WOMEN EYE BIG TEN
The Michigan Daily-Friday, February 13; 1981-Page 11
C
Cagers face uphill
By LARRY FREED
Special to the Daily
EVANSTON-Michigan's men's
basketball team is not the only one to
:find itself involved in a tight conference
race; the Wolverine women cagers are
alsso involved in a closely-bunched Big
Ten field. Unlike Bill Frieder's outfit,
however, the women find themselves
looking up at most of its competition in
the standings. The hoopsters have a
chance to avenge some narrow defeats
from earlier in the season this weekend
though, when they compete in the Big
leer fai
- b
By MARTHA CRALL
"Michigan is flying. They're the
favorites here."
That is the attitude that head coach
has Hendrickson and his Minnesota-
,buluth hockey team is taking into this
'* ekend's series with the Wolverines,
vw3ich the Bulldogs are hosting.
pULUTH HAS been in a slump of
te, losing five of its last six WCHA
ontests. The Wolverines, on the other
1hnd, have won three in a row, in-
Ten Championship at Northwestern's
McGaw Memorial Hall.
The Wolverines (7-13 overall, 1-4 in
the Big Ten) face the Purdue Boiler-
makers (7-13, 1-4) today in their
opening round match. The winner of
this game takes on the two-time defen-
ding champion, second-seeded North-
western Wildcats (12-7, 4-1).
"We have a super chance in winning
the first game, if we could just get over
the hump," said coach Gloria Soluk. "It
gives the players a big boost, knowing
they don't have to face the top seed
(Minnesota) if they win their opening
round match."
The Wolverines will once again start
with a line-up of forwards Diane Dietz
(19.9 ppg.), and Abby Currier (10.0),
center Patrice Donovan (4.3), and
guards Lori Gnatkowski (10.2) and
K.D. Harte (8.8).
"Now that we are getting over our early
season injuries, we can use a more con-
sistent line-up which will help our chan-
ces," Soluk said.
Michigan must overcome a
significant disadvantage underneath
the boards against the taller, more
physical Boilermakers, led by their
ce-off with UMD
climb
forwards, Laura Newcomb and Sue
Bartz.
Should the Wolverines be successful
against Purdue today they will come
right back and battle the Wildcats
tonight.
But Soluk was not overly concerned
about the fatigue factor. "I don't feel
that playing two games in one day will
hurt us, because the team will be pum-
ped up from winning their opener," she
said.
The Wildcats are led by All-Big Ten
forward Julie Callahan, who is
averaging 22.9 points per game for Nor-
thwestern. In addition to Callahan, for-
ward Amy Prichard and center Patien-
ce Vanderbush also sport double-figure
scoring averages for the Wildcats, who
are currently second in the conference.
In the previous matchup between the
two teams, the Wildcats routed a cold-
shooting Wolverine attack, 66-46.
"Northwestern's goal is to win
another Big Ten tournament, Wildcat
coach Annette Lynch said. "It will be a
difficult task, but not an impossible one.
We've been playing well in our last four
games, and we're peaking at just the
right time."
Minnesota (19-4, 5-0) is the favorite to
capture the top prize, while Indiana (18-
0, 4-2), Illinois (17-5, 4-2), Ohio State (10-
9, 3-2), and Michigan State (10-7, 2-4
round out the seeded teams.
Saturday, March
7,
8p.m.
is coming!
cluding a sweep of Notre Dame last
weekend.
Michigan coach John Giordano is
wary of the Bulldogs, however. "After
two losses to Denver, they're. going to
be fit to be tied," Giordano said. "We're
expecting them to be very aggressive.,,
The Bulldogs (9-13 in the WCHA)
have been without the services of their
number one goalie, senior Bill Perkl,
for the last two weeks, and they are also
missing their only senior defenseman,
alternate captain Tom Madson.
BUT GIORDANO expects the Duluth
offense, which tallied 10 goals against
Denver last weekend, to make up for
any defensive deficiencies.
Michigan's offense has come to life in
the last two weeks, as well. The
Wolverines have scored 31 goals in the
last four games, including 12 against
the Irish last Friday night, the biggest
one-night scoring burst for a Michigan
hockey team since a 13-3 win over
Western Ontario in 1967-68.
"'We've got to use more defense,
while not losing any aggressiveness in
the offensive zone if we're going to play
well," said Giordano.
Although a few icers have contracted
the flu, Giordano said they are healthy
and ready to play.
For Jeff Mars, the series will carry
special significance-it is the last
collegiate hockey games that he will
play in his home town.
In Mars' two previous trips to Duluth
Michigan has gone winless, but the
senior right winger is optimistic about
this weekend's series.
"This is our chance," Mars said.
"Our team is playing really well. A lot
of people I know will be watching. And
it's always nice to play well in that
situation."
The optimism of Mars and his team-
mates and the apprehension of Hen-
drickson will be tested on the ice tonight
and tomorrow in a series that could
move the Wolverines from sixth place
into a tie for fourth in the conference
and assure them a playoff berth.
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Mars
... going home
IM Scores
WEDNESDAY
Basketball'
Independent (competitive)
Class A.
Triangle "A" 40, Alpha Sigma Phi "A" 33
The GC's 34, The Uppers 33
Independent
Army ROTC 35, Axe Murderers 22
160 Slobbs 26, MMB 24
Allen Rumsey Gold 24, Poster Children 21
Fraternity "A" Class A
Phi Betta Sigma 43, Sigma Alpha Mu "A" 38
Fiji "A" 41, Theta Delta Chi 34
CLASS B
Evans Scholars "A" 44, Phi Kappa Alpha "A" 33
Womens Competitive
Class A
King Pins 30. Mud 26
Class B
Barbour "A" 36, Bursley Playrittes 8
Womens Rec
AFROTC 20, Kappa Kappa Gamma 10
Amaggeddon 2, Delta Gamma 0 (forfeit)
Graduate Class A
Law Gold 40, Trash 36
MBA Gold 44, Nine-O-Silver 42
Graduate Class B
Med-2 42, DSD "C" 37
Ramblin Rebels 45, Invisible Heads 35
REFERENCE~
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