21, 1977-The Michigan Daily
MINNESO TA: BEST OF REST?
ophers prime
for Blue
By JEFF BLAKE
n Pont, the head coach of North-
rn's football team, didn't really
to be critical, nor to be facetious.
t, he meant to hand the Minnesota
ers, the top-ranked Wolverines'
lent this Saturday, a compliment.
nesota has a fine football team,"
'ont, following his team's loss to
rophers last weekend. "I'd say
re definitely on a par with Wiscon-
Vow I don't mean that they're
to get beat by 56 points, but .ts
nothing, In Minneapolis this
day, Michigan may indeed be
;one of the Big Ten's best-of the
That is, behind the Big Two. Last
the Gophers wound up tied for
in the conference-but tied for'
th too, with three other clubs at 4-
is year, with star quarterback
Dungy graduated, the Gophers
ly 1-2 in conferemce play, but are
erall.
urally, the game Saturday is a big,
>r the Gophers. "The big thing,"
vlinnesota coach Cal Stoll, "is that
es us the opportunity to playthe.
ier one team in the ntation. This
be the only time these guys have
hance."
coach, what about the Little
ri Jug, the coveted trophy awar-
annually to the winner of the
UM clash? "Aw, that's a fun
and it's got a lot of tradition, but
eally insignificant compared to
ng the number one team." Of
e, Stoll mighty be excused for
.ing nonchalant: He has yet to win
ophy in his six years at Minnesota.
rder to win it this year, Stoll has
i find some way of installing in his
a component largely absent
gh its first six games-offense.
najor problem has been trying to
Fe Dungy, and neither sophomore
dell . very, nor Junior Marc
man has proved adequate.
ry, whose quickness afoot earned
he starting role in the team's first
ames, was demoted last week to
man for first-time starter Trest-
"Wendell has had problems on third-
and-long," admitted Stoll. "So we had
to give Marc a chance. He gives us a lot
more maturity and stability back there,
since he does have more experience.''
Trestman was red-shirted last year
after injuring his arm, but picked up
experience as a back-up to Dungy two
years ago. He will probably be Satur-
day's starter.,
Picking up the scoring slack has been
who Stoll terms "our bright spot;" field
goal kicker Paul Rogind. Rogind, a
sophomore from: Harrison High in
Farmington, Michigan, has already set
a school record this season with nine
field goals. Four of those came in one
game against Washington, with the
last, one of three game winners this
year, beating the Huskies in the last
five seconds.
Keeping the score close enough to
enable Rogind to win games, however,
is a strong defense which has allowed
just over 16 points a game, including 38
by Ohio State. Three times the opponent
has been held to one touchdown.
"Our defense has been just super,"
boasts Stoll, singling out the play of
linebackers Steve Stewart and Michael
Hunt. "We lost Luckemeyer in the
secondary (ruptured, spleen), but
(Brian) Snyder filled in well last week
and it didn't seen to hurt us a bit."
Overall, Stoll is pleased with his
team's play. "We think we've had a fine
season so far. We beat two of the best
teams on the coast (wins over
Washington and then-18th-ranked
UCLA) and we should've beaten Iowa
too."
Still, the Wolverines are rated as 20
point favorites (Stoll thought it would
be 35), and Stoll knows what he's up
against. "Unfortunately we don't have
the luxury of being able to 'gear up' for
this one. Every game is tough. Heck,
we just got by Western Michigan."
But the guys are really excited about
this one, and you can bet they're not
going to need any pep talk Saturday."
And of course, Stoll lets the coach in
him surface by warning, "You know,
there's always a chance for an upset."
He is, technically, at least, correct.
On the other hand, if the Gophers really
are as tough as Wisconsin.. .
HOME AND HOME WITH BSG U:
lecers launch season
By PAUL CAMPBELL
In a slight twist on the David and
Goliath adventure, Bowling Green,
State University of the Central Colle
giate Hockey Association (CCHA)
hosts Michigan tonight in the opener
of a two game home and home series
which opens the 1977-78 regular
season for both squads.
In case you haven't guessed,
Michigan will be decked out as Goli-
ath. The Wolverines, who came
within one goal of the national
championship last year, have been
tabbed by most experts as the team
to beat this year.
MICHIGAN returns four of its top
five scorers from a team that aver-
aged nearly six goals a game. One is
Dave DeBol, whose 99 points last
year assured him of pre-season All-
American status this year.
The Wlverines play in the Western
Collegiate H o c k e y Association
(WCHA), which has so dominated the
national scene in recent years that no
team from another circuit has been
able to reach the NCAA finals since
1972.
But before you shed a tear for old
BGSU, consider that it returns 20 of
23 lettermen from a team that
finished 28-11 overall (compared to
Michigan's 28-17) and won the CCHA
tournament before losing to Michi-
gan 7-5 in the first round of the
NQAA's.
IN FACT, only twenty-goal scorer
Jack Laine is gone from the offense.
''We'll be tough again this year,"
said BGSU coach Ron Mason, whose
four-year mark at the Ohio school is a
sterling 96-41. "We'll be in real good
shape along thp forward line and on
defense."
But, for two reasons, Mason is
quick to qualify his optimism. The
reasons are Mike Luit and Al Sar-
achman, the goaltending duo which
matriculated last spring after setting
all kinds of school records while
alternating in the nets for four years.
Three freshmen have battled in-
conclusively for the starting nod. As
of now, Mason is leaning toward
another two goalie system using
Wally Charko and Brian Stankiewicz.
'the Falcons have amazing depth
and quality at center. Dave Easton
(16 goals, 26 assists, 42 points last
year) has been a captain for three
years and is considered by Mason to
be one of the most underrated
players in all college hockey.
MARK WELLS (23-37-60) from St.
Clair Shores led the team in scoring
last year and was first team all-
CCHA. Then there's Mike Hartman,
who scored 30 points before losing his
eligibility. He's got it back.
Experience and talent also return
at defense. Senior John Mavity
(11-36-47) leads the blue line corp in
scoring, while physically imposing
John Morrow (6'5", 210) can make
his presence felt. Another St. Clair
Shorian, Tom Thomas, has been
voted by his teammates as BGSU's
top defenseman two years running..
DEBOL, 43 goals, 56 assists, will
center Michigan's first line with Bill
Wheeler (10-8-18) and Mike Coffman
(15-12-27) on the wings.
Kip Maurer, who split his 76 points
evenly last year between goals and
assists, will center the number two
line for Farrell. He'll be flanked by
Bill Thayer (17-43-60) and freshman
John Olver.
Farrell is faced with a tough deci-
sion about his goalies. Rick Palmer
and Frank Zimmerman split time
last year, and both are back. To
further complicate matters, fresh-
man Rudy Varvari has looked very
impressive in practice.
ONLY TWO goalies will be includ-
ed amongst the 20 players which can
dress for any game, and the coach
has yet to decide (publicly) who he
will go with.
If Michigan has an unknown quan-
tity, it is at defense. With Greg
Na tale and Rob Palmer gone, a lot of
the blue line burden will fall upon the
shoulders of senior captain John
McCahill (0-27-27).
Junior John Waymann and sopho-
mores Dean Turner and Dave Bren-
nan return with 'experience under.
their belts, but sophomore Rod
Pacholzuk and freshmen Tim Man-
ning and John Blum will see a lot of
ice time.
The series shifts to Yost tomorrow
night at 7:30.
the wire
By Don MacLachan
Blue injuries mount...
.. ,even subs su f fer
T'S THAT TIME OF YEAR again. The Michigan football schedule is
full of underdogs until the season finale against Ohio State. Tomorrow's
opponent, Minnesota, owns the best record of the next four opponents with a
4-2 slate.
Bo Schembechler must motivate his team well, for everyone is waiting
for a chance to knock off the top-ranked team in the land. Schembechler ex-
pects perfection but claims that anything can happen in the 60 minutes of
battle each Saturday.
Bo can build up the opponents in practice and through studying game
films. But it must be tough for a coach whose team has won 9) per cent of its
games over the last nine years.
"I'll show the Minnesota film against UCLA and Washington and you'll
sit up and take notice," Schembechler said. "Minnesota has beaten some
good teams in UCLA and Washington. There is always the incentive on the
road. You gotta be apprehensive. It's not easy."
However, in certain instances studying game films might backfire. The
opposition could look pathetically weak and come out spitting fire the next
Saturday.
"We won 45-0 against Minnesota last year and went into West Lafayette
to play a team that looked sad in the games films from the week before,"
Schembechler said. The Michigan coach was referring to Purdue. Former
Purdue coach Alex Agase recalled Monday that his team "looked so bad
against State I couldn't describe them.
"We played like anybody could beat us," Agase continued.
"Next week you couldn't recognize that team," Schembechler said.
"I knew we'd play well but I sure didn't know we would win," Agase said
with a smile. Purdue played its best game of the year and upset the
Wolverines, 16-14.
The loss to the Boilermakers certainly helps preparation for this year.
But Schembechler knows his team has all the ammunition it needs to beat
the upcoming four foes. He certainly will have Michigan ready to play--
make no mistake about that.
However, the problem confronting Schembechler is not so much getting
his team hepped up to play as it is fighting off the injuries that continue to
mount.
"My one reservation about this team is we are running out of players,"
Schembechler said. "What is pleasing is that I've never seen a team hit so
hard with injuries, but it keeps hanging in there."
Bo realizes that if a key player gets hurt there is no longer a reserve who
can come in and instantly do the job. It's nothing to look past either - one
key injury could put this team in a hole.
Seven offensive linemen are already shelved for an indefinite period. An
offensive line of Mark Schmerge at tight end, Chuk Hetts and John Arbe-
nik at guards, Steve Nauta at center and Bill Dufek with Jon Giesler at
tackles would do a solid job. Unfortunately for Schembechler none of'these
players are available for duty.
"It's unbelievable - we've lost two people to injries who were never
touched," Schembechler said. "Our injuries are not ones that are going to let
the players return. Right now this team has no depth. That is why there is a
certain'amount of excitement this year. This is a challenge"
The Michigan team had a lot of depth at the season's outset but now the
B l.ue lineup is thin. Why can't Schembechler reach into his seemingly en-
dless football factory and pull out another substitute to play, as Joe Falls
might suggest?
"There ain't no factory down there," Schenbechler said. "That factory
is bare. I feel very fortunate that we are where we are. I feared the worst
when these people started going down."
Michigan remains number one but Schembechler remains more concer-
ned with the health and success of his squad than with its position in the
polls. He hasn't seen Alabama, USC or Texas so he doesn't know how his
team compares to those powerhouses.
D own deep Schembechler knows that the talent is there - but it is run-
ning thin. If his team stays healthy and wins the last five games - then the
ratings will mean something. But for now avoiding injuries is essential..The
rest should fall in place.
WINGS TRADE BERGE RON
Habs tie Wings,2-2
gs,2-
ichigan v.Minnesota
Tomorrow at 2:15 EDT
The Wolverines and the
Golden Gophers battle it
out for the Little Brown
Jug in Minneapolis.
Join Tom Hemingway
and Tom Slade for the
most accurate play-by-play
on the air.
Follow all the action on
The University of
Michigan public radio
station
,WUOM
91.7FM AnnArbor
OPEN
HOS
Saturday Sunday
Olctober 22(521
* -'' V4 .
)
By the Wire Services
DETROIT - Defenseman Larry
Robinson's short backhander with 16
seconds left in last night's game en-
abled the outplayed Montreal Cana-
diens to escape Detroit with a 2-2 tie
from the Red Wings.
WE CAN INCREASE
YOUR LSA T SCORE
Call or write:
University LSAT Preparation Service Inc.
2200 Fuller Rd., Suite 9128
Ann Arbor, Michigan 48105
313-995-4014
Center Doug Jarvis wdn a key
faceoff to goalie Eddie Giacomin's
left with 18 seconds to go and slid the
puck so Robinson could slip home his
game-tying shot two seconds later.
Rookie Rob Plumb's first NI4L
=point, a power play goal at 10:02 of
the second period, put the Red Wings
ahead 2-1.
Defenseman Guy Lapointe hit a
slap shot that deflected off a Detroit
player past Eddie Giacomin in the
first period to give the Canadiens a
1-0 lead, but leftwing Nick Libett tied
it at 2:08 of the second period.
Earlier, the Red Wings traded
right wing Michel Bergeron to the
New York Islanders for center Andre
St. Laurent. Bergeron was a top draft
pick for Detroit in 1974.
9-9 SATURDAY 1
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