Thursday, S.eptember 9, 1971 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Three.. Thursday, September 9, 1971 THE MICHIGAN DAILY Page Three JOIN THE SPORTS STAFF Cohabitate on Daily's $$ HOW WOULD YOU like to joke about women with the biggest playboy in major league baseball? Travel from Duluth, Minn. to Houghton, Mich. in a taxicab? Go to the Indianapolis 500, all expenses paid? Stay in a motel with your girl friend and have somebody else pay for it? Spend Christmas vacation in Hawaii? Members of the Daily sports staff have done all that in the past year and.more. And now is your chance as an incoming. freshman to get in on the ground floor, as they say in the trade.. Join The Daily and see the world. We're not saying that the Daily is all play, no sirree. When we put out the sports pages each night, we don't spend all our time playing home run derby, and wheelchair basketball or drinking (perish the thought) beer. And when we cover an athletic event in Lafayette, Ind., we manage to get in a little bit of work in between having all the. lobster and other delicacies we can eat at the Morris Bryant Inn. And we never have big bashes until after all the work for that night is done, and only on special occasions, like when one of our staff members gets engaged, or when one of our roommates de- cides to have A party, or if we feel like it. And there is work. Usually one night a week when you are expected to come in and do things like write headlines before you can play hearts.- There are stories to write. For example you may have to call. up a football player in Alabama to do a feature on him. In the fall you will probably write football, both Michigan and national,-and then in the winter you will be assigned a beat, like basketball, hockey 'or swimming and write stories and cover events of that sport. All you have to do to join is come into our offices at 420 May- nard Street. We're easy to find. We're the ones with the smiles. We're the ones who don't look hassled. We're the ones pitching pennies and screaming. The Daily sports staff, as the old saying goes, wants to join you. Can icers fI By TERRI FOUCHEY When a team finishes in ninth place in a nine-team league. with a 9-21 record overall and a 5-17 conference mark, the con- sensus is that things can't pos- sibly get worse the next season. The Michigan icers, the infar- ous afore-mentioned team, have been presented with the oppor- tunity to do worse. They could finish in tenth place. With the addition of Notre Dame for the 1971-72 season. the Western Collegiate Hockey Association e x p a n d s to ten teams. The tenth place, although it would be difficult to convince skeptics who suffered through last season, has not been re- served for the Wolverines. A synopsis of the disasters of last year, combined with the fact that three of the top four scorers, one of only four de- fensemen, and a backup goalie have been lost through gradua- tion, might be enough to cast doubts in the minds of/even the most optimistic fan concerning the icers' probable finish. Two solid victories over St. Louis by scores of 7-3 and 6-4 were the opening (and unfor- tunately, the s e a s o n 's high point) for the Wolverines. Even a split with North Dakota, with the loss coming in overtime, did not foreshadow the doom about to befall Michigan hockey for- tunes. The following weekend during a trip to Colorado Springs to meet Colorado College, a team which eventually had to strug- gle to finish seventh, the Wol- verines lost what little momen- tum they had built at that early in the season. Needless to say, they were never able to recapture it. The Tigers' one-sided triumph dispelled any notions that the Wolverines were playing up to their preseason' notices. The roof had fallen in and the Wolverines could not get out from under it. The St. Louis series was the only one Mich- igan took during the whole sea- son and after the first meeting with North Dakota there were only six more splits. A meeting, with Wisconsin occasioned a n o t h e r overtime game, with the victory going to Michigan, but the Badgers pick- up the win the next night. Go- ing into the holiday tourna- ments the Wolverines were pro- gressing at a .500 pace. By taking the initial encoun- ters in both tournaments with clearcut victories, the Wolver- ines showed signs of coming out of their slump and kept their .500 record intact even though they lost both championship games. Only in the 7-2 loss to Michigan Tech were the Wol- verinesgcompletely out of the game. The f i r s t conference oppo- nent of the New Year was Mich- igan State. The Green Meanies quickly dispatched the discour- aging outlook with which the annum was entered as they squeaked by Michigan w i t h scores of 5-4 and 6-5 on succes- sive nights. The double loss plunged the Wolverines into the WCHA cellar from which they never resurfaced. The return matches with North Dakota produced another split with the second game loss initiating a four game, tailspin. The Denver series went by in the blur of a couple of 6-3 losses and Minnesota - Duluth had waltzed to an 8-5 win before the icers were able to eke out a 4-3 decision. Then, incredibly. came eight straight losses. The first two defeats were at the hands of the Huskies of Michigan Tech, the year's super team in the conference. The weekend not only brought two setbacks but also grounded planes foreveryone, with a 19 hour bus ride for the team over ice, and an eight hour cab ride from Duluth for the illustrious Daily reporter (there are some advantages to being press). The next weekend, on its way to Madison the team managed to get off the ground, but the illustrious Daily reporter didn't. By failing to make the first game of the series cue to-airline incompetence, he only missed a repeat of the results of the con- test six days earlier. Like the second Tech g am e, Michigan nish lost 7-2 and the 4-1 re the morrow was just -a sided. After returning f r o m conference wars almost w o u n d e d regardingx chances, the Wolverines forward to a non-conf series with Notre Dame breather. The Notre Dame seri serve as a breather, bi script remained the sam had all year-two close, fought games with Mi ending up on the short the scores. The last two debacles notorious eight camec hands of the Golden G who at season's end _e proud possessors of the desired eighth place. Th loss ended any chance of ing the playoffs. A spark of some sort ha lit with the realization th playoffs were unattainab last three games of the went into overtime. The1 this trio was lost with 58 s left in the overtime per the breaks again felled t position's way. The last series with Mi State featured a victory a and a loss at East Lansin win was by an 8-7 scor sult of captain - Paul Gamsby getting is lop- the winner. A synopsis of the results is i these depressing, but coupling it with fatally a summary of graduation losses playoff makes the future look bleak in- looked deed. Gone are Captain Paul ference Gamsby and fellow forwards as a Brian Slack and Merle Falk, the second, and t h i r d highest es did scorers. ut the All is not lost, though, espe- e as it cially if it is always darkest be- hard- fore the dawn. I ;hiard- One of the rays of light is sohigaf senior forward Bernie Gagnon, last season's top scorer with 48 of the points. Of Gagnon, a potential All- at the America, coach Al Renfrew says, ophers "Bernie has great potential He's re the a threat to score every time he .hucli goes on the ice. With more ma- e first turity and experience we think reat;h- he'll have his best year yet." Other forwards who are d been counted upon to help Gagnon Aat the pick up the scoring slack are le. The senior Buckie Straub and jun- season iors Rick Mallette and Gary first of Connelly. econds The much maligned defense, iod as the center of the team's weak- he op- ness according to fans' evalua- tions, returns with experience .chigan scorers, one of only four de- t home "ability. Our defense was satis- ig. The factory and very good. They e with need help, defenseman, and in It's po0 the form of forwards who will drop back and help." Built around the core of cap- tain Brian Skinner and fellow seniors Punch Cartier and Jerry Lefebre, the blue-liners need only a compatible fourth to complete their hopefully im- pregnable wall. One who is especially hoping the defense finds its ^needed fourth and is extremely impene- trable is senior goalie Karl Bag- nell. Bagnell comes back for his >third season of masochism at Michigan and chances that he ; will be replaced aren't good. The incoming sophomores are expected to pick up where the graduated seniors left off. Skin- ner said. "We have to expect some improvement from the younger players; to have theh fill the gaps. This is because we can't anticipate freshmen com- ing in tearing the league dpart." { Two who will be watched for signs of filling the gaps are Julian Nixon and Bob Falconer. Renfrew observes, "Nixon was taking a regular turn near the end of the season and Falconer also played well." A pleasant surprise, who along w i t h the sophomores brought visions of victories, was junior Mike Jarry who switched to for-j ward from defense and ended! with 25 points. Renfrew says of his plans for Jarry, "We'll try to give him a good try at for- ward since we already know heI can play defense. We'll start him out at forward; maybe that'swhere he can help us the most." Renfrew adds, "If eve have players who will come back and help with defense, I expect a more otilnsive minded defense. We're hoping for a few good freshmen forwards so that there will be a more balanced scoring attack." He continues, "There are sev- eral other things which need improvement. We always work on fewer penalties. Near the end of last season we were pretty clean. It was a good sign that we only had three fighting penalties all season. "If we are to have a more ef- fective defense, it means moving Nsi e the puck, not letting it get stuck in our zone." Renfrew c o m m e n t s, "We weren't too far away from being a good team last season. If a team gets off on the wrong foot in this league, where breaks play such a dominant part, they're down before they even get started." Expressing the team's view, Skinner says, "A good start is what will make or break us. We can't go down to the last three weeks and expect to win. We should concentrate on back- and-fore-checking rather than everyone trying to score every time they're on the ice, "If we start out with winning in mind and with the idea that we have to play as a team to win, and that we can't just de- Pend on individuals, then, if we get a few breaks, we have a chance to make a decent show- ing." Only time will tell if MICH- IGAN has been carved indel- libly, at least for the 71-72 season, upon tenth place. Jazz ! Classical Pop * Rock Folk t Western Opera Top Names Top Label LP Albums at DISCOUNT PRICES AT FOLLETIS .. , USED TEXTBOOKS UP TO 3OFF UL R IICH 'S ANN ARBOR'S FRIENDLY BOOKSTORE -Daily-Jim Wallace Skinner bn a breakaway i 4 ____ - Grappler Neff, opponent come to grips STILL FINISHED THIRD Grapplers' By JERRY CLARK If it hadn't been for bad luck, the Michigan wrestling team last year would not have had any luck at all. An almost unbelievable streak of misfortune hit the Wolverines in January, and the result was that head coach Rick Bay had to sit back and watch his young, strong squad finish a distant third in the Big Ten championships. ;What made it especially galling was that - Michigan had beaten Iowa, the second place finisher, and had tied Michigan State, the champion, during the regular season. But when the meet came around, the Wol- verines were only able to send five of their regular wrestlers onto the mat in top physical condition. This year, Bay feels that his team is stronger than last, and if he can avoid the in- juries and "personal problems" that plagued the squad last winter, sees no reason why the Wolverines should not be in the thick of the Big Ten title race. Only two lettermen are missing from the team that went 8-2-2, and a strong 'crew of freshmen will bolster the returnees. Included in the latter category is sophomore Jerry f Hubbard, who last year, in his first season as a college wrestler, captured the conference title at 150 and finished fourth in the na- tion. He is the outstanding returning wrestler on the team and will be a key performer. Before they can start dreaming of the championship, however, the grapplers must survive the toughest schedule in Michigan History. Among the non-conference opposi- tion will be Pittsburgh and Ohio University, both of whom were national powers last sea- son. Also on the bill of fare is defending National Collegiate Athletic Association champion and 4 perennial power Oklahoma State. Throw in the conference schedule, and you have a list that would make most coaches shudder. But not Bay. "Our dual meet record may onlv luck went sour Ohio. Brown, a two time state champion, was a member of the team for the Junior World Championships and was named the out- standiig wrestler in Ohio. He by no means has a lock on the posi- tion, however, as two other stronig fresh- men, Jay Hubner and Jim Coleman, come in with strong credentials. Also present is David Greenblatt, a sophomore who competed for the Junior Varsity last season. At 126 for the Wolverines will be two ex- perienced wrestlers. Lim Hagen, a senior, came on strong at the end of last season and ended up placing sixth in the NCAA- meet. He will receive support from Bill Davids, who saw action at both 126 and 134 as a freshman. Davids compiled a 4-3-1 record, last season, and Bay feels that his potential is "unlimited." Rick Neff, a sophomore, will hold down the 134 spot this season full time. Last year, he had to wrestle at both 134 and 142, and still compiled a 4-4-1 record. Bay feels that Neff is constantly improv- ing, and points out that he was the only wrestler on the squad who was "Champion of the Week" twice. Also taking aim at the job will be freshman Brad McCrory, runner- up for the state crown in Michigan and an- other whom Bay considers an "outstanding prospect." The deepest weight class on the team is at 142 pounds, where captain Mark King will have to fight for the top spot. King was in- jured much of last season, but is healthy now. Providing the chief challenge to King will be a pair of freshmen, including his brother John, the Outstanding wrestler in Illinois. Tom Herter, a state champion from McLean, Virginia, will keep the competition keen. In addition, there is Bob Meyer, a sophomore up from the J.V. Hubbard definitely has the edge of 150, where he was brilliant last season. If he c( n- tinues to improve, nothing stands in his path , oA. vna+4,waol +itlD TBacking h1-im ui will he'two Huizenga, who had a 9-0-1 record as a fresh- man. Using a very unorthodox style, Huizenga swept through the opposition and gained a third place in the conference meet. He is back at 167 this season, and will be tough to beat unless opponents catch on in a hurry to his unusual mannerisms. If he should falter, Bay can call on Roger Ritz- man, a junior who saw action at 177. Also in the picture is freshman Rick Jekel, a state champion from Clio, Michigan. The 177 and 190 classes are somewhat jum- bled, and little depth is available. The only real 190 on the team last year was Walt Sex- ton, a freshman who did extremely well until forced out by injury. He did not return after the fourth meet, and it is uncertain whether he will be back this season. If he is not, Bay can count on Therlon Har- ris, who took third in the conference at that weight. Normally a 177, Harris moved up in weight after Sexton's injury, and "did every- thing we asked of him", according to Bay . Two freshmen would then compete for the 177 spot. John Ryan of Detroit Catholic Cen- tral was a state champion, and Dave Carly of Ann Arbor Pioneer finished third. Ritzman wrestled in the conference meet at this weight and could see action there. Heavyweight is in the very capable hands of Rick Bolhouse, the team's other unbeaten wrestler in dual meets. Bolhouse missed the conference meet with an injury, but came through with clutch performances all sea- son. His injury required no surgery, and he will be ready to go. Gary Ernst, who wrestled in his place in the Big Ten tournament,*will back him up.- Very little stood in the way of a perfect record last year. In the second conferencef meet, injuries to King and Sexton resulted in two forfeits in an 18-17 loss. At Pittsburgh the next week, Hubbard accidently pinned himself while leading by a large margin, and Michigan lost 19-16. , 1I t Wo Student Headquarters for MICHIGAN CAMPU WEAR SWEAT SHIRTS (including special orders for fraternities, sororities, dorms and clubs) N JACKETS 'M' BLANKETS FOR SMALL FRY-Sweat Shirts, Suits, Sweaters T SHIRTS WOMEN'S GYM ATTIRE SHORTS BLOUSES SHOES BADMINTON BIRDS K FIELD HOCKEY SHOES SWIM APPAREL PHYSICAL EDUCATION MAJORS' UNIFORMS ALL GOLF and TENNIS SUPPLIES MEN'S ATHLETIC SUPPLIES SHORTS, REVERSIBLE T-SHIRTS, WARM-UP SUITS SHOES for ALL SPORTS, EXERCISERS, PADLEIF BAULL IPAiLES HANnDR BI-ALL GLOVE hH V WL -\ LJ, FA uD-LLt7 , SQUASH RACKETS, TEAM UNIFORMS Complete Line of TEINNIS and GOLF SUPPLIES FENCING EQUIPMENT ISO-KITS COMPLETE LINE OF ADIDAS SHOES TRACK, SOCCER, FOOTBALL, TENNIS, BASKETBALL, CASUALS CCM IC E SK ATESCOMPLETE LINE OF TENNIS RACKETS AND EQUIPMENT--RESTRINGING 4 a,, k 2> i i