The Michigan Daily-Wednesday, November 2, 1977-Page 9 Frosh icers add depth,; nine recruits join Blue By ELISA T. FRYE The future of any athletic organization rests with its recruits, and the Michigan hockey team is no exception. Five tendered players and four walk-ons make up the base of this year's in-coming team. "THEY'RE AS GOOD as any freshmen class we've had," said Michigan coach Dan Farrell. "They're good prospec- ts." One of these newcomers is Gordie Hampson, from Edina, Minnesota. His father, Ted Hampson, played for several NHL teams, including Detroit, Minnesota and Toronto. Gordie started playing hockey in the second grade. "He (his father) didn't push me," said Hampson of his first "coach." HAMPSON PLAYS center, although what line he'll be on isn't yet certain. Right now he is most anxious about making contributions to the team. "I want to help out scoring-wise," he added. He was able to do that in his first game when he scored a goal against Bowling Green, and tallied twice last Friday against Denver. Jeff Mars, of Duluth, Minnesota, feels that the Michigan hockey team is, "the best I've ever played for. Everything is better." Mars was named to the All-City and All- Conference teams in the Duluth area. DEFENSEMAN Tim Manning has played Junior "A" hockey in Detroit and in Stratford, Ontario for the past two years. Because of hospitalization this summer, he feels that he is not in prime condition. "I am slowly fitting in," he said, "but I want to do the best job I can." Manning also scored a goal against Bowling Green (in the Saturday night game), and against Denver last Friday. It is John Olver from North Burnaby, British Columbia who led the freshmen in points with a goal and three assists against BGSU and the Pioneers. "Some days you work hard and get nothing. Some days you're in the right spot at the right time. Being with those two seniors (Bill Thayer and Kip Maurer) really helps," commented Olver. Most recently he played minor league hockey in Bur- naby and Junior hockey in Kelowna, which is in the interior of British Columbia. RUDY VARVARI IS concerned about the goal-tending competition. "I just want to dress for the games," said the Dearborn Heights recruit. Varvari will be contending with seniors Rick Palmer and Frank Zimmerman for action in. the nets. Likewise, freshmen walk-ons Mark Perry (defense), Roger Bourne (right wing), Dave Fardig (center), all from Ann Arbor, and defenseman John Blum of Warren em- phasized their eagerness to play. "The game means a lot more, you represent a lot more when you play for a college team," Blum said. As of now, how much any of the freshmen will play is un- certain. In spite of his high hopes, Farrell remains cautious. "They're still making freshmen mistakes. I don't know how much ice time they'll see." However, if they continue to show the promise that they did the past two weekends, these rookie icers may prove to be good investments. Daily Photo by BRAD BENJAMIN OPPOSING GOALIES often get a closeup view of Michigan's Dave Debol (12), who led the Wolverines in scoring last year with a school record of 99 points. Here Debol is shown releasing a quick shot against Boston University in the semifinals of the NCAA tournament last March. Michigan won the game, 6-4, then fell to Wisconsin in overtime in the finals. I m Michigan Daily Hockey Beat Consensus WCHA Picks COACHES TAKE ANOTHER LOOK HOUGHTON, Mich. (UPI) - Michigan took the lead in the sea- son's first college hockey ratings re- leased Monday. 1. MICHIGAN (3).........3-1 80 2. Wisconsin (4).........2-1-1 79 3. Boston Univ. (not yet competed).........53 4. Colorado College (2) ..... 2-0 45 5. (tie) Minnesota (1).......2-0 43 (tie) Denver ........... 1-1 43 7. Michigan Tech .......... 2-2 42 8. St. Louis ............... 0-1-1 29- 9. Bowling Green.........3-1 23 10. Clarkston, N.Y. (not yet competed) .........21 (Each of the five hockey writers polled used a 10-9-8 ... basis with 10 points for first down to 1 point for 10th. . Team Points 1. MICHIGAN (5) .............. 50 2. Wisconsin .................... 45 3. Denver ...................... 37 4. Michigan Tech,............. 34 5. Notre Dame.............27 6. Minnesota ................. 26 7. North Dakota ................ 24 8. Colorado College ............. 14 9. Michigan State ............... 13 10. Minnesota-Duluth:............5 College By TOM STEPHENS Unlike the NFL and NBA, which are made up almost exclusively of former college players, only about 15 per cent of the players in the NHL were drafted out of college ranks. The number is growing, but it is still comparatively small. The reason why NHL players don't often come from American colleges is that the Canadian professional junior leagues supply most of the NHL talent. It's been that way for many years, but some important hockey men are beginning to revise their opinions of the NCAA game. One indication of that change is a direct result of last year's NCAA finals, capped by Wisconsin's thrill- ing sudden-death overtime victory over Dan Farrell's Michigan squad. An interested observer that night was Red Wing general manager Ted Lindsay, who came away very im- pressed, calling it "the best hockey played in the Olympia in ten years." He praised every aspect of the tour- nament, from the skills of, the teams involved to the knowledge and "tre- mendous spirit" displayed by the fans. Tindsav also showed his respect for college hockey in the NHL's 1977 draft of 20-year-olds, choosing seven Contingent former NCAA players last year. He is step of hiri counting heavily on these draftees to because it m help rebuild his lackluster team. ing and hon Included in the Wings' draft were Wisconsin's 1977 all-American de- Lindsay d fenseman John Taft, as ,ell as three too sees gr players from former Red Wing GM hockey, and Ned Harkness' powerhouse at Union that the nu College' drafted by The best way to answer the increase, as question of why there aren't more now. NCAA "graduates" in the NHL is to But in reg compare the relative quality of play Lindsay say in the Canadian junior leagues and in yet, but th college. seems frorr increasing,l Farrell disagrees completely with bers of NCA what seems to be the NHL's attitude those in af on the subject. NCAA hockey, says with him. Farrell flatly, "is every bit as good, maybe better," than the competition NCAA play in Canada. scouted "m past", says He believes that with a little sea- poppe, pr soning, American college players are "bigger and ready right now to invade the NHL in now active i large numbers. He explains the pro's continued reliance on the juniors by Poppe of pointing to a deep prejudice on the insights int part of the game's movers and continued g shakers, virtually all of whom are amateur ho Canadian, favoring the system they he believes t were raised by. drawing me who usedti Farrell, for one, feels that those other sports with authority refuse to take the bold at the time. 1976-77 WCHA Wisconsin Notre Dame MICHIGAN Denver N. Dakota Michigan Tech Minnesota Colorado Col. Michigan State Minn-Duluth Michigan Overall Record Home Record Road Record Neutral Ice Record STANDINGS W L T 26 5 1 19 10 3 20 12 0 16 14' 2' 16 16 0 15 16 1 13 16 3 11 20 1 11 20 1 6 24 2 28-17-0 16- 5-0 10-10-0 2- 2-0 grows in pros ng more college players would upset a long-stand- ored tradition to do so. disagrees, to a point. He eat potential in college i he believes with Farrell imber of NCAA players the pros will continue to s it has for many years ard to the junior leagues, ys the NCAA "is not there ey're getting there." It n the recent trends of but still not equal, num- AA draftees that most of position to say so agree yers have been seriously ore recently than in the NCAA official Dennis Dbably because of, the J more physical" players n college. fered some interesting o this situation. Due to rowth of and interest in ckey in the United States, the college teams are now ore and betterathletes .o be more interested in that were more popular Meanwhile, all the best Canadian athletes became involved in hockey at an early age. As that situation erodes, so does the juniors' advantage over the NCAA. What will happen if the NCAA does eventually become a major supplier to the NHL is an interesting problem. Perhaps there would be widespread media coverage, as in the case of college football and basketball. If this should happen, it could be the best thing to happen to hockey in years. Lindsay, Farrell, and Poppe all agreed that a major difference between the pro and college games is the greater excitement involved in the NCAA. A few nationally tele- vised, thrill-a-minute college games might be the shot in the arm the game so desperately needs. It could stir' up the flagging fan intee t put two-thirds of all NHL teams in serious financial holes last year. On the other hand, "going big time" might have an adverse effect on college hockey. It's arguable that both college football and basketball - with their grinding, run oriented offenses and interminable ball- control stalls - are considerably less exciting than the pro versions. It's easy to imagine college hockey becoming the exclusive domain, of, the big, aggressive player, leaving no room for the quickness and style that make the game so thrilling and unpredictable. Of course there are many other possibilities. One of them is that the hockey player down the hall at West Quad may, in a few years, be trying out for the local NHL team back home. 1977-78 Schedule 1976-77 FINAL RESULTS M *7 *6 *3 *5 *8 *6 *7 *5 *8 *7 7 7 *7 *7 *5 *5 +7 +6 *6 *8 *9 *2 Opp M Wisconsin................. 6 (OT) *3 WISCONSIN.......... 7 (OT) *3 MICHIGAN TECH....... 4 *1 Michigan Teach ........... 3 *2 Minnesota ................ 6 *2 Minnesota .......3. Notre Dame..............6 *6 NOTRE DAME ........... 6 (OT) *8 Denver ................... 3 *3 Denver ................... 5 *7 Rensselaer ............... 4 *9 RENSSELAER ........... 8 *9 Minnesota-Duluth ........ 3 *6 Minnesota-Duluth ......... 1 *5 MICHIGAN STATE .......7 #61 MICHIGAN STATE........6 (OT) #51 Brown ................... 2 #61 MICHIGAN TECH ........7 #11 Colorado College........... 4 #0 Colorado College ......... 7 #4 Michigan Tech ............ 8 (OT) @7 MICHIGAN TECH.......3 @6 @5 Opp NOTRE DAME ........... 4 (OT) NOTRE DAME ........... 7 NORTH DAKOTA..........6 NORTH DAKOTA..........8 WISCONSIN .............. 3 WISCONSIN-...........11 Denver ................... 2 Denver ................... 3 Minnesota ................ 1 Minnesota ................ 6 Minnesota-Duluth........4 Minnesota-Duluth ......... 3 Michigan State ............ 3 Michigan State..........2 Michigan Tech ............ 5 Michigan Tech ............ 2 Denver ................... 4 Denver ................4 WISCONSIN .............. 4 WISCONSIN .............. 5 Bowling Green ........... 5 Boston University ........ 4 WISCONSIN ............. 6 (OT)' 'High priest'Farrell leads Blue hockey revival into fifth season By PAUL CAMPBELL In 1973, Michigan's hockey team hit rock bottom. In 34 games, the Wolverines skated off the ice as win- ners only six times. Following the season, Coach Al Renfrew gladly gave up the pressures of coaching for the mild madness of running the athletic department's ticket operation. In 1977, Michigan's hockey team finished the season at Detroit's Olym- pia Stadium, playing for the national championship. The icers had already won more games than any team in the school's history. THE TURNAROUND in the deker's fortunes is directly coincidental with the tenure of the coach that came here in the fall of 1973-Dan Farrell. "More than anything else, what it took was hard work," recalls the 40- year old Farrell. "We've tried to in- stitute a team concept, which requires every one to work and work until we get it right." A young man who wishes to play hockey for Dan Farrell starts preparing for the season as soon as he returns from summer sojourn. For four weeks, he spends two hours a day working to get into (or back into) shape. Then he can put skates on and start to play on the ice. THE IDEA OF "land conditioning" was one Farrell refined when he toured Russia in 1975 and was exposed to the Soviet techniques. But travelling to exotic places is nothing new for this native of Hamilton, Ontario. He spent four years as a for- ward for John MacInnes at Michigan Tech. Then on to Thunder Bay, Ontario for three years of teaching before he landed in Africa. Under the auspices of the Canadian International Develop- ment Agency, Farrell set up a three year educational program in Rhodesia and Ghana. But Farrell gave up the jungle for the hockey styx of Houghton, assisting MacInnes for five years before he got the call from Ann Arbor. FARRELL took his initial team and gave Michigan its first winning season in five years. 1975 and 1976 both produced 22 wins, while last year's NCAA run- nerups won 28 times. But the successes of the past don't make Farrell complacent about the future. "We'd be crazy to lay back now," said Farrell. "College hockey is growing and we have to grow with it." Farrell hopes that the team he's put- ting on the ice will bring fans down to Yost Arena, the largest college-owned hockey facility in the nation. The segson after the Michigan basketball team finished second in the land to In- diana two years ago, they sold out all but one of their home games. Farrell thinks the same thing can happen in hockey. ANOTHER GRADUATE of MacIn- ness' hockey program, Doug Hinton, is Michigan's assistant coach. The ex- defenseman played pro hockey in the Central League with two teams before joining Farrell in 1974. In fact, Houghton is the cradle of coaches where Michigan hockey is con- cerned. Jim Murray, a 1975 Tech graduate, joined the staff this year as a graduate assistant. * WCHA regular season game, # WCHA Plavoffs + Great Lakes Invitational ra NCAA Piavoffs 1976-77 Michigan Hockey Stats 45 Gam BFC Name Dave Debol Kip Maurer KRIS MANERY Bill Thayer Dan Lerg ROB PALMER GREG NATALE Dean Turner Mike Coffman John McCahill Ben Kawa Mark Miller Dan Hoene Doug Todd Bill Wheeler Dave Brennan GARY MORRISON es Overall 28-17-0 (.622) --Graduated Senior Pos Goals A C 43 56 C 38 38 F 38 35 F 17 43 C 24 19 D 5 37 D 7 25 D 13 18 F 15 12 D 0 27 F 12 12 F 7 16 F 6 16 F 10 9 F 10 8 D 3 9 F 7 5 fl..,... .... c....,.__ ii .iT s A Regular Season WCHA 20-12-9 (.625) Oct.21 Oct. 22 Oct. 28 Oct.29 Nov. 4 Nov. 5 Nov. 11 Nov. 12 Nov. 18 Nov. 19 Nov. 25 Nov. 26 Dec. 2 Dec. 3 Dec. 9 Dec. 10 Dec. 28-29 Jan. 6 Jan. 7 Jan. 14, Jan. 15 Jan. 20 Jan 21 Jan. 27 Jan. 28 Feb. 3 Feb. 4 Feb. 10 Feb. 11 Feb. 17 Feb. 18 Feb.24 Feb, 25 Mar. 3 at Bowling Green 7-2 BOWLING GREEN 64 DENVER 10-4 DENVER (OT) 5-6 at Notre Dame at Notre Dame MICHIGAN STATE at Michigan State MINNESOTA MINNESOTA at Colorado College at Colorado College WISCONSIN WISCONSIN at Michigan Tech at Michigan Tech Great Lakes Tournament (MICHIGAN, Michigan Tech, Lake Superior and Western Michigan) at Detroit Olympia at Wisconsin at Wisconsin at Minnesota at Minnesota NORTH DAKOTA NORTH DAKOTA at Denver at Denver NOTRE DAME NOTRE DAME at Minn-Duluth at Minn-Duluth COLORADO COLLEGE COLORADO COLLEGE MICHIGAN TECH MICHIGAN TECH at Michigan State Pts 99 76 73 60 43 42 32 31 27 27 24 23 22 19 18 12 12 Goals 34 32 31 12 12 2 5 10 11 0 4 3 5 4 6 3 6 A 37 23 22 35 14 24 24 16 11 17 9 12 11 3 6 8 5 Pts 71 55 53 47 26 26 29 26 22 17 13 15 16 7 12 11 11 Farrell's record Year 1973-74 1974-75 1975-76 1976-77 G 36 40 42 45 W 18 22 22 28 L 17 17 20 17 T I 1 0 0 Pct .515 .563 .524 .622 I 5 '%