WOMEN CAGERS OPEN WITH AUSSIES
Soluk sees improvement
The Michigan Daily-Friday, November 19, 1982-Page 15
By PAUL HELGREN
What happens to a basketball team that loses three star-
ters, including the all-time Big Ten scoring leader, and the
school's blocked shot leader, and doesn't have one senior on
the club to replace them?
If the team is Michigan, it gets better, according to
women's basketball coach Gloria Soluk.
"I WAS watching some tapes of last year's team," Soluk
said, "and I can really see the difference. We're ahead of last
year's team. We're much quicker.",
Soluk's first chance to see how good her team really is will
come tonight when the Wolverines meet the Australian
*tional Women's team at Crisler Arena. She calls the game
an "excellent opportunity" to analyze her team's strengths
and weaknesses.
The biggest weakness appears to be at the center position,
where the Wolverines must replace shot-blocking specialist
Pat Donovan with one of the five freshmen centers recruited
by Poluk. At the moment, Soluk is
leaning toward Sandy Svobda.
ALTHOUGH the Wolverines will be
inexperienced at center, they have
plenty of experience at the other
positions. Co-captains Peg Harte,
0ose 21.2 scoring average last year
was second only to all-time Big Ten
scoring champion Diane Dietz' 21.6,
and Terry Soullier will be at the for-
ward positions. Guards Lori
Gnatkowski (also a co-captain) and
Connie Doutt give Michigan an ex-
perienced backcourt.
However, if Michigan is going to bet-
ter last year's 17-9 record (Soluk's best S
ever and only winning season in five
wars of coaching the Wolverines) ...sees
someone will have to fill the scoring gap left by the All-
American Dietz. That someone, according to Soluk, will be
Soullier.
"Terry (Soullier) should pick up where Dietz left off,"
Soluk predicted. "She's the guts and glue of this team. I ex-
pect her to score in double figures, no problem.
"YOU KNOW, Diane (Dietz) got all the credit last year,
but it was Terry who set all the screens and made the passes.
We played poorly in the Big Ten tournament because Terry
was out with a concussion."
But what about the high-scoring Harte? Wouldn't she be
the logical successor to Dietz?
"Peg's going to get her points, maybe more than last
year," Soluk said. "I don't even worry about her. There's not
enough good words to describe her. She had as much to do
with last year's success than anyone."
WHILE SCORING is important, Soluk thinks that it is the
improved defense of the Wolverines that makes them
legitimate contenders for the Big Ten title.
"Defense, as always, will win the
conference," she said. "Our scores will
be high because we like to run, but the
defense is definitely improved."
Soluk looks for Ohio State, Minnesota,
Illinois, and Northwestern to be con-
tenders for the Big Ten crown. This
year each Big Ten team plays each
other twice, instead of just once. This
should make for a more exciting race
and, Soluk hopes, create more fan in-
terest.
But the Big Ten race is a long way off
and right now Soluk is getting her
ck('I young squad ready for the Australians
and hoping they live up to her pre-
uprovement season expectations.
'1
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AGENCIES OFFER MANY PACKAGES:
The ways to Pasadena
By MIKE BRADLEY
So, you want to go to Pasadena for the
Rose Bowl, eh? Well, there are any
Esmber of packages, tours, or travel
ns that a Maize and Blue follower
could use to get to the "Granddaddy of
them all."
All of the local travel agencies offer
tour packages for the New Year's Day
classic. The basic components of these
plans include round trip airfare to Los
Angeles, hotel accommodations at
various establishments, transfers to
and from the game and parade, and a
game ticket.
THE PRICES vary. Boersma Travel
Tnd Regency Travel offer the same
deals, which include accommodations
at $he Sheraton Plaza for $689. The
Wolverine Express tour, that the ban-
ner in front of the Union advertises
offers a plan for $698 for students and
$792 for faculty and staff. These are
based on three to four people to a room
for 'the students and double occupancy
for staff.
Great Places Travel offers packages
three, five, and eight days at $671 and
63, respectively. These plans include
hotel accommodations at the Hilton
along with parade tickets for the Tour-
nament of Roses Festival, and, of cour-
se,ducats for the big game.
For those interested in putting
together their own travel itinerary, the
airfare to California is relatively inex-
pensive, but there are some catches.
First of all, Blue boosters have snat-
hed up all the prime flying dates, and
e remaining tickets are going fast.
People can fly to California before
December 25 and fly home after
January 7 for $269.00. This is a super-
saver fare, and the supplies are limited.
ONCE OUT there, students can
choose from a veritable plethora of
hotels with varying levels of prices and
quality.
The one item that California bound
students can not neglect to purchase in
advance is tickets to the game. These
can be ordered, starting Monday, at the
Athletic Ticket Office for $30.50. There
is a limit of one per person. Once out in
the Golden State, fans can pick up the
tickets at the Los Angeles Sports Arena
on December 31 from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00
p.m. A Michigan student ID and a
driver's license will be required for
identification.
Of course, there is always the cheap
way. Aside from packing four over-
sized beer drinkers in to a mazda and
45 mpg-ing it out to California, there is
always the bus. Trailways offers an in-
spiring two and a half day trip across
the country each way for $198.00 round
trip. Once in LA, plan to stay at the
Hollywood YMCA for $22.00 a night
(double occupancy). While in
Hollywood, why not check out a few
game shows - they're free, or wait in
line for a day or two to watch the Car-
son show - also a freebie.
There it is, the routes to California
from first rate to no frills. Choose your
own package, but be in Pasadena to
support the Big Blue Machine.
ROSE BOWL
Dec. 27 to Jan. 1
From $660
Round Trip Jet, Ramada inn, etc.
Transfers, Rose Bowl Tickets, etc.
TRANS-AM TRAVEL
London Chop House Bldg.
1-961-7590
PUBLIC SKATING
MONDAY Thru FRIDAY 12:00-1:30 P.M.
THURSDAY EVENING 8:00-10:00 P.M.
SATURDAY AFTERNOONS 12:30-2:15 P.M.
(Except Home Football Saturdays)
SUNDAY AFTERNOON 12:30-2:15 P.M.
U of M Student .................... $1.00
High School Age & Under ...........1.00
Faculty & Staff .................... 1.25
Public ........................... $1.50
Skate Rental ...................... .75
ICE RENTAL AND SKATE SHARPENING AVAILABLE
YOST ICE ARENA
1016 S. State St.
763-0064
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