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Page 10 - The Michigan Daily - Wednesday, February 29, 1984
Blue Lines r
By TIM MAKINEN
NE COULD imagine TV sports announcer Al
Michaels yelling, "Do you believe in miracles!?"
Only this time it more closely resembled a nightmare.
Somehow, incredibly, the Michigan hockey team
failed to make the playoffs for the second year in a row.
The Wolverines, the same squad which little over a mon-
th-and-a-half ago was fighting for fourth place in the
CCHA, slipped to ninth place on the final game of the
season. Only eight teams clinch playoff spots.
"It's like falling off a cliff," Michigan Coach John Gior-
dano said after last Saturday's season-ending loss to
Northern Michigan, 7-6, at Yost Ice Arena.
The Northern series marked the first time the Blue
has beens swept at home in three years. Combined with
Lake Superior State's two victories against Michigan
Tech, the sweep nudged the Wolverines out of eighth
place and forced them to stay home during another
year's playoffs. The impossible has happened, the
climax of a gut-wrenching plummet from playoff con-
tention.
Rude awakening
Ever since knocking off number-one ranked Bowling
Green in early January, the Wolverines played as if in a
bad dream. In its last 14 games, Michigan managed only
three victories and a tie. That is not the kind of standard
one expects from a playoff contender. Perhaps it is most
remarkable that the team even had any playoff hopes.
But therein lies the truly sad part of Michigan's demise.
Other than Bowling Green, Ohio State, and Michigan
State, the top three teams in the league, no team was
clearly superior to the Blue. With the exception of a 12-1
debacle in East Lansing against the Spartans, Michigan
was never really blown out of a hockey game.
They had their destiny in their own hands, but no mat-
ter how hard the Wolverines tried, they always came up
a bit short. Too many times a drive from the point
caromed off a post, a deflected shot bounded wide of the
net or Wolverine goalie Mark Chiamp couldn't quite grip
an opponent's blast that eventually slipped under the
crossbar. Those scenes were repeated with ghoulish
frequency during the playoff drive.
"We get to a point where we get close and we just can't
M'playoff nightmare.. .
... hopes put to bed
finish it," said Giordano. "You don't lose nine one-goal.
games and go into 11 overtimes (if you are) a bad team.
You have to be playing hard. We're very, very close."
... but no cigar
Several things did prevent Michigan from getting
more than "close" to other teams in the conference. For
one thing, Michigan often played as if in a trance,
responding only after being hit on the head with several
goals or a tough loss. It happened last Saturday night
when Michigan spotted Northern a 5-1 lead, and it has
happened all season long, with the Blue usually dropping
the first contest of a weekend series and then playing
like a completely different team on Saturday nights. Of
Michigan's 14 victories, only four of them occurred on a
Friday night and none of those in the second half of the
season.
That inconsistency could be attributed to a lack of
leadership. The very young Michigan squad had only
three seniors, Jim. McCauley, Kelly McCrimmon, and
John DeMartino. Despite their very best efforts, it was
impossible for the trio to constantly motivate the
numerous freshman and sophomores on the roster, par-
ticularly when both McCrimmon and DeMartino suf-
fered injuries.
Juniors Mike Neff, Doug May, Paul Spring, and
Chiamp must step in to fill the leadership void. In ad-
dition, this year's freshman and sophomores must put
inconsistency behind them. The talent runs very deep in
those two classes, but they have not displayed their ability.
with regularity. Until that consistency appears,
Michigan will remain a lower-division team.
It would be unfair to assess the Wolverines' season
without mentioning injuries. Undoubtedly Michigan
would be in the playoffs were it not for the heavy toll
paid in torn cartilege, bruises, and concussions. After
all, no team plans on losing four different starting defen-
semen at one time or another. But the injuries did
reveal a lack of depth, especially on defense.
In the meantime, the Wolverines should rest up, retain
the few good points from this season and discard the
rest. The potential for a great season next year exists.
And any dreams of next year have got to be sweeter than
the bitter reality that resulted in the 1983-84 campaign.
Diver gets act together
By ANDREA WILLIAMS
Mike Gruber's diving is not just a
song and dance, he saves that for the
stage.
But the sophomore diver doesn't just
perform in musicals, he is actually
writing one. The musical, which Gruber
refers to as "a real nebulous thing," is
just one way the talented 19-year-old
spends his spare time.
MOST OF Gruber's time at present is
spent training for the Big Ten cham-
pionships in Indianapolis this Thursday
through Saturday.
As a result of the time committed to
diving, the Cincinnati native could not
take part in this semester's play perfor-
med by Musket, a student performing
group. Previously, Gruber performed in
"The Runaways" and "Hair," and last
semester, he had a lead role in "West
Side Story."
"Musical theatre is what I would
really love to do with my life," said
Gruber. "I hope to make it m.y
career."
IN THE meantime, however, Gruber
has the onerous task of balancing
academics, diving and performing.
During the productions Gruber was
rehearsing from seven to 11 at night,
five days a week, in addition to training
twice a day for diving.
Said Gruber, "It was killing me plus I
was going to classes."
"Gruber's extracurricular activities
cut into his diving, tired him out and
made him not able to concentrate,"
said Michigan diving coach Dick Kim-
ball.
BUT KIMBALL is optimistic about
Gruber's chances for this year's Big
Ten Championships. He said his third-
ranked diver has not overextended
himself as he had done in previous
semesters.
Currently, Gruber is ranked behind
Michigan diving sensations, Ken
Ferguson, a junior All-American, and
Bruce Kimball, a sophomore All-
American and a leading prospect for
the U.S. Olympic Diving team.
"Diving under incredibly great
drawn to diving by Charlie Casuto, the
coach of the Stingray Divers of Cincin-
nati. Casuto won the title National Age-
Group coach of the year while Grube
was diving for him.
IT WAS not until he was much older
that Gruber took up acting. As a
sophomore in high school, Gruber per-
formed in his first play.
Finding that his diving was isolating
him, Gruber started acting to meet
people. By his senior year, Gruber was
'I want to be involved in theatre. I want to
share with other people what theatre can do
for them in terms of confidence and
meeting people.'
-- Mike Gruber
divers, Ken Ferguson and Bruce Kim-
ball is psychologically tough" Gruber
said, but added, "In terms of pressure,
it's a nice position to be in."
GRUBER HAS an impressive history
as a diver. As an 11-year-old beginning
diver for the Stingray Divers of Cincin-
nati, he placed first at the U.S.
nationals for the 12-and-under age
group.
At 14, Gruber represented the United
States at the World Age Group Diving,
Championships in Stuttgart, Germany
winning silver medals on both the three
meter board and the platform.
Last summer, Gruber competed at
the USA Men's Diving Championships.
Competing against great divers like
World Champion Greg Lounganis,
Gruber dove well enough to place a.
respectable 11th in the one meter, 15th
in the platform and 20th in the three
meter.
DIVING HAS given Gruber the chan-
ce to travel extensively. Because divers
go "where the pools are", he estimates
that he has visited about 30 states.
Divers also go where the coaches are.
For Gruber, coming to Michigan was
the logical choice because Kimball,
also the Olympic coach, according to
Gruber, is a "great coach."
Once a gymnast, Gruber was first
Thespian President for his high school,
as well as high school state divin
champion.
His gregarious nature shows through
when he talks about his ultimate career
goal. "I want to be involved in theatre,"
Gruber said. "I want to share with
other people what theatre can do for
them in terms of confidence and
meeting people."
"THE BEST thing about doing shows
is not the applause, the claps, the
audience, but meeting the people who
are involved," he added.
In addition to singing, playing piano
and acting, Gruber is also a talented ar-
tist. He has designed logos, set designs
and layouts.
He does not have a lot of spare time,
but Gruber is not complaining.
When you get this busy, you have to
have a strong focus," said the
sophomore, "If you put things in per-
spective it helps to keep you from being
cocky or great."
Gruber is a very re'ligious and
spiritual person, who relates very much
to Eric Liddel of the movie Chariots of
Fire. "It is not just the winning that
counts," said Gruber, "When I dive it
takes a lot of pressure off you if you say
you are not diving just for yourself but
for God. It's easier to understand when
you don't win."
Nordliques
snap Wigs'
streak, 6-2
QUEBEC (AP) - Right wing Wilf
Paiement scored two goals, including
the 300th of his National Hockey League
career, and Peter Stastny added two
more to lead the Quebec Nordiques to a
6-2 triumph over Detroit last night, en-
ding the Red Wing's five game winning
streak.
Goaltender Mario Gosselin, who
recently played with the Canadian
Olympic team, made his second
straight winning start, stopping 25
shots. Quebec directed 29 shots at
Detroit goaltender Corrado Micalef.
THE RED WINGS jumped to a 1-0
lead, their only of the game, as Lane
Lambert scored his 15th goal of the
season late in the first period.
Paiement, who raised his season total
to 36 goals, scored his first of the night
with 47 seconds left in the opening
period.
Stastny and Paiement both scored in
the middle period, helping Quebec
mount a 4-2 lead. Paul Gillis of the Nor-
diques and Detroit's Reed Larson san-
dwiched goals between Stastny and
Paiement.
Gruber
... makes play for Big Ten
Tankers topool resources at Big Tens
Wh A ~www ' w
in
By PAULA SCHIPPER
Strangely enough, men's swim coach
Jon Urbanchek acted nonchalant about
the Big Ten swimming championships
this weekend in Indianapolis.
"The Big Ten is just a stepping stone
to the NCAA's," said Urbanchek. "Our
big goal (at the Big Tens) is to get
NCAA qualifying times."
MICHIGAN figures to place in the top
three somewhere among the tough
competitors from Iowa, Indiana, and
Ohio State.
Wolverine sophomore Benoit
Clement, who last week broke the
school record in the 1000-yard freestyle,
may very well finish on top in the 500-
yard freestyle at the championships as
may fellow Wolverine distance swim-
mer Jeff Gordon.
In the 200-yard butterfly, all eyes will
be on Wolverine freshman Jim
Bruzzese, and the Blue diving team will
likely sweep the diving competition as
they did last year with performances by
Bruce Kimball, Kent Ferguson,* and
Mike Gruber.
BUT MICHIGAN has its weak spots
in a lack of depth in the 100-yard back
and 100-yard fly. That makes the out-
come of the championship anybody's
guess.
"In the conference meet, Iowa and
Indiana have superior depth," said Ur-
banchek. "But we can beat them in the
NCAA's."
Student Newspaper at The University of Michigan
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Canucks 3, Capitals 2
LANDOVER, Md. (AP) - Patrik
Sundstrom fired a 30-footer into the net
to give the Vancouver Canucks a 3-2
National Hockey League victory over
the Washington Capitals last night.
The loss snaped the Capitals' seven
game home ice winning streak.
AFTER A scoreless first period, each
team scored twice in the second period.
Washington went in front 2-1 on goals
by Bob Carpenter and Bob Gould 34
seconds apart. Carpenter got his 19th of
the year at 7:21, eight seconds after
emerging from the penalty box. Gould
found the bottom corner of the net on
the far side of goalie John Garrett at
7:55.
r
Vancouver got the opening goal when
Cam Neely split the defense and flipped
the puck past goalie Pat Riggin at 4:20
of the middle period. Jere Gillis tied the
score at 12:56, getting behind the defen
se and deflecting a pass from Gary
Lupul into the Washington net.
Bruzzese
...butterfly contender
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