Placekicking is all downhillfc
By DAN NEWMANi
When you think of placekickers #you
often think of soccer-style specialists.
It's common to hear remarks such as
"He's just a kicker, not an athlete."
It's true that many placekickers fit a
certain stereotype and that some must
depend solely on their foot. But put
aside any reservations you may have
for kickers, because the Wolverines'
Todd Schlopy is no ordinary backup
placekicker.,
LAST WEEK, among 70 competitors,
Schlopy won one gold medal and one
bronze medal in the Central United
States Ski Association (CUSSA) com-
petition at Thunder Mountain.. The
previous week Schlopy won a gold for
his first-place finish in a slalom and two
bronzes for taking third in the Giant
Slalom at Boyne Mountain.
Among other achievements, Schlopy
has competed in the European,
Canadian, and U.S. national champion-
ships. So one may be wondering when
and where Schlopy developed his ski
talent?
"My parents were both ski instruc-
tors in Pennsylvania, so I gugess you
could say I come from a skiing family,"
explained Schlopy. "Both me and my
15-year-old brother (who is ranked
third in the U.S. among 16 and under)
race competitively."
SCHLOPY, who is ranked in the top
50 in the U.S. for slalom, has skied 19 of
his 20 years. He lived in Lake Placid for
four years and throughout his stay
there he skied almost every weekend.
This New York native was the second
best for his age when he was 14 and. 15.
But Schlopy then claims to have suf-
fered a major setback when he crashed
while cruising at 75 m.p.h:
"It really messed up my head for
awhile," said Schlopy, referring to his
fall. "It Was like a batter getting hit by
a pitch. I knew I had to get back up on
the skis in order to clear my head."
THE STORY behind Schlopy's foot-
ball career is a much briefer one.
Schlopy was a soccer star his first three
years at Orchard Park (N.Y.) high
school and it wasn't until his senior
year that Schlopy first played
organized football. "The football coach
would let me do anything," said
Schlopy, who was quickly inserted into
the starting lineup as placekicker, pun-
ter and wide receiver.-
Schlopy was out of school after his
senior year and for over a year it looked
as though he was going nowhere. "I was
looking for somewhere to go and luckily
I got some connect
The connection wg
director and so Sch
a tryout. -
WHILE OUT o
began kicking ba
become his tradem
points out, "I'm n
bench."
Although Schlopy
playing time, he.
Rose Bowl and tt
Bowl. "I'm getting'
he said. "I learn so
I'm on the field."
But what about
Schlopy has a
qualifying for the
possibly the 19841
desired. "I could r
that would mean dr
and devoting all
peting."
Schlopy isn't suff
of grandeur. "I'mr
The Michigan Daily-Friday, January 29, 1982-Page 11
"r Schiopy c
Schlopy the ski team," he said. "I compete
as a recruiting because I enjoy it and it's fun to win."
ilopy was invited for When conflicts arise, it's "football
)f school,'Schlopy first" for Schlopy. "Football got me in-
arefoot, which has to school and it's keeping me here," he
ark. But, as Schlopy said. "Since niy goal in high school was
qt here to sit on the to get to college, football has much
more influence."
hasn't gotten much SCHLOPY claims that he has a
did attend the 198 "decent understanding" with coach Bo
he 1981 Bluebonnet Schembechler. "I try to never miss a
better all the time," practice.
imething every time No, he hasn't been kicking for many
years like Ali Haji-Sheikh. But Schlopy
his skiing career? does have excellent range and good'
realistic shot at distance along witfi "occasional con-
U.S. ski team and sistency." Someday he may be the
Olympics-if he so Wolverines' starter.
make the team, but Schlopy has been involved with.
opping out of school athletics all his life. In fact, he plans to
my time to com- continue in this field after he graduates.
"I especially like working with kids,"
ering from delusions said Schlopy, who is pursuing the media
not working to make and visual studies.
r
SIV6 W UL nlllr, 6V 1llaILV
6
M
-'TODD SCHLOPY, backup Michigan, placekicker, can also be found kicking
tip snow on the slopes. Schlopy recently won three medals in a national comr-
petition.
.i:..-
v
BGSU storms into
Yost
WITH
By MARK BOROWSKI
Take a journey back to November
and one probably couldn't have found
even a fool or, Falcon hockey fanatic
thatwould've placed a dime on Bowling
Green's chances of winning the CCHA.
And why should they? The Falcon -
icers were 0-7-1 on the season and the
odds of rising from the cellar to the top
spot seemed quite remote at best.
BUT NOW it is January and probably
evey hockey hustler in Ohio is willing
o put down the big bucks on the
owling Green machine as it has won 1
of its last 18 games and flown from the
basement to the perch atop the CCHA.
'And unfortunately for the Michigan
hockey squad, it must face-off against
the high-flying Falcons tonight at Yost
Arena and tomorrow at Bowling Green.
So what halted the skid? 'According
to Falcon coach Jerry York, a lot had to
due only with difficult scheduling.
York's icers started off by playing five
0eams that are currently in the top ten
n the country in this week's WMPL
hockey poll, including number one
Wisconsin and number three North
Dakota.
"I think we were a good team during
our training camp," said York. "We
started 0-7-1 but I thought we were
playing solid hhockey. I thought we
played very well against North Dakota
and can't believe we didn't win one of
those games. We showed we could play
with top caliber teams," he said in
reference to his team's first eight
games.
"WE HAVE improved in some areas
and I think we are a better team than at
the start -of the season. The main
reason I think' we started so poorly was
because of the schedule," he said.
The only games the Falcons dropped
since mid-November were a .6-5 edging
by second-place Michigan State and a 9-
8 overtime thriller to Notre Dame last
friday night.
When Michigan coach John Giordano
was asked what kind of team Bowling
Green was he succinctly answered, "a
good one."
But even though the Falcons are
in all facets of our game (to win)," said
Giordano. "And we will have to play
with a lot of intensity."
Those facets Giordano is referring to
area quite different than the ones
Bowling Green emphasizes. The
Falcons are led by three high scoring
forwards on their first line in Brian Hill
(24-32-56), George McPhee (18-36-54)
and Peter Wilson (18-15-33), while
Michigan plays a hard-hitting defensive
game that has allowed only 55 goals, the
lowest in league play and scored just 57.
McPhee became the all-time leading
Falcon scorer last weekend in the Notre
Dame series, where he picked up a goal
and eight assists for a career total 240
points.
"HE (McPHEE) is a player that has
a lot of all-around skills," said York.
"He's not a one-dimension player,.
which is unique. We're pleased with his
scoring, but also his offensive and
defensive shills."
York will start junior Mike David in
the net (4.03 goals against average) and
Michigan will use either league leading
Peter Mason (2.54 gaa) or freshman
Jon Elliott (2.93).
-- "I watched Michigan play in the
Great Lakes Tourney and they are a
very good team," York said. "We will
have to play very wellt-o beat
Michigan."
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McPhee'
... offensive threat
coming into Ypst on quite a hot streak,
not all the odds are stacked in their
favor.
IN. THE 13 previous meetings bet-
ween the two teams, Bowling Green as
skated away with only one win, 3-2 in
overtime, last year and on the following-
night the Wolverines retaliated with a 9-
4 thrashing in Ann Arbor.
"We will really have to come together
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