was last year, as he was
second in the Big Ten steeple and sixth in the 5,000 (both on
the same day), and qualified for the finals of the NCAA
steeple, in which he finished 10th, at Champaign, Illinois. "It
was something standing next to (multi-world record holder
Henry) Rono at the start. I was pretty tired in that race after
having run the prelims in the previous day; I wasn't used to
running that many hard races so close together."
Though he considers himself to be best at distances un-
der 5,000 meters, Heikkinen has been the number one man for
the Wolverine harriers this year. At the Big Ten meet last
weekend, he finished third, being outkicked by Ohio State's
Steve Crane and Wisconsin's Jim Stinzi over the last 200 yar-
"Crane's a kicker," commented Heikkinen ruefully. "He's
a miler, so in a kick situation like that he'll have an advan-
tage over me; Stinzi's quick, too. I just got outkicked, I guess.
I should have stuck in a surge with about 500 yards to go. But
really, the whole thing was kind of stupid. I just fell off at the
end."
Though he thinks the Wolverines will do well, Heikkinen
has modest hopes for himself at today's NCAA district meet
to be held at East Lansing. "I'm looking to finish in the top
five, but hey, you never know, anything can happen. Team-
wise we should do very well. The course is hilly, and that's
the type of terrain we excel on. The hills will probably weed
out the guys who are from the flat areas and aren't used to
them.
"If I make a move, it'll probably come with about one and a
quarter miles to go; there's a pretty big hill at that point, so
I'd pick it up at the base of the hill and try to break things up.
"If it comes down to a kicker's race, I don't know what'll
happen. Maybe I'll get outkicked again, maybe I won't. You
just don't know."
As for his post-collegiate plans, Heikkinen intends to
concentrate on the steeple: "I'll stick with the steeple; I don't
want to get too diversified."
Despite his avowed disdain for training regimens, and
his well-meaning temperament, Dan Heikkinen has the
steely tenacity of an ardent competitor beneath his
unassuming veneer; when asked what he thinks of competing
against freshman sensation Brian Deimer, his teammate,
Heikkinen says, "He's a great guy and a fantastic com-
petitor," and then adds, "You think about competing against
someone like Brian. But you don't want anyone beating you
when it comes to the big meets.
"Never.
7-0
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: M-Lerg (Baseotto, Eaves) 19:26.
Penalties: M-Bourne (hooking) 4:10; M-
Fricker (highsticking)4:52; ND-Poulin (elbowing)
12:10; ND-Cameron (interference) 15:10; ND-
Humphreys (interference) 15:38; ND-Higgins
(boarding) 18:15.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: M-Baseotto (Tippett, May) 2:31; ND-
Poulin (Brownschidle, Friedmann) 4:26; ND-
Michalek (Merideth, Lucia) 6:35; ND-Merideth
(Weltzin, Michalek) 8:41; - ND-Merideth (Fried-
mann) 11:24: M-Lerg (Eaves, Manning) 14:22;
M-Lerg (Baseotto, Eaves) 16:37.
Penalties: M-Tessier (interference), 4:05; M-
Tippett (charging) 5:48; ND-weltzin (slashing)
5:57; M-Lundberg (highsticking) 8:22; M-Rich-
mond (roughing) 10:53; ND-Michalek (roughing)
10:53; ND-Friedmann (elbowing) 13:34; ND-
Cameron (holding) 15:01: M-Milburn (tripping)
16:50.
THIRD PERIOD-
Scoring: 9. M-Eaves (Lerg, Blum) 0:57; 10.
M-Baseotto (Oiver) 14:14; 11. M-Eaves (Blum,
Tippett) 14:35.
Penalties: ND-Meredith (checking from behind).
0:49; M-Brandrup (tripping) 8:47; M-Milborne
(delay of game) 11:00; ND-Higgins (delay of game)
11:00; M-May (checking from behind) 11:59;
M-Tessier (boarding) 8:41.
Saves
Fricker (M)
Laurian (ND)
16 6 12-34
11 10 3-24
'I
LOSING STREAK ENDS A T FIVE:
DeVitalized Pistons beat Sixers, 106-98
By BRAD GRAYSON
Special to the Daily
PONTIAC-The Pistons won a hard
fought game at-the Silverdome over the
Philadelphia 76ers, 106-98. It was close
most of the way until center Bob Lanier
led* the Pistons in a fourth quarter
charge that put the game away r
It was the first win in as many tries
for new coach Richie Adubato who suc-
ceeded Dick Vitale, the recently fired
Piston coach.
ADUBATO COMMENTED that it
was "just a good team effort" and
Lanier was "just unbelievable." He
also attributed the big win to good
team defense.
The Pistons led most of the first quar-
ter, but the Sixers kept it close until
Philadelphia finally took its first lead,
25-23, on a Bobby Jones flying slam dunk
with 46 seconds to go in the quarter. The
quarter ended in a 27-27 deadlock as
Julius Erving of the Sixers and James
McElroy of the Pistons led their respec-
tive teams with eight points apiece.
The second quarter began as see-saw
battle, however the Pistons took com-
mand with a 12-3 spurt led by Lanier to
open a 53-44 lead with 1:30.,to go in the
half. The Sixers closed the lead to 56-51
at the half on a Caldwell Jones jumper
from the top of the key as time ran out.
IN THE THIRD quarter the Pistons,
with four points each by McElroy and
Terry Tyler, ran off eight straight to
open up a 65-56 lead. The rest of the
quarter was Philadelphia's as Doug
Collins led a comeback to pull them
within three at 81-78 to end the third
stanza.
The Pistons were led by game MVP
Lanier's 26 points, while Collins led the
losers with 21. Also, McElroy ended his
string of 20 straight successful free-.
throws.
One factor in the game was the fact
that both teams received technical
fouls for using a zone defense. This con-
tributed to some good one-on-one
basketball as Lanier and Tylersuc-
cessfully shut off the vaunted Sixers in-
side game.
Out of the s9Iue
By Geoff Larcom
RE YOU LEAVING Dick Vitale? I heard when they fired you, that
you cried. Well Dick Vitale, we all sure know one thing. We're damn
sure that you tried. ..
I remember a similar phrase used in connection with Billy Martin when
he was finished with the Detroit Tigers, Love, hate or amused indifference,
whatever you felt for either Vitale or Martin, one thing was sure. They put
everything they had into the professional coaching position.
That was the problem with Vitale, one which should have been evident to
his superiors from the start. Every loss, every notch the Pistons dropped in
the standings .was to take a small piece of mind from Vitale.
He is a man who admittedly cannot cope with losing. Each setback
weighs on him as a personal blow.
Depression was Vitale's reaction to the Pistons' early season ineptitude,
and his superiors, Oscar Feldman and Bill Davidson, only saw that as
deepening while the season wore on.
Yet they knew Vitale was a high-powered man when they hired him. He
labored right under their noses as U of D coach. If ever the company should
have had a good idea of how a man would respond to pressure, this was it.
And yet Vitale was enthusiastically hired, his stunning successes with
the Titans still fresh in everyone's mind. It was to be a "ReVitalization" of
the franchise. Vitale's enthusiasm was catching, and soon he had many
believing that, yes, another Detroit basketball resurrection was in the
making.
But that star quickly faded. A public relations ploy dies a quick death
when a team goes 30-52 as did the Pistons last year.
And so all the Piston management had left this season was an also ran
product and a coach that couldn't cope with the emotional rigors of the
NBA's second division.
I just wish they'd thought ahead, beyond the first year benefits a Detroit
celebrity like Vitale would bring. Could a man with Vitale's emotional and
personal devotion to the game last in such a transient, harsh environment?
Nobody knew enought to ask. So Vitale gratefully accepted the oppor-
tunity of a lifetime, leaving the atmosphere he seemed so at home in, the
'rah, rah' situation college imposes.
So now the Piston brass must choose the club's seventh coach of the
decade. Dave Bing would be a popular local choice, but if the Vitale era
taught them anything, it should be that catering to local fan appeal is no way
to win in the NBA.
The simple fact remains-the players on the court spell life or death in
the -NBA. Ask former Milwaukee coach Larry Costello where he'd have
been without Bob Dandridge or Kareem Abdul-Jabbar when his Bucks won
the world championship.
Ask Billy Cunningham of the Philadelphia 76ers how he coaches Julius
Erving. Sure, he draws out plays. Sure, he formulates last-minute strategy.
But the bottom line is court execution and only the players can respond to
that challenge.
Davison and Feldman have put themselves on the spot. They fired
another coach. They inexplicably cut John Shumate. The lost M.L. Carr and
Kevin Porter, after each had super seasons.
And what did they get in return? Bob McAdoo-a proven scorer, and lit-
tHe else. They've kept up the local appeal with, incredibly, three U of D stars
presently on the roster, along with MSU's Greg Kelser and Phil Hubbard of
Michigan.
But if these very young, untested players don't soon produce, Feldman
and Davidson are in for worse times still. The two can change coaches as
they please. That's not the problem however.
It's called thoughtful decisionmaking, and in that the Pistons have been
strictly minor league.
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Tonight's Michigan-Notre Dame
hockey game will be broadcast live
from South Bend by Mark Stacy and
Jim Huttle on WCBN, 88.3 on your
FM dial. Catch all the action star-
Altom bers ting at 7:34 p.m.
1588
at Toronto
By LEE KATTERMAN
With the season only two weeks old,
the men's gymnastics team will be
facing Olympics-bound competition on-
ce again.
The season opener pitted the
Wolverines against the Korean
National team, with the Koreans
coming out on top, 266.8-254.9.
TONIGHT, THE gymnasts meet the
York University squad, which includes
three members from the Canadian
Olympic team.
Although the Wolverines defeated the
Toronto-based tumblers last season,
Michigan coach Newt Loken believes
this year's match will be much closer.
HIS GUARDED optimism stems
from the recent injury to sophomore
all-arounder Marshall Girfield. Gar-
field dislocated a finger while working
on parallel bars and is not expected to
be able to practice for at least two
weeks.
Against the Koreans, Garfield tied for
first on parallel bars with a 9.15.
SCORES
NBA
Boston 127, Kansas City 119
Washington 125, San Antonio 116
Chicago11 7;San Diego 92
NHL
Chicago 4, Hartford 2
Atlanta 5, New York I.2
The Athlete's Shop
I.M. B-ball
10% Team Discount
309 S. State
Attention
All Bookworms:
Now that your
midterms
are over,
TAKE A
luatIV
D D C A KI
I