The Michigan Daily-Friday, October 31, 1980-Page 11l Defense- ey to Wolverine gameplan By KENT WALLEY The best thing about the Michigan *hockey team's offense this year is its defense. Offensively, the Wolverines lost some big talent but defensively, several out- standing veterans will be returning. Leading the list are seniors Tim Man- ning and John Blum and junior Steve Richmond. MANNING, THE TEAM captain for the '80-81 season, set a couple of records last year. As a defenseman he scored 51 points and had 43 assists which were both Michigan all-time highs. And Manning is eyeing another record, he needs just one more point to become ;Michigan's all time leading defensive scorer. He is. presently tied with Bob Palmer who is playing for the Los Angeles Kings in the NHL. Each has a career total of 98 points as a Wolverine defenseman. Assistant coach John Giordano said, "Manning's greatest asset is that he an- ticipates. (At anticipating) he's the best." BLUM, THIS year's alternate cap- tain along with Richmond, combines with Manning as Michigan's point men in the potent Blue power play. Blum scored 50 points last season as a defen- seman, just one shy of Manning's record setting mark. Scoring nine times as many goals last season as lie did his first two seasons combined, Blum is a constantly im- proving player. During his sophomore year he was named the most improved player on the team.. Last year's most improved player award went to Richmond, who totaled 29 points as compared to seven his first year. The 6-0, 202-lb. junior from Chicago can double as a forward if needed. He led the defense last year in goals scored, totalling ten. OF THE OTHER returning defen- semen, two were selected in the pro draft but decided to stay at Michigan. They were juniors Brian Lundberg and Dave Richter. Lundberg, who was drafted by Pit- tsburgh, has recorded 29 points in his two years at Michigan. But last year, Lundberg was often in penalty trouble as he led the team in penalties and penalty minutes. Richter, who was drafted by Min- nesota, also decided to return to Michigan. He is 6-5, 210 lbs. and sparred in two fights last year, both against Minnesota. Richter scored four assists last season. "(Richter) is thre most im- proved defenseman (this year). He still holds the puck too long, but he has tur- ned the corner," said Giordano. Also returning to the Blue ranks is junior Paul Brandrup. He was voted outstanding defenseman on the U.S. Junior National Team last season, but this year he will be playing offensive wing. Potentially the brightest part of the Michigan defense lies not in scoring, but in the net minding of sophomore goalie Paul Fricker. THE EXCITING WOLVERINE goaltender was named Michigan MVP and WCHA rookie-of-the-year last season. Fricker also was selected for the second team All-WCHA. He ap- peared in all of Michigan's 26 WCHA games and was the only goalie in the conference to do-so. In 35 games last year he amassed 1122 saves for a .883 save percentage. Twice during the season he had more than 50 saves in one game, totalling 52 against Michigan Tech and 51 against Notre Dame. Hartford drafted him in the ninth round last year but Fricker chose to remain in the Maize and Blue uniform. Defense this year will be the key to Michigan's game. Said Giordano, "If they don't score, you won't lose." But he added that "(the defense this year) is looking good but they are not where they were last year." He claimed that the defense's slow start was probably caused by the lack of, morning practices held thus far this season. MONO 1 'p I 1980-81 Roster :;_ : No. Name 1 RUDY VARVARI Dearborn Heights, MI Pos. G. Hgt. 5-8 Wgt. 185 Veterans Brian Lundberg (left above) and John Blum are two of the leading defensemen for the 1980-81 Wolverines. Lundberg, a junior from Lake Cowichan, B.C.,,led the Wolverines in penalties and penalty minutes as a sophomore. Alternate captain Blum, a senior from Warren, placed second behind teammate Tim Manning for the defenseman scoring record in a season with 50 points last year. 2 KEITH CARTER Hudson, MA 6-1 175 SUTTON, VARVARI, MASON ALL IN CONTENTION: D 6-0 195 D 5-0 175 Fricker challenged for goalie job D 5-10 175 3 BRIAN LUNDBERG Lake Cowichan, BC 4 TIM MANNING Dearborn Heights, MI 5 DAVE RICHTER Winnipeg, Man. 6 MARK PERRY Ann Arbor, MI 7 STEVE RICHMOND Chicago, IL 8 DAVE FARDIG Ann Arbor, MI 9 ENZO AUGIMERI Oshawa, Ont. 11 JEFF MARSf Duluth, MN. 14 BRAD TIPPETT Prince Albert, Sask. By GREG DeGULIS D 6-5 210 One area where first year coach Wilf Martin doesn't have to worry about is goalie, right? Well, despite the return of 1979-80 Michigan MVP D 5-11 200 Paul Fricker, assistant coach John Giordano terms the goalie situation as the "most undecided position." With senior netminders Rudy Varvari and Bob Sutton D 6-0 202 plus returnee Peter Mason challenging Fricker, Michigan hockey fans may see a case of revolving goaltenders. ,C 5-8 172 JUDGING BY LAST year's performance, incum- bent Fricker would be the people's choice to mind the nets. As a, freshman, Fricker was bestowed with C 5-11 170 several prestigious awards including Michigan MV- P and WCHA rookie-of-the-year by a vote of the players in the league. Fricker recorded 20 wins last RW 6-0 200 year and was the only goalie in the WCHA to start all league contests. HOWEVER, AS GIORDANO pointed out, all of the accolades reigned upon Fricker last season may prove to be a deterrent in 1980-81. "Any time you play 75-80 percent of the games, you come to expect automatically to be the goaltender," Giordano said. "Fricker must continue to be a good goaltender and he cannot rest on last year." Competing against Fricker are two senior goalten- ders, Varvari and Sutton. Both backups have plenty of game situation experience as they shared the number one goalie spot in their sophomore year. Vhrvari appeared in five games last year compiling a. 2-1 record and -a 4.42 goals against average. Sutton played in two games last year with a 1.76 goals against average. IN ADDITION TO the two seniors competing with Fricker, junior Peter Mason has returned to the Michigan hockey scene after sitting out his sophomore year. Giordano feels that the year's ab- sence benefitted the junior netminder. "I really think Mason matured in the year that he was gone. He has really worked hard turning a nothing into a something, noted the assistant coach As a result, the competition has stiffened for the number two goaltender on the 1980-81 hockey squad. ECHOING GIORDANO'S sentiments, first year head coach Martin mentioned that he was "very satisfied with the play" of Fricker in the opening series against Bowling Green. However, the head coach also mentioned the fact that they "are still looking for a backup to Fricker" and that "nothing is definite." Giordano reiterated the importance* of a quality backup to ease the pressure on Fricker. "We've got to develop a backup goaltender we have enough con- fidence in to let him play," added the assistant coach. With the experienced competition vying for the num- ber two spot, Michigan hockey fans may be surprised at the quality of the backup goaltender. 15 BILLY REID Dryden, Ont. LW 5-8 175 RW 5-8 177 C 5-11 180 - Yost-the icers call it home I 16 TED SPEERS Ann Arbor, MI 17 STEVE YOXHEIMER Jackson, MI 18 DENNIS MAY Calgary, Alb. 19 GORDIE HAMPSON Edina, MN 20 ROGER BOURNE Ann Arbor, MI 21 JOE MILBURN Snow Lalke, Man. 22 DON KRUSSMAN Fraser, MI 23 JIM McCAULEY Detroit, MI 24 JOHN BLUM Warren, MI C 5-9 170 RW 5-10 185 Yost Ice Arena has been the home of Michigan hockey since the 1973-74 season and is the largest college-owned rink in the country with a seating capacity of 8,100. It was built by and named after the great Michigan football coach and athletic LW 6-3 210 director, Fielding H. Yost. The structure was originally formed in 1924 as a field house. C 5-11 180 .SINCE THAT TIME the building has been the site of many great athletic events ranging from the Michigan track teams of the 1950s, through the Cazzie Russell era of Michigan basketball in the mid 1960s, to the excitement created by the present- C 5-8 ,176 day Michigan hockey teams. Yost Ice Arena is a complete hockey facility equipped with a regulation ice surface (85 x 200 feet). LW 6-1 180 Pictured below is the record Yost Arena crowd of 8,316 on March 1, 1980 again- st Michigan State. To the right is a picture of Yost Arena before the fans file in. RW 5-10 160 D 6-3 205 Daily Photo by BRIAN MASCK 25 PAUL BRANDRUP Rochester, MN D 6-1 200 26 KELLYMcCRIMMON Plenty, Sask. 27 JEFF TESSIER Windsor, Ont. 29- PAUL FRICKER Vancouver, B.C. 30 BOB SUTTON Oakville, Ont. 35 PETER MASON Williamsville, NY RW 5-9 182 LW 5-10 175 G 6-0 174 G 6-0 175 G 6-0 175 1979-80 FINAL STATISTICS Returning Players in Capitals NAME M. Eaves D. Lerg B. BASEOTTO T. MANNING J. BLUM B. TIPPETT T. SPEERS S. RICHMOND G. HAMPSON R. BOURNE D. MAY B. LUNDBERG Overall (23-13-2) GP G A TP 33 36 49 85 38 37 39 76 38 31 45 76 38 8 43 51 37 9 41 50 38 13 19 32 30 13 16 29 38 10 19 29 30 7 15 22 32 9 9 18 37 7 10 17 37 2 14 16 WCHA (13-11-2) 21 26 26 26 25 26 20 26 19 23 26 26 19 27 21 6 5 9 9 7 3 3 5 2 32 23 38 24 29 10 11 13 9 6 8 11 51 50 49 30 34 19 20 20 12 9 13 13