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fThe Michigan Daily Saturday, February 6, 1982V Pagel
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'M' icers hang on to defeat
Tech,
5-4
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By MARTHA CRALL
It has been many weeks since Yost Ice
Arena saw an exciting, end-to-end
hockey game like the one that Michigan
and Michigan Tech played last night.
The Wolverines hung on to win a 5-4
decision over the Huskies before 4,154
bi-partisan fans.
MICHIGAN head coach John Gior-
dano attributed the hard-fought victory
to a new forechecking system which
sent one man in to forecheck (instead of
two, as in previous games) while two
backed up to the circles. The result was
a much improved offensive thrust by
the low-scoring Wolverines.
"They played with enthusiasm; they
played tough,"said a pleased Giordano,
THIS BUD'S FOR YOU
By BUDDY MOOREHOUSE"
The band's young leader.. ..
... Becher makes his mark
Most people who find themselves in a position of leadership-be they
presidents, football coaches, or whatever-had to pay a lot of dues before
they got to the top.
Not Eric Becher.
Becher is the 25-year-old director of Michigan's Marching Band, the
youngest person in the country to hold such a position. He took over the head
job two years ago, at the ripe old age of 23. That could roughly be compared
to a school the size and stature of Michigan having a head football or basket-
ball coach of that age.
Sure, that doesn't seem possible, but it also didn't seem possible that the
Michigap marchers would ever find themselves under the director of
someone just two years out of college.
A scant four football seasons ago, the band was under the direction of
Gebrge Cavender, who had been a director or assistant with the band for
more than 20 years. But Cavender was giving up the baton after that season
to become a public relations man for the School of Music (some say he was
forced out), so a massive talent hunt ensued to find a replacement.
Glenn Richter, a 31-year-old Texan who was directing the band at the
University of Cincinnati at the time, was the talent-search winner. The red-
haired Richter lasted but one season, leaving in the summer to take a job as
the leader of the band at his alma mater, Texas. Richter left crying about the
lack of financial support the band received.
Since the start of the marching season was just a few months away, it was
too late to search for a new director outside of the University. That was
Becher's big break. He had been a graduate assistant with the band during
Cavender's last year and Richter's season, so the powers that be at the
School of Music decided that Becher should be appointed the band's interim
director for a season-He knew more about running the band than anyone
else at Michigan (with the exception of Cavender, of course), so everyone
figured Becher was the best man for the job.
After a highly successful season asq
interim director in 1980 (which in-
cluded the most entertaining half-
time show I've ever seen, the
"Saturday Afternoon Live" show at
last year's Michigan-California
game), it was decided that a search
for a new band director was un-
necessary. Becher was given the job
on a permanent basis, and it has
turned out to be a great decision.
Having spent two years laboring
in the band's trombonesection, the
two years that Becher was a
graduate assistant, I can safely say
that Becher is the right man for thej
job. He didn't have to work his way
up the proverbial ladder because he Becher
was good enough for the job right ... director of 'M' Marching Band
from the start.
Becher's strongest suit is his ability to drill the band on the practice field
(or in this ease, the practice parking lot, which is where the marchers prac-
tice every day in the fall). Even as a graduate assistant, Becher was the one
that led the band through the marching drills, including the grueling high-
step pre-game entrance. He became famous among the band's members for
his use of "Becherisms" such as "Who's last?" which he yelled frequently to
make everyone run to set up a formation.
Becher has also shown that it's no problem getting the bandsmen and ban-
dswomen to respect him, even though he is just a few years older thn them.
On the morning before Cavender's last show in Michigan Stadium, Becher
asked that all of the band's members meet secretly at 8:00 a.m. to plan a
special surprise'for the outgoing director. The surprise was a formation
spelling out "GRC" (Cavender's initials) which the band formed at the con-
elusion of halftime. Even though it meant getting up before anything should
w rightfully be up on Saturday morning, the whole band arrived.
And as any Michigan football watcher can attest to, the band's halftime
2 shows are superb under Becher. This year's Bluebonnet Bowl show, the
same one that the band performed at Super Bowl XVI in Pontiac, was fan-
tastic. It's just too bad that the Mizlou network, the rinky-dink outfit which
- broadcast the Bluebonnet game, chose to present a high school All-America
team at halftime instead f showing the band.
It seems evident that Eric Becher is going to be a fixture at the helm of the
Michigan Marching Band for some time to come. His meteoric rise to the top
seems all the more amazing when you realize that just a few years ago,
Becher was working as a bartender at Dooley's. And today he'll be leading
the Michigan basketball band during the regionally televised Michigan-
Illinois game.
Who knows? Maybe the next Wolverine football coach is serving up Gin
and Tonics and pitchers of Molson right now.
whose Wolverines have beaten Tech
three times in three attempts this
season. "I'm very proud of them. It's
very satisfying to win this game.
"I told them 'hey, guys, this is the last
thing I can introduce to you. The next
thing is to get new players.' They
played the new system to the tee."
THE WOLVERINES had 40 shots on
Tech goalie Tom Allen while the
Huskies managed only 22 on Michigan's
Jon Elliott.
The first period started out as a wild-
scoring affair, with both teams moun-
ting potent offensive threats. Neither
goalie was outstanding, as Michigan
took a 4-3 advantage after the first
twenty minutes.
After Wolverine Brad Tippett opened
the shoot-out at 22 seconds, Tech an-
swered with three goals of its own by Al
Radke, Rick Boehm and Steve Murphy.
IT WAS THEMs that the Wolverines
got going again on goals by Paul
Kobylarz, Jeff Grade and Paul Bran-
drup.
After the first two periods, Gior-
dano's team played a more charac-
teristic defensive game and the t rd
period went without a goal or pendty
by either squad.
"They worked hard and hit us off the
puck," said Tech coach John MacInnes.
"In the first period, the goaltending on
either end was not good. Our goalie
tightened up, thank goodness. But they
(the Wolverines) did an excellent job
with us."
Kobylarz's second goal of the evening
at 3:16 of the second stanza turned out
to be the game winner. Tech's Paul
Stone scored a critical goal at 15:16
which swung the momentum the
Huskies' way, but the inspired
Wolverines hung on with tough defense
the rest of the way to preserve the vic-
tory.
"The key now is to operate on an even
keel,'" said Giordano. "We have to
make sure we don't get too high or too
low from nowon."
Michigan (14-9-5 overall, 10-8-4
CCHA) and Michigan Tech (17-10-2
overall, 13-9-1 CCHA) will conclude the
two-game series with.the finale tonight
at 7:30 p.m. at Yost Ice Arena.
What Tech-nique
Doily Photo by MIKE LUCAS ,
MICHIGAN, Joe Milburn forechecks Michigan Tech's Steve Murphy into the
boards during the second period of last night's game. The Wolverine icers
held on in the end for a 5-4 victory, their third consecutive win over the
Huskies this season.
FIRST PERIOD
Scoring: 1. M-Tippett (Speer, Perry) :22; 1.
MT-Radke (Paikovich, Harkomen) 2:12; 2.
MT-Boehne (unassisted) 3:23; 3. MT-Murphy
(Stone, Loconsole) 11:53; 2. r -Kobylarz (Grade)
12:21; 3. M-Grade (Richmond. Lundberg) 16:40; 4.
M-Braudrock (Dennis May, Perry) 17:31.
Penalties: M-Rochester (elbowing) 10:14;
M-Mcluter (roughing) 16:02; MT-Loconsole (cross-
checking) 16:02; MT-Loconsole (roughing) 16:02.
SECOND PERIOD
Scoring: S. M-Kobylarz (Grade) 3:16; 4. MT-
Stone (Peterson, Murphy) 15:16.
Penalties: M-Krussman (high sticking) 3:43;
M-Tlppett (holding) 5:36; M-Kobylarz (roughing)
8:48; MT-Scott (roughing) 8:48- M-Brandrup (trip-
ping)12' MT-Wilson (hooking) 19:46.
THIRD PERIOD
Scoring: None.
Penalties: None.
SAVES
STUDENT
RArFs
MT-Allen ..............13
M-Elliott........... 8
1 2 3 Total
11 11 - 35
6 4 - 18
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10-year prison
term -for shaver
lbe Aicbigtan 1tig
PERSONALS
(cash only)
,
NEW YORK (AP)- Former Boston
College basketball player Rick Kuhn
was given 10 years in prison yesterday
by a judge who said he hoped the stiff
sentence would keep other athletes
from bribe and point-shaving schemes.
It was believed to be the stiffest term
ever given a college player convicted of
fixing basketball games.
U.S. DISTRICT Judge Henry Bram-
well rejected a plea for leniency from
Kuhn's lawyer, Gary Zimmerman, and
a request that he consider imposing a"
sentence such as public service work,
rather than a jail term for the 26-year-
old former player from Swissvale, Pa.
"Unfortunately, I don't give alter-
native sentences. I don't believe in
them," the Brooklyn federal court
judge said.
"On final analysis, deterrence
emerges as the most important senten-
cing objective," Bramwell said.
"A strong argument can be offered
that a substantial term of incarceration
imposed on this defendant will be
recalled in the future by another college
athlete who may be tempted to com-
promise his performance," he said.
Another New York judge expressed
similar sentiments 30 years ago when
he gave prison sentences to five
basketball players that ranged six mon-
ths to an indeterminate sentence of up
to three years.
Foster to Mets?
NEW YORK (AP) - George Foster
will be traded from the Cincinnati Reds
to the New York Mets in exchange for
catcher Alex Trevino and pitchers Jim
Kern and Greg Harris if the Mets can
sign the slugging outfielder, two New
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MARION THE
ANTIQUARIAN LIBRARIAN
3668 S. Shimmons Circ., Auburn Hts., MI
48057
(313) 373-8414
York newspapers reported yesterday.
Newsdayand the New York Post said
Mets General Manager Frank Cashen .0UWords for $1.UU
and Reds President Dick Wagner
agreed on the trade after several days
of negotiations. But if the swap is to be
completed, the Mets will have tos t1
negotiate the richest contract in the . .. starting Feb. 1
franchise's 21-year history.
According to Newsday, Foster and . . . find us in the FISHBOWL _
his agent, Tom Reich, are seeking a Feb 3 4 Sand 0 1
five-year extension to his current con .,, 7,n 9 ,0
tract, which expires after the 1982
season. The extension would include ai
average annual salary of $1.5 million,
plus a $1 million interest-free loan
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